Meatloaf for the Soul

So with the coming of fall weather I'm seeking new recipes that I grew up with! On my way home from work today I had my usual call to talk to my parents on the long ride. Watching the fall leaves in the mountains and the cooling weather I've just had a craving for warm, filling, foods. One that came to mind right away...my mom's meatloaf! Not only did she make it the 'loaf' way, but I always loved her 'individual' sized meatloafs for on the go! May sound strange, but my mom's meatloaf...there was just somethign about it on a nice fall day! It was a quick, simple meal that filled me up right quick! So of course I had to get the recipe from her so I could pick up the ingredients for dinner tonight! So here it is, my mom's meatloaf!

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Ingredients
1 package ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 onion (finely diced)
breadcrumbs (handfull)
worcestershire sauce (few shakes)
salt/pepper (for taste)
ketchup
bbq sauce (opt)
minced garlic (opt)
bacon (one strip for individual loaf or enough to cover top)

Assembly
Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees (depending on your oven). Cover cookie sheet with piece of aluminum foil and set aside. In a medium sized bowl combine ground turkey, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, worcestershire sauce, salt/pepper, garlic, and few squirts of ketchup and bbq sauce. I mixed this together with my bare hands (make sure to wash hands!!). When well mixed shape your meatloaf on the cookie sheet! You can make one large loaf or (my fav way) individual loafs (1 package ground turkey makes about 5 individual loafs). After loafs are formed top each with a covering of ketchup and then finish with a strip of bacon crossed on top! Pop in the oven for about 35-40 mins and enjoy.

Final Thoughts
As you can see i coupled my meatloaf with some green beans (and the blank spot is for my potato which is still cooking haha). A great meal that's quick and simple and delicious! Experiment and enjoy! Happy eats!

Chicken and Steak Fajitas and Strawberry Margarita

Who doesn't like a little bit of good mexican food now and then? it was always a quick and delicious meal when we had texmex food. Of course nothing compared to authentic mexican cuisine, but hey it was still quite tasty our creations! I remember my mom's tacos, taco salads, and fajitas best. We never had all three at once, but when we had any of the three it was sure to be a fun night. 

Delicious Sloppy Joes

Summer time is here and summer foods are calling my name! Before I lived in Ohio, I'd grown up in the Michigan area, and I still remember our one story house with the screened in back porch and our above ground swimming pool. On lazy summer days my dad would be outside grilling burgers or hotdogs while my brother and I ran around in our backyard or the neighborhood like the little tyrants we were. We RULED our neighborhood...or liked to think we did. But there's always those classic summer dishes: Burgers on the grill with frenchfries and pasta salad, Grilled hotdogs with chips and a tall glass of cold lemonade, and then there were the deliciously sloppy, sloppy joes with varying side dishes and a cold glass of milk. We didn't have the manwich style sloppy joes, but delicious homemade sloppy joes with a slice of melted cheese on top! Oh those were the days! Even now, 22 years later, I still love my mom's homemade sloppy joes and know when she's making it simply from the smell in the house. A year round favorite, and quick and simple to make.

Simple Stirfry

Well this is actually more of my own creation. Being of Asian ethnicity, my mom always tried to make a little something for everyone. My dad got his meat and potatoes, my mom tended to go more for the healthy foods and greek foods, and for my brother and me it was the americanized Asian cuisine. Such as the stirfry. If this seems confusing to you it's quite simple. My mom is 100% Greek, my father is mostly Irish but a mixture of other things, and my brother and I were adopted from Korea when we were young (no blood relation). We're a happy family, and we get a nice range of ethnic foods.

From Mother to Daughter: Beef and Noodles

Everyone likes a classic, so why not a good old hearty meal that is delicious in fall! This one is straight from my mom's very own cookbook. As she states in her entry for the dish, its perfect to prepare in a hurry. She would usually make this for my brother or me between sports practices or before games. A quick favorite, even for my brother who isn't a big meat eater. He LOVES this dish.