Life Insurance or Love?

Due to my husband's history in the Army, he has a lot of life insurance. How much? Enough to make him treat me really nice. Enough to make him check me for weapons before getting in an argument. Enough that he avoids arguments all together. Enough for him to know that I love him more than I love Gucci.

However, if he were to cross me, all I would have to do is cook up a prime rib and bake a cheesecake each week. The combo of Ryan's family history of high cholesterol, red meat and cream cheese would make me and my fatherless kids quite wealthy.

That's why this year for Valentine's Day, I showed my sweetheart's heart a little love with some heart healthy ground turkey and butter free dessert. Before you belt "Ba Humbug," just hear me out.

Meatloaf is the quintessential comfort food. And like my friend Cary says, "Food is love." So heart-shaped meatloaf it must be. Sub ground turkey for hamburger, mix in a little spinach, shape in a heart, glaze with apricot and mustard and you've got a little loaf of love.

Dessert is a combo of my husband's two favorite things - brownies and peach pie. The butter in both, however, is enough to clog a 10 year-old's arteries. So out goes the butter, the sugar gets cut in half, and we try not to think too much about the rest. After all, Valentine's Day is a holiday!

Paired with a Lemony Spinach Salad topped with craisins, feta, and walnuts and my man knows how much I love him.

Happy Valentine's Day Ryan! I love you, as evidenced by your uncollected life insurance. Long live your healthy heart!


Apricot Valentine Turkey Loaves
Ingredients

Meatloaf
1lb Ground Turkey
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup chopped spinach
1 green onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1 tbsp course ground mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Apricot Mustard Glaze
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp stone ground mustard
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Whisk all glaze ingredients together. Set aside.
3. Mix all meatloaf ingredients together, divide mixture into fourth. Take each fourth, make a ball, and shape into a heart. Set on baking sheet and brush with glaze. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush with more glaze and bake for about 15 minutes more.

Makes 4 heart loafs



Individual Peach Brownie Cobblers
Ingredients

Peach filling
2 lbs thawed frozen peaches
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp corn starch

Brownie Topping
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp water
2 eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Collect 10 to 12 ramekins.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine peaches, lemon zest and juice, and sugar. Simmer while you prepare brownie topping.
3. In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, water, and eggs. Add flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Mix into wet mixture.
4. Sprinkle cornstarch over peach mixture and stir together. Spoon peaches into ramekins filling each half full. Spoon brownie batter over peaches and gently spread to cover fruit. Place each ramekin on a foil line baking sheet, place in oven, and bake for about 25 minutes.

Serve warm. Yum!