Meatloaf that is not like my mom made.

 best easy meatloaf

So, my husband wants to help me in the kitchen so I would come and sit down to watch reruns. So, I asked him to make cracker crumbs by using a rolling pin to crush crackers in a large zip plastic bag.

If he doesn't know me by now, he learned nothing over 5 decades we have been married.

So,I explained the process and he began.  He muttered at first that these crumbs were just fine. Fine for chili, I told him.  With each roll, he growled that he thought this was fine.  After about 5 minutes of grumbling, I pronounced the crumbs acceptable. 

He cheerfully said that I should join him watching some business news program on TV.  

Making a double batch of meatloaves requires more than cracker crumbs. He grumbled more. 

So, after putting on disposable gloves, I kneaded and mixed the minced beef with mild Italian sausage. It took all of 15 minutes, since I am one who sets out the ingredients first and then fix whatever. 

 Recipe:

                        Easiest and best meatloaf from All-recipes

· 1 ½ pounds ground beef w/Italian sausage

· 1 egg

· 1 onion, chopped

· 1 cup milk

· 1 cup dried bread crumbs

· salt and pepper to taste

· ⅓ cup ketchup

· 2 tablespoons brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons prepared mustard

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. Combine ground beef, onion, milk, bread crumbs and egg in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Transfer into prepared loaf pan.

3. Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard together in a small bowl until well combined; pour over meatloaf and spread it evenly over the top.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour.

We have gotten so lazy in fixing meals here.  There are some neurological issues (migraines and such) that send me to the couch in a dark room too often. This recipe was easy, after debating how to make it with my beloved.  

So, wait until I set out potatoes to peel for mash. Any bets on what he will say?

 

Secrets from married couples

Turkish Delight and C.S. Lewis

  

The book

 The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was written by C.S. Lewis and has been part of literary history since 1950. A synopsis can be found C.S. Lewis --Wikipedia. 

Early in the book, one of the Characters, Edmund is drawn to the dark side under the control of the White Witch. Narnia is populated by magical talking creatures. Some are under her control, and the others under the power of Aslan, a lion who leads them.

This is an excellent allegorical book. As a Christian, C.S. Lewis wrote many books that also lead to a deeper meaning, battle of good vs. evil, God vs. Satan. His many books (The Screwtape letters, Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, 

A Grief Observed, just a few) gave a view of man's struggles.

But, the oddest part of it all is the importance and symbolism of Turkish Delight. 

The recipe above explains so much to me, why I do not like Turkish Delight: it is the rosewater, which must be used cautiously or it is overwhelming.

But why did CS Lewis choose this as the food of downfall and addiction for poor Edmund. It does taste awful to most people of this generation. But, in WW2, confections were almost impossible to obtain. For some reason, this was appreciated. This was possible to make for some reason, certainly labor intensive.  But to CS Lewis it had a connection to happy memories of childhood.

It took him to before war and what it did eventually. This was a way of sharing the desperate situation where children were taken from parents in London and relocating them to rural areas. Turkish Delight was a treat for him then, and apparently it was as the book progressed. 

Directions:

INGREDIENTS
▢2 cups sugar
▢3/4 cup water
▢1/8 tsp. citric acid or lemon juice or cream of tartar
▢1/2 cup water
▢5/8 cup cornstarch
▢Rose flavor to taste- rose water, syrup, or oil
▢Red coloring (optional)
▢extra cornstarch for dusting
The directions are insane. Follow the step-by-step from the video above.

CS Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia, Turkish Delight, White Witch, Aslan the Lion, Four Children of Eve, Good vs. Evil: all great elements. Good luck on this venture of making this treat, but most all is to read this series, made known by The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Just Read the Directions

I can do this...

The following is some advice that all should follow to make lives easier.

   Read the directions first.

   Follow the directions.

Now this is the hard part.  No matter how many times one has assembled an IKEA product, no one is an expert.  No one can or should open an IKEA box, look at the parts, screws, and that one lonely Allen wrench…and then say, heck, I can do this.  Then toss the directions (unread) aside, to proceed.

   After screwing up the whole process, take the object apart and read the directions this time.  Hopefully, your failure gone unobserved and no one is giggling. Hopefully, no screws are missing. If they have, you are in big trouble, especially if the Allen wrench is gone. Oh, man, this is bad.

Here is another bit of advice:

source

 Set the timer.
  

It does not matter what is being done.  If the directions say: Set the timer for 15 minutes to allow the glue to set.

This is also a hard part, as most assume that surely it was meant to say 45 minutes.  After all you are the adult here. When maybe an hour has passed and the project is finally checked, no profanity should be allowed.  It is your own damn fault.  Call the 1-800 number to see what can be done to un-stick the glue.

      Set the timer.

    If the cake directions say 35 minutes at 350°, then do it.  Do it.  Taking a burnt dry cake, covered with thick icing, to a family function will not disguise this error. This also applies to any cooked project, be it jello or a roast.

    Set the timer or else.   

I   When adding water to the pool, set the timer.  When 45 minutes should do it, and then forgetfully, let it go for an hour and a half, water will flow out onto the concrete, etc.  This, too, cannot be disguised. This also applies to any water-related activity. Water is unforgiving.

     Set the blasted timer.  

I

I   If a soccer-playing child is supposed to be picked up at 4 pm, and 5 pm rolls around, that child will catch a ride with some other parent. Most likely this parent didn't like you in the first place. This parent and other parents will think that the aforementioned parent is inept. Embarrassment is inevitable.  The child will also tell his other parent. Nothing ever remains secret.

   Read the directions and then make a decision to pay someone to do something for you.  

     Write down important stuff with your hand, paper, and pen.

    Write important stuff on an honest-to-God paper calendar. Smart phones are not always that smart and tend to need re-charging at bad moments. Pin info on the bulletin board, tape on the refrigerator, or write on a whiteboard.

OH, this list could go on and on.  It is suggested that one add to this list on their own, and then

Follow the directions.

P.S. This is a re-post from 2015. It is still applicable, one of those timeless posts.

Read the Directions

I can do this...

The following is some advice that all should follow to make lives easier.

   Read the directions first.

   Follow the directions.

Now this is the hard part.  No matter how many times one has assembled an IKEA product, no one is an expert.  No one can open an IKEA box, look at the parts, screws, and that one lonely Allen wrench…and say, heck, I can do this.  Then toss the directions (unread) aside, to proceed.

...I know I can do this!

   After screwing up the whole process, take the object apart and read the directions this time.  Hopefully, your failure gone unobserved and no one is giggling. Hopefully, no screws are missing. If they have, you are in big trouble, especially if the Allen wrench is gone. Oh, man, this is bad.

Here is another bit of advice:

source

 Set the timer.
  

It does not matter what is being done.  If the directions say: Set the timer for 15 minutes to allow the glue to set.

This is also a hard part, as most assume that surely it was meant to say 45 minutes.  When maybe an hour has passed and the project is finally checked, no profanity should be allowed.  It is your own damn fault.  Call the 1-800 number to see what can be done to un-stick the glue.

      Set the timer.

    If the cake directions say 35 minutes at 350°, then do it.  Do it.  Taking a burnt dry cake, covered with thick icing, to a family function will not disguise this error.

    Set the timer or else.  

I   When adding water to the pool, set the timer.  When 45 minutes should do it, and then forgetfully, let it go for an hour and a half, water will flow out onto the concrete, etc.  This, too, cannot be disguised.

     Set the blasted timer.  
I
I   If a soccer-playing child is supposed to be picked up at 4 pm, and 5 pm rolls around, then is instead brought home by a friend who thinks that parent is... embarrassment is inevitable.  The child will also tell his other parent. Nothing ever remains secret.

     Read the directions and then make a decision to pay someone to do something for you.  

     Write down important stuff with your hand, paper, and pen.

    Write important stuff on an honest-to-God paper calendar. Smart phones are not always that smart and tend to need re-charging at bad moments. Pin info on the bulletin board, tape on the refrigerator, or write on the whiteboard.

OH, this list could go on and on.  It is suggested that one add to this list on their own, and then

Follow the directions.

Triumph or Defeat or Both

Though we may march

In triumph,

Or

Slump along

In defeat,

A road is still a road

Going in both

Directions

And

Is formed from

Dust.