Mini Blue Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Tonight's homestead meal is mini meatloaves stuffed with blue cheese, roasted potatoes and a salad fresh from the garden. The blue cheese was the only store purchased item on the menu.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
1 small onion
1 large clove garlic
1 large handful of kale~ spinach would work too, but kale is what we have right now
2 tbsp. minced parsley
4 tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled
Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft, Add kale and cook until wilted. Let cool. In a bowl combine all ingredients.

 Shape into 4 mini meatloaves. In the center of each meatloaf make a hole. Fill each hole with cheese and carefully close meat back around it.

 Drizzle with ketchup if desired. Bake 350* about 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

The boys are so used to eating these they won't eat cookies from white flour. This is an everything but the kitchen sink cookie. Feel free to add or take away ingredients that you don't care for but do use the whole wheat flour!!

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 sugar
3/4 brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups oatmeal, we prefer old fashioned, not instant
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup nuts, any kind
1 package dark chocolate chips

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and blend. Add dry ingredients and vanilla. Mix in nuts, raisins and chips. Bake at 350* 10-12 minutes.

Grilled Vegetable Soup

As a side the other night I made grilled veggie skewers to toss on the grill.  They were made with the last of the garden vegetables that we are still harvesting. Red and yellow bell peppers, onions and okra along with some small eggplant and zucchini from a local market. Tossed with olive oil and a variety of herbs they were quite tasty. However, we did not finish them all and I had about a quart of veggies left. I am not big on these reheated so I pondered what to do with them. I hate to waste anything! Today they became an awesome soup.
I put all the vegetables in my vita mix blender along with some leftover chicken stock, about 2 cups, just enough to make a smooth creamy soup. I then transferred the soup to a pot, added about 1/2 cup of half 'n half and heated gently. Once nice and warm I topped with fresh basil and a handful of cheese. The soup was absolutely wonderful with a smokey depth from the grilling. I am sure this would be really good with roasted veggies as well.  Maybe beets, carrots and rutabaga? Topped with goat cheese...yum.