My Prince and I

On a regular basis, Emma talks about the life she will have one day with her prince and baby. Yes, I said baby (singular) not plural because "two babies would be too heavy to hold." She talks about them going to church, the zoo, shopping and what her baby will eat, wear, live, play etc. She's even talked about her wedding day (and she's already said that she wants to wear my wedding dress...I'm holding her to that one :-) ) It's all rather detailed and changes daily as her imagination continues to grow. Anyway, as we were driving today, Emma started talking about her prince and said that he will play with football stuff. I asked her if he would watch football on TV, to which she answered "yes." Then I asked her if she would watch it with him. She thought long and hard for a minute and then said "No, football is a boy show." Hee, hee, she cracks me up. Such a girl - already planning ahead for a husband and a family. She's so caught up in this whirlwind of life and love and a lot of what she imagines of course is what she sees through our life together. It's cute that she wants to experience what we have with her for her later life.
We had a rather yummy dinner and thought I would share it since it's easy, kid-friendly and healthy. We all like to have new ideas or a new twist to comfort food to feed our families. We all get tired of the same old boring stuff. So, from time to time, if I try something interesting, I'll post it for y'all (yes, the southern coming out in me) to try.

The Menu: Li'l Cheddar Meat Loaves with Sweet Potato Latkes & Edamame Beans (soy beans)
I usually buy Edamame pods because Emma loves to pop them into her mouth but this time I tried some frozen ones that we're already shelled. Don't knock them until you try them folks - they are delicious and kids love them! Just put sprinkle with a little salt.

Li'l Loaves (a new twist to old favorite)
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar (I used mozzarella because it has less fat and it's what I had)
1/2 c. quick cook oats
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef
Mix well and form into 8-9 small loaves; place on a pam-sprayed 9x13 dish.
Topping: 2/3 c. ketchup, 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. mustard - mix and spoon over loaves. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 min. (I do the ketchup topping a little different though - I add a little cider vinegar and a little less mustard).

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Latkes (from the South Beach Parties and Holidays cookbook)
1 medium zucchini (1/2 lb) ends trimmed
1 large sweet potato (3/4 lb), peeled
1/4 c. onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3 T. canola oil
Unsweetened applesauce (optional)
Coarsely grate zucchini and potato in a food processor or with a hand grater; transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add onion, egg, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet (I used my electric skillet) over med-high heat. Working in batches, add mixture by heaping tablespoons to skillet, gently flattening with the back of the spoon as you go (I used my fingers - it's easier). Cook until golden (1-2 min.) and then flip and cook for another 2 min. The recipe says to drain on paper towels but I used only a little oil and didn't have the "oily" problem so I didn't need to do that. Serve hot with applesauce on the side if desired.