Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-dried Tomatoes & Feta Recipe

For those of you who know me well, you know how much I love feta. I found this recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. It is super easy and quite tasty. I changed it a little bit since I have made it several times. Her recipe is a little bland for my taster so I add more garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. I served with risotto and balsamic asparagus. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

Directions:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

Green Thumb

We bought our house at the end of October. It had a very nice yard but it was starting to get cool so nothing was in season. It has been really fun this spring to see what comes up. We have a ton of beautiful azaleas in the front and back, a huge camelia that bloomed so beautiful in early spring, several forsythia that are growing like crazy and lots of rose bushes. We also have several dogwoods, a magnolia that is about to bloom and tons of bulbs that are just now coming up. I think they are day lilies which are one of my favorites.

We have not changed much with the yard since we were not sure what would come up. Plus, we are both just now learning about gardening. There is a place in the back that was a former garden. It is already elevated with wooden planks and ready to be planted. Nothing has come up so it is a clean slate for us. I wanted to test my ability to actually grow something. I have killed several indoor plants in the past so I was not sure I was up for the challenge. About a month ago, I planted some herbs in some transplant pots to see if I could in fact keep something alive.

All I can say is success! Soon we will have basil, parsley and cilantro in our herb garden. I might test out some vegetables if I can convince my Dad to come help me.

Nursery Furniture

Erik and I finally decided on our nursery furniture. We went to several places but found the best price at The Baby's Room Norcross. We picked the collection below because it is a nice combination of traditional and modern. I love the silver knobs and the espresso colored wood. We did not include the armoire but did get the rails to convert the crib to a full size bed. Now we just have to figure out how we want to decorate the room. We are discussing going with bright colors like orange, red, yellow and green. I hope to find some time in the next few weeks to go to a a fabric store to pick something out. My Mom has offered to make us the bedding set, quilt and valence. I can't wait to see what fun fabrics we can find.

Baby Lentil

Doctor Update

I went to the doctor on Monday and had my 20 week Ultrasound. I will have to post a picture of the baby later because I left it at home. Such a bad Mom already! Dr. Garcia said everything looked great with the baby. The heartbeat was around 140 bpm which is good. Lentil was moving all around the place although I still can't feel him/her. All of the organs looked good, the heart was healthy and seeing the spine was amazing. I was measuring 19 weeks and 4 days so the size of the baby is right on target. I will not mention how much weight I have gained since becoming pregnant but I am a little over the recommended amount. I was kind of bad last weekend since we were at the lake and Sara was in town. I am not to blame though.
There is this quaint restaurant and bakery in Lavonia called Cafe 211. It is owned and operated by Mennonite women. They have the most wonderful homemade foods that include hot dishes, soups, salads and sandwiches. The desserts are what get me into trouble. Mile high layer cakes and pies all made from scratch with very generous portions. They are delicious and very hard to resist. I will try to do better next time.

Flashback

I was going through some old pictures last night and thought it would be fun to post some. It is crazy how Erik and I has such similar childhoods. Enjoy!

My Berticus

Recipe Corner

I absolutely love to cook and bake. I always like trying new recipes and changing them around to fit my tastes. My dream (that I hope to pursue) is to one day own a bakery and maybe even a little cafe. I thought I would start a section on my blog where I add some of my favorite recipes. I saw that one of my friends did the same thing with her blog but she was way more creative and took excellent pictures. I will try and do better next time. Last night, I made a quick version of Chicken Parmesan. I usually like to make homemade sauce but I was rushed. Muir Glen Organic was an excellent substitute and adding balsamic to it gave it an extra kick.

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast cutlets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 jar Muir Glen Organic tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Combine pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a saucepan on medium low heat. Combine Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.

I served with orzo pasta with some olive oil, sautéed garlic and fresh basil, but you can serve spaghetti or angel hair pasta instead. Pour the sauce over each serving of pasta and place chicken cutlets on top. Top with a generous slice of fresh mozzarella. Enjoy!

Pop

Well, it is official. The belly has popped. I can no longer fit into my pants. I can still wear most of my skirts since I can pull them up to my waist. I have not worn a full maternity outfit yet because most of my shirts are still okay. Some are quite tight in the chest and others are too short to cover the bump. I have several work outfits I can wear but I have been trying to go through all my regular clothes first before they no longer fit.

It is strange to see how every pregnant woman looks different. Some people just have a little bump while I seem to be carrying all over. I hope it looks like I am pregnant and not just lazy needing to do some crunches. Everyone at tennis noticed on Sunday which it is pretty apparent in a tennis skirt and tank top. They told me I definitely looked pregnant but maybe they are just being nice. I find myself constantly putting my hand on my stomach so people will get the right idea. I guess I should stop worrying about it so much.