Foodie Post

Hi there.. want to chat while I make dinner?  Maybe you can set the table for us?  I finally made the meatloaf that I had so many years ago while visiting my friend Judy in Los Angeles.  See Dayle in the family room.. doing his crossword?  OK.. first I gathered all the ingredients together.

I love that we have chickens and they are still laying through the winter... here is a brown and blue/green one.  Here is another gift I gave Dayle for Christmas, Pioneer Women's favorite vegetable knife.

There is lots of veg in this meatloaf, onions, celery, grated carrots.  

You put it in the pan and make a well down the center for the topping of applesauce, some brown sugar, cinnamon and sumac.

While that was baking I chopped some Yukon gold potatoes and the rest of the onion and fried up some potatoes.  I also cooked some mixed veggies.

Want to join us?  The kids were skeptical about the fried potatoes, but I told them they were square french fries.  :-)  Then they liked them.  I have to admit that the meatloaf wasn't what I remembered when Judy made it.  But it was still good!  Email me if you want me to send you the recipe.

My cooking adventures continued yesterday.  Zucchini bread!  Again with getting all the ingredients out first.. when I was younger I would start out and then have to hunt for things all the way through... at my current mature age I finally got smart and prepare better.  

Here's the recipe.

Here is the Mapleine I use and I highly recommend this company for vanilla.  You can buy it on Amazon!  It's Nielsen-Massey vanilla.

After you mix up the batter, I break up whole pecans to add by hand.

They turned out great!  I had some with my morning coffee and it was delicious!  Is there anything yummier than toasted pecans?

I had to share a couple photos of my grandsons holding Buddy the Cairn Terrier.  Kristi holds Buddy like this and he kisses her.  :-)  So Caleb wanted to hold Buddy like his mom so she put him in his arms and showed him how to hold him.  Isn't this cute?

Then Hayden wanted a turn.. cute stuff.

I have to tell you that Kristi began cleaning and organizing a bedroom upstairs that had ended up being a storage room.. we want to fix it up for a playroom/bedroom for the boys.  There are 2 bedrooms and a nice bathroom upstairs.  One bedroom is nicely set up as a guest room with a log bed and armoire.  We will have to paint the 2nd bedroom and get new carpet in.. quite a project!  But again, Kristi is helping us out and we really appreciate her efforts.  Son Travis is her heavy lifter on the project.  Kristi enjoys seeing that people all over the world would like to have her help - she responds that all they have to do is pay for air tickets for the whole family and she'll be glad to help.  LOL!  Just kidding!!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)