First, congrats to Allie Garcia who won the TIU Lifetime Membership! This was a gift from me to one lucky winner. To see how I selected the winner, check out my Facebook fan page. I wrote down every name that entered, used Random.org, and then counted down from the very first entry. Tone It Up does not give away free memberships so this was a rare opportunity. If you are still interested in buying it for yourself, you will be able to download the free Holiday Special which is loaded with additional recipes, tips and drinks. It also includes a section written by me and Brittany!
Also, there will be one last giveaway on Monday featuring an MPG outfit from ActivewearUSA.com. It will be on YouTube so be sure to check it out. I’m obsessed with the jacket I’m wearing in the video, it’s too cool.
Are you hosting a party or pre-game in the near future? If so, you need to check out my survival guide to entertaining with a healthy spin on a budget. I love hosting get-togethers but the preparation can be stressful especially when you live in a city. Going to the store after work to get all the food and then lugging it all back to your apartment, in addition to sky-high prices if you shop at a smaller, convenient market is not fun. If you do not live in the city and have easy access to driving and parking, this guide is still really helpful if you have a tight budget and are short on time. This post is available exclusively on The Laughing Cow blog right now. 
My favorite tip from the guide is the appetizer option. When people are heading over to your place and you just got out of work, and have no time to put together your planned starters, put out a wooden cutting board with unwrapped Mini Babybels, and The Laughing Cow wedges. Put out some fig jam (or fruit on hand) with crackers and viola! Instant appetizer delight. My favorite Mini Babybels are the Sharp Original, Light Original and White Cheddar. Not only have I found that everyone loves The Laughing Cow since I became a community leader, but it’s also more affordable than most cheeses!
I posted on Wednesday that I made a meatloaf recipe from Clean Eating. I did not follow the recipe exactly as I modified the amount of a few ingredients. I also only made 1/2 of the recipe because I didn’t want to eat meatloaf all week. Regardless, it was so good! I made it on Sunday because it takes a long time to cook! The reason I opted to make it was because I use the ingredients during the week for other meals so really the only extra ingredients I needed to buy were the beef, fresh thyme and Worcestershire sauce (which I know will get used plenty).
People were asking me for the recipe so without further ado, here it is:
Spicy Glazed Meatloaf
Makes 4 slices. Hands-on Time: 20 minutes. Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (I used baby carrots since I had them on hand)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1.25 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup organic ketchup
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Pre-heat oven to 375F. Coat an 8-inch load pan with cooking spray. Combines onion, carrots, celery and garlic in a food processor. Pulse 10 times. In a medium bowl, combines oats, cayenne, thyme, salt and black pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg. Add beef to egg and mix thoroughly with hands. Add in oat mixture and veggie mixture. Blend together well. Spoon into a loaf pan, smoothing top. Place load into the oven for 45 minutes.
While its cooking, prepare glaze by combining ketchup, cumin and Worcestershire sauce. Remove meatloaf from oven and pour half of the glaze on top. Return to oven for another 25 minutes. The magazine says to return it until the center registers 160F on a thermometer but I did not have one. I also made 1/2 their recipe so it may need even less time. I already reduced the time from an original hour plus 30 minutes which is for 2.5 lbs of ground sirloin. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 4 and serve extra glaze as a dipping sauce! Enjoy.
Nutrition: 1 slice is 267 calories, 9g of fat, 13g Carbs, Fiber 2g, Sugars 2g, Protein 33g, Sodium 385mg.
This is my first time making meatloaf for my household. I feel old.
