Reducipe – Southwestern Meatloaf

This ain Ahhh, meatloaf. Loved and yet hated by the young and old alike. It’s so good when at its best and so bad when messed up. I think people develop their meatloaf preference early on and their first experiences with the stuff can make or break it.

Many mothers, in an effort to pinch pennies, have thrown together makeshift meatloafs that lack flavor, moisture, and flair. It ruins its reputation.

Meatloaf, when done right, is succulent, moist, hearty, and best of all, cheap eats. It just takes a gentle touch and a fabulous glaze to turn even the most opposed into meatloaf fans.

This recipe is one of my most popular. Everyone loves it and Eric requests it often. I have even served it at an hors d’Oeuvres party by increasing the amount of crumbs and forming meatballs. What a hit!

It’s juicy, tender, and anything but dull. The bold southwestern flavors helped me win first place in a meatloaf cook-off contest a few years ago. It is definitely worth a try, even if you hate meatloaf. It might blow you away.

Southwestern Meatloaf (adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown)

5oz garlic flavored croutons
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium sweet onion, rough chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and rough chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and rough chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
1 lb ground chuck
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 egg

Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1-2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons honey
Dash Worcestershire
Dash hot sauce

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

Combine the croutons and all spices except salt in a food processor. Pulse until it’s a fine texture. Pour crumbs into a bowl and set aside. Combine the onion, carrot, red bell pepper, and garlic in food processor bowl and finely chop.

Place the hamburger meat in a large bowl. Season with the salt then add the crumbs and vegetable mixture. Add the egg and combine all ingredients thoroughly with your fingers. Avoid squeezing the meat while you do this.

Pack the mixture into a loaf pan, insert a meat thermometer, and place in oven. Prepare the glaze by mixing all ingredients together, adjusting to taste. Brush some of the glaze on the meatloaf after about 10 minutes in the oven. Repeat glazing 20 minutes later.

Cook until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let rest until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Serve hot, with plenty of additional glaze. Serves 6-8.

Notice that I changed up the bowls this time? I’m trying out white plates now. The glaze ingredients are in the mini cups below.

I highly recommend doubling the glaze recipe, I always do. It will be highly requested. This meatloaf is awesome with thick and creamy mashed potatoes. Use the mashers to sop up the extra glaze. Too yummy!

Ingredient	Cost	Ingredient	Cost
Croutons	$0.95	Ground Chuck	$2.83
Spices	$0.10	Egg	$0.11
Onion	$0.56	Ketchup	$0.12
Carrots	$0.43	Honey	$0.14
Bell Pepper	$1.49	Worchestershire	N/A
Garlic	$0.05
		Total	$6.78 or $0.85 a serving

That’s dirt cheap for such a high-quality meal. ‘Nuff said!

This post was featured in:

Carnival of the Recipes - Upside Down Edition hosted by Food History
Make It From Scratch! hosted by Pajama Mommy

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A Tale Of 3 Applications

Only one may hold the key… In our search to find tenants for our rental property we have received 3 applications. Of course, we have had many more visitors and serious inquiries but 3 people actually completed an application and gave their deposits to rent the property. That step is what separates the “serious” from the ready to rent.

These are just summaries that only scratch the surface. Each application and situation was very detailed and required looking at the file as a whole to determine if they were the right fit.

Here are their stories and outcomes:

Application #1 – An extended family down on their luck

It was a family of 5; the mother and father, the daughter and her fiancé in their 20’s, and their baby. The mother and father had low credit scores (low 500’s) and scads of collections but when I saw that the majority of them were medical (she had cancer) I didn’t hold those against them. That sort of situation could happen to any one of us, no matter how well we plan.

Pros:

Parents have a good rental history and no evictions
Parents had verifiable and steady incomes
Majority of collections were from medical bills
Likely to be long-term renters

Cons:

Younger couple had no credit, rental, or employment histories
Several bills went to collections starting in 2008 (brand new and non-medical)
Fiancé has a criminal record with multiple offenses (one within the past year)
Two large breed puppies, so damage to the home and yard is very likely
Parents have large amount of debt and payments
Our property rents for $525 more than what they currently pay

Outcome: They were declined on the recommendation of my management company

It was determined, based on their current financial situation, that they wouldn’t be able to afford the increased rent without additional income or reduction of debt. This is especially a concern since they were taking three possible dependants into the household (the younger couple were living with the fiancé’s parents at the time). The fiancé claimed to have employment but that income could not be proven and therefore, couldn’t be considered.

Application #2 – A couple needing to find a place immediately

This couple was in their 40’s and was in a strange situation. Their landlord lost his job and needed to move back into the home they rented. Our manager spoke to the landlord and confirmed the story. We have no idea what kind of notice they had or the details behind it, but they applied on a Monday and had to move in that Wednesday.

Pros:

Good rental history and no evictions
Both people had comfortable steady incomes and could easily afford the rent
They wanted to move in quickly
They had one small dog

Cons:

Some fresh collections in 2008, including tax liens and late child support
Tons of past collections that were written off as losses
Lowest credit scores yet - low 400’s
Must get approved and moved in within 2 days – pressure to expedite process

Outcome: We approved with conditions, they rejected the conditions and withdrew

They had strong incomes so we decided to give them a chance as long as they would agree to pay an increased security deposit (1.5 months rent) and set up direct deposit. We felt the additional deposit would help cover some losses if they stopped paying rent and had to be booted, especially since it appeared that they stopped paying some bills recently. They said they knew they had credit problems but didn’t feel they should be penalized for it and withdrew their application.

It’s definitely for the best. Now I wonder if the story was fabricated in an effort to rush through the application process. There is no way they would have been able to find another home, get processed, and move in less than one day. Something sounds fishy.

Application #3 – Young family moving to town for new jobs

This family was a couple in their 30’s with a toddler and a baby. She is an RN scheduled to start work this month at the new hospital close by. He is a construction manager who was recently laid off but still on severance pay. He is looking for a new job in town.

Pros:

Good rental history and no evictions
Currently own a home, it is pending sale and scheduled to close in a few weeks
Good employment history, able to provide pay stubs
No past dues, no collections, credit scores in high 700’s
$22K in savings
One small dog

Cons:

Wife starting new job, Husband is currently unemployed
One income will not cover the rent and other bills

Outcome: We approved them with no additional conditions

They are likely short term renters just wanting to get settled in a new town before they find a home of their own. I don’t see anything wrong with short term renters as long as the term is no less than a year. Although her salary alone isn’t enough to cover rent plus their expenses, the money they have in savings will make up for his temporary unemployment. Our area hasn’t been hit with the same decline in new home construction so hopefully he can find a new job in his line of work here.

It looks like we got lucky and snagged a new-to-town family with good scores!

Our manager has drawn up a lease agreement is working with them to get everything finalized. Hopefully it will work out this time and this will be the last application we process for at least 12 months.

If all goes well, we will have had the home on the market just shy of a month before finding a tenant. That isn’t too bad!

Image Source: takacsi75

What Your Landlord Thinks Of You

Aw man! I should have asked for a bigger deposit! Well, maybe it’s more of what your landlord thinks of your rental application.

Evaluating applications from renters wanting to lease our old home has given us an interesting look into what landlords value in a tenant. I assumed the optimal tenant would have a good credit score and payment history. I learned that isn’t necessarily true.

I’m going to be blunt and it may seem like what I say is cold.

Keep in mind that I don’t necessarily agree with these criteria and not all landlords use the same guidelines, either. These are not hard and fast rules; just observations I’ve made from my personal experiences so far.

Bad credit can be better.

Low credit means there’s a higher chance that you’re staying put. It’s common for tenants with high scores to lease for a short period of time then leave to buy their own place. They tend to be short-term renters. However, people with low credit scores may have barriers preventing them from buying their own home; perhaps their debt load is too high or they can’t secure a loan. That means it’s possible that they could become a long-term tenant.

The one thing a landlord hates to have is an empty property. Every time a renter moves out he has to start the process of advertising and screening new tenants, which could lead to a month (or longer) of having a property unoccupied. The ideal situation is getting a reliable long-term renter; one who isn’t going to go buy his own place in a year. We were told that large tax liens on a credit report could be a good thing because the applicant won’t qualify to buy a home. Awful, I know, but it’s true.

Late payments are ok, just not on rent.

Our manager says, “people will be late on just about every bill except for one that ensures a roof over their heads.” He has seen it all as far as terrible payment histories, and shrugs it off. He isn’t phased by a credit report full of lates on credit cards, loans, or utilities but he doesn’t want to see late rent payments.

Eric and I were concerned about one app in particular because he had a handful of bills (including child support) that went to collections just last month. Our manager said that he had an excellent history of paying his rent on time and that is what should matter most when evaluating him. It was hard for us to think in those terms, but I understand what he meant. I tend to wonder that if the other bills aren’t getting paid when will the rent be next?

Employment isn’t enough; it needs to be verifiable.

Long-term employment is a great thing in the eyes of a landlord. It’s even better when there are multiple income streams in the household; that means if one person loses their job there is still income coming in. However, if the employment isn’t verifiable in some way, it doesn’t really count.

One application we received had three incomes, all of them claiming they earned $2000 gross a month. Two of them were verified through credit reports and check stubs. The other applicant said he just started working for his father (whom he lived with) and couldn’t provide a check stub. He had no credit history (so no credit report) and no previous employers. We ended up not being able to consider his income because it couldn’t be verified.

He doesn’t care about your criminal history, up to a point.

The past is in the past, unless it’s serious or recent. With one application the resident had a criminal history starting as a juvenile. That would have been ok (all small charges) except that he had a conviction for every year after that, too. It didn’t just stay in his past, and some were repeat offenses. That isn’t a good sign that he is on the straight and narrow, if you get my drift.

Past rental problems are a big red flag.

One of the biggest factors when deciding on whether to approve an app is rental history. When they run your rental history they don’t want to see any evictions on your record. No landlord wants to deal with the hassle of an eviction and careful screening is one way to help avoid risky tenants. Past evictions could indicate a higher risk level and could pose a problem.

Big dogs mean big deposits.

We are total animal lovers and welcome pets in our old home, but when we got an app from some folks who had two 40 lb. puppies we asked for advice from our friend who manages 5 rental properties of his own. He advised us against it and said we should decide on a pet policy right away.

He said big young dogs have done the most damage to his properties in the past, requiring the replacement of doors, woodwork, flooring, fencing, and even the backyard landscaping and grass. He no longer allows dogs over 15 lbs. for that reason. He recommended that we increase the pet deposit to cover the cost of replacing the flooring. The couple didn’t make it through the screening for other reasons though, so we never got to that point.

I thought it might be interesting to share the new perspective we have now that we are landlords. I was shocked to find out that my assumptions were wrong on what things add up to be the best tenant. I also think large scale landlords may differ a little from single home landlords like us. We want someone who is stable and is going to take care of the property while multiple property owners may focus more on simply getting a long-term renter. I think experience plays a role, too.

Every application is different and depending on the situation, some of these factors may be ignored. In fact, we just approved an applicant today that doesn’t fit all of these criteria. I guess we are rebels! Hopefully it will pan out and our property will be occupied in a few weeks!

Image Source: Nick Douglas

This post was featured in:

Carnival of Personal Finance #143 - Oh Canada Edition hosted by Quest For Four Pillars

No Longer Alone But Technologically Stranded

Can anybody hear me out there? My cable has been down since early this morning and it feels like I’m all alone without phone, internet, and TV. It’s a good excuse to do some chores though.

We now have one house next door and yesterday it looked like the new neighbors were moving in. When I opened the blinds this morning I noticed they had a cable guy setting up service for them. Apparently, whatever he did to set them up killed our connection and there’s no telling when it will be up again.

I have an “emergency” call in and it could take until 9pm to get someone out here again. Nice. Thank goodness I have a cell phone or I couldn’t have even notified the cable company!

We haven’t met the new neighbors yet but I spent some time making my homemade butter cookies with cream cheese icing for a housewarming gift. Eric and I are hoping to stop by tonight to deliver them and welcome them to the neighborhood. They are our first (and only) neighbors so I think it is important to formally introduce ourselves. Word is that the builder sold all the lots around us so it won’t be long before I’m making more cookies and repeating the ritual.

Do people bring over homemade goodies to new neighbors these days? I’ve never done it myself but I’ve also never owned a home before. When we moved in, nobody at the far end of the street came over to welcome us as the newcomers. Perhaps the meet-and-greet obligation only applies to the neighbors in close proximity, if at all?

Maybe people just don’t interact with their neighbors the way they used to in the old days. Who knows? Either way, it doesn’t bother me too much. I tend to be pretty quiet and keep to myself but I think it would be nice for us to welcome the neighborhood newbies.

Anyway, if the cable isn’t up for 6 hours at a time they will credit you a day. I’m at hour 4 already. If you have extended outages in your service, make sure to call and request that they credit your account. You shouldn’t pay for the time you didn’t have service, especially when it is their fault the outage occurred in the first place.

UPDATE: I now have my connection back! They also credited me for the day. Turns out the cable guy from this morning cut my line (no telling why) and a new guy had a run another one on top of the grass to fix it. Tomorrow they will send out a crew to bury it and hopefully that will be the last of it. I hope the dig crew doesn’t do too much damage to the lawn but I’m glad to be up and running again!

Do you bring goodies over to new neighbors? Do you feel that it’s a dying tradition?

Image Source: C.P. Storm

Reducipe – Pork Potstickers With Tangy Ginger Lime Sauce

Now THAT’S a potsticker! I decided to post this particular recipe this week because it is one of the ones featured in my upcoming catering gig (I modified it for vegetarians). I’ve been working on this recipe for years and it’s so good that we think it will be the crowd favorite at the event.

Potstickers are an inexpensive way to “wow” a crowd. They take a little effort to construct but it is well worth it.

They make lovely appetizers (and hors d’Oeuvres when cut in half and served on a chinese soup spoon with the sauce) but Eric and I usually make a meal out them. We just can’t stop at 2 or 3! He even likes to pour the remaining sauce over the leftover cabbage and potstickers to make a “potsticker salad” the next day.

This recipe produces a flavorful and juicy potsticker thanks to the pork and seasonings. I tend to generously season the filling because the dipping sauce paired with it isn’t the usual soy-based style. That means that the potsticker is seasoned well enough to stand on it’s own.

The dipping sauce combines sweet, sour, and fresh flavors. It’s tangy, bright, and intense. It’s one of those sauces that is so flavorful that you can’t get enough of it but if you had it everyday you would burn out fast. It pairs beautifully with the pork and is guaranteed to surprise and please.

Melissa’s Pork Potstickers

1 1/2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 lb ground pork (avoid lean)
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and finely grated (minced ok)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 splash rice vinegar
1 squirt sriracha (or hot chili sauce)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 egg
Gyoza wrappers
1 cup chicken broth
Canola oil

Sprinkle cabbage with salt and let stand for about 30 minutes. Place cabbage in a dishtowel or cheesecloth and squeeze out any water. In large bowl mix the cabbage with the other ingredients except for the gyoza wrappers, canola oil, and chicken broth. Set up your work station with a small bowl of water, gyoza wrappers, filling, and a large cookie sheet.

Using a teaspoon, place a small mound of filling in the center of a gyoza wrapper (figure 1). Do not overfill. Using your finger, wet one edge of the wrapper with a little water. Fold over wrapper, press out any air, and seal the edge to make a half moon shape (figure 2). Crimp the edge of the potsticker into pleats to help seal it (figure 3). Set aside on cookie sheet and cover with a damp towel to keep the potstickers from drying out while you make the rest.

Coat a hot sauté pan with some canola oil and place potstickers down flat in the pan. Brown one side over medium heat. When they appear golden add about 1/8 cup chicken broth to the pan and quickly cover to steam. It will splatter! Allow to steam for 2-3 minutes. Uncover and let the potstickers fry until the underside is crisp again. Serve immediately with the Tangy Ginger Lime Sauce.

Makes roughly 30 potstickers (more if you go lighter on the filling). Serves 10 as an appetizer (or 2-3 for dinner).

If this is your first time making potstickers, don’t get frustrated if you have trouble with filling and crimping. Your first attempts may not work out. Practice really does help. Just remember not to overfill. If any filling squirts out when you fold or crimp the potsticker, just start over with a new wrapper and less filling. The wrapper won’t seal very well if filling touches the edges and may open when cooked.

My potstickers are best when pan fried on one flat side while the other side gets the steam treatment. It makes for a wonderful texture contrast of chewy and crispy. I much prefer this method over plain steaming or deep frying.

I prefer using gyoza wrappers (round Japanese dumpling wrappers) because they are very thin and delicate. I can find the gyoza wrappers in my fresh produce section with the Asian foods. They may be found frozen, too. You may have to check your local Asian market if your regular grocery doesn’t carry it. If you simply can not find gyoza you can substitute wonton or potsticker wrappers. Avoid thicker wrappers (like egg roll) because it will make the finished product taste doughy.

The potstickers are also fabulous with a little shrimp added in place of some of the pork. The original versions of this recipe included shrimp but over time I thought straight pork was easier (and tastier) because I rarely had leftover shrimp. Adding shrimp cuts some of the richness and results in a lighter potsticker.

Tangy Ginger Lime Sauce

1 cup tomatoes, peeled and petite diced (canned ok)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons cilantro
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3-4 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 splash soy sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small non-reactive bowl. Stir well then whisk until sugar dissolves. Let the sauce sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to let the flavors marry before serving.

Definitely let the sauce set before serving because the flavors seem to get better over time. Leave at room temp for serving but refrigerate any leftovers.

The best way to get finely grated ginger is with a Microplane Grater/Zester. It transforms the fresh ginger into a pulp. If you don’t have a microplane you can finely mince the ginger and it will be fine.

I like to bite off one end of the potsticker, and using a spoon, I fill up the inside of the potsticker with the chunky sauce. Sure, it drips down my hand and makes a mess but I don’t care. It’s a great way to get more of the sauce in each bite.

Ingredient	Cost	Ingredient	Cost
Cabbage	$0.99	Gyoza Wrappers	$1.99
Pork	$0.89	Chicken Broth	$0.49
Ginger	$0.30	Eggs	$0.11
Garlic	$0.25	Tomato	$0.59
Green Onions	$0.69	Limes	$1.00
Cilantro	$0.45	Rice Vinegar	$0.25
Soy Sauce	$0.10	Jalapenos	$0.06
Sesame Oil	$0.15	Spices/Sugar	N/A
		Total	$8.31 or ~$0.83 a serving

If you really want to stretch this recipe, increase the amount of cabbage and you could get even more servings out of it. It’s amazing that you can make such a great tasting and well received appetizer for so cheap. It isn’t as inexpensive as peanut butter on celery but this is so much more impressive to serve. Enjoy!