• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

A dilettante blog from the great progressive state of West Virginia.

I was promised a recession.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Cooking / Saturday Night Recipes

Saturday Night Recipes

by TaMara|  January 13, 20188:37 pm| 96 Comments

This post is in: Cooking, Dog Blogging, Open Threads, Recipes

FacebookTweetEmail

Been a busy week with Scout and work. She’s settling in nicely. The obligatory photo is at the end of this post. ;-)

I had someone request my recipe for Creamy Roasted Poblano Soup and you can find that here.

Meanwhile, I had a friend request meatloaf, so it gave me a chance to test a new recipe.  JeffreyW linked to this recipe originally and I had been looking for an opportunity to give it a try. When I went to make it, I adapted it to what I had on hand and keep it gluten free for my friend. I have to say, I’ll probably continue to make it this way going forward.

Glazed Meatloaf

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 stalk celery, rough chopped
  • 1 small carrot, rough chopped
  • 1/2 onion, rough chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
  • 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1-1/2 lb 80/20 ground beef
  • 1/2 lb Italian sausage (pork or ground beef can be substituted)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper

Glaze:

  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a skillet, melt butter and saute celery, carrots, onion and garlic until soft. Remove from heat and cool slightly. In a blender, add crushed tomatoes, soy sauce and chopped vegetables. Blend until smooth.

In a bowl, combine oats, beef, sausage, vegetable mixture, spices and eggs, and mix until well combined. You’re probably going to have to use your hands to get it done properly. I don’t have an issue with that, but if you do, kitchen latex-free disposable gloves are a lifesaver (I use them for chopping chiles and such).

You want this to be somewhat firm, but it’s not going to stand up on its own (that would lead to dry meatloaf)

Cover a baking sheet with foil and then top with a sheet of parchment paper. In a loaf pan, form the loaf, tap it on the counter to remove any air pockets. Refrigerate until oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Next put the parchment paper over the top, then place the baking sheet over the top and invert everything. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and gently remove the loaf pan.  It helps to use a thin spatula. Put the meatloaf back in the oven and bake uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. About 40 minutes.

While it’s baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly until it has thickened.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven, turn heat up to 450 degrees F, baste the meatloaf with the glaze, return to the oven and bake for 3 minutes, glaze again, bake for an additional 3 minutes. Then a third time and remove from the oven when the glaze is bubbly and brown.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes so that you can cut it evenly.

The vegetable mixture really gives this meatloaf a silky texture and it is full of flavor.

I think serving it with mashed potatoes should be mandatory. YMMV.

What’s on your plate this weekend? Have anything fun cooking in your kitchen? Share your recipes, I can always use some new ones. General open thread – try to keep it light if you can.

Okay, here are the puppies. There are many more photos and update on everyone (including ducks) here.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Open Thread: Blowback on the Shithole
Next Post: Sunday Morning Frost Garden Chat: “Winter Is Here” »

Reader Interactions

96Comments

  1. 1.

    raven

    January 13, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    I mIsread potato starch as potato flour and spent a half a day looking for it to make that crispy chicken. I finally gave up and bought the starch and then got home and READ the recipe. It turned out well but I should have let it brown more.

  2. 2.

    Yarrow

    January 13, 2018 at 8:47 pm

    Scout is adorable. Her ears look too big for her. I’m sure she’ll grow into them.

    I’m going to go get tacos for dinner. I had a taco for breakfast and a taco for lunch, so why not a trifecta. I spent most of the day outside in the cold for a volunteer thing. I am exhausted. No cooking for me.

  3. 3.

    Baud

    January 13, 2018 at 8:48 pm

    Too cute.

  4. 4.

    debbie

    January 13, 2018 at 8:49 pm

    She looks so tiny!

  5. 5.

    Mike in NC

    January 13, 2018 at 8:49 pm

    Our oven broke last week so we’re limited on cooking options: stovetop, microwave, or take-out. Waiting list for new oven was six weeks!

  6. 6.

    raven

    January 13, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    @Mike in NC: I fixed 3 burners and the oven element for my sis when I was out there.

  7. 7.

    Waratah

    January 13, 2018 at 8:55 pm

    I posted this recipe in Alain’s thread but thought you might like it too.

    Chiles Rellenos Jose: Circa 1972
    Source Denverpost.com
    INGREDIENTS
    * 1 can (1 pound, 10 ounces) whole green chiles, or 18 whole green chiles
    * 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, cut into strips about 1 inch wide, 3 inches long and 1/4-inch thick
    * 5 large eggs
    * 1/4 cup flour
    * 1 1/4 cups milk
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * Black pepper to taste
    * Liquid red pepper (or hot sauce) to taste
    * 1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
    * Paprika
    DIRECTIONS
    Carefully rinse seeds from chiles with cold water. Spread chiles in single layer on paper towel. Carefully pat chiles dry with another piece of paper towel. Carefully slip a strip of Monterey Jack cheese into each chile. Beat eggs. Gradually add flour, beating until smooth. Add milk, salt, black pepper and liquid red pepper or hot sauce. Beat thoroughly. Arrange half of the stuffed chiles in well-greased, shallow baking dish (9 by 13 inches). Sprinkle with half the cheddar cheese and the paprika. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Carefully pour egg mixture over all. Bake, uncovered, in oven preheated to 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until knife inserted between chiles in custard comes out clean.
    Sent from Paprika Recipe Manager

  8. 8.

    zhena gogolia

    January 13, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    Having lost both our cats this past week, we went to see Paddington 2 because we’re incapable of doing anything else. I highly recommend it. Although we cried all the way through because Paddington just reminded us of our cats. But it’s a great movie.

    Scout is adorable.

  9. 9.

    debbie

    January 13, 2018 at 8:59 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    I am so sorry to read this. Two beloved pets in one week is unbelievable.

  10. 10.

    zhena gogolia

    January 13, 2018 at 9:00 pm

    @debbie:

    It was brutal. Still is.

    ETA: I don’t want to derail the thread, just wanted to recommend the film. Talk amongst yourselves.

  11. 11.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 13, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    I’m probably having potato chips and a half-bottle of white wine I found in a cooler on the deck that thawed out in yesterday’s warm spell. No desire to cook anything.

    If things go well overnight, my wife will be discharged tomorrow, so the menu will have to be a little more substantial.

  12. 12.

    thalarctosMaritimus

    January 13, 2018 at 9:02 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I’m really sorry, zhena gogolia.

    Take good care of yourself, ok?

  13. 13.

    James E. Powell

    January 13, 2018 at 9:03 pm

    Tonight I’m doing lasagna. Three-cheeses, two sausages, and spinach lasagna. I will eat it tomorrow and every day until it’s gone.

  14. 14.

    maeve

    January 13, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    My Mom always used oatmeal (not instant) in her meatloaf – we were gluten free before it was trendy? Chopped veggies (onion, carrot, celery, garlic), ground beef, egg, and tomato paste or ketchup (depending on what was on hand) is what I remember. Also throw in some random dried dried herbs, salt pepper I think.

    I may make it – probably throw in some chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce (I buy the cans at the dollar store and once opened put the unused part in the freezer in a ziplock )

    What I’m cooking today – slow cooker skinless boneless chicken thighs in the crock pot with onion, a can of fire roasted diced tomato with garlic, carrots and celery, paprika (it goes with anything!) thyme, chicken stock and some of the chipotle pepper in Adobe sauce from the freezer.

  15. 15.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 13, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I needed a mental health break and went to see Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. Not exactly Paddington, but really highly recommended. Frances McDormand is amazing.

  16. 16.

    Mike in NC

    January 13, 2018 at 9:10 pm

    @zhena gogolia: How terrible! Please accept our condolences and be well.

  17. 17.

    Wretched

    January 13, 2018 at 9:10 pm

    Looks yummy! You could try Korean 고추장 (gochujang, red pepper paste) instead of the ketchup, and add a bit of sesame oil, and serve with rice. You’d need more liquid, as the 고추장 is fairly thick, and maybe less honey, as the 고추장 is already kind of sweet.

  18. 18.

    maeve

    January 13, 2018 at 9:16 pm

    Frances McDormand is amazing.

    This is so true I’d have a hard time picking my favorite performance – of course Fargo is iconic but also Almost Famous – Miss Petigrew Lives for a Day – Laurel Canyon (she is more of b-tch in this one but you still understand the character) – also a ton of other roles which I don’t specifically remember becaue she got so in the character she didn’t just stand out as STAR!! but she was fantastic.

  19. 19.

    dnfree

    January 13, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    My mom used crushed saltines, but I used to use oatmeal. (Now vegetarian so no more meatloaf.) My mom also used to top her meatloaf with a can of cream of chicken soup, poured over the top so it baked with the meatloaf. That was really good and different from the usual tomato-based topping.

  20. 20.

    raven

    January 13, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    @maeve: She was awesome in Olive Kitteridge.

  21. 21.

    geg6

    January 13, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    Oats in meatloaf is vastly better than bread crumbs. Highly recommend this recipe as it sounds just like my mom’s.

    Too tired to cook tonight. But tomorrow I’m making a pork loin with butternut squash and onions. Still have some of our garden’s green beans, blanched and frozen, left in the freezer. Sauce has applesauce and mustard and soy sauce and white wine and cinnamon. Recipe sounded perfect for a cold, snowy playoff Sunday.

  22. 22.

    geg6

    January 13, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    That’s awful. My heart breaks for you. Condolences twice over.

    TaMara, the pics of Bixby and Scout made my day.

  23. 23.

    Mike J

    January 13, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    Jason Sparks @sparksjls 26m
    More from @USCIS: “Until further notice, and unless otherwise provided in this guidance, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017.”

    Please share.

  24. 24.

    Baud

    January 13, 2018 at 9:37 pm

    @Mike J: Wha…?

  25. 25.

    NotMax

    January 13, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    10 lb. of teriyaki-garlic pork loin in the oven this afternoon. Took a peek at time estimated would be done and decided to allow five more minutes, then promptly forgot about them for a half-hour while doing something else.

    Not a biggie (it was a slow oven). Absolutely no trichinosis here!

  26. 26.

    Alain the site fixer

    January 13, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    @Waratah: thanks for saving me the trouble of reposting that!

  27. 27.

    scav

    January 13, 2018 at 9:47 pm

    Bixby looks so smitten.

  28. 28.

    Alain the site fixer

    January 13, 2018 at 9:48 pm

    @zhena gogolia: omg I’m so sorry, i cannot imagine the agony. Hugs!

  29. 29.

    Steeplejack

    January 13, 2018 at 9:54 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    What the hell?! I knew one of them was at the vet, but to lose both is horrible. You have my deepest sympathy and condolences.

  30. 30.

    Alain the site fixer

    January 13, 2018 at 9:57 pm

    Beef enchiladas and cheese enchiladas with Safeway brand medium red enchilada sauce. Quite good, though I’ll share my meat recipe/technique another time. Cheese blend for me is a mix of creamy and sour, so some fresh grated Muenster and Monterey Jack. With a bit of extra sharp cheddar to accent. Baked (even nuked!) in a tortilla, this blend is a gateway to much melted cheese joy, especially when said tortilla is treated with some enchilada sauce.

    Ok, must go finish my own such dinner!

  31. 31.

    Yarrow

    January 13, 2018 at 9:58 pm

    @zhena gogolia: So sorry about your kitties. I saw you talk about one, but both of them is just too much. Be kind to yourself.

    I’ve seen the commercials for Paddington 2 a few times and it looks so cute. I heard the first one is also good, but I haven’t seen either. Did you see the first one?

  32. 32.

    Jeffro

    January 13, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    Fro Jr and I have been junk-foodin’ it up these past two nights but I’m psyched about the week ahead…3 soups/stews and 3 other dinners…

    – Tomato and Chorizo Stew (WP)
    – Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup (AllRecipes)
    – Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup (NYT)

    – Chicken Veracruz Style (h/t OzarkHillbilly…I think it was from ‘Mexico in My Kitchen’?)
    and two from an issue of Better Homes & Gardens at my doctor’s office…
    – Golden Turmeric Fish
    – Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Pasta

    It’s going to be a GOOD week!

  33. 33.

    Yarrow

    January 13, 2018 at 10:02 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Glad to hear Mrs. G&T is on the road to recovery. Hope everything goes well for her discharge tomorrow.

    I can report that the tacos were good. Pork with green chili this time. Also some queso. Yum.

  34. 34.

    zhena gogolia

    January 13, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    @Yarrow:

    No, I didn’t. We’ve just been so sad, and I saw the review in The New Yorker that said Hugh Grant was fantastic in it, and we love Hugh Grant, so we went to see it today. Hugh Bonneville is also excellent, lots of great British / Irish actors doing sweet cameos — Brendan Gleeson, Peter Capaldi, Jim Broadbent, Joanna Lumley, etc., etc., etc.

    Thanks all for the condolences. We knew Louis had cancer, but it turns out Sasha did too, and as brother and sister they decided to go into decline together. We had to put Louis to sleep on 1/5, we tried to save Sasha but it didn’t work, and we put her to sleep yesterday.

    ETA: Again, didn’t want to derail the thread!

  35. 35.

    Jeffro

    January 13, 2018 at 10:13 pm

    @zhena gogolia: sorry zhena and good thoughts to you.

  36. 36.

    Yutsano

    January 13, 2018 at 10:13 pm

    @zhena gogolia: @Gin & Tonic: This is when I wish I could bring over a casserole for you both. All my love and healing light.

    Gonna mess with the ratios of flour and potao starch before sharing the recipe for the ones I made last week. Tonight was this wonderful thing with baby arugula instead of the peas. And it really is that fast.

  37. 37.

    TaMara (HFG)

    January 13, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    @zhena gogolia: NOT derailing the thread. I’ll add my condolences and I’m glad you’re here so we can offer support and hugs right now.

  38. 38.

    zhena gogolia

    January 13, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    @TaMara (HFG):

    Thanks. The jackals are always there when you don’t really feel up to talking to people in real space.

  39. 39.

    Scamp Dog

    January 13, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Losing one is bad enough, I can’t imagine losing two so quickly. I think about my Border Collie several times a day, even after four months. They do get to be a big part of your life, don’t they?

  40. 40.

    Ohio Mom

    January 13, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Caregiving is hard work, so I get the not-wanting-to-bother with meals. But you have to keep yourself fueled. And healthy.

    Make it up by having a hearty breakfast tomorrow. Take yourself out for it on the way to the hospital.

  41. 41.

    Virginia

    January 13, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    Scout is the cutest!

    Tomorrow I will be making this:

    https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012399-fergus-hendersons-trotter-gear?emc=edit_ck_20180112&nl=cooking&nlid=60101729&te=1

    We decided to have a charcuterie long weekend. My husband will be making 5 pounds of breakfast sausage as well as 5 pounds of hot Italian sausage. I got a brisket and half of it will become pastrami and the other half will be smoked Sunday and Monday for a good old Texas brisket meal.

    The trotter gear recipe will be frozen for future food fun.

  42. 42.

    zhena gogolia

    January 13, 2018 at 10:24 pm

    @Scamp Dog:

    OMG, I can’t get over talking to them, looking for them all around the house. I have not been without at least one cat in the house for the last 33 years.

  43. 43.

    zhena gogolia

    January 13, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I’m so glad she’s coming home. But eat something!

  44. 44.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 13, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    @Ohio Mom: Thanks. I’ll have a good breakfast. It’s too late now to eat anything (although if I were back in Buenos Aires, it would be time to think about going out for dinner.)

    I don’t care what Trump says, some of you are good people.

  45. 45.

    SWMBO

    January 13, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    @zhena gogolia: My condolences. It is hard enough to lose one but both in one week is heartbreaking. Much love and comfort to you both.

  46. 46.

    J R in WV

    January 13, 2018 at 10:34 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    So sorry to hear of your loss. I know much about how you feel as I lost two wonderful, affectionate elderly tom cats while my wife was in MICU with septic shock. They both had kidney failure a coupld of weeks apart.

    I didn’t say a word to her as she recovered until she asked – then we both cried. These old guys would creep into bed after I fell asleep and lay across my bald head to keep warm, better than a sleeping cap. Of course they didn’t need to sneak, I welcomed their gentle purring.

    It was in 2011, and I still miss them every day. I recommend rescuing more youngster kittehs asap, really I do.

    My utmost sympathy, really!!

  47. 47.

    satby

    January 13, 2018 at 10:34 pm

    @zhena gogolia: terrible news. Deepest condolences zhena.

  48. 48.

    Mike J

    January 13, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I don’t care what Trump says, some of you are good people.

    Maybe we can get them banned.

  49. 49.

    SWMBO

    January 13, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: I had posted a comment on the Saturday morning open thread to you but I assume you were already gone for the day.
    Echoing everyone else and telling you to take care of yourself. You can’t help her if you break. In addition to telling you to eat, take vitamins so your immune system doesn’t falter. Do keep us posted.
    @Yutsano: I have a couple of casseroles ready to go. I would drop them off if I could.

  50. 50.

    Mnemosyne

    January 13, 2018 at 10:47 pm

    I just got out of a daylong novel writing workshop and my brain is totally fried. I was annoyed to find out that the things I thought might be problems actually are problems. Ugh. So annoying.

    I’m craving a chicken pot pie but not sure I’m willing to go searching South Bay (LA) for one. ?

    @zhena gogolia:

    I’m so sorry. It’s hard to have them both go so close to each other. Let yourself mourn them properly and don’t let anyone tell you they were “only cats.”

  51. 51.

    zhena gogolia

    January 13, 2018 at 10:56 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Thank you — that sounds so wrenching.

  52. 52.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 13, 2018 at 11:04 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Condolences.

  53. 53.

    Aleta

    January 13, 2018 at 11:17 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Heart going out to you, and my sympathy for such a loss.

  54. 54.

    Bumper

    January 13, 2018 at 11:25 pm

    @zhena gogolia: So so sorry for your loss.

    @Gin & Tonic: Thank goodness your wife is on the mend.

    All these meal plans make me want to stock the fridge and try some new foods. The gochujang meatloaf sounds especially interesting.

  55. 55.

    Patricia Kayden

    January 13, 2018 at 11:26 pm

    @zhena gogolia: So sorry to hear of your loss. That is devastating news.

  56. 56.

    MomSense

    January 13, 2018 at 11:28 pm

    @zhena gogolia:
    I’m so sorry. Losing them like that is the worst.

  57. 57.

    Emma

    January 13, 2018 at 11:41 pm

    @zhena gogolia: In a blog full of animal lovers, there always time to celebrate and grieve for our beloved friends. My condolences on your loss.

  58. 58.

    JohnO

    January 13, 2018 at 11:49 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Aww, jeez.

    Cried for 2 days recently after putting my beloved and incredibly, freakishly devoted 20 year old Siamese Nicholai (Nikki) down. He wasn’t even sick, really, but he’d shrunk to half his real size and had lost bowel and bladder control and could barely move…*sniff*

    Had this very strange and awkward realization that I weep much more for dead critters than dead humans…even dead family and friends. Two in close proximity would destroy me.

    Rest, eat, remember all the good…sincerest condolences to you.

  59. 59.

    eclare

    January 13, 2018 at 11:49 pm

    OMG thank you for the pictures, so adorable! Glad Bixby has someone to play tug with! The ducks will come around.

  60. 60.

    Cckids

    January 13, 2018 at 11:50 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I’m late here, but my heart goes out to you. I lost both my ginger boys this summer, two months apart- two in a week is heartbreaking. Take care of yourself.

  61. 61.

    Amir Khalid

    January 13, 2018 at 11:56 pm

    @zhena gogolia:
    Please accept my condolences too.

  62. 62.

    WaterGirl

    January 14, 2018 at 12:06 am

    @Gin & Tonic: Potato chips and wine. Traditional comfort food! :-)

    Your wife must be doing much better if she gets to come home tomorrow. Yay for that!

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    January 14, 2018 at 12:14 am

    @Ohio Mom: Hi Ohio Mom. I shared your comment about Ohio Dad’s surgery with a good riend of mine whose wife needs the same surgery. He wondered if you would be willing to share the name of his surgeon – they really want the surgery Ohio Dad had, not the traditional surgery, and no one does it here in Champaign, IL. Ohio is a lot closer than New York, which is another option.

    Would you be wiling to share the name of the surgeon and maybe the city? Either here or via email?

    Thanks so much, and I hope Ohio Dad has continued to improve.

  64. 64.

    WaterGirl

    January 14, 2018 at 12:16 am

    @zhena gogolia: I barely made it a month when I was dog-less for the first time in 40 years. Beyond the grief of the loss, it just felt so wrong. My heart goes out to you.

  65. 65.

    WaterGirl

    January 14, 2018 at 12:23 am

    Since I am apparently talking to myself anyway, I will say that my mom’s meatloaf recipe uses rice instead of bread crumbs or oatmeal. I really like it that way, but then we all tend to like things the way we had them when we were growing up.

    My mom’s meatloaf didn’t have nearly as many interesting ingredients as the recipes here – meat, onion, rice, egg, milk and spices.

    edit: TaMara, love the photos of the pups. Scout seems to be doing great and what a grown-up bow Bixby is, being a big brother.

  66. 66.

    SgrAstar

    January 14, 2018 at 12:24 am

    @zhena gogolia: So sorry about your kitties.

  67. 67.

    Debbie(aussie)

    January 14, 2018 at 12:26 am

    @zhena gogolia: Zhena, I am so sorry about your fur-babies. What is it somebody(s) here says “they leave deep footprints in your heart”? Take care.
    TaMara, what is 80/20 beef mince? Thanks in advance.

  68. 68.

    Yutsano

    January 14, 2018 at 12:27 am

    Also: SCOUTPUPPEH!!!

  69. 69.

    Yutsano

    January 14, 2018 at 12:29 am

    @Debbie(aussie): I’m not TaMara but:

    TaMara, what is 80/20 beef mince?

    80% meat 20% fat. Your butcher can usually manage the ratios in the grind. It’s also common in US markets.

  70. 70.

    TaMara (HFG)

    January 14, 2018 at 12:38 am

    @Debbie(aussie): Oh, sorry, it’s a common meat to fat ratio in the US – 80/20 or 85/15 and if you want lean, it’s usually 93/7.

    Interestingly, a lot of people feel that ground turkey is leaner, but often it’s an 85/15 blend.

  71. 71.

    Mary G

    January 14, 2018 at 12:53 am

    @zhena gogolia: That’s terrible, so sorry.

  72. 72.

    workworkwork

    January 14, 2018 at 12:57 am

    Saturday is slow cooker chili day so I set that up just after breakfast.
    We went to the movies (“The Commuter” – I have a crush on Vera Farmiga) and came home to wonderful smells.
    As an added bonus, since I don’t have to do anything else with dinner other than serve it, I was able to get in a workout and shower.

  73. 73.

    NotMax

    January 14, 2018 at 1:03 am

    Watched the premiere Letterman program with Obama.

    Mostly meh.

  74. 74.

    ruemara

    January 14, 2018 at 1:03 am

    @Yutsano: I use a 96% lean beef and 1 medium sized shredded zucchini plus 1 egg and 2tblspoons of coconut flour to make a nice paleo loaf. I even add Trader Joe’s Harissa seasoning. If you use lean turkey, it looks like a bejeweled bread loaf.

  75. 75.

    Yutsano

    January 14, 2018 at 1:11 am

    @ruemara: Fascinating. I’m waiting for ground turkey to not be so astronomically expensive here because it makes great meatballs. Also: I require some allium in my meatloaf, although I really like the zucchini idea for moisture.

  76. 76.

    Sab

    January 14, 2018 at 1:35 am

    @zhena gogolia: I am so sorry for you. My dog lost her battle with cancer yesterday also. We lost her older sister last March. I thought two in a year was bad. I cant’ imagine two withIn days.

  77. 77.

    Mike in NC

    January 14, 2018 at 1:39 am

    @Sab: So awful. Sorry for your loss.

  78. 78.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 14, 2018 at 1:50 am

    @zhena gogolia: Sorry for your loss, loosing two in a week, truly awful.

    @Sab: Sorry about your pup, we lost both members of our previous pack in a period of 3 months.

  79. 79.

    frosty

    January 14, 2018 at 1:50 am

    @Jeffro:

    – Chicken Veracruz Style (h/t OzarkHillbilly…I think it was from ‘Mexico in My Kitchen’?)

    I copied that one too, looks good, gotta thaw some chicken.

  80. 80.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 14, 2018 at 2:00 am

    Condolences to everyone missing a loved one of any species tonight.

  81. 81.

    Mary G

    January 14, 2018 at 2:42 am

    @NotMax: I liked Letterman with John Lewis on the bridge.

  82. 82.

    fuckwit

    January 14, 2018 at 2:46 am

    @Gin & Tonic: Many communities will cook for the grieving and for those ill or tending to someone who is ill. I have been in this situation and it’s so hard to summon the energy to cook. Having friends and neighbors who bring meals can help.

    If there were some kind of anonymous GrubHub donation system this might work over the internet, and we could send you meals. Meantime, hopefully you have some people around locally who could help.

  83. 83.

    Debbie(aussie)

    January 14, 2018 at 2:50 am

    @Yutsano: @TaMara (HFG): thank you both. Here it’s called regular.

  84. 84.

    Elizabelle

    January 14, 2018 at 3:10 am

    @zhena gogolia: Very sorry to hear the cats’ passing. How rough. Look forward to hearing you are brightening some future pets’ lives, before too long.

  85. 85.

    Sab

    January 14, 2018 at 3:35 am

    Meatloaf tonight. Yay! On weekends I feed my 93 YO father who has bad teeth and a tender stomach, and my husband, who likes meat and onions and lots of spice. Striking a balance between the two isn’t easy, and I tend to get in ruts, where we eat the same three meals over and over. Dad doesn’t care, but husband is BORED.

    Meatloaf will be a nice change in routine, and easy for me. Slightly complicated prep, but easy cleanup afterwards, Also tasty plus leftovers.

  86. 86.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 14, 2018 at 3:41 am

    @fuckwit:

    Many communities will cook for the grieving and for those ill or tending to someone who is ill. I have been in this situation and it’s so hard to summon the energy to cook. Having friends and neighbors who bring meals can help.

    If there were some kind of anonymous GrubHub donation system this might work over the internet, and we could send you meals.

    That’s a really good idea. When I was growing up that’s what the “church ladies” used to do if someone in the church membership was ill or there was a death.

  87. 87.

    opiejeanne

    January 14, 2018 at 4:08 am

    Can someone here explain to me why Mark Wahlberg is the villain in the reshoot of so much of the movies? What did he do wrong?
    People are yapping about him being “shamed” into donating his entire pay for his work, that it shouldn’t have taken a week, blah blah blah.

    One went so far as to say he should have asked what everyone else was getting paid. Oh really? That’s what you do when you negotiate your salary? And you don’t try to get paid the most you can?
    My take is it’s the studio and her agent who are at fault here, but mostly the studio for doing the wrong thing just because they could.

  88. 88.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    January 14, 2018 at 4:42 am

    @NotMax: I’m eagerly awaiting Letterman’s interview with Andy Kaufman

  89. 89.

    Sab

    January 14, 2018 at 4:42 am

    Tiny Scout reminds me of my sort of lab that I lost in March when she was almost sixteen. Ancient for a lab.

    My stepson found her as a possibly 8 to 10 week old abandoned puppy, hiding in a snow bank in NEOhio in February. Temperatures were below zero for weeks that month. She was starving. We could see every rib and every vertebrae on that puppy.

    I remember holding her in my lap and thinking “what a mild-mannered puppy this is.”

    Of course two days later, after she was warmed up and fed, she wasn’t mild manneted any more. She was a healthy, rambunctious puppy. My middle-aged German Shepherd adopted her as the child she had never been allowed to have, and those two took over the house. My shepherd had been wilting before the puppy. She acted old, although she was only six.She hated being home alone with a working owner. The puppy made her young again.

    My wonderful shepherd died years ago, leaving the silly lab puppy ( now a responsible older dog) in charge of the dog pack.

    The dog pack had only three members when she died in March at age 15 and 11 months.

    The survivors were a silly rottweiler mix who is afraid of our tuxedo cat, and a really tall and gentle St Bernard mix that we had inherited from our stepdaughter who, like all of her friends, keep rescuing dogs when they can barely afford to feed their own children.

    The St Bernard mix was a gentle giant, sweet beyond belief, who was 7 years old and had lived in 5 households. Everyone loved her, and no one could afford to keep her, so she kept getting passed on to the next home. We had her for almost 3 years, and I have never had a dog make such an impact on my life. Can dogs be saints?

    In my family I am the dog person and my husband is the cat person. When one of my dogs meets its end, I have always had to go to the vet with the dog by ourselves (me and the dog.) This time my husband insisted on going. He cried the whole time (possibly upsetting for the dog, but probably not because she was so sick she only was concerned about herself, for once in her unselfish life.)

    So now she is gone. My husband, me and our silly rottmix are home alone with each other and the four cats. Even the cats miss her.

  90. 90.

    HinTN

    January 14, 2018 at 6:21 am

    OMG – somebody tell Cole – in the middle of the Roasted Poblano Soup page was an ad for calendars “from $2.30 each”

    Naked link: http://www.printingcenterusa.com/printing/calendar-printing

    PS: The soup recipe looked delish

  91. 91.

    zhena gogolia

    January 14, 2018 at 7:51 am

    Thanks to everyone for the kind words. You really are a wonderful pack of jackals.

  92. 92.

    satby

    January 14, 2018 at 9:10 am

    @Sab: So sorry Sab! A beautiful story of how you rescued her and your lab, and how they finally had the life of love they deserved! Condolences.

  93. 93.

    Ohio Mom

    January 14, 2018 at 11:00 am

    @WaterGirl: I am at the other end of Ohio, in Cincinnati, so that is a long way for your friend.

    There are three different ways to replace a heart valve:

    The traditional way, where the sternum is cut open. This is the easiest for the surgeon and the hardest on the patient, as it has a very long recovery.

    The minimally-invasive approach, which is what Ohio Dad had. The surgeon goes through a horizontal incision, between two ribs, above the nipple. It is challenging for the surgeon because he doesn’t have good sight lines or much space to maneuver. The recovery period for this method is half the time of the traditional way.

    Ohio Dad’s surgeon is Steven Park at the TriHealth Heart Institute. Be warned, this man has a poker face that could win an award, if awards were given for poker faces.

    The third method is the one Ohio Dad really, really wanted but could not get our insurance to agree to. It is called Trans catheter valve replacement, and it is similar to angiograms and stent placements: a collapsible valve is snaked up a vein through an opening in the groin. Once it is in place, it is popped open. The recovery period for this procedure is about a week; they keep you in the hospital a few days mainly because they want to keep a close eye on you.

    Trans catheter is becoming the standard of care for high- and medium-risk patients.

    Ohio Dad is low-risk though, and as such, could only have this procedure if he participated in either of the two studies here in Cincinnati (there two different, unaffiliated hospitals, each using a different manufacturer’s brand of valve). And as a rule, insurance companies do not pay for experiments.

    Your friend may want to look into joining a study — the federal government maintains a website of all medical trials. As I understand it, Medicare (if your friend is in that age bracket) is sometimes open to letting patients participate in trials.

    At any rate, I commend your friend for being such a thorough researcher. Ohio Dad talked to four different surgeons at three hospitals to find the right one. Oh course, most all of them told him that their way was the best way, and that whatever approach the other guys were proposing was a certain disaster.

  94. 94.

    Kathleen

    January 14, 2018 at 11:39 am

    @zhena gogolia: Oh, my deepest condolences, zhena! Take good care of yourself!

  95. 95.

    rikyrah

    January 14, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    @zhena gogolia:
    I am so sorry for your losses. :(

  96. 96.

    iamhbomb

    January 15, 2018 at 3:27 am

    The meatloaf sounds good! I’ve never used oats – might have to give it a whirl. Here’s our variation (there’s a note at the bottom about what pan we use to cook this):

    1 ¾ lb lean ground beef
    1 lb spicy Italian sausage (I like New York Style Sausage Company’s version)
    2 large eggs
    1 cup panko or bread crumbs
    ½ cup or so red wine
    ¾ cup or so finely grated carrot
    garlic to taste (I used 5 or 6 large cloves, finely chopped)
    1 jar julienned sun dried tomatoes in olive oil (TJ’s are good)
    about 1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
    salt and pepper to taste
    Also dried basil, thyme and oregano to taste

    Preheat the oven to 350

    Heat a large nonstick sauteé pan over medium high, then drain the olive oil from the tomatoes into it. Toss in the grated carrot and cook it until it starts to soften up (maybe five or six minutes). Then add the garlic and cook it for another minute or two. Definitely keep this moving the whole time to avoid overbrowning any of it. When it seems done, the garlic will start heading toward golden), remove it from the heat and set it to cool.

    Put the panko in a large cup and pour the wine over it, then mix it through with a fork.

    Put the ground beef in a large mixing bowl and break it up with your (clean!!!) fingers. Throw in the sausage and mix it all together. Add the Worcestershire, seasonings and the carrot and garlic mix and mix that in, followed by the panko (mix it again) and the sundried tomatoes. Mix all this together with your hand, then add the eggs and mix it.

    You can use a loaf pan but we used a 9 x 13 x 2 glass pan and just shaped the thing into a loaf-like thing that was about 2 ½” or so tall and left about 1 ½ – 2 inches of space around it in the pan. Into the oven for about one hour. I went for an internal temp of around 165 or so. Take it out and let it rest, loosely tented for about 20 minutes. The larger pan lets the juices flow in such a way that it keeps it from getting soggy, I think.

    Also! Sorry about the vagueness on certain measurements. I just used what looked right.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

2023 Pet Calendars

Pet Calendar Preview: A
Pet Calendar Preview: B

*Calendars can not be ordered until Cafe Press gets their calendar paper in.

Recent Comments

  • dmsilev on Saturday Evening Open Thread: A Start Is Made, in Memphis (Jan 28, 2023 @ 8:29pm)
  • UncleEbeneezer on Fibbie McGonigal : New Information Never *Mitigates* the Original Crime (Jan 28, 2023 @ 8:29pm)
  • Jay on War for Ukraine Day 338: Russia Unloads on Ukraine Again (Jan 28, 2023 @ 8:28pm)
  • eclare on Saturday Evening Open Thread: A Start Is Made, in Memphis (Jan 28, 2023 @ 8:28pm)
  • Omnes Omnibus on Saturday Evening Open Thread: A Start Is Made, in Memphis (Jan 28, 2023 @ 8:27pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
We All Need A Little Kindness
Favorite Dogs & Cats
Classified Documents: A Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

Front-pager Twitter

John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
ActualCitizensUnited

Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice   

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice Events

5/14  The Apocalypse
5/20  Home Away from Home
5/29  We’re Back, Baby
7/21  Merging!

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!