Wednesday, February 4, 2015
What is your favourite thing to make for dinner?
Living in a house as I do with an eclectic family.. meal times can sometimes be a war ground. We have always tried to make it the meal where everyone sits down together and discusses their day and it’s our “coming together time” When all the kids were little this was possible because “We were the boss!” so they ate what we said and they didn’t complain, well, yes they did but they were children and so they ate it anyways. One son, he hated tomato and whenever he ate it we were suspicious.. well it turns out all these years later that the DOG under the table ate the tomato.. of course “Blue Dog” would eat anything so that made sense.
Another child, also a boy child always needed to go to the bathroom during dinner… then I find out that he was flushing the bits he didn’t like down the Loo after securing them in his serviette… and I never noticed!
One girl child hated vegetables of all sorts but she would stay there and until she finished them rather than argue.. it’s a different matter now though, and is it funny how HER 14 month old girl child adores vegetables and will always choose to eat them first before the rest! It skipped a generation obviously!
So back then cooking dinner was easier we had a weekly plan and each night on a given night we would have certain things.. Monday Steak, Tuesday pasta etc ect.. but then Mumma Bear got bored and was tired of feeding prescribed meals each week, so I shuffled it up. Then I got the idea to ask the Children “What meal would YOU like this week?” five children, five meals plus one each for the Bloke and I.. perfect.. it worked for a while, then they started moving out, moving back in, switching rooms, switching houses and who knew when who was going to be home, some worked late and so I had to cook meals that could be re-heated easily.
Then it came to shopping time and they were not home to help plan so I just started doing the menu each week and shopping for that and then the complaints started, “I don’t like that, this or the other” my reply was “bad luck eat it or go hungry!”
I have found one meal out of all the years ONE MEAL that is sure to garnish applause and cheers and self invitations for dinner when it’s announced.. my famous meatloaf!
Meat loaf, good old fashioned meat loaf. A time or two we have changed the recipe and no one has approved so we go back to the old fashioned recipe which was first put out by The Australian Women’s weekly magazine when I was about 10 years old I remember my sister getting her box of recipe cards and she cooked meatloaf and everyone loved it then, so I asked for the recipe and eventually I got the box of recipe cards too, but I only ever loved the Meatloaf the best!
So now I’m going to share with you.. my famous meatloaf recipe.. the children ask “How come your meat loaf tastes so good Mum?” and I always replied “Because it’s made with love!” I love to see them eat and if meatloaf is what it takes then I’m a happy Mumma!
Meatloaf with Barbecue Sauce
http://www.aww.com.au/food/recipes/2003/9/meatloaf-with-barbecue-sauce/
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Main
Cooking method: bake
Season: All year round
INGREDIENTS
500g minced steak
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 onions
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt, pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 egg
½ cup milk
½ cup water
Sauce:
½ cup water
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
30g butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Combine sausage mince, minced steak, breadcrumbs, peeled and finely-chopped onions, curry powder, salt, pepper, parslety and lightly-beaten egg in bowl. Beat until mixture is well combined. Gradually add milk and water, continue beating until mixture is very smooth.
Sauce
Combine all ingredients in saucepan, bring slowly to boil, reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes.
I serve this delicious meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes and to sneak in some extra veggies I put pumpkin and potatoes together and mash them, and serve them with steamed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower… this meal is the only one that the Children will eat all the vegetables as well. If you try it I hope you love it as much as we do.. let me know in the comments section below!
Kim L Hine 