“Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world.” – Annie Lennox
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
This was the week when many schools were closed because of the frigid weather… seemed appropriate that this was also the week we saw ‘The Snowy Day’ presented by the MN Opera. It was also a good time to complete the vintage puzzle above… loved the images as well as the uniquely formed puzzle pieces. Puzzle was loaned to me from our daughter-in-law, whose puzzle team won first place in a puzzle competition this week!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
John was the chef this week and based his meatloaf on a recipe from Spend with Pennies called The Best Meatloaf Recipe with a few minor tweaks. It seems like I publish a meatloaf recipe many years about this time… naming this one Best Meatloaf 2025. The sauce got more ‘yums’ than usual.
BEST MEATLOAF 2025
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup Italian or seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon instant minced onion
- 2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
MEATLOAF SAUCE
- 1/2 cup chili sauce (not spicy, like a zesty ketchup with more tang and less sweetness)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, dried onions and breadcrumbs. Let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.
Add the ground beef, 1 tablespoon ketchup, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix until just combined. (Do not overmix, mix until just combined to avoid a dense meatloaf.)
Shape into a loaf on the prepared baking pan and bake for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the chili sauce, ketchup and brown sugar to make meatloaf sauce. Spread mixture over the meatloaf and bake for an additional 15-30 minutes or until cooked through and the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
