Mini Meat Loaves in Onion Gravy

I love to watch the cooking channel and I get inspired to "spin off" my own versions of their recipes, so I do not have to run to the store. I made these last week and it was a great meal.

                                          Mini Meat Loaves in Onion Gravy

Mix:
    #1 ground beef
      6 oz. sausage (I used Italian sausage)
Soak 2/3 cup oatmeal in 2/3 milk for 10 minutes
Mix oatmeal mixture into meat mixture and form into oval shapes like a mini meatloaf. I made mine about the size of a large hamburger patty. Cook these in a small amount of oil, making sure to get some good browned color on each side. ( I didn't use any other seasoning)

Gravy:
   Slice 2 onions rather thinly and saute in olive oil and a little butter on moderately low heat until  caramelized. Add salt and pepper as desired. Sprinkle with 2-3 Tb. flour, stirring it in.  Add 2 cups chicken or beef stock. Cook until it thickens, then add the mini meat loaves and simmer gently for just a few minutes.

This was such a great meal. The cook on the TV show was Rachel Ray and she said it tastes like you're having french onion soup with a fantastic meat loaf. It is easy to make and oh, so tasty!

Inexpensive Christmas Gifts

Oatmeal Pancakes in a Jar

(recipe follows)

Mixes in a jar are an inexpensive and fun gift to give as a Christmas present.  A wide variety of mixes can be put in jars for giving: cookie mixes, cake, hot chocolate, almost anything you can imagine.  Assembly is simple; you need:

1 canning jar or other appropriate container

a scrap of fabric for the top (optional)

cotton batting to add dimension for lid (optional)

ribbon

tag with instructions

This is a jar full of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mix.

Using a plate or bowl, trace a circle on the wrong side of the fabric. Cut out.

Use the lid to trace on the batting. Cut out.

Center on lid and screw on band.

Make a tag with instructions for using the mix.

Tie the tag on with a ribbon.

This is a recipe I recently got from my daughter.  It's really good- and uses food storage items.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

3 1/2 cups dry oats (Quaker oats)

3 cups wheat flour

2 cups white flour

3 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Store in an air tight container in refrigerator for maxium freshness. When ready to make a batch of pancakes, mix 1 1/2 of mix, 1 egg, and 1 cup of buttermilk. (Instead of buttermilk you can take 1 tablespoon of lemon juice put it in bottom of a cup and pour 1 cup of milk on top of it and let set for 5 min, stir and add add to mix). Cook.



1 1/2 cup of mix will serve 3-4