Healing and Meatloaf

Well, I'm finally feeling better and less stuffy-nosed. FINALLY. This has been a long last few days. Poor Noel has jumped in and done everything around the house: dish duty, cooking, and even cat box detail.

Thankfully, since I was feeling better today, I could spoil him with a homemade dinner. ("It was SOOO good," he adds. Thanks honey! It's nice cooking for someone who enjoys it!) I made meatloaf, garlic & cheese mashed potatoes and homemade beer bread. Meatloaf is one of those things that when it's done well, it's great. I found a great meatloaf recipe that's really foolproof and so tasty. It was in a children's cookbook that my aunt gave me, but I've made some modifications (of course, I can never leave well enough alone).

So here's my super simple meatloaf recipe:

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg of meatloaf seasoning or onion soup mix
1/2 cup (or so) of milk
1/2 cup (or so) of breadcrumbs (optional)

Mix all of it together. I use the breadcrumbs to help keep it all together - it should hold together well but still be moist. Put into a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 min - 1 hour. I cut into it to make sure it's cooked all the way through.

Also, if you buy fatty ground beef, you may want to take it out and drain it off about 15 minutes before it's finished. Otherwise you end up with meatloaf soup. Eew.

I just kinda fudged the mashed potatoes. But they turned out pretty well (I had to have Noel taste-test it for me, since I couldn't really taste it all that well!) I find mashed potatoes are one of those things you just have to keep adding to and tasting til they taste right. ;)

Yesterday we checked our mail and were so pleasantly surprised to find a present from my dear friend Lisa! Check these out!!!




Patio lights - shaped like cow skulls and cowboy boots! WE LOVE THEM. Too bad it's rainy out right now or we would've put them up already. Thank you Lisa!!!

In other news, I realized I talked incessantly about knitting, but hadn't actually posted any pictures of said knitting. For all you know (and care, probably) this knitting doesn't even exist!


So, in order to prove I've been diligently knitting and also to cruelly tease my sister, I present a few pictures of her (almost finished) sweater:



Since it's not finished, it has some spare threads lying about and is also kinda lumpy looking. When I finish it, I'll block it (wet it down and pin it down so the stitches show up well).

Here's a detail of the neckline. I really hope you like it, Rachel!

I'm about 18 rows from finishing it, so I hope to get it done in the next few days. Guess I should get on it now!