MANly Morning Meatloaf #Egg-Free

Queue the 2 & 1/2 Men theme song, because this is THE manly-est (!) breakfast meatloaf you will ever see (men, men, men, men, manly-men-men-me, oooooooooooooo...).  I am always looking for egg-free breakfasts (like here), that aren't sugary and carbo-loaded (like here).  When I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, I just knew I had to try it!  If you've been here before, you know that my hubby has a SLEW of food allergies and food intolerances.  I needed a manly breakfast to feed him on his way out the door; something that would keep him fueled all day long.

Breakfast is the trickiest meal to balance out when eggs are out of the question.  Often times, S just has coffee in the morning before work.  His works looong 12 hour days, most of which he's not stopping to eat lunch, resulting in him arriving home like a Tazmanian Devil searching for supper.  I know, I know....not good.  Let's all publicly shame him now......bad S!

Chocolate Dipped Tangerines #PeanutFree

Friday's Finds: Melona Bars

For this week's find, I am sharing our newest obsession:  Melona bars!!  Upon an unsuccessful search for peanut and tree nut-free popsicles (we were looking for the red/white/blue rocket pops to have on the 4th of July), S stumbled onto these gems.  They were food allergy friendly for him (ice cream and novelties are tricky in Canada - 98% of varieties in stores have the "may contain peanuts or tree nuts").  We first tried the banana flavored bars....THAT box lasted a mere 48 hrs.  What?  it was hot out that week, no judgy!  I guess you could say that banana was our "gateway" flavor; during the following week's grocery haul, S pranced his way to the checkout armed with banana, AND melon, AND mango (he really did prance).  

These can best be described as fruit and cream smoothies, frozen onto a stick.....think creamsicle - except, instead of the fruit on the outer layer and the cream in the middle - it's blended into one smooth consistency, a frozen stick of deliciousness!! Each flavor is SPOT ON!!  Yeah, we've tried them all....several times.

Wilted Salad with Apple Bacon Sliders

So I think (!!) I can say that this is a gluten-free salad, that just happens to be Paleo (again, I think).  It is definitely nut-free (as is everything I make), dairy-free, AND egg-free.  Essentially it's just vegetables, fruit, ground chicken and crumbled bacon....yet, it's most definitely NOT flavor-free!!

A Big Salad, Elaine Benes-Big

Remember Elaine Benes, from Seinfeld?  Yes?   Well, remember her fondness for a "big salad"?  I'd like to think she would appreciate this salad....so I'm naming it after her.  I give you:  An Elaine Benes BIG Salad!  This is not so much a recipe as it is just a few suggestions, my salad guidelines for a great salad experience, if you will.

What you will need for 1 salad; layer the following:

Friday's Finds: Lime Marmalade

I decided to start a new thing here at Soliloquy:  Friday's Finds.  Since my kitchen is boxed up and sitting in a storage facility and since my furnished rental is very limited on kitchen tools, I am not experimenting much with new recipes.  Oh, and how I do love to try new things....what's a gurl ta' do?!

I will be sharing some of my favorite new "finds".  Sure, they may not be brand new; they may have been around the block before.  But not my block - they are new to me!

Suasage And Pepper Pasta Salad

Nothing says summer quite like pasta salad!  For this pasta salad I had to abandon my usual pasta salad ingredients for a few unusual pasta salad ingredients:  sausage and radicchio.  I decided to take one of my favorite summer grill recipes and transform it into a pasta salad; I was looking for a make-ahead meal that would require very little time and effort to get it from the fridge to the table.  

It was blazing hot the week I made this, 94 degrees in the Canadian Prairie is H-O-T! Considering that 9 months out of the year it is an arctic tundra-like environment, I'm not really going to kvetch much about the heat.  Plus, I am under the age of 70, so kvetching about the weather is not acceptable.  

Soft & Chewy Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies (Topped Three Ways)

Today I am sharing my favorite sugar cookie recipe; these cookies are soft, chewy, buttery and delicious.  I am also giving you three different topping options.  Yeah, I'm good like that. The recipe for these soft & chewy old fashioned sugar cookies is one I found just last year...in a mystery novel!  Joanne Fluke's  The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder  is NOT just a who-done-it, it is also the source for these cookies - a mystery with recipes (as the book jacket states).

The main protagonist, Hannah Swensen, owns and operates a bakery in the small town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. Throughout the Hannah Swensen mystery series, recipes for cookies (mostly) and other baked goods are provided as her character bakes them in the storyline.  

Liebster Award Nominations

I have been awarded a Liebster Award.  Vicky at:  veryvic.blogspot.com nominated me several weeks ago.  With our recent move and relocation, this post fell by the wayside (sorry, Vicky!!).  I finally sat down to answer Vicky's questions, and low and behold - Lydia @ lydiasflexitariankitchen.com nominated me for another Liebster award!

A Liebster Award is for up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.  It's a social award  - a virtual pat on the back -  that gets people out of their bloggy-shells.  It facilities interaction and dialogue....and a way to meet new bloggy friends (these are my own words....for an "official" description, CLICK HERE.)  

  

I don't know if this is acceptable, but I'm going to answer BOTH sets of questions in one post; first Vicky's, then Lydia's.  I will share 22 (!) random facts - 11 for each nomination,  and nominate 10 bloggers - 5 bloggers per nomination.

Honey Lime Teriyaki Chicken Wraps with Hot Sweet & Sour Cilantro Carrots

Today is July 4th, Happy Independence Day!!  When the cookouts have ended, and the leftovers are all gone, give these wraps a try......

Honey Lime Teriyaki Chicken Wraps with Hot Sweet & Sour Cilantro Carrots.  Yeah, that's a loooong title.

I'm not sure what exactly constitutes an actual Teriyaki sauce?  Soy sauce, sweetened with honey and a twist of lime?  Why don't we just call this Teriyaki sauce?  

Soliloquy's Fourth Of July Picks

Are you looking for a few last minute goodies to  bring to your cookout table this year? I have a few ideas that would fit into any menu.  Alongside the hot dogs and hamburgers, pasta salads, and corn on the cob....how about these yummy treats?