Spontaneous Moment #24: Mini Meal in a Cup

When you're single and cooking for one, sometimes it's annoying to have to throw out your leftovers because you couldn't eat it fast enough (Or that moment when  you can look at your leftovers anymore because you've had it for lunch and dinner three nights in a row). It gets frustrating. Well, here's a way for you to have portion control AND not worry about throwing away leftovers... CUPCAKE MEATLOAF!

I'll eat the amount I want and then put the leftovers in a ziplock bag and keep in the freezer.

I like attempting to make healthier versions of everything so here is my version of meatloaf.

Morgan's Spicy Turkeyloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 bottle Sriracha Garlic Chili Sauce
• 1 packet Lipton Beefy Onion soup & dip mix
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs or Panko crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup dice green onions
• Optional: If you buy lean turkey or 99% fat free turkey, add 1/2 cup water
• Optional: If you don't want  to use an entire bottle of Sriracha Chili Sauce, use a cup of Ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup brown sugar

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the dried onion with the bread crumbs and diced green onions. I'll take those ingredients and mix it with the ground turkey. Then take half of the bottle of Sriracha Chili sauce and mix it in. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat it. Pour the egg on top of turkey mixture and then stir. Now is also when you add the 1/2 water IF you decide to use it.

 Grease the cupcake pan and then place the turkey loaf into the cupcake pan. Bake the loaf in the oven for 10 minutes. Pull out and add the rest of the Sriracha Chili Sauce OR the ketchup/brown sugar mixture on top of the meatloaf. Cook for 25 to 30 more minutes or until meat is thoroughly done.

Spontanteous Moment #23: Crockpot Cravings

The other day I randomly had a craving for beef stroganoff. Whenever I think of beef stroganoff though, I think of heart burn and some quality time in the restroom.

I figured if I was going to make myself a treat, I need to at least make it a skinnier version. Here is my attempt at a healthier version.

Beef Stroganoff Recipe

2 pounds cubed stew meat
2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1 large onion, diced
4 tbsp of low sodium Worcestershire Sauce OR 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 water
8 oz of fat free cream cheese
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
3 squirts of Srircha Sauce
Pinch of Pepper (to taste)
(Optional) Pinch of Paprika (to taste)

Spontaneous Moment #22: Cinammon Sugar Delight

When cooking biscuits for breakfast, there are always more than my little heart desires.

Instead of making 8 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits, I decided to only make half the biscuits and attempt another meal with the other half.

Cinnamon- Sugar  Breakfast Bites

Cut biscuits into fours

Combine Cinnamon and Sugar in a Bowl

Mix together

Plop biscuit slices in a pot of hot vegetable or canola oil

Roll balls in the cinnamon-sugar mix

Once coated, place on a plate

The end results

TA-DA!

They were absolutely delicious!!

Warning: Be careful when heating up the vegetable oil. It won't boil. Set it on medium heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes. To test your oil, wet a hand and splash the oil to see if it bubbles.

The bread bites cook really quickly. They only need to cook in the oil for 30 seconds on each side.

Put the bread bite immediately from the oil pan into the cinnamon sugar and then onto a plate.

If you let the bread bite sit on a plate before putting it in the cinnamon sugar mixture it have a harder time sticking to the bread bite.

Spontaneous Moment #21: Wrap It Up

One of my favorite parts about the holiday is wrapping and decorating presents. I pretty much enjoy wrapping presents as much as I love giving the gift!

The little boys at Christmas even voted my gift the prettiest one of them all.

Here are a few tricks up my sleeve for how to make your present sparkle and stand out.

How to Make a Flower Bow

You'll need...
-  One large sheet of tissue paper
-string
-scissors


First: Take your large sheet of tissue paper and cut them into equal sized strips. I usually make four or give long strips out of one large piece of tissue paper.

Drinking a glass of wine during arts and crafts time is a must ;)

Second: Fold tissue paper back and forth ( a little over under action) to make it in the shape of a fan.

Third: Tie off the center with string.

Fourth: Take your scissors and cut the two ends of your paper. Round them into the shape of a petal.

Last: Slowly pull each piece of tissue paper away. It's best to do it one at a time.

Like so...

TA-DA!

Final product

You could also end up with presents like this...

Purchased regular & glitter styrofoam to create this little creation

I took the leftover wrapping paper and made it into a bow

I cut out snowflakes and made them a centerpiece

Glitter wrapping paper always perfects a gift

Spontaneous Moment #20: Christmas Casserole

I've never really made a breakfast casserole before (cue gasp now). Yes, I grew up in Texas where a breakfast casserole is sacred, but I was always a cereal girl.

In John's house it's tradition to eat casserole for breakfast every Christmas morning. With such high expectations, I wanted to make sure I didn't disappoint. I endlessly searched the web and cookbooks for the PERFECT recipe, until I finally gave up and decided... HELL, I'll make my own!

Ignore the remote... Casserole, Mushrooms, and Fruit Salad finished with pomegranate champagne

Ingredients: 

-One bag of Ore Ida shredded hash browns
-Half a package of bacon
-Jimmy Dean Premium Pork Hot Sausage
-Packet of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
-Chives
-One medium onion (thinly diced)
-Block of mozzarella cheese
-1 can Nestle Carnation Condensed Milk
-Two eggs
-Sea Salt and Pepper
-Mama Cholula Hot Sauce or Srirachi sauce

I cooked the bacon and sausage the day before and left the frozen Ore Idea hash browns in the fridge overnight. I cut up the onion the day before as well.

I woke up early Christmas morning to cook our mini feast and put a few stocking stuffers around the house. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

I greased the casserole dish first and then put in  hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, onion and cheddar cheese. I mixed the ingredients around in the dish until it was a nice and even spread. I sprinkled a little more cheese on top. Cut up chives were then sprinkled around the top of the dish.

In a mixing bowl, I combined the condensed milk, two eggs, sea salt and pepper (to taste) and a dash of Mama Cholula. The combination was then evenly distributed around the casserole dish.

The casserole baked in the oven for 55 minutes. I took it out, added a few more chives and shredded mozzarella cheese on top with a cheese grater. The casserole was then placed back in the oven for another five minutes.

The outcome? HUGE SUCCESS!! Probably because I'm eating my entire day's worth of calories, but it's worth it. John and I couldn't stop eating it.

I served the casserole with fruit salad, sauteed mushrooms and helped finish it off with pomegranate champagne (POM, pomegranate seeds and champagne). It was the perfect holiday dish.

Pomegranate Champagne

Sauteed Mushrooms

Spontaneous Moment #19: Spreading Holiday Cheer

I made little Holiday Gift bags for my coworkers as thank you for all of their hard work. What I didn't realize what how much time and hard work it would take me to thank them.

I made cake pops, chocolate covered pretzels and cookies.

Here are a few images of the delicious little treats:

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels and Peppermint Cookies

A closer look

Peppermint Cookies

Tied up with string. These are a few of my favorite things.

A sneak peak inside my gift bags. The cookies are also tied with string.

The final product!

Finish it off with a cute tag

Spontaneous Moment #18: Friends From Afar

Since this is the season of giving, I've made some of my best friends a little holiday "cheers."

I drew on the mugs with sharpie and then baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This way it bakes the color into the mug and is dishwasher safe!