recipe

We've been busy making valentines (thank goodness Aiden decided to be industrious and write his name  over and over and over...), going to storytime at the library to make more valentines, and going to valentines yoga class to make heart hands.  Yoga is really fun for Aiden (and I really need to ask to bring my camera next time!) and he learned to climb the walls for LDog (as you can see on the left in the photo I snagged off their website).  His favorite still seems to be using his yogi-toes to pick up all the pom pom balls and even hop around with them in his toes.

Aiden's school asked parents to make a "surprise" I love you card that they plan to post for the kids on Friday when they arrive.  I can't wait for Aiden's reaction to my overworked card (I went sort of crazy because I wanted him to be thrilled with it - It has a spinning dial and woven paper)  I've also been busy botching my dinner plans by missing some sort of ingredient, which has mostly worked out because poor J also got sick and wasn't that interested in dinner.  (Aiden, the immunity champion, stuck in there and didn't get sick - woohoo - I shouldn't even say that out loud because I'll jinx it!  He's not had a sick day from school yet.)

Here is a recipe I tried a while back that turned out pretty well (I think I would use a different pan next time to get it to set up better).  It made better leftover sandwiches.

Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf

Ingredients
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped carrot (I chopped it really fine)
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon everyday seasoning from the grinder that Trader Joe's sells (you could use any seasoning you like really)
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joes)
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon water

Directions
Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the carrot; cook and stir until the carrot has softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the seasoning and the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, carrots, tomato paste, enchilada sauce, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet or put in loaf pan (I used a glass loaf pan). Combine the brown sugar, ketchup, enchilada sauce, water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Adapted from allrecipes listing.