Meal # 2: American Meatloaf

I didn't cook last week, but I was determined to get back on track this week.  Today's meatloaf recipe came from Marion Cunningham's Learning to Cook.  I got this book years ago in my RH days, but gave it away at some point.  Then I hooked up with Sweets and he had his own well-worn copy.  What goes around comes around!

These are things I learned/could have done better:

• Timing.  The steamed broccoli was done first, followed by the baked sweet potatoes ten minutes later.  The meatloaf took about twenty minutes longer than I thought it would.  This could have been better planned out.
• I steamed the broccoli too long and it was limp.  No more than ten minutes next time!
• I liked this recipe, especially the addition of the spinach.  And I think that the beef-pork combo tastes better than turkey.  But it would have been better with ketchup, which is found in many other meatloaf recipes.  Noted for next time.

Overall, not bad.  And I have leftovers for lunch!

Speaking of cooking, this is the latest item I am threatening to use my employee discount on:

Heart-shaped melamine bowls.  So cute!

Meal #1: Spaghetti Bolognese

Another New Year's resolution: cook more. Or more accurately, just cook at all. My goal is to make one meal a week for Sweetie and myself. I have to somehow justify all the cookware and tools and all the other kitchen stuff that I've been buying or want to buy.

Tonight I started with something easy: Spaghetti Bolognese, a recipe I clipped from Shape magazine. You saute a minced clove of garlic in a saucepan in a teaspoon of olive oil, then add four ounces of ground turkey breast and cook for five minutes until it's browned (I think I should have browned it more - it remained quite pale). You then add a cup of canned diced tomatos, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, bring to a boil, and then simmer for ten minutes. Serve over spaghetti (I bought the multigrain kind - it wasn't bad).


Eh, it was OK. Not at all like the bolognese that I've gotten at, say, Oliveto, but at least it was maybe not so bad for us. I doubt I'll be making it again. But at least I spent some time in the kitchen and gave Dave a break. And the bar is set pretty low for my next meal!