Crock Pot Meatloaf

As a working mom, I face the challenges of putting a good meal on the table every night that is not too time consuming. I really like using the crock pot and typically drag it out once a week. One of the best dinners I produce is the recipe below. I usually add a salad and mixed fruit as side dishes to the meatloaf and voila-dinner is served.

¼ cup ketchup
1½ teaspoons vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh gluten-free bread crumbs
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped (good way to get in veggies w/out too much hassle from the kids!!)
2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon crushed garlic (feel free to leave out if you are not a garlic fan!)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2½ pounds ground beef (or you can substitute dark ground turkey)
2 feet parchment paper, folded in half length-wise.

In a large bowl, combine ketchup, vinegar, parsley, eggs and bread crumbs. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add chopped onion, carrots, zucchini, seasonings and ground meat. Mix well with your hands. Mixture will be moist.

Line the bottom and sides of your crockpot with parchment paper. Shape the meatloaf and set onto the parchment. (Form the meatloaf so that it sits on the parchment paper only.) Have the parchment paper extend beyond the meatloaf for ease in removing the cooked meat. Fold excess paper over the top of the loaf before placing the lid on the crockpot.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove meatloaf from pot using parchment paper.
Let meatloaf rest for 15 minutes before slicing. For thin slices to use in a meatloaf sandwich, refrigerate meatloaf overnight.

Wow...BIG news from D.C.

Congress Votes to Outsource The Presidency, Washington, DC (AP)

Congress today announced that the office of President of the United States of America will be outsourced to India as of July 1, 2009. The move is being made in order to save the President's $500,000 yearly salary, and also a record $2 trillion in deficit pork expenditures and related overhead the office has incurred during the first month in office.

"We believe this is a wise financial move. The cost savings are huge,"
stated Congressman Thomas Reynolds (R-WA).

"We cannot remain competitive on the world stage with the current level of cash outlay," Reynolds noted.

Mr. Obama was informed by e-mail this morning of his termination.
Preparations for the job move have been underway for some time.

Gurvinder Singh of Indus Teleservices (Mumbai ,India) will assume the office of President as of July 1, 2009. Mr. Singh was born in the United States while his Indian parents were vacationing at Niagara Falls, thus making him eligible for the position. He will receive a salary of $320
(USD) a month but with no health coverage or other benefits.

It is believed that Mr. Singh will be able to handle his job responsibilities without a support staff. Due to the time difference between the US and India, he will be working primarily at night, when few offices of the US Government will be open. "Working nights will allow me to keep my day job at the Dell Computer call center," stated Mr. Singh in an exclusive interview. "I am excited about this position.
I always hoped I would be President."

A Congressional spokesperson noted that while Mr. Singh may not be fully aware of all the issues involved in the office of President, this should not be a problem, as President Obama was not familiar with the issues either.

It is not yet clear if plans are being considered for outsourcing the Senate and the House of Representatives. This could seriously affect staffing efficiency at the Dell call center. Special interests and lobbyists here are expected to seriously push back on any such efforts.
It is thought that saving the hundreds of millions of dollars now spent annually on campaign financing could positively affect the U.S. economy.


Mr. Singh will rely upon a script tree that will enable him to respond effectively to most topics of concern. Using these canned responses, he can address common concerns without having to understand the underlying issue at all. "We know these scripting tools work," stated the spokesperson. "President Obama has used them successfully for weeks."

Obama will receive health coverage, expenses, and salary until his final day of employment. Following a two-week waiting period, he will be eligible for $140 a week unemployment for 13 weeks.

He will not also be eligible for Medicaid, as his unemployment benefits will exceed the allowed limit. Mr. Obama has been provided the outplacement services of Manpower, Inc., to help him write a resume and prepare for his upcoming job transition.

According to Manpower, Mr. Obama may have difficulties in securing a new position due to limited practical or successful work experience. A greeter position at Wal-Mart was suggested due to Obama's extensive experience shaking hands, as well as his special smile.

If approved, most of the affected Congressional positions would probably revert to entry level Internet bloggers or on-call street activists. If nothing else, they may be offered jobs as reporters or TV commentators.

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OK, OK...I know it is just a joke. However, I do think it is hilarious!!!!!

Hola and Adios Mexico

Sorry it has taken me a while to give an update on my trip to Guadalajara. I was exhausted when I returned and then came down with a nasty virus and cold that had me down for the count more or less for a week. It is safe to say I was very, very happy to return to the United States. In fact, when I was going through U.S. Customs and the agent gruffly said, "Welcome Home", I felt like hugging him and had tears form in my eyes! I have been to Europe several times as well as Canada, Haiti, and Morocco. NEVER have I been so glad to be back in the states like I was returning from Mexico.

Don't get me wrong. Mexico was not a terrible experience. I truly enjoyed several aspects of my trip. The people of Mexico were extremely kind and bent over backwards to accommodate any need I had during my stay. The food was incredible. I never had a problem staying on my gluten free diet. In fact, I found myself eating the most fabulous homemade blue corn tortillas every morning. This is going to sound like a cliché, but every meal came with an amazing homemade salsa. The first time we all set down to eat I reached for the salsa that looked the hottest in my opinion. Immediately I had these high level Mexican government officials literally trying to stop me by grabbing my arm and telling me it was 'muy caliente' and not to eat it. Hmmm. Those of you who know me well, know I ate it anyway and with pleasure. Yummy!




The historical aspects of Guadalajara were beautiful. I visited cathedrals dating to the 1400's and each had its own distinct architectural style. Gorgeous. The city is known as the "Silicon Valley" of Latin America and indeed the city was very modern in a lot of respects.

I was there to meet with some education officials regarding my job. It was a very successful visit in that regard. I left the meetings totally pleased and ready to move forward. I did not take Spanish in school so during several meetings I was provided an interpreter who would translate. She did an amazing job with a couple of hilarious exceptions. One time she translated a sentence in this fashion; "You can dream of pregnant birds." I am pretty sure something was lost in translation. Another time, the highest level official, (equivalent to our Sect. of Education) was giving a speech about what we needed to focus on in order to move forward in our relationship. He said the word "focus" no less than a dozen times. The funny thing is that the interpreter would say "F*$k Us" each time in translation. Here I was in a very important meeting giggling like a 10 year old each time she would translate "focus."

One night the Mexican government provided a very, very nice dinner complete with dancers and a mariachi band. They also provided samples of tequila. Hence the picture. I sipped a tiny drink in order to not be rude, but YUK! Check out the picture and yes, it really was considered a SAMPLE!



Unfortunately, my trip was not without incident. My nice digital camera was stolen along with memory cards. It happened as I stood outside the airport waiting for my cab. I was able to hang onto my purse and thus my money and passport, but they were successful at grabbing my camera bag. I cried and cried and cried. Not because they took the camera, but because they took my pictures. Liam's 4th birthday party was on the card and I had not yet uploaded the pictures. UGH

Also, during one meeting a government official commented on the fact I had blood dripping down my right ear. Now granted, my ear had been bothering me, but I figured it was due to the airplane ride. Come to find out, my ear drum had ruptured. Cool. Oh well.

Overall, the trip was fine. I just prefer the United States. Even during our rough economic period, we have it sooo good.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

I know, I know. The recipes I have been posting lately are nothing but desserts! So sorry about that! I am actually going to try two new vegetable dishes this week and will take pictures and post them if they turn out well. (Broccoli and Kale!! Yummy!!) In the meantime, below is a very, very decadent recipe. It is a little time consuming to make, but such is the life of a gluten free cook!


Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies
Makes 16 Brownies

These gluten-free treats pack a triple dose of chocolate.


½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1¼ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup Multi-Blend Gluten-Free Flour Mix (recipe below)
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper and grease the parchment.
Melt butter and chocolates in the top of a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in cocoa powder and let cool slightly.
In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until thoroughly blended. Whisk in warm chocolate mixture. Then stir in multi-blend mix and xanthan gum until just combined.
Pour half the batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top.
Pour last half of batter over the chips, covering completely.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it.
Set pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Run a knife between walls of the pan and baked brownie and invert onto a flat surface to release. Peel off parchment and place brownies on a rack to cool completely. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars, wiping the knife clean between cuts.

Multi-Blend Gluten-Free Flour Mix

The sweet rice flour and cornstarch in this mix allow for smoother gluten-free baked goods without a gritty-mouth feel.

1 cup brown rice flour
1¼ cups white rice flour
¼ cup potato starch
⅔ cup tapioca starch/flour
¾ cup sweet rice flour
⅓ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate flour mix in a tightly sealed container until used.

A Turning Point

One of the greatest blessings in my adolescent years was to have Rick Brown as my youth minister in San Angelo, Texas. He was my mentor, minister, and friend from 7th-11th grade. He left me (well, technically the entire youth group) for a new ministry in CO. shortly before my senior year. No, I have never forgiven him for this wrong. Actually, I have, but it is fun to hang this 'abandonment' over his head every now and then.

Recently we have gotten back in touch and I feel immensely blessed because of our communication. I plan to see him and his wonderful wife, Karen, this summer. By the way, Karen is the sister of my oldest/dearest friend, Theresa. We actually set Rick and Karen up on a date and the rest is history! Did I get a kid named after me for this love match??? NOPE! (Of course, their children were boys so all is forgiven!)

I digress. Bunny Trails tend to be my friend! (Or enemy!!)

Rick is the Preaching Minister at a church in Tomball, Texas. www.christbridgefellowship.com. I highly recommend you visit the church website and listen to a sermon. I came across Rick's blog on the lessons he prepares and was hooked. Rick has a way with words (and life) that are both humorous and inspiring. Rick makes you want to be a better person and witness.

Below is one post from Rick's blog. Please read and then check out his other posts. It is well worth your time. One Life2Love

Turning Points Lead You to New Directions in Life

Alfred’s life had been a series of blow-ups. One explosive encounter after another. Until he found a definite turning point.

You see, Alfred’s father owned a torpedo works factory. To help the family business Alfred devoted himself to the study of explosives. His experiments were earth shattering. He invented dynamite when he mixed nitroglycerin with silica into a paste. He made a fortune as construction and mining companies and the military ordered large quantities of this new product.

You might think his discovery of dynamite was his turning point. But it wasn’t. His turning point came while reading a French newspaper. He came across, of all things, his own obituary. One of his brothers had died and a careless reporter had used a statement prepared not for his brother but for Alfred.

What he read disturbed him. “The merchant of death is dead.” This was not the way he wanted to be remembered. So he made a U-turn in his life.

Need to make any U-turns yourself? The biblical word for this is “repentance.” Literally it means “to change one’s mind” or “change direction.” It’s the first word Jesus preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). You can go your own way. Or you can turn and follow the way of Jesus.

Maybe you need to repent of the big picture things like thinking your way is right, you have all the truth, your life is yours to do with as you please. Then turn. Turn to Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.

Maybe you need to repent of the daily things of life like:
• Insisting on being right in your marriage? Have you considered you may be wrong? Turn to Jesus.

• Always playing the victim? Then stop making excuses. Turn to Jesus.
• Being a negative person? Then become more positive. Turn to Jesus.
• Gossiping? Turn to Jesus. Then learn the art of silence.
• Causing destructive results around you? Turn to Jesus. Then begin to pursue peace.

Which is what Alfred did. He rewrote his will and left his vast fortune so that those who pursued peace could be rewarded. The first awards were given in 1901, just five years after Alfred . . . Alfred Nobel . . . died.

Jesus is your turning point in life. Repent. Go his way.

It could prove to be a dynamite decision.

Gone Too Soon

A friend of mine connected personally to Laura Lee Meyers asked me to pray for her stating, “A miracle is needed.” I immediately started to pray for her only to find out a few hours later, Laura Lee was gone.

Laura Lee Meyers was a wife and mother of two young daughters, Gracie 8, and Gabbie, 4. She was also a high school teacher as well as a Sunday school teacher at the local Baptist church in Teague, Texas. I’m sure she would also want to be remembered as an Aggie since Laura Lee earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Texas A & M. She had been married to Brett for 14 years and was only 37 years old.



What happened? Well, what happened is frightening and a reminder of how precious life truly is. She went to the doctor on Friday and was diagnosed with the flu and ordered to get rest. My friend said that by early Sunday morning she was in severe pain and barely lucid when her husband took her to the ER. The doctors put Laura Lee into an induced coma and into ICU. Her organs started shutting down and she died Monday from a lethal bacterial infection. My friend said Laura Lee never knew how serious it was and never woke up to say goodbye to her husband or daughters.

Please pray for her husband and her two daughters. I cannot imagine what they must be going through. It is comforting to know Laura Lee was a Christian so she and her family possess the ultimate hope. Still, my heart is broken for this young mother. In a way it is a blessing she was placed in a coma and never knew her body was shutting down or had to watch her husband’s anguish as she struggled at the end. Laura Lee did not realize she would no longer be there for her daughters. In an instant, she was gone. Yes, they will be reunited one day, but the pain must be excruciating.

Again, I ask you to remember Laura Lee's family in your prayers.

It's That Time of Year Again

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Funny, I have never been a huge fan of this day even when I was in the midst of "young, new love." Since having children I have made a point to always get them a little something that perhaps they have been wanting. (Usually a dvd or cd etc.) John and I usually go out to dinner and that is about it if we do anything. Especially if Valentine's Day fall during the week.

However this year Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday which kind of ruins the excuse of not doing anything because Valentine's falls on a work day. So, I have decided to cook for all of my boys. They all love my herb crusted pork tenderloin so I will make it for their dinner along with their favorite sides;garlic mashed potatoes, green beans with almonds and brown sugar, creamed corn and homemade rolls. I am going to make them a new dessert as well and it happens to be gluten free. I found the recipe from the magazine, "Living Without." The recipe is below if you would like to try it this weekend as well.

Gluten-Free Warm Chocolate Cake
MAKES 6 SMALL CAKES

Serve it immediately after unmolding so that the soft chocolate center is still warm from the oven.

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon coconut flour or nut flour of choice (*I am going to use almond flour.)
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Whipped topping of choice, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Lightly grease 6 individual muffin tins, brioche tins or soufflé cups. (Fill unused muffin cups halfway with water.)
3. Melt the two chocolates and butter together in over low heat. Cool until just warm to touch.
4. In a separate bowl, thoroughly beat whole eggs, yolks and sugar together until pale yellow and thick. Add chocolate mixture and beat to incorporate. Quickly fold in flour.
5. Spoon batter into prepared tins or soufflé cups. (At this point, the cakes can be refrigerated for several hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before ready to bake.)
6. Place filled tins on a cookie sheet in preheated oven and bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Cakes should be slightly gooey in the center. Over-cooking will result in a brownie.
7. Invert cakes onto individual dessert plates. Let sit for a minute before unmolding. Unmold and serve with a dollop of whipped nondairy topping and fresh raspberries.

Let me know how it turns out if you make this dessert. Good luck!

2 Thumbs Up

Ok, rarely, RARELY do I make it to the theater to see a movie. I barely have time to watch those I rent from NetFlix. However, there are two movies that I was bound and determined to see in the theaters. One is "Taken" starring Liam Neeson (my favorite actor) and the other is "Slumdog Millionaire" which has more buzz than any recent movie I can remember.

This weekend Jonathan and I went to see "Slumdog Millionaire". WOW. W O W. Amazing. A M A Z I N G. Terrific. T E R R I F I C. Get the idea?

It was so creative and so moving. It was heartbreaking and inspiring. I think everyone should see it. I really, really do.