Makin' 'Mends with Meatloaf

Boy, with headline-writing skills like this, I'll be writing for the AP in no time.

Now, I know I wrote a little post last week about how sorry I was for not posting regularly, and that I would promise to do better in the future. DEH took one look at that post and declared, "You're not sorry in the least, and you know it." Ouch. Well, allow me to heal the pain of my betrayal with a little something to bring back (hopefully) pleasant childhood memories, meatloaf. What's that, you hate meatloaf? Get thee back to the heathen lands from whence thou hast sprung!! It is obvious that you have not yet tried...STEVE'S Meat Loaf! Steve is a coworker of mine, and he often brings in goodies for everyone to eat, or whips up a gut-buster of a meal right in the office kitchen. Thanks, Steve, for keeping the office happy and well-fed! And now for your enjoyment, here is the recipe:

Steve's Meat Loaf

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 c. bread crumbs or 3 slices of white bread
1 egg
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (to taste)
1/2 ketchup*
1/4 c. onion, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together all ingredients except for the ketchup. Press mixture into a loaf pan and spread ketchup on top. Bake uncovered until done, about 1 hour.

* = may substitute barbeque sauce or chili sauce for some or all of the ketchup

Forgive Me

No, I haven't been sleeping off a major bender. Work has taken over what little brain-space I have, and there hasn't been room in my noggin for bloggin'. So if anyone is out there reading my lil' ol' blog, please forgive my dereliction of posting duties. (Ho-Lee Crap, DEH has updated no fewer than twelve times since my last post, he is totally kicking my ample butt.) I'll have something of substance up soon; this is my way of putting my toe gingerly in the water before doing a big, graceless, slightly spastic cannonball.

Weekend Chop Suey

Every Monday someone at the office asks, "How was your weekend?" My answer never changes: "Too short". I actually had a dinner party planned for Friday night, but had to cancel when my guests had a family emergency. We'll try again this Friday, and see how it goes. Saturday was rather dull, and that is just how I like my Saturdays. Sunday was Mother's Day, and DEH went with me to visit my family, who all live about an hour's drive away. We had lunch at my grandmother's, which was typical Southern fare: chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, ham, black-eyed peas, sweet peas, rolls, etc. For dessert, among other wonderful things, were two of my favorite treats that Grandma makes: Caramel Cake and Magic Brownies. I don't have the recipe for the Caramel Cake (yet), but Magic Brownies are an easy dessert that require very little effort. A word to the wise: if you have a mixer on hand, do yourself a favor and use it, as the batter can get very thick.

Magic Brownies

Brownies:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 stick margarine or butter
2 eggs

Topping:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
2 eggs
1 box (16 oz.) powdered sugar

Mix ingredients for the brownies just until moistened (don't worry about lumps). Spread mixture in the bottom of a lightly greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Mix ingredients for the topping and pour over the top of the brownies. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.

Penne Rigati with Vodka Sauce, or, What to Do When You Screw Up Making Tacos

Right now, I'm not living up to the name "foodie". Last night was supposed to be Taco Night, a night of relaxing in front of the TV with whatever Netflix DVD we had at the moment and stuffing our faces with soft-shell tacos. Tacos are a super-duper easy meal that just requires the use of one measly pan, a cutting board and a knife. (Plates are optional, if you are good at managing drippage. I am not.) I mean, how can you screw up tacos, for crying out loud! Well, folks, it's awfully easy to do so if you let your ground chuck become a training ground for the Army of the Bacteriological Republic. Yep, stinky beef is what I found myself faced with last night. After teaching the cooties on the beef a few four-letter words and playing the "No, you take it to the dumpster" game with Daniel, I had to figure out what to fix for dinner. So what elegant, delightful delicacy did I prepare? Why, jarred spaghetti sauce and pasta, of course. May the kitchen gods forgive me.

To make matters worse, the bargain basement Cotes du Rhone I opened to go with the pasta had cork taint. Maybe it was the kitchen gods way of telling me not to drink cheap, sour French vin de pays. Since I didnt have any wine with dinner, I decided to make myself a cocktail afterward before heading upstairs to bed. Im not sure if this drink has an official name, but I call it a Coconut Cream Pie. This ones sweet enough to have as a dessert; enjoy!

Coconut Cream Pie Cocktail

1 part coconut flavored rum, such as Captain Morgan Parrot Bay or Malibu
2 parts Caramel Temptation Cream Liqueur
Ice

Stir the rum and liqueur together; pour into glass over ice.

Greetings!

...and salutations. Welcome to my kitchen, have a seat right here at the table. Would you care for some tea or coffee? Oh, you'd like a taste of what I have, hmm? Well, there is some left in the bottle, let me get you a glass. Whoops, that one is chipped. Here we go, there's a nice clean one...and there's a healthy pour in it now. May I propose a toast? Here's to the start of my blog about my life in the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of my home; I spend most of my time puttering about in it. I'd like to share my experiences there with you here on this blog, so join me here for something good to eat (and drink)! Cheers!