Husband Fred and Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible's Basic Meat Loaf

Husband Fred and I have been married for 33 years.  Wow!!  He has had to put up with a lot from me over the years.  The main thing he has had to deal with is "The Plan", as he says, to kill him.  I wanted to update you on "The Plan."  PS If you don't know exactly what "The Plan" is, please go back and read that blog post.  It will become crystal clear what is going on.

First, there have been two new attempts on Husband Fred's life by me.  The first one was about two weeks ago at Body Pump when I did not fully tighten my weights on the bar.  When I picked up the bar, the weights flew off and headed toward Husband Fred's foot.  He jumped around and made a big scene and yelled out "She is trying to kill me!"  Amber - the Wonder Instructor - looked our way and just shook her head.  We probably irritate her.  We have that husband - wife competitiveness thing going on in class -- who can lift more weight, who can stand for the longest on one leg, who can do a better push-up and plank. 

The second attempt occurred two nights ago when once again I took off my shoes in the path to the bathroom.  I don't know why I do this.  I guess it is just laziness.  I was pooped from Body Pump and my first week back at school, and I did not feel like moving them three feet over out of the path.  During the middle of the night, he got up to go to the bathroom and, of course, walked right where I left my shoes.  Why didn't he just walk six inches to the right or left, and then he would have missed them and not lurched head forward into the bathroom after tangling his feet up in them.  Of course, he had to make another big scene and scream and yell and dance around.  He then proceeded to kick one of the guilty shoes across the room and yell "Why are you trying to kill me?"  I wanted to yell back "Why don/t you have a bigger bladder so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom?"  I just pulled the covers over my head and said nothing.  That morning when we met in the kitchen for coffee, he looked at me with a very serious look on his face, and said "Angela one day you are going to kill me!  You are going to kill me!!"  When he says my name, I know he is serious. Uh-oh!!

I was relaying this information to Kim, my partner-in-crime at school.    I was hoping for some vindication and support from her.  But she looked at  me with a not so supportive glare, pulled her pants leg up, pointed to a 3-inch scar on her shin, and said "I understand exactly where Fred is coming from!"  I had forgotten that I had left the bottom drawer of a metal filing cabinet by her desk open one day.  She got up from her chair and ran right into that thing making a gash on her leg that really looked like it needed stitches.  She jumped around and made a big scene too.  Why does everyone around me have to make big scenes?   Hmmmm.........  

Now on to the recipe.  I was so so excited when The Game chose Paula's Basic Meatloaf.  Oh how I love meatloaf.  It is my go to comfort food.  I really love it the next day served on two pieces of bread and some mayo.  Yes Food Police - MAYO!!  I have tried many different recipes for meatloaf including my Mama's, but this is by far my favorite.  Sorry Mama. 

You will need ground beef (I used Lean), ketchup or catsup. oatmeal, onion, green bell pepper, an egg, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper, and brown sugar.  Sounds good so far!!

 

Combine everything but the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard.  My mouth is watering.

 

Mix your topping together.

 

Shape the meat into a loaf in a loaf pan (Please excuse the well-worn look of mine) and spread the topping over the loaf.  Bake for one hour at 375 degrees.

 

Serve with yummy garden vegetables and you will be one happy camper.

 

 

Here is the recipe..........

 

 

Basic Meat Loaf

Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

 

1 pound ground beef

1/2 C chopped onion

1/2 C chopped green bell pepper

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 C canned diced tomatoes, with juice

1/2 C quick cooking oats

11/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

 

Topping:

1/2 C ketchup

2 Tbs light brown sugar

1 Tbs yellow mustard

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine th ebeef, onion, bell pepper, egg, tomatoes, oats, salt and black pepper.  Place the mixture in a loaf pan.

 

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.  Spread over the loaf and bake for one hour.

 

Now go have a great day..............