The Wife’s Sunday Dinners – Meatloaf

Here we go! The first food post in forever! I know it’s not so much for you, but for me it’s a big deal! Like, block-out-the-sun type huge! Seriously, It’s really hard to measure my excitement, it’s so astronomical. Marvel in its totality!

Ok, good eclipse puns are hard. But you know what’s not hard? Relaxing on the beach. Probably not a good day to do that, but that’s where I’ll be today. Usually I’m sensitive to the sun but I think I’ll just block it out.

Ok, I’m seriously done now, I promise. Happy Eclipse Day! Is that a thing? Probably. People will make a holiday out of anything these days. Heck, you probably know someone who is planning or going to an Eclipse party. How would you even prepare for an such a celestial celebration?! I guess you just have to planet.

OK, NOW I’M DONE, ARE YOU HAPPY?! I’m here trying to shine and you’re just getting in my way!

Can’t stop, won’t stop.

Ok, for real for real, I could be here all day, so I’m really stopping now. Getting down to business, I was sitting here for a long time, trying to figure out what would be the absolute best recipe I could come back with. A stunning pie, taller than it is wide? A cookie so moist and chocolatey it makes you feel like you need to drink a glass of milk just by looking at it?! No no no, none of these will do. I can’t just come back after years of not giving you a recipe and hit you with something like that! No, there’s only one thing I could think of that would be able to withstand the pressure of such a task… Meatloaf!!

Bu..wha…wai….. Where are you going?!? This isn’t just any meatloaf! It’s my wife’s meatloaf!!

HEY! Come back here and finish reading this, dammit! You know what, come to think of it, I don’t think you’re ready for my wife’s meatloaf. And that’s just fine, more for me.

Oh! Now you want to try, huh? Now the curiosity sensors are starting to go off. We all want what we can’t have, it’s ok, I don’t blame you.

Now seriously, I know the way this goes with meatloaf. It’s had a bad rap for a few decades now. Being the butt of jokes and whatnot, never taken seriously as a dinner. The ol’ stigmata of it being the one meal your friend’s mom cooks that you don’t accept the invitation to dinner for. Or my favorite, the “it’s just a big hamburger with no bread and tomato sauce.” Look, I get it, it’s not a mouthwatering dessert or anything, but it’s pretty damn good on a Sunday night, especially since Winter is Coming… And I understand if you don’t like it. I’m not going to sit here and give you the whole “Oh, you don’t like meatloaf because you’ve never had MY meatloaf” spiel. I’ll just tell you this:

Meatloaf is freaking weird. Not a compelling argument, I’m aware. No, I’m not dogging it, just understand, I’m Puerto Rican. I grew up in a house where rice and beans was as common as peanut butter & jelly. I think out of my entire time I lived with my parents, my mom made meatloaf like twice. So needless to say, I never had the glory that is southern cooking until I met my wife. And she thinks I’m joking when I say I enjoy her meatloaf, so here’s the proof that I love it as much as I say I do.

For the record: I’ve had these pictures for a long time. They were taken years ago in NC, back when I was still in the “I need to update my blog” frame of mind. I wish I could take pictures like this here in our current kitchen 🙁

Speaking of updating the blog, let’s get on with the show!

Like that?! So many years doing this blog and I’m just now getting with the whole recipe box thing. I fought it for a while, but like all old people, after kicking and screaming, I gave in and now I love it. 

What do you think about it? Think you’ll miss me and my rambling between the instructions? 

As far as the meatloaf goes, it’s all pretty straightforward. Mixing all the ingredients together and baking it off.. let’s be honest, it’s not exactly rocket science. I don’t even think it’s Jr. High science. But the simplicity is what makes it great. Good flavors, and a warm, fuzzy feeling after you finish. It’s what comfort food is all about. 

In the future, if the recipe I’m talking about is more complicated, I’ll go ahead and talk about it more down here. But for now, I think we’re done! Sunday is right around the corner, so get out there and get this going! Let me know what you think and until next time,

Adios.

Oh yeah! The eclipse! Did you get out there and see it?? I don’t know if I’ll venture out there. We don’t have any glasses here so I’m terrified of going blind, as one would be. Hopefully I could track it to be able to get out and see something with the kids to say we saw it. I remember being young and my pop taking me to the roof of our apartment building at night to see Halley’s Comet pass by… Reading that article, it probably wasn’t Halley’s. If it WAS, then I have some good memories from when I was 3 years old, because that was back in 1986 the last time we saw Halley’s. Maybe it was Hale-Bopp? I dunno. Anyway! Holy crap, that whole blind thing gives me the willies. Can’t go blind looking at a comet!  

If you want to nerd out with me, go check out NASA’s podcast, Houston We Have a Podcast (best name ever, right?!)! It’s a great show. They’re on episode 7 right now and it’s all about the eclipse. So if you’re looking for something to listen to today with all the eclipse hype going on, go ahead and give it a listen! Just click the image below and it’ll take you to the episode’s page.