Leah’s Brothers GOLD Heavenly Barbecue Meat Loaf Recipe

Fall is officially upon us (despite the 98 degree temps here in North Texas today)! Meatloaf is spectacular whenever and wherever, but I find that it's extra tasty when their is a chill in the air. Or in my neck of the woods, when the air conditioner quits running for hours at a time. Grab a jar of Brothers GOLD this weekend and cook to your heart's content! You're family (and your stomach) will thank you for it. I guarantee it. Enjoy!

This is the meat loaf your grandmother will WISH she had created, but will be glad that somebody did! We have been told by many that they will NEVER eat meat loaf any other way. In fact, it will make you think you’ve died and gone to meat loaf heaven! Make it and surprise your loved ones. It’s sure to be a hit. Makes 2 loaves and serves 6-8 appetites. For a smaller 4 person serving simply cut all ingredients in half. or make the whole dang recipe and freeze the other loaf. You’ll be glad you did. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

4 lbs. lean ground turkey, note: “extra lean” makes a drier meat loaf
12-14 saltine crackers, crushed (The square single cracker portion)
1/2 cup of Brothers GOLD into loaf mixture and set aside 1/2 cup to pour on top of loaves after they have baked for 45 minutes. See below.
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt, optional, the crackers and BBQ sauce will salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Prepare a glass 9”x 12” baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Divide loaf mixture into two equal sized loaves and place both loaves into baking dish side-by-side. Place dish in oven on middle shelf and bake for 45 minutes. Remove baking pan from oven and slowly pour 3/4 cup of Brothers GOLD evenly over both loaves. Place baking dish back into the still heated oven for 15 minutes. Remove dish from oven and serve. Each loaf yields 4 sliced servings.

Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast

12 slices cinnamon bread or cinnamon raisin bread

1 pint half & half or light cream

2 large eggs

6 T. margarine

2 T. firmly packed brown sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

1 t. grated orange peel

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan, arrange bread slices in two layers.

In large bowl, blend remaining ingredients with a wire whisk. Evenly pour over bread slices, pressing bread down until some liquid is absorbed and bread does not float. Bake 45 minutes or until center reaches 160 degrees and is golden brown in color. 

Serve hot and drizzle with warm Brown Suga. Add orange zest for color.

Makes 6 servings.

Kitchen Clean Up 101

We all love to spend time in the kitchen! But, how do you keep it squeaky clean while saving time? Here's some of the best clean up methods on the planet.

1. Wipe up spills in the refrigerator as soon as you notice them, and if you have time, do the rest of the shelf. Try to find time to do this once a month.

2. Go through just one refrigerator or pantry shelf when you have a moment and toss anything that's past the expiration date or that you'll never use again.

3. Take the time to toss out unused takeout disposable containers, glass jars and condiment packages you've collected and know you'll never use again.

4. Wipe fingerprints off all the kitchen cabinets. If you have wood cabinets, a good cleaning with oil (such as Old English) will make your cabinets sparkle and your kitchen smell amazing!

5. Sweep the floor well BEFORE mopping. This will help you avoid missing the little cracker pieces left behind by your sweet angel. :)

6. As you cook, rinse dirty utensils, pots and pans and put them in the dishwasher. You'll have the kitchen in good order when you sit down to eat, and you'll have less to clean up after dinner.

7. Ease the weekday morning rush by setting the table for breakfast before you go to bed. This helps tremendously when your kids are in school. Start your early mornings out right! Put out cereal boxes, sweeteners and other nonperishable items. Prepare the coffeemaker and set the timer.

Hunger is the best sauce in the world. ~Cervantes

Grocery Shopping Budget Know-How

Grocery shopping is one of the first places you can learn how to be frugal. I am amazed when I go to the grocery store how many times people are spending so much more money than myself and getting half the amount of stuff I have within my cart. So, how do I do it?

1) Clip Coupons - Set aside some time every week to go through your newspaper and clip coupons. I found that it's really helpful to organize them by category and keep them in a notebook. You'd be amazed how much money you can save a week for your family!

2) Grocery Ads - Dare to compare! Take a peek at your local grocery store ads each week for specials. Only buy the things you'll know you'll use. And when you do find something that your family loves and it's on sale, buy in bulk. Don't buy one package of pasta when you know you eat it often. Buy 3-5 boxes of the same product. The savings ad up!

3) Plan Ahead - Plan your meals ahead of time. If you walk the grocery store aisles in search of your weekly meals without planning ahead, 9 times out of 10 you are going to end up buying more than you need. Take a list of items needed to complete a week full of meals for your family and stick to it!

4) Cook & Freeze - Make meals ahead of time and freeze them. When you do so, you'll always have an outlet for a good, hearty meal. This will help avoid last minute fast food temptations when your child is late to soccer the list of errands seems endless. When you have something in the freezer, it's much easier to push aside the idea of spending money in a drive-thru.

What do you do to save time and money for your family when it comes to meals? Let us know!

Get The Grill Ready, Brothers Lovers!

Labor Day is only a few days away. It's the second most popular holiday for firing up the grill for good food and great fun with friends and family!

If you haven't picked up a jar of Brothers Gold for the main course and a jar of Brown Suga for a spectacular dessert, then it's time to find a retailer near you! Take a peek here...

In the meantime, check out this great website to learn more about what gear you need to have the best grilling party ever. You can thank us later. Happy Cooking!