Last year the final post of 2009 was a gorgeous cake that we were bringing to a New Year's Party. And let me tell you, it was just as good-tasting as it was gorgeous!
This year=no cake. :( We're having a quiet New Year's celebration at home, with some snacks, TV and a hockey game. Plus, as I have learned in the past couple of months, if the sweets are in the house, I will pick at them until they are gone. That's why you didn't see a lot of posts about Christmas Cookies this year. Yes, there were some cookies (baked on Christmas Eve and then the leftovers sent home with my mom for another family party on Christmas day) because it just is not Christmas without some cookies. I weighed in last night at my weight loss group and I have lost (ta-da) EIGHT pounds since 11/12/10! That's a miracle!! Honestly, I haven't had a tough time thus far. I think it's because I have been eating things that I really want, just less of them. I still eat ice cream. I still put sugar in my coffee. And I still enjoy carbs. I just eat ice cream one or two nights a week instead of every night. I no longer take my coffee light and sweet. And I'm (still) learning that portion sizes don't have to be an entire plate. I'm starting to appreciate the simple flavors of things, like sliced cucumber with just a hint of salt instead of heaped with dressing. It's a whole new world out there.
So, I had mentioned in my previous post about a new cookbook for busy families. Brian perused it while making the menu for the week and came across a recipe for Mini Barbecue Meatloaves. We're always looking for something different to do with a pound of ground beef besides spaghetti sauce or tacos. The night it was scheduled to debut on our dinner table, he read the recipe as he was pulling out ingredients and discovered something displeasing: the reason why it was a quick recipe is because you cook the meatloaves in the microwave! (Ga-ross.)
I love the microwave. It's great for leftovers, melting butter for a recipe, warming up some formula for the baby and the like. But a main course started and finished there? Hmmmm....that sounds like a disaster. Meat tends to get rubbery in there. But still.....we forged on to give it a fair chance.
You know what it came out tasting like? Barbecue meatloaf. It was just fine! The meatloaf patties were moist and not at all rubbery. So we've made an agreement to utilize this oft-overlooked appliance and try more recipes with it. Because really, dinner ready in fifteen minutes is pretty cool.
Happy New Year, everyone! (or to the four people that read this) I hope it brings good food, good times and great memories. :)
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