Blueberry Streusel Muffins

These are the best blueberry muffins I've had in a long time. I've been trying out different blueberry muffin recipes lately trying to find an all-time, go-to recipe and I think this one is it.

My first requirement is great flavor and texture. These have it.

My second requirement is that it had to have streusel on top and not just any streusel, but brown sugar streusel. I'm still searching for the perfect brown sugar-to-flour-to-butter-to cinnamon ratio, but this one works for now. If I find something better, I'll re-post. (Just so you know, these are great without the streusel, too!)

My only regret about this recipe is it makes an odd number of muffins - around 15-18, depending on how much you fill the cups. That bothers me because standard muffin tins make an even dozen. And you know when you bake those last 3-6, they cook faster and can sometimes get burnt - so watch them carefully.

BLUEBERRY STREUSEL MUFFINS
adapted from Blueberry Cream Muffins on Allrecipes.com

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I substitute half applesauce)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusel:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin (makes 15-18) with paper muffin liners.

In large bowl, beat eggs; gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil (and applesauce if using). Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream/yogurt. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full.

In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden and muffins spring back when touched with a finger. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

Here's something different to try if you're tired of plain steamed green beans. These go great with any Asian-flavored dish and rice. And the flavor is not too intense - just enough.

SWEET AND SPICY GREEN BEANS
adapted from Allrecipes.com

3/4 pound (12 oz) fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (I prefer low-sodium)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. honey
dash of hot sauce
sesame seeds

Arrange a steamer basket in a pot of boiling water and steam the green beans 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, garlic, honey, and hot sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; add the green beans and fry for 3-5 minutes. Pour in soy sauce mixture. Continue cooking and stirring 2 minutes, or until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish. Serve immediately.

Cherry Berries on a Cloud

This recipe is in my Betty Crocker cookbook but I also found it on Allrecipes.com. For years I've thought about making it and I finally had all the right ingredients at the same time, so I made it for Father's Day. This is a light and fluffy dessert but the cream cheese does make it rich. You also need to plan ahead to make this since the meringue needs to sit in the oven overnight.

Regarding meringue, here are a few tips to help you if you are new to making it:

• Meringue works best on a cool, dry day. For some parts of the country, that is a problem. Just accept that if you have a lot of humidity you will probably see your meringue "sweat." This is when the meringue absorbs moisture from the air and becomes sticky. It may develop beads of sugar syrup on the top. Not really a big deal for this recipe since you will cover it up with the filling.
• Separate your eggs very carefully. Even just a speck of yolk will keep the egg whites from fluffing up.
• For best results, let your egg whites come to room temperature before beating.
• Add the sugar slowly (about 1 Tbsp. at a time), so the crystals are absorbed and your meringue will be smooth and not grainy.
• After adding the sugar, keep beating the egg whites until stiff and glossy peaks form when you lift the beater(s):
  

I also recommend using a stand mixer if you have one, because this takes some time and it will free you to do other things while you wait for the meringue to fluff.

CHERRY BERRIES ON A CLOUD
adapted from Allrecipes.com

Meringue:
6 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar

Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 pkgs. (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Topping:
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
2 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan with shortening or butter (cooking spray won't be enough).

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time; keep beating until egg whites are stiff and glossy. Do not under-beat. Spread into greased baking pan.

Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven, leaving meringue in the oven with the door closed overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Beat whipping cream in chilled large bowl on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in another bowl until blended. Gently fold cream cheese mixture and marshmallows into whipped cream. Spread over meringue. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Cut into serving pieces; top with topping.

For topping, combine strawberries, pie filling, and lemon juice.

Slow Cooker Meat Loaf

I am generally not a meatloaf fan, but I will eat the meatloaf my mother-in-law makes. For me it's all about the sauce. In fact, I double it when I make it just so there's extra to slather on my slice. Sorry that this looks like a photo of a bloody brain ... not my best work. I promise it doesn't taste like a bloody brain. I've probably just completely ruined this for you, huh?

SLOW COOKER MEATLOAF

2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup dehydrated onion
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, egg, onion, pepper, mustard, sage, celery salt, garlic powder, and Worchestershire sauce and mix well. Shape mixture into an oval and place in slow cooker:

Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and nutmeg. Pour over meatloaf, recover and cook on high for 20-30 minutes longer.

Meatloaf can be served out of slow cooker or you can try to very carefully remove it to a platter.

Smoked Sausage with Potatoes and Green Beans

Here's a great one-dish meal that you can throw together quickly and still tastes great. I've included some basic seasoning but you could also try using an Italian dressing mix packet for a different flavor. Or Cajun seasoning. The sausage does lend a lot of flavor on it's own. My personal favorite is Hillshire Farm's Lite Smoked Sausage:

Less fat and calories and still lots of flavor. You can use any flavor sausage you want. I know some people prefer Polska Kielbasa.

This is also a great recipe for using up the fresh green beans from your garden if you are lucky enough to have one.

SMOKED SAUSAGE WITH POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS
adapted from Grilled Sausage with Potatoes and Green Beans on Allrecipes.com

1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
3/4 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium onion, wedged
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt (I prefer Kosher salt)
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss to coat; transfer to a 9x13 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove foil, stir ingredients, and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until potatoes are tender.

Tangy Mustard Chicken

In theory this marinade sounded good, but I'll be honest -- once it was made I was thinking, "really?" It looks and smells ... not so delicious. But I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. It creates amazing flavor!

Of course, the moment I was ready to grill these babies, my grill was not -- it ran out of propane. So I ended up broiling the breasts and they still turned out great. This was my first time broiling with this particular oven and I managed to overcook them and dried them out ever so slightly, but I felt that the tasty glaze the marinade creates more than made up for it.

If you don't have a grill or just want to broil chicken breasts anyway, here's how to do it:

1. Before turning on the oven, place your broiling pan on the top rack to measure the distance from the heating element on the top of the oven. The chicken needs to be about 5-6 inches away from the heat source, so adjust your oven rack accordingly and remove the broiling pan.

2. If your oven is electric, you'll need to preheat your broiler. Spray the broiling pan with cooking spray -- do NOT line it with foil, just use the drip tray underneath:3. Lay the breasts out in an even layer on the broiling pan. For the best results it's best to pound out your breasts before hand so that they are an even thickness.

4. Broil the breasts for 5-7 minutes per side, basting as desired. The chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear.

TANGY MUSTARD CHICKEN
adapted from Unbelievable Chicken on Allrecipes.com

6-8 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, trimmed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in a small container for basting later (keep refrigerated). Combine marinade and chicken breasts in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight (I pound my chicken breasts while they are in the Ziploc bag).

Preheat grill for med-high heat. Grill chicken 6-8 minutes on each side, basting with reserved marinade, until juices run clear.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

If you are looking for exciting flavors and textures ... this recipe isn't it. But if you are looking for warm and creamy comfort food, this recipe will make you very happy.

Like most comfort food, there is some fat in here. You could tweak it a bit to reduce the calories. Use reduced fat or fat free condensed soup, reduced fat or fat free sour cream, and low-fat milk. Instead of mixing the cracker crumbs (even the crackers have a reduced fat variety) with melted butter, you could sprinkle them on the casserole and spray them with butter-flavored cooking spray. I have never made it this way so I cannot vouch for it's tastiness but it can't be all bad.

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE
adapted from Chicken Noodle Casserole I on Allrecipes.com

1 (16 oz) bag egg noodles
4 cups cooked, diced or shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook noodles according to package directions; rinse and drain. In a large bowl, whisk together soups, sour cream, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Fold in chicken and noodles until thoroughly mixed. Pour into baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs with melted butter and stir with a fork; sprinkle over casserole. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.