I have discovered my new favorite cookbook.

I think I say this everytime . . . I love food . . . and there is nothing better than good ol' comfort food.

I made up this meat loaf recipe over 10 years ago. It has only the things I like and not the things i don't (i.e. green peppers and ketchup). If you are a fan, then by all means add the green stuff in the mix and top it with ketchup the last 10 minutes of cook time.

And nothing goes better with meatloaf than mash potatoes. You will see my secret to the best mash potatoes ever!

Warning: it is horribly bad for you, but tastes so good. Make it sparingly.


GOOD OL' MEATLOAF

2 lbs ground beef (the less fat the better)
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 cup oats
1(8oz) can tomato sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
(the spices are estimates - I just throw them in.)

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands until well blended. Place in a loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.


GUILT RIDDEN MASHED POTATOES

6-8 medium baking potatoes
1 stick butter
1 pkg cream cheese
3/4 - 1 cup milk
salt
pepper (be generous - no guilt here)
fresh chopped chives (optional)

Peel and chop potatoes into no bigger than 1 inch sized cubes. Fill large pot with plenty of water so potatoes are well covered. Add about 1 tsp salt to the water.

If you have time, boil for an hour or more for really soft, creamy potatoes. Otherwise, boil until fork tender (20 - 30 minutes).

Drain and whip with a hand mixer. Add butter and cream cheese. Mix until smooth. Slowly add in milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh chopped chives.

Since I didn't have anytime last week to post a recipe, I will try to do one today and another later on this week. This recipe was one I created for either Father's Day or Fred's birthday. His favorite color is green, he loves veggies and Tex-Mex is his favorite food. I even really liked it and I don't like veggies.

GREEN QUESADILLAS

package of large flour tortillas
2 cups colby jack cheese, shredded
2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped
coarsely chopped cilantro
coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 cubed avocado
2 - 3 chopped green onions
lime juice

Butter one side of tortillas with butter and lay in large skillet. Sprinkle half of tortillas with the ingredients in the order listed. Fold over tortillas and cook both sides until lightly brown. Cut into triangles and serve with sour cream, guacamole and the salsa recipe I gave a while back.

This recipe would also be good with grilled shrimp.

TIP: Grill and chop a bunch of chicken breasts at a time. Put about 2 cups in freezer bags and freeze them. When I need grilled chicken for a recipe, I take it straight from the freezer, microwave it for 1 - 2 minutes and it is ready. I do this for Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad in the summer when I don't have time or don't want to cook.

This past Saturday was the auction and gala for Veritas Christian Academy. It was a wonderful night full of great energy and fun. The school was able to raise around $100,000! That is amazing in this economy.
I was able to offer my services by giving parents the opportunity to pre-purchase large black & white head shots of their children and have all the proceeds go to Veritas. We used these portraits to help decorate the room for the gala. Here are a few samples:











It was the perfect backdrop for the evening. At the end of the night, parents were able to take the portraits home.


Fast Frames on Hendersonville Road (by the new Tupelo Honey) was so gracious and gave everyone who purchased one of these pictures a gift card for $30 towards any custom frame. If you ever need anything frames, I highly recommend them. Maggie and her husband own it and are the nicest couple ever! Her background of being an artist shines through in her ability to match the right frame for a picture. She is able to pull out color and texture in a portrait simply by choosing the right mat and frame.