Pork Meatloaf & Other Musings

Picture by Martha Denise from art.com

Autumn seems to be bringing out the desire for warming comfort foods. The crisp cool air in the mornings and the evenings inspires use of the oven to warm the home...and the heart! A little extra warmth will help Mr Busy's chest too ~ his body struggles with the cooler air.

I meant to get a photo, but my family devoured dinner and the leftovers before I had a chance. The fact that dinner was a little late didn't help I think! However, someone (was it Tracy?) asked for the recipe, so here it is:

Glazed Pork & Veal Meatloaf

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small brown onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 timmed celery stalk, chopped finely
1 medium green apple, peeled & grated coarsely
250g each pork & veal mince (I use 500g pork)
1 cup stale breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh sage (I omit this)
1 egg
1 bacon rasher, diced
1 green apple, cored, sliced thinly, extra
2 tablespoons apple jelly or applesauce

1. Heat oil in large frying pan, add onion, garlic and celery; cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Add apple; cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated, cool.
2. Preheat oven to moderate (180C).
3. Using hand, combined onion mixture with mince, breadcrumbs, sage and egg in large bowl.
4. Transfer mince mixture to a large sheet of plastic wrap; use wrap to roll into 8cm x 24cm log discard plastic.
   
5. Place on a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper.
   
6. Spread the log with the applesauce (or jelly), then stop with apple slices and bacon.
7. Roast for 45-60 minutes.
   

I think of all the different types of meat I've used in meat loaf (beef & lamb), this is about my favourite.

In other musings from my side of the picket fence...I've been praying about whether and when to give up going to BSF. I had a 'moment' in the early hours of Friday morning when I realised that "I can't do it all"...everything I have coming up this term.

This afternoon I was reading Ezra and had asked God to clearly show me His direction for me ~ but it then took a conversation with my Mum to clarify things and make them crystal clear. I love my Mum ~ she often helps me with things like this. She doesn't think she's doing anything special but she helps me immensely! Back to Ezra. Chapter 1:5 says "The the family heads of Judah and Bejamin, and the priests and Levites - everyone whose heart God had moved - prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem"

Mum asked if I'd had 3 different confirmations for the changes I wanted to make. Hmmm...I dunno!?! She said desire is often one, and I have had a very strong belief within that I need to drop something, probably BSF. Then I mentioned that I'd been reading Ezra til I phoned her.

I said to Mum this is what stood out...God moved the people's hearts and it was those that prepared themselves to move away and go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. She picked up that they were going to build God's House and confirmed that I need to come home and 'build the house' too. To be involved in my own home, rather than too busy to focus on my first priority.

OK, confirmation 2.

Thirdly I found out today that there are TWO other women prepared to play the piano in an emergency. I didn't know that.

Confirmation 3.

Mum said she would think that should settle it! I'm inclined to agree. So tomorrow I will phone the Teaching Leader and tell her that next week will be my last week. I spoke with her today and told her that I couldn't be there on the 30th anyway, and that I was praying about this. She asked me to commit to the full term...but I just couldn't do that. Come May, there is no way I would be able to do that!

I just love the way the Lord works and uses others to help me see what He wants me to see. Mum's right ~ having three different confirmations on something really does help a LOT!