10-10-10 was NOT my friend!

Have you ever had "one of those days" where things just didn't go right?  Of course you have!  We all have!  I had one yesterday!

The news was reporting that 10-10-10 was supposed to be a "lucky day" and that tons and tons of brides and grooms were tying the knot on that famous day of 10's.  I'm not buying it!  And good luck to everyone who said "I do" yesterday because I found it to be a day of sheer frustration.

I'll share just two of the problems I encountered yesterday, and you'll have to trust me when I tell you these were not the only two.  They are the two that involve food, and that's why I'm sharing them on my little cooking blog.

I decided to try a new meatloaf recipe for dinner.  I've been planning on making this recipe for a while, ever since The Pioneer Woman posted it on her blog.  She titled it "My Favorite Meatloaf" which immediately caught my attention.  And, it was wrapped in bacon, which I figured would bring a smile to the face of The Spy Who Loves me and my teen son, since they truly do love all things bacon.  Let me tell you here and now, in my opinion, meatloaf and bacon have no business being in the same pan.  They just don't go together.  They are a weird combo! 

Here's the family meatloaf score board:

The Spy:  "It tastes like ribs."  (Now if I wanted to serve something for dinner that tasted like ribs, I'd serve ribs.)

The teen son:  Took one bite and said he was stuffed.  I think that's all we need to say about that.

The teen daughter:  Didn't hate it.  Ate a piece and didn't complain too much.

My momma:  Loved it!  Couldn't stop talking about how good it was and what great flavor it had.  There are a few possibilities here:  1) She didn't want to hurt my feelings, which is quite possible because my momma is a very nice person!  2) She had her taste buds removed on her way to our house.  3) She's losing it.  Either way, she boxed up the leftovers to take to a sweet couple who I love who are in need of a meal due to the hubby having surgery.  He survived the surgery, I'm not so sure he'll survive the meatloaf.  I begged my mom not to take it to them.  I love these people!  But she insisted it was delicious and would make the perfect meal for them.  At that point I threatened her that I would shave her eyebrows while she slept if she told them I had anything to do with the rib flavored meatloaf.  I'm pretty sure that when she drops it off to the she'll sing like a canary!

As if the meatloaf wasn't enough to crush my spirits, I also ruined two perfectly good Symphony candy bars while experimenting with what was already a perfect brownie recipe.  Why would anyone be crazy enough to experiment with a perfect brownie recipe?  I have no idea!  It was 10-10-10 and I lost my mind for a little while.  I decided I would "improve" on the fabulous Symphony Brownie recipe by using my Sand Art Brownie recipe instead of a box brownie mix.  This was NOT my best idea ever!  It was possibly my worst idea ever!  Or at least in the top ten.  The picture at the top of this post is proof of the lameness of my idea.  The brownies were pure goo!  And they were almost as ugly as the meatloaf.

So, that was my experience on the so-called lucky day of 10-10-10.  I sure hope your day was luckier than mine!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

My Mother-In-Law's Meat Loaf

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 c. soft bread crumbs
1 egg
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 8 oz. can tomato sauce

Mix all together then form into loaf and pour sauce below over meatloaf.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Sauce:
1 c. water
3 T. brown sugar
3 T. vinegar
2 T. mustard
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

From whence it came:  You really don't know?  Read the title again.  Yep, this recipe came from the mother of The Spy Who Loves Me.  She was a really good cook back in the day.  Back in the day when she fed six kiddies and a husband seven nights a week.  That's right, she cooked seven nights a week.  Well, I guess technically you could say six nights a week.  Every Wednesday night in their house was leftover night.  They would eat all the leftovers from previous meals every Wednesday night.  Maybe that's why The Spy isn't a big fan of leftovers.  Maybe he was leftovered out as a child.  Either way, his mom qualifies for a Stepford Wife Award for cooking six slash seven nights a week. 

Why it's blogable:  It's my favorite meatloaf recipe.  Actually, it's my only meatloaf recipe!  When you have a good one why would you look for another?  You wouldn't.  I didn't!  So I just have this one.  And it's good!

A story that still gets my panties in a twist:  Way back when, many many moons ago, when The Spy and I had only been married a very short while, I decided to make his mom's meatloaf.  I worked so hard on that little loaf of meat.  I followed the recipe perfectly and placed it on a pretty crystal platter for presentation.  I was trying so hard to be a Stepford Wife myself.  When I placed the beautiful loaf of meat on the table, The Spy said these exact words...these are the exact words...they are burned into my psyche forever and always...he said, "My mom always put little potatoes around the meatloaf."

That was a very bad night for The Spy!  And he has continued to hear me regurgitate that story to anyone who will listen for the past twenty-eight plus years.  He has since learned to never ever ever say the words, "My mother" before telling me how to do things.  And it's a good thing he has!

Click here to get the printable:
My Mother-In-Law's Meatloaf

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!