Ohhhh I am sooo excited to be posting tonight!! This is something that is new for me…not the blogging, obviously!! but the blogging about cooking…completely!!
But you know what? It's creative!! I realized this a while back. About six years ago, I called a dear friend…she probably doesn't remember this, but it's still vivid in my brain!! I was all excited because I had just taken all four of my children out to lunch…without Mr Gorgeous!! And not to McDonalds…but to a sit-down restaurant. You know how it is…every person that sees you, a mom of four, walk in the door thinks to themselves, "ohhh, that mom has her hands full!!" and then proceeds to tell you so!! SO knowing that I have my hands full, I'm excited that I've conquered this!! Four children without someone asking you to leave!! I think I even had one lady tell me that my children were really well behaved!!
So as I'm telling my friend this, she responds like this…
"Out to eat? Why don't you try cooking them a full course meal at home and clean it all up after! Now that is an accomplishment!!"
Now, I know that she wasn't trying to put me down at all, but just make me grow even more!! But the question has always lingered in my brain…"Why don't i like to cook more??" About a year ago, I realized, I use sooo much creative energy on my music and crafting, I don't want to have anything to do with crafting in the kitchen…without help!! for sure!!
Enter the Pioneer Woman...
I adore this lady…she has four kids, she is a photographer, she homeschools, she is funny, talented, and …okay, I may not be all that, but she is!! sooo fun!!!!
So thanks to a sweetie online friend, I received my new Pioneer Woman Cookbook last week…I told MR Gorgeous that I was going to cook my way through the cookbook, just like Julie and Julia!!
So today began my journey through this wonderful cookbook!! π Each Tuesday night I'm going to blog about all of my fun food happenings throughout the week!! I hope you enjoy it…
Tonight's dinner…Meatloaf and Creamy Mashed Potatoes
This dinner is a favorite already with my kids (and Mr Gorgeous, but he's in CA this week, so I'm trying not to rub it in that he missed it!! LOL!)..so I knew this would be a big test…to see if the Pioneer Woman's meatloaf would compare to Oma Keller's meatloaf recipe!!
My first hurdle was using bacon…I'm not really a bacon fan…although Mr Gorgeous IS!!! I love the taste by itself with eggs and toast, don't get me wrong. But with a history of heart disease in the fam, bacon wasn't served much (if at all) when I was growing up.
But look at me…I did use it!!
This is where I put everything together that I had chopped and gotten all together…and the Parmesan that Emma grated for me!!
And speaking of Emma, she was my little helper…she is also known in this house as Mini Rachel Ray!! So she helped me by making the Tomato Gravy…
This is also the time where I read in the cookbook to put the mixture in a loaf shape on my "broiler pan". My broiler pan??? I've NEVER used my broiler pan before!! But of course, I knew where it was…I grabbed it, washed it, took pics of it…and put the loaf on it!! π
I added the Tomato Gravy on top and started baking…yummmmm…smells good!!
and then I started the Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe…
a whole bag of potatoes…yummmmmmm…
…and two sticks of butter
…and one 8oz box of cream cheese
…and a little bit of half and half
I added some seasoning…and VOILA…dinner!!!
Quentin really looks excited to try this food!! teeheee!!!
ohhhh it was soooooo YUMMMMMMMMMMMY!!!!!!
this is quentin having to wait to eat until everyone gets settled at the table!! LOL!!
The best Creamy Mashed Potatoes I've ever made!! yummmm
…and the best part of all of it is…
LEFTOVERS!!! yipeeee!!
So here were the comments…
L: Really GOOD!
E: I LOVE IT!
C: I really like it, but Oma Keller's is better…
Q: I like mom's best!!
Thanks, kids!!! and Thanks, Pioneer Woman!
WOW…soooooo sad i missed it. My room service burger pales in comparison. Please save me some :(. Missin’ you in California
–Mr. Gorgeous (yes, I embrace the name :)).
Awwwwwwwwww Sally I your Mr.G!!! He is the bestest!!!!
Love this post!!! I learned something new…use a brolier pan to make meatloaf!! I always use a loaf pan and hate the grease π Thanks Sally for the great idea ((hugs)). P.s. in a month I am going to ask you if you still know where such pan is π The photo of Q waiting…was the BEST!!!!!! Totally made me bust out loud laughing!!! Thanks for laugh!!
love the pioneer woman’s mashed potatoes- but not my arteries!