Recipe(tried): Chicken Meat Loaf with Tomato and Rosemary Gravy, Jamie's Mom's Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Lemon Squares

Hi Everyone!

I haven't had the time to post lately because for the last few days I had been gone early in the morning to go to some Estate Sales. I got lucky and found some wonderful old things that I enjoy collecting. I found an old red tin that I am keeping kitty kibble in. I also found some wonderful old canning jars, the type that have the metal screw tops. I also found some old pyrex casserole dishes and an old aluminum coffee pot with the glass-top perculator for the stove top as well as a pretty General Electric coffee perculator. The best find was an old cake/pie tin holder. It is aluminum and the top can store a cake and the bottom stores a pie. I love it!!! I enjoy going to those because the prices are soooo good.

I also had my list with me of food items to get and found some great deals on cream cheese, butter and flour. Today I will go to the grocery store and finish getting the rest of my perishable items. There are some great sales going on now...

I sent a thank you letter to Bon Appetit for printing their "countdown list" in their November issue, it has helped me tremendously this year getting organized! I have been following it and all my to-do things have been an absolute breeze! I found one of the local grocers has turkey for 59 cents/lb. and that's the one I am purchasing on Monday to defrost in my fridge. I am so looking forward to Wednesday and the preparations!!! This is my favorite holiday!!

The last few days we have been enjoying sandwiches with soup but tonight I am cooking. This recipe for Chicken Meat Loaf with Tomato and Rosemary Gravy is wonderful. I love it because the gravy makes good use of the rosemary bush I have outside my front door. The recipe comes from a new cookbook I bought after seeing it on the new book display at the library in Bryson City, NC. It caught my eye because the cover was sooo funky!! It is called THE ARTFUL CHICKEN by Linda Arnaud. It is a unique book with all chicken recipes and the best part is that she showcases her chicken colectibles. These includes salt and pepper shakers, casseroles, figurines, plates, etc. All very adorable and cute!!

Tonight's entree will be served with mashed potatoes and carrots and peas. I am also making a Cream Cheese Poundcake and some Lemon Squares to take to a housewarming tomorrow. The poundcake is one of the best I have ever tasted and the story behind it is this...a few years back, one of my first grade students in Miami brought me the poundcake as a Christmas gift from her family. It was so astonishingly delicious that I had to ask her Mom for the recipe. It has been passed around my family throughout the last few years.

Here are the recipes!!

Chicken Meat Loaf with Tomato & Rosemary Gravy
The Artful Chicken by Linda Arnaud

serves 6-8

Vegetable oil

3/4 lb. ground chicken (preferably light and dark meat)
3/4 lb. ground turkey (preferably light and dark meat)
3/4 lb. ground pork
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. milk
2 t. white wine
worcestershire sauce
1 c. fine bread crumbs
4 T. minced fresh cilantro
3 T. minced sweet onion
1 T. crushed garlic
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Oven at 350. Set rack in middle. Line a roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and lightly oil bottom and sides.

Combine all ingredients and thoroughly mix together. Shape into a loaf and place in the pan.

Bake 1 hour or til juices run clear. Turn off the oven and let stand for 10 min. with the door open.

Tomato and Rosemary Gravy

1 c. chicken broth
2 t. shallots, minced
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 1/2 c. diced fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and drained
1 t. tomato paste
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 1/4 c. sour cream

Pour broth into a saucepot and add the shallots, white wine, tomatoes, paste and rosemary. Bring to a boil until the liquid is reduced by one half. Remove from heat and discard the rosemary sprigs.
Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and blend til smooth. Pass through a sieve and then back into the saucepot.

Place over med-high heat and simmer, lower the heat and add the sour cream stirring from time to time. Do not let sauce boil.

Pour the sauce into a gravy boat and serve with the meatloaf.

Jamie's Mom's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This delicious pound cake was given to me as a gift at the end of one school year. I had to have the recipe.

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 sticks margarine, softened
3 c. sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
3 c. flour
1 t. vanilla

Combine and mix cream cheese, butter and margarine until well blended. Add sugar slowly, scrape sides of bowl in between mixing.

Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.

Add flour 2 tablespoons at a time. Add vanilla and blend well.

Pour into ungreased tube pan and bake for 55-60 minutes at 350. Do not open oven before cake is done or it will shrink down. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert and cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.

Lemon Squares

Crust:
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. conf. sugar
14 T. chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Combine and beat 1 minute with mixer. Beat 4 minutes til crumbly, press dough onto bottom of 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 mts.

Filling:
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 T. lemon zest
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
confectioner's sugar for garnish

Combine ingred except powdered sugar and beat til well blended. Pour over the hot crust and bake at 350 25 mts.. Cool completely and dust with the conf. sugar. Cut into squares.