Basic Meatloaf

When I was growing up, we had meatloaf a few times a year and my Mother always made it with a red gravy. My friends' moms also made meatloaf with a red gravy. Before I was married, I lived on my own for a while and once or twice I duplicated and tweaked my Mother's meatloaf serving it of course with the red gravy.

Then I got married and tweaked it some more and when I served meatloaf for the first time to my husband (which included red gravy), he stared at it like I was serving him swill. My new husband asked me, why did you "try" this with red gravy instead of brown? Long story short, he's always had meatloaf with brown gravy, a fact which after almost 17 years of marriage I need to remember to verify with his mom. I mean it's not like he and I were from different parts of the country; we lived in the same metro area and in our metro area meatloaf was served with red gravy which is my gravy of choice for meatloaf.

In the spirit of compromise, I normally serve meatloaf with brown gravy to keep my groom happy. The kicker is, when I get attitude and decide to make the meatloaf with red gravy since I do all of the cooking and I feel from time to time I should be able to cook what I want in my own kitchen, he has the cheek to say, "You know I like brown gravy on meatloaf, why do you ALWAYS make it with red gravy?".

So any way I now have proof that I don't always make meatloaf with red gravy.

Basic Meatloaf -

1lb. lean ground sirloin, 1/2 lb. regular breakfast sausage, 1/2 ground veal, 1 egg beaten, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl using your hands. This mixture will be very mushy, be careful not to overwork the meat or your meatloaf will be tough. Add Italian bread crumbs 1/2 cup at a time until your meat mixture become firm enough to hold shape. Form the meat mixture into a loaf and place in a high-sided roasting pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Baste the meatloaf with your gravy of choice and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before moving it to a serving platter.

The picture doesn't show it but the slices are moist and light.

I get all warmed up look at the picture and think that red would just make this picture pop. Oh well, I know the yellow mustard makes the taste pop.

Holiday Eating Tips

I wouldn't be your friend if I didn't stop and take a deep breath and offer up the following Holiday Eating Tips. Many of you have read these before but with so much going on in everyone's lives these days, I thought it was my duty and my honor to bring these time honored tips to my friends in the blogosphere.

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS -

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory, celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, glass of wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO, what a ride!"

Have a Great Holiday Season!!!

Roasted Asparagus

I have a strange obsession with asparagus, I could eat it everyday. Using a few simple ingredients asparagus can be turned into a delicious side dish fit for a holiday table.

Wash and drain about 1 lb. of fresh asparagus.

Break the ends off the asparagus, You only want the tender taste part of this veggie. Gently take each end of the asparagus and bend it until it...

...snaps in half. Toss the stem or us it to make a cream of asparagus soup and keep the tender top half of the asparagus. Pile the asparagus in the center of a baking sheet season with salt, black pepper, 2 scallions thinly sliced, 4 cloves of garlic smashed. Toss the asparagus and seasonings with your hands and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil making sure to coat each spear.

Spread the asparagus in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You'll discover a whole new asparagus taste sensation.

Buttermilk Pralines

Pralines (Praw-leans) are a staple at Christmas time in New Orleans. During the holidays you will see a basket of these wax paper wrapped delights next to just about any cash register of any business you enter.

Pralines can be difficult to make at Christmas time because of the heat and humidity, but I guarantee, just like red beans and rice everyone has their own version, and they are all good.

I found this little gem in an old cookbook that was given to me a couple of years ago. This cookbook, called "Cooking Up a Storm' was put together by Katy Caire from Pass Christian, MS after Hurricane Camile devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1968. Katy obtained this recipe from a local New Orleans midday television personality Terry Flettrich.

Great Gramma Flettrich's buttermilk Pecan Pralines

1 cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
Large pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 pound butter (1/2 stick, or 4 tablespoons)
2 cups pecans

Stir the buttermilk and sugar together plus soda and salt, and cook in deep pot, stirring all the time until mahogany brown in color. Add vanilla, butter and beat till almost thick. Add nuts and drop by spoonfuls on marble slab.

Mirliton Casserole

What in the world is a mirliton? First, how do your pronunce it? Merl-it-ton? Say it with me, Mel-a-tawn. See, it isn't that hard. I think the rest of the world outside of New Orleans calls them Chayote Squash. They are vines and grow on arbors or fences all over Southeast Louisiana and are a staple in the winter, especially for the holidays. I can by them in Knoxville for $1.69 each or smuggle them in from New Orleans for 59 cents per pound.

This is a fantastic tasting dish that sends my husband, brothers, mom and friends over the moon. Get crazy and give this a try.

Mirliton Casserole -

I only need three for this recipe but I am starting off with six to split in half. I planning on serving this for Christmas too. This is a trial run. I haven't made this before, I'm doing it from memory and by the seat of my pants - so hold on!

Some Cajuns call them "alligator pears".

Cut 3 mirlitons in half lengthwise. Boil them in salted water for about 30 to 35 minutes. You want to soften the meat but not make it real squishy. Drain the mirlitons and cool them down a bit under running water.

Scoop the "meat" from the mirliton and discard the shell or skin. Set meat aside.

In a large high-sided pot or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and saute 3 strips of smokey bacon chopped, 1 medium onion chopped, 2 stalks of celery chopped, 1/2 of a bell pepper chopped, 4 cloves of garlic minced. The bacon will render fat and the vegetables will render liquid - everything will saute nicely and will not dry out. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Be careful with the salt, the bacon is salty, the mirlitons were boiled in salty water and we will be using bread crumbs later.

Stir in the mirliton meat and break it up just a little, then add 1/2 lb. peeled 41-50 shrimp, 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley and 4 sliced scallions. Stir to thoroughly blend. Once the shrimp have begun to turn pink, add 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs and gently fold in to absorb the liquid. You may need to add more bread crumbs to obtain a cookie dough type consistency.

Pour into a buttered casserole dish.

Dust the top with Italian bread crumbs and dot with chips of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown.

This is beautiful and scrumptious dish to add to any holiday table. To be honest, my brother John would eat this straight out of the refrigerator, cold, the next morning for breakfast.

This is the stuff every cajun's vegetable dreams are made of.

Creole Oyster Soup

This was supposed to have been posted yesterday and I slipped up. I was blown away by how many people emailed me or commented that they wanted this recipe.

This soup is VERY good and I'm thinking that I am going to make this for Christmas. My brother-in-law, Gerrard, made this Thanksgiving and the recipe comes from a John Folse cookbook that we both have. I was just looking at the picture as I was typing - see in the upper left-hand corner, the place card? Thumbprint turkeys - too cute. Ok, I'm really trying to tell you that if you want to fit into your jeans or you're watching your cholesterol, stop reading now. You die-hards follow me and keep reading.

Just a note here, this soup calls for a light or blond roux. Cajuns are generally known for making dark rouxs; Creoles introduced the light rouxs to the Cajuns and Cajuns have adapted the light rouxs into many of their "staple" recipes.

6 dozen oysters

1 quart oyster liquid

3/4 cup butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup diced garlic

1/4 cup diced andouille sausage (can substitute smoke sausage)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts heavy whipping cream

1 cup sliced green onions

1 cup chopped parsley

Salt, cayenne and hot sauce to taste

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.

Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and andouille and saute for about 5 minutes until vegetables are wilted.

Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly with a wire wish to make a light roux.

Add oyster liquid and heavy whipping cream, stirring to incorporate and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cream has slightly reduced and has a soup consistency. Add oysters, green onions and parsley. Season with salt, cayenne and hot sauce to taste.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve with a pat of butter on top.

Gooey Butter Cookies

Priscilla at Priscilla's Baking Adventures posted this cookie recipe on her blog a couple of weeks ago. These cookies looked like something even I could bake.

I made a batch and they were gone in minutes, I was lucky to get two pictures of them. This was a hit with the homegirlz. In fact it's been a hit with the whole subdivision!

Try these cookies, you will be addicted!





1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 c. powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add cake mix & stir until well blended.

Powder sugar your hands well. Roll into 1" or 2" balls and dust balls in powdered sugar.

Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets (Siplast and parchment paper work well too) . Bake for 10 minutes. Leave on cookie sheet for 3 minutes or more before removing to cool on wire racks.

Blond Duck from A Duck in Her Pond gave me this award. I think most of you who visit and comment on my blog also visit Duckie and know how talented she is and hopefully when she's famous she'll remember little people like me who knew her when. If you haven't visited Blond Duck's blog then you need to get over there and start reading her remarkable, incredible and whimsical stories. She also loves food and is a terrific cook and baker.

Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who:~ inspire you~ make you smile and laugh~ or maybe give amazing information~ a great read~ has an amazing design~ and any other reasons you can think of that makes them uber amazing!

The rules of this award are:

* Put the logo on your blog or post.

* Nominate at least 5 blogs that for you are Uber Amazing!

* Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.

* Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

The five Uber winners are:

1) Gigi, is an uber-upper and makes me laugh. I enjoy reading about her family and she's uber devoted to her sweetie.

2) Reeni, is an uber-baker and makes me believe I can actually bake.

3) Debbie, she finds the most uber-delicious recipes and shares them with us.

4) Mrs. G , she uber real and uber funny and deep down she's a sweetie too.

5) Priscilla, for her uber delicious cookie recipes. I am making fore cookies than I should, but hey it's the holidays!