"The Last Supper"...Red Meat Edition

Gigi's 82nd Birthday Gift -- A Kindle

Happy 82nd Birthday Gigi!!  Okay, so this post is a bit tardy...she turned 82 a week ago.

To celebrate our love for Gigi (and our love for dinner), mom put together Gigi's "Last Supper".  This means that Gigi was put in charge of choosing her very own birthday meal.   Now, for anyone that knows Gigi, you know that making decisions is not her forte.  I'm sure she had to pop an extra sleeping aid over worry of making the right choice.  Despite this,  no one in the family was surprised when meatloaf was the chosen meal.

To understand the meatloaf, one must go back to the olden days...you know, the days when Gigi was a young bride.  You see, my grandparents were dairy farmers.  And, if you know a farmer, you know that a steady diet of red meat is on the menu...hence, the meatloaf.  You think I joke, but I'm as serious as a hog on butchering day when I say I cannot recall a meal at my grandparent's table where red meat wasn't the star of the show.  (Look at me acting like I know farm talk...totally came up with the hog metaphor all by me lonesome.  I realize it doesn't probably make sense)

Although Alzheimer's has taken many of Gigi's memories from her, the memories of the farm are as sharp as ever... Grandpa Earl milking and running the combine...Gigi tending to her garden...a long gravel driveway with a Model A parked in its spot...composting on the farm side of the fence... two Irish Setters lazing around on the property...wait a sec, these are MY memories too!!

Farming wasn't just a job for them, it was a lifestyle and they LOVED it.  In fact, Grandpa Earl bought the farm for $1 from a guy in St. Louis.  This man saw that Grandpa had the passion...just not the green stuff, so he allowed him a downpayment of $1 and his good word.  I just love that story!

Okay, back to meatloaf.
This recipe is not Gigi's although she made a great meatloaf.  This recipe is not my mother's...she made an even better meatloaf.  This recipe is mine.  I'm not saying it's better than my mom's, but it is.  You know why?  Because it contains onions and green peppers...two of my mother's enemies.  Mom...seriously, get on the bandwagon.

B's Meatloaf

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup shredded carrots, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tsp Famous Dave's Rib Rub
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Topping

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp yellow mustard

2 Tbsp mild sweet chili sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

• Saute carrots, onion and pepper with some salt and pepper until softened (about 10 minutes); set aside to cool
• Mix the panko crumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl until milk is absorbed (may take a little more milk depending on how dry and coarse the panko)
• Add the meats, egg, and seasonings to the bread crumb mixture; use your hands to incorporate all ingredients being careful not to over mix. 
• Press into a loaf pan...I use a 4-mini loaf pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes.  (If you make one ginormous loaf, you will likely have to bake it at least 45 minutes)
• Add topping half way through baking.
• Once baking is complete, let meat rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Before I sign off, I should explain the Kindle.  For as long as I've known Gigi, she has been engrossed in word and number games...cross word puzzles, Scrabble, word searches, Solitaire...she loves them all.  Not kidding, she even has special pens that she uses on her puzzle books.  Don't even think about using one...she will go off the deep end.  

Thus, the Kindle...no need for special writing utensils.  She is intrigued by the iPad and is constantly trying to figure out how to use it.  So, we decided we can download a bunch of puzzles AND let her go to town trying to figure the stinkin' thing out.

Truth be told,  I LOVE that she has this as a hobby.  I often wonder how much sooner she would've been diagnosed if this hobby of hers did not exist.  There are TONS of research articles out there linking strong minds and strong memories with word games.  Many state those engaged in puzzle games throughout their life were much less likely to form the brain plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's.  I just find that very interesting and thank puzzles for having given us some more years to her mind.  Now, I'm off to stimulate my own magnificent mind with a good game of LogiGrid on my iPad while snacking on a meatloaf sammie (free app...check it out).

BTW, if you happen to be Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels or someone who works for the American Heart Association, please know that I get that red meat should be limited.  We try to limit our red meat consumption to once a week, but when Mama B makes her meatloaf, game over...we'll be eating red meat leftovers for a good 4 days.  Thank you and goodnight.