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Monday, October 24, 2011

Comfort food makes me happy....AND A GIVEAWAY WINNER...

 I went grocery shopping for a few things and made sure I carried my 
PINK FIGHT FOR THE CURE grocery bag.
See that round loaf of SOUR DOUGH BREAD...?
I am about to make something soooo good with it...
tell ya about it a little later. 
 I bought all the things I didn't have to fix ONE of my favorite COMFORT FOODS...
I have discovered that I get hungry for MEAT LOAF when I am having a little bit of
extra "missing my mother" feelings...and I really got hungry for one today.
 NOW, I realize that MY meat loaf may not look like most peoples meat loaf....
I like mine fairly thin so I pat them out more than a lot of people.
When I was young,  ♥♥
Mom made the meatloaf too THICK...I think people back then thought it was SUPPOSED to be thick.
I just don't like much of any food THICK..
ANYway.. in later years, she started making it thinner and I LOVED it...
I use her *add anything you want* recipe to this very day...and when I eat it, I can almost feel her sitting beside me...
SMILING 

She always crushed up crackers...SALTINES...and added it to all the luscious ingredients...
 Speaking of saltine crackers...
I take my sleeves of crackers out of their original box and put them into my
VINTAGE metal cracker box...
I bought this a couple of years ago at an estate sale. I used it for flowers for awhile and then,
one day, I thought, "what the heck am I doing?" and started using it for it's intended use.
I love how it looks in my cabinet...kind of old fashioned..ya know ?
 OOO, it tasted sooo good.
 ...peppers and onions...ummmm...
no special recipe...just add the ingredients you like in a meatloaf..
I do use the LEANEST hamburger meat, an egg...
a glaze of ketchup, chili sauce and maple syrup...some mixed into the meat...some left to
glaze the tops...
OMYGOODNESS !!
We had meatloaf about 3 times a month when I was at home.
Mr. Sweet and I don't have it THAT often but I get hungry for it before he does.
I saved part of THIS meat loaf and stuck it in the freezer. Some night when he wants that
nice steak and potatoes he froze, I'll have my meatloaf and I'll fix us both a salad.

I made mashed potatoes last night and had a bit of queso left from Bean Burritos the night before.
I added it to the potatoes and it was DELICIOUS.
....it's the little things, ya know.

 An amazing salad....full of Blue Cheese, sugared pecans...
HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING
O HONEY
The Cracker Barrel makes the BEST Honey Mustard..I THINK you can buy it, too.
 CHEESE ROLLS from the freezer.(I made them last week..love freezing a few for later)
My vintage golden yellow flatware always looks so pretty this time of year,
nestled in all the pretty  autumn colors....
Our local market has some of the most beautiful pumpkins I've ever seen...
ALL different colors...and sizes....some HUGE.
So Expensive !
These little ones were 99cents ea. and I think they are precious.
Hope your day is going just exactly the way you want it to.
Joining in with:
BLUE MONDAY (there's a tiny bit of blue, Sally)
MOTIVATED MONDAY
THE WINNER OF THE BEAUTIFUL SIGN,
so generously given by RAMSIGN
is........
My sweet, Canadian friend,
POND over at PONDSIDE
CONGRATULATIONS, POND..
I hope you will take a photo of it, once it is on your house (or wherever you put it) and show us all how awesome it looks.

Please send me your email address...I will notify RAMSIGN that you are the winner.
They will notify you and, between the two of you,
you will have a sign to be proud of.

HOW FUN....
"AIN'T  LIFE  GRAND !!"
xoxoxo bj  

45 comments:

  1. Your meatloaf looks delicious! Well, everything did! I love the little pumpkins!And your yellow eating utensils are so autumnal! I love the color too!
    Congratulations to the winner!
    Happy Blue Monday to you.
    Sonya

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  2. It's so funny you said that about your cracker tin...I did the same thing! lol! I don't know why it took so long to occur to me-to use it for just that! What it was intended for! ;P
    Sonya

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  3. It's so funny you said that about your cracker tin...I did the same thing! lol! I don't know why it took so long to occur to me-to use it for just that! What it was intended for! ;P
    Sonya

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  4. What a thrill to win the sign! I'll certainly post about it when it's up.
    That meatloaf - I swear that I could smell it!

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  5. Your meatloaf looks great BJ! I've been using the Paula Deen recipe and really like it. Love your cracker tins, I never get through the box with out some of them going stale:@)

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  6. Congrats to Pond on that great prize. I make a traditional meatloaf and cook them in a muffin/cupcake pan. That way I have individual mini loaves to freeze too. The ingredients are now on my shopping list...lol....

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  7. Num, num, num, num.....I want to eat meatloaf at your house, BJ! :D

    Love your unusual pumpkins. I found one at our local nursery, but it's outside.

    Blessings!
    Ricki Jill

    PS Congrats Pond! You will love our Ramsign. I love mine!

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  8. We think a lot alike in the kitchen bj. I don't like thick anything, meatloaf, burgers, chicken...........I think your meatloaf looks delicious, and I 'm sure it was. I use the same ingredients, lots of peppers and onions, ketchup. Sometimes I make individual loafs, I love the all over outside, yummy.
    Congratulations to Pondside for winning the fabulous giveaway.......
    Have a great week.

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

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  9. Oh, you made me hungry! I love meatloaf, yes, a comfort food, mom made it too!
    I also like your little pumpkins and flatware, so pretty!
    Congrats to the winner she will love it!

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  10. BJ, great minds think alike! We had meatloaf last night too!! I had left over mashed potatoes, I added some chopped chives and shredded cheddar cheese. Then I formed them into potato patties, dusted them in flour and fried them in melted butter until the outsides were golden and crisp and the insides were light and fluffy!

    Hugs,
    Penny

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  11. Looks amazing! I would love the cheese rolls! Happy Monday my friend! ♥

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  12. Congratulations to the lucky winner-POND! YUMMY meatloaf, making me hungry for meatloaf:) first thing in the morning! Hope you have an awesome day dear BJ, HUGS!

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  13. Oh...Yummy!! I love meatloaf & there are as many recipies as there are ladies who make it!!
    Marilyn
    p.s. Now I am hungry!!

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  14. Your meal looks amazing! I love bleu cheese dressing too.

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  15. Yep, I see that TINY BIT OF BLUE on the saltines box.

    Thanks for sharing your blues.

    Happy Blue Monday, BJ.

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  16. I love that this comfort food brings you comfort when you are missing your mom. I just think that is so special. I loved your take on meatloaf too. Someday, when I am not feeding three teenage boys, I'll have to give this a try. :-)

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  17. Now you've got me hungry for meatloaf, BJ! I swear, you make the most delicious, down-home cookin' meals.

    Congrats to Pondsie...I bet the sign will look great at her place.

    Hugs,
    Rett

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  18. Maybe this is teh kind of meatloaf I should start making; sounds perfect.
    Rita

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  19. Your photos made me hungry! My hubby would love that meatloaf...

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  20. BJ ~ I think you should have owned a restaurant! Your recipes are always so enticing, and prepared with such enthusiasm. xo

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  21. Nice looking meatloaf for sure. You are indeed a wonderful designer. Your photos are awesome. Congrats to Pondsi for winning the giveaway. Blessings
    QMM

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  22. Gosh that looks good! You have the best food pics, I swear. I haven't made meatloaf in a very long time. May have to do that again.

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  23. A meal fit for a king. I have a craving for bread. Just to smell it drives me crazy. I stopped buying it as I was eating too much. I would not turn down a hot, homemade roll tho.

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  24. I think I will have to make some meatloaf soon. We don't have it near enough. Great idea to make it a little thinner; that will help tremendously when trying to get dinner ready to eat before it's bedtime. LOL!

    I keep my saltines in their own little tin, too. They just taste better that way. :)

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  25. Always a fun visit when I stop by, your meatloaf looks so good and now I am craving some! I like your saltine cracker tin. Bet they stay fresher in there. Congrats to Pondside for winning the cool sign. xo

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  26. we always put onions and saltines and an egg in our meatloaf too - and sometimes green pepper. good winter comfort food...

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  27. Okay ...I have to admit I came back just to see what you've been cooking. I all looks so good.

    I LOVE meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Just a slice of meatloaf and lots of mayo on the bread. Yum!

    xoxo Bunny Jean

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  28. Pond at Pondside? Great! I'm so happy for her win.

    I loved my mom's meatloaf, too. I can't make it as good as she did, but you're giving me ideas.

    Gentle hugs to you just because you're missing your mama today. Me, too.

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  29. My dear, you can do nothing wrong in my eyes.. :)
    It looks delicious. I think meatloaf, just as you say, comes from our upbringing. For me, love a rounded on top, rather thick, meatloaf. I use Texas barbeque sauce, onions, oatmeal, eggs, and Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Also a bit of parsley flakes. No bread crumbs anymore but would if I needed too. Those I would put in the food processor.
    Onions too, for that matter.
    I always top with the barbeque sause.
    I must try yours...it looks delicious. I ALWAYS have to try things you fix. :) (SUCH a bj fan!!)
    Hugs,
    Mona

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  30. Just stopping by to say hello! Feels like I haven't been in here forever...

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  31. I love meatloaf too and I make 2 small, "patted down" loaves, rather than one large one. I like the fact that it cooks quicker and I can be SURE it's done, the way I like it. It's one food my whole family equally enjoys!

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  32. My husband love meatloaf!

    Blues at my page. Have a great week!

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  33. That sounds like wonderful comfort food. I laughed about you not liking thick food....me either!! I don't like food that I have to really chew on either. It gives me the heebiejeebies. :)

    I make meatloaf with crackers also. It's the best that way.

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  34. I always feel closest to my mom when I make potato salad. I always watched her make it and now I make it just like her. It's a good thing I watched her because she never wrote the recipe down.

    I love your cracker tin and I can't wait to see what you do with that bread.

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  35. I love reading your posts for they just make me happy!! We must all be having a craving for meatloaf these days. Those homey meals are the best, aren't they?

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  36. I love reading your posts for they just make me happy!! We must all be having a craving for meatloaf these days. Those homey meals are the best, aren't they?

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  37. Hey bj...I'm lovin' your vintage cracker tin...wish they still made those, I bet it does keep the crackers fresher too :)
    Your meatloaf looks delish...I have never added chilli sauce or maple syrup to my meatloaf, but I have gotta try that next time and I'll try the crushed crackers instead of crumbled bread too...thanks for sharing :) Hope you have a great week!
    Big hugs,
    Queenie

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  38. Congrats to Pondside.
    We had meatloaf recently. I slice it thin for a sandwich the next day.Dh isn't crazy about meatloaf, but I tell him when he is cooking dinner he doesn't have to make it! :)

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  39. My mom put saltines in meatloaf too! Yes, memories. Mom is 83 and still loves meat loaf. It is one of the few meals she makes.
    I like your thin meatloaf, I always like the 'crust' so this would be perfect. Hubby loves meatloaf sandwiches. You've inspired me to put 'skinny meatloaf' on the menu soon.

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  40. It is almost time for lunch and now I'm starving. I get hungry for meatloaf too. Of course my mom used saltines in hers too. But, she didn't like ketchup. She wouldn't even let it sit next to her on the table in a restaurant!! So, I didn't have ketchup in meatloaf until I started making my own. I need to make it, I don't do that often. I don't feel it is my best dish. My mom did a lot of pot roast with potatoes and carrots. I was telling my daughter that I think of that as my mom's signiture food. She said she thinks of roast and vegetables as MY signiture dish. Funny...I make so many other things. At least she will think of something!

    So glad something is going "Pondside"!

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  41. Ah yes, cooler weather and meatloaf just seem to go together. I use saltines in my recipe too but you have some change ups that I am definitely going to have to try. Great images... so important, I think, to great blogging. So glad you linked this up to Motivated Monday at BeColorful
    Pam

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  42. Oh I found it! (Let us not consider that I had commented before. My brain power is not what it used to be.) So, I found it and I was delighted all over again that Pondside won the Ramsign. See how much fun blogging can be? Ha!

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Thanks SO much for commenting. I am blessed for knowing you.