Buttermilk Syrup

This is a nice alternative to your usual maple syrup. It's smooth, yummy, and rather rich. I will say this for it: No matter what other syrup options I make Nate wants only maple syrup with his pancakes, but when he tasted this syrup he decided he'd make an exception.

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

½ cup buttermilk

1 TB Karo Syrup

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

In a large pot, combine butter, sugar, buttermilk, and Karo syrup. Bring to a boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will fizz to TWICE THE SIZE or more, so make sure you use a good-sized pot! Set aside to thicken while stirring occasionallly. Pour over waffles, pancakes, or French toast.

Recipe Source: www.tastykitchen.com

Meatloaf Muffins with BBQ Sauce

I substituted ground turkey for the ground beef and omitted the green pepper. We had mashed potatoes on the side and that helped cut the richness of the meatloaf. Next time I'll cut the recipe in half as it made about 15 muffins--way too much food for our little family.

1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper
1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 TB grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 cup smoky BBQ sauce
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450.

Place beef in a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Add to meat bowl. Add egg beaten with milk, bread crumbs, and grill seasoning. In a separate bowl, mix together the smoky BBQ sauce, salse, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2 cup each) with oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into each tin. Top each meatloaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes.

Recipe Source: Rachael Ray (www.foodtv.com)