Homemade Meatloaf

Tuesday I came home after school instead of running, becuase I had been fighting some sickness, and my body needed a break!  Since I had extra time at home, I headed to the kitchen to work on a new recipe I had made.  I love meatloaf, so I made one all for myself stuffed with other foods I love, too.  When I say all to myself, I mean Mom and Dad are not allowed in the dish.  Mine.

Of course meatloaf has meat in it.  But here are the added ingreedients:

pumpkin

black pepper, paprika, all spice, chili powder

salsa

oatmeal

Linwoods Ground Flax, Sunflower, Pumpkin & Sesame Seeds & Goji Berries

spinach

onions

egg whites

This was from last night's dinner, where you can see it cut up.

This may sound strange, but it actually works out really well.  Dad made spaghetti Sunday night, but I had noodles leftover but no more sauce!  No one wants plain noodles, right?  To solve this problem, I took some Classico Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic pasta sauce and warmed it up with the noodles and meatloaf to make more spaghetti!

There is a plethora of things you can do with leftovers.

Homemade Pizza

One of my favorite things to make for a post run meal is pizza!  I have never made my own crust, but I buy the whole wheat kind at the store.  I also use the Classico fire roasted tomato and garlic sauce, mixed with my own toppings like celery, bell peppers, goat cheese, hummus, turkey sausage, spinach, broccoli, carrots, onion, Italian seasoning, cilantro, black pepper, thyme, cumin, and any other veggies that may be in the fridge!  I pile my toppings so high, I make a mess eating it sometimes, but it's still so tasty!  (and much healthier and more fun than a fast food pizza!)

During the summer, I have even more ingredients to add that my neighbors bring me from their garden. When I get bags full of tomatoes, I use the blender and make my own sauce for pizza and pasta. See, blenders have so many uses!

Black Bean Dip

I'm really behind on posting stuff, but it's a busy life!  My friend had a birthday on Monday, and she had a get-together at her house where we watched a movie and brought snacks.  My contribution was a black bean dip that we had with Wheat Thins, chips, and veggies!

This is the recipe I used:

1 and a half can black beans

1 small onion-diced

2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers (jalapenos in the jar, chop 6-8 pieces)

¼ C light sour cream

3 tablespoons salsa

1 C Colby or Monterey Jack cheese

*Rinse and drain black beans well.  Put into mixing bowl; mash well.  Add all other ingredients except ½ cup cheese and mix well.  Pour into shallow glass dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

*Bake at 350º for 20-30 min until hot and bubbly.

Who doesn't love a cookout style dinner?

I had been looking forward to these burgers all week!  (in the background is my casserole I will share about in another post)  Burgers are a great way to fuel up on some protein and can also be made even more satisfying with the toppings added.  This burger I fixed the other night was one of the best I have ever had!  It is on a wheat bun with spinach, mustard, black pepper, goat cheese, tomato, pickle, onion, and roasted red pepper hummus.  I couldn't have chosen a more tasty combination!