Bad Rep

I'm here today to talk about a very controversial topic. MEATLOAF.



Meatloaf has had a bad reputation for decades, and I'm not sure why. Was it the weird singer from the 80s? Is it the thought of a block of meat that turned people off? What IS IT!? Drew mentioned something about meatloaf to our church group the other day and you would have thought we were suggesting they eat worms or something.



While not all meatloafs are created equal, I'm here to tell you that meatloaf is not as terrible as one may think. In fact, it's pretty damn good. Especially mine. I invite anyone over to try it and tell me they still hate it. If you like hamburgers, then you'll like meatloaf.



I have included pictures and my mother's recipe (which I now use and have always loved) for you to try at home.

Combine a pound of ground beef and a pound of ground turkey in a bowl. (We use half turkey to be healthier).
Chop up an onion.

Pour aforementioned onion in bowl.

Add a can of tomato sauce.

Add 2 cups of oatmeal to give it some texture.

You will then also add 1.5 teaspoons of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, as well as 2 eggs to really bind it.

You will then take your dinosaur-looking CLEAN hands and start mixing all of the ingredients together! It's the only way to do it.

You will then seperate the mixture into two...sections of equal size. This is where it looks like something people won't want to eat. But WAIT! There's more.

You then flatten out your mound on fol or waxed paper, and pat our a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick by 8 inches by 15 inches.

The directions then claim that you need to sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on the rectangle, but I always put more. Which is what makes it great. Try to leave a little bit of a border.

From the narrow end, you will then roll it up jelly-roll style, using the foil to help you roll it. Or your husband if he's around.

You seal "seams" on the sides/ends, and place it in a foil-lined loaf pan, or one sprayed with cooking spray. Gently pat it out to fill the pan. (I usually make two at a time to freeze for another night. Or to make right then for lunches.)

You then pour a combo of canned tomato sauce and ketchup over each loaf and spread it out to cover them.

You will then bake each meatloaf for 1 to 1.25 hours at 350 degrees (the long baking time is the only annoying part) and take out and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Then you'll slice into it and devour the cheesy oniony tomatoey goodness that is Jane's Meatloaf.

Though these aren't perfect slices, hopefully this looks like something you want to eat. I know I do. And if you don't then don't even tell me.

Voila! Now you too can make a delicious meatloaf and prove everyone else, maybe even yourselves, wrong. Wahoooooo.

NYC Part Deux

Part Two of my New York trip will be much shorter and sweeter, considering that last post took me 4 months to actually write. This will just be a picture post! (For the most part.)

Brunch at Clinton Street Bakery! Super long wait (where we were able to walk to a food market and get smoothies) but totally worth it!

Pancakes. Heavenly.

Some delicious scrambled egg dish. An omelet maybe? I can't remember but it was delish and I want it now.



After brunch, we walked around more places, and got 3 baby cupcakes at Baked By Melissa! They're like mini cupcake shots.

Then we talk a long stroll through the Meatpacking District and walked on the High Line, an above-ground railroad track that's been converted into a park. Really pretty and relaxing!

A view of the MPD from the HL.

We then stopped in to the Chelsea Food Market (one of my favorite spots in the city) and decided to try this new popsicle stand that opened there. It was a much needed refreshment after our long day of walking.

I tried the plum/thyme popsicle. Weird pairings/flavors but just what I needed!

After a quick cat nap and some getting ready, we took a cab over to Bistro Bagatelle for dinner with Meredith's friends.

The next picture requires a story. We had a lovely dinner at this classic French restaurant, and all the while, the girls were telling me about the awesome sundae (with a lit sparkler!) the restaurant will bring out if it's someone's birthday. We were all laughing about how awesome it would be if we could see one. Too bad it was no one's birthday at the table. I go to the bathroom at some point after our meal (and saw Jesse Palmer along the way), and then quickly returned to my seat to enjoy the evening. All of a sudden, the waiter is carrying a HUGE bowl of ice cream towards us with a HUGE lit sparkler shooting out from the top! The rest of the girls start singing "Happy Birthday" to Meredith at the top of their lungs and a stunned Meredith begins screaming in shock at the top of her lungs - (a) because she was really shocked and (b) we had to keep the pretense up that it was her birthday. Meredith's birthday was actually almost 3 months ago at this point. I am laughing so hard I'm crying at the sheer ridiculousness of the spectacle and the whole restaurant is staring at us. It was one of the funniest parts of the trip.

Meredith's sparkler birthday sundae. I'm so glad I was able to be there to celebrate with her.

We then stopped by a bar with the girls and then went to another awesome hot spot (that we usually go to every time I'm there because of the great music), Automatic Slims, to meet up with some of Mere's church friends. We walked home in the rain and may or may not have eaten a large slice of Joe's Pizza. And we may or may not have stopped somewhere else (maybe another food establishment, maybe not) after that. Psshh. Whatever.

We got up and packed and walked over to Westville, a super small restaurant in the Village that serves a DELISH breakfast and brussel sprouts that evidently change one's life. I know they changed mine. I ate my breakfast burrito, Mere took me by Sarah Jessica Parker's apartment, and I was in a cab on my way to the airport before I knew what hit me.

It was a reallllly awesome trip overall, and we literally just ate our way through the city. Which is right up my alley. I plan on going back around the same time next year so let me know if you (all my thousands of readers/fans) are interested. I can't wait to go back!