My kitchen and I seriously got on each others nerves today, with the kitchen gaining the upper hand at every turn. I think perhaps it’s was being spiteful out of jealousy since I focused my attention on cleaning my office first. My kitchen is used to getting my love and affection first thing on Sundays and having it remain that way for much of the day. This morning it just didnt work out that way.
First off, the last couple of days were GLORIOUSLY, spectacularly perfect days and I spent the first part of my morning outside just enjoying the sun and a cup of coffee. Then I came in and, on impulse really, decided my office was far too cluttered and needed an overhaul.
By the time I got into the kitchen it was easily noon there-abouts. Well all I can say it it was NOT happy with me and threw a fit like a little child all day.
I slipped off my step stool, fell backwards right into the open dishwasher which completed my less than graceful fall and resulted in me sprawled across the floor.
I made a pie crust, for a tart, and for whatever reason it did not come out. It was much to sticky and there was getting no cooporation from it when I tried to roll it out.
FINE! Two can play at this game. Setting it aside to use for other desserts, I made another one. Using the exact same ingredients and form, this one came out perfect. Point for me.
Then comes the stew fiasco. First I ended up searching my fridge high and low for my beef three times to no avail; beef I KNEW I had purchased. I watched the butcher cut the dang thing fresh from the cow; I KNOW I had a roast in there. Rolling up my sleeves, pursing my lips I dug in again, only to find it exactly where I had looked previously.
Second, cooking. Everything was going according to plan until I went to transfer it to a serving dish. I had purchased this really neat old glass pan, secondhand last week. It was cool and had all these little bumps on the bottom to give it character. I dump the whole crockpot of stew into my pretty pan, only it turns out those pretty bumps are HOLES!!! Who the Frell makes a pan with holes all over the bottom??? What purpose does it serve? How does it have any use? Why didn’t I notice them before? I would swear they weren’t holes when I bought it.
You can imagine what came next. Yes, stew juice drained all over my counter; down my counter, between my counter and stove, into my cupboard, splashing onto every pot and pan in said cupboard, out of my cupboard and all over my floor; all in the space of the 5 seconds it took for me to dump the remaining stew unceremoniously back into the crock.
Intermission while I spend the next 20 minutes cleaning and my kitchen has a good laugh.
On top of it all, something in cooking went awry and the whole dish turned out awful. The beef was dry and thick, the whole thing was a mess. Anyone for hot dogs for dinner?
My plum cherry tart managed to escape the malice of my petulant kitchen and came out wonderful, I’ll post on that later. Yet my punishment was not over. I burned myself on the crockpot heater, forgotten in the stew juice disaster and still sitting plugged it.
My rubber spatula melted to my glass stovetop and burst into flames when Mr. Sweet Butter turned on the wrong burner wanting to boil water for coffee.
And the head to my mop went mysteriously missing which deterred me from completeling the task. Notice the word, deterred. I was determined to mop my floor and rigged the sucker just to show my childish kitchen who was in charge.
My back aches from tip to tush and I feel I aged 10 years but I think I had the last laugh. So instead of the stew I was going post, I’m leaving you with meatloaf.
I made this a couple of weeks ago and had the draft sitting around. I love this recipe and prefer to make individual portion sizes for three reasons. One because nobody argues over who has the biggest slice. Two, because meatloaf really can be beautiful and three because they make perfect lunches on the go for hubby.
The kicker to this is the sauce and it’s topped with melted smoked cheddar and bacon. I also cook crumbled bacon into the meat which I completely recommend.
Hopefully my kitchen will be over itself in the morning but just in case, I will post the tart. It was incredible!!
Be connected, be kind and add flavor to life!
Tara
- ½ cup Ketsup
- 1 tablespoon Cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 lbs Lean ground beef
- 1½ cups Fresh bread crumbs, ground in a food processor or finely chopped.
- ½ Green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Sweet onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Molasses (brown sugar works fine too)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup Evaporated milk, divided (heavy cream or half& half work too).
- ½ cup Smoked cheddar, grated
- ½ lb Bacon
- Parsley for garnish
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Heat butter in a medium skillet and add bell pepper and onion. Cook until softened, 5 minutes or so.
- Using same skillet, cook bacon until fat renders or firm. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg, molasses, spices, mustard, Worcestershire, ¼ cup of the milk & ½ of the glaze.
- Chop cooled bacon coarsely.
- In a larger bowl, add beef, ¾ bacon, bread crumbs & onion mixture and mix gently until combined.
- Add egg mixture and mix. Add extra milk as needed.
- Transfer meat to prepared pan(s) (see notes below).
- Bake until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (55 minutes for a single loaf)
- Brush remaining glaze in two or three increments. At last glaze, top with cheese and bacon and let cook remaining 5 minutes.
- Transfer to plate and serve.
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