Ruth's Meatloaf and Other Patterson Food Stuffs

Missy, this one is for you :) :

Ruth's Meatloaf

Mix all together:
2 lbs ground beef
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 egg
1 1/2 tubes saltine crackers, crushed
3/4 c ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

You could put it into 2 bread loaf pans. I make a lump into a 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
Serve with ketchup.

This is Rob's favorite meatloaf because the crackers soak up the meaty juices and leave the texture nice. Plus you can't go wrong with the flava of Lipton Onion Soup Mix.


Missy, were you wanting some ideas for less meat/vegetarian meals? Here are some:

1. Spaghetti with vegetable tomato sauce (I like to bulk it up with carrots, squash, and some cans of diced tomatoes). Or I'll do a huge batch with just a pound of ground beef so the beef flavor is in the sauce but the meat portion stays low. I'll freeze the leftovers for an easy meal or two another night.
2. Stir fry without the meat. Just throw together any frozen veggies you have in the freezer and stir fry them. If you don't have a stir fry sauce, make your own. You need a few essentials: oil, vinegar, lime juice, sweetness, a little heat to enhance flavors. Oil: Olive and a few drops of Sesame Oil (I love the nutty flavor of Sesame Oil). Rice Vinegar (or regular or white wine vinegar). Lime juice. Soy sauce (that's the base flavor, so use 2-4 Tbsp of that). Sweetness: 1 Tbsp Brown suger. Heat: a few dashes of cayenne pepper or add a chopped chili/jalapeno if you have one on hand. You can serve it with peanuts or cashews for the protein.
3. Fish Tacos...YUM! Tilapia is my favorite. Stir fry on olive oil with minced garlic or garlic powder. Serve on Corn Tortillas with a fruity salsa (peach, pineapple, or mango anyone?).
4. Vegetable curry. Make a Thai or Indian curry with lots of vegetables in it.
5. Squash soups. Butternut makes a yummy soup. Serve with salad and bread and you're full till morning.
6. Stuffed acorn squash. I find recipes online. My favorite website is Food Gawker. If I pick up an odd vegetable in my bountiful basket, I just go online and type in the name of that vegetable and find a recipe that looks good and that I have ingredients for.
7. Roasted root veggies for a side. Just tried this one...parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes. Diced, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and in the oven at 450 for 45 min. Even the kids enjoyed that one!
8. Homemade baked french fries or sweet potato fries when we eat the unhealthy hot dogs...so at least the whole meal isn't a bust for health.
9. Go Asian! Lots of Asian dishes are very yummy without meat. Their main flavors come from plants: soy, garlic, chilis, curries...all are strong plant-based seasoning. Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian. I can share some favorite recipes if you would like. If you pick up a few Asian staples (like Fish Sauce and curry paste) at the store and keep them on hand, you can make an Asian dish even in a time crunch.
10. Falafel mix from the store with pita bread and cucumbers and tomatoes. It's surprisingly very filling!

Some foodie Cutness!!

A couple of weeks ago I also experimented on a vegetarian taco casserole--I exed the meat and added more black beans and corn. It turned out pretty good. It's a lot like making chicken enchiladas but you tear up the tortillas and layer them with the filling instead of putting the filling inside the tortilla.

I also try to keep a bag of home ground whole wheat flour in my freezer. When I make hot breakfasts, breads, or rolls, I use half white, half whole wheat to increase the health factor.

I also buy a basil plant every year and just keep it in my kitchen so I can pluck off leaves when I need fresh basil.