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!

Vegetable Lasagna

This is a fantastic recipe. It's pretty simple and super duper yummy. It also freezes and reheats absolutely beautifully, so you can easily make double and freeze half of it for another meal.

Vegetable Lasagna

250g packet frozen spinach, thawed
250g ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
810g tin crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 cups milk
lasagna sheets
100g grated cheese

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Heat a little olive oil in a small pan and saute onion & garlic until onion is softened and transparent.
3. Combine spinach, ricotta and nutmeg in a bowl.
4. Combine tomatoes, tomato paste & herbs in another bowl. Divide the onion between the two and mix.
5. Place the cornflour in a small saucepan and mix enough milk in to make a smooth paste, then add the rest of the milk. Stir constantly over a medium heat until thickened.
   
6. Spread a little of the tomato mixture on the bottom of a glass baking dish and layer lasagna sheets over the top. Then layer as follows:
   Half the tomato mixture
   lasagna sheets
   ricotta mixture
   lasagna sheets
   remainder of tomato mixture
   lasagna sheets
   white sauce
   cheese
7. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

I made my own pasta last night and it was so delicate ~ definitely something I will do again! I also used 500g of ricotta last night and as a result I have enough for 3-4 serves to freeze for another night. Perfect for a night when I just can't fathom cooking a meal ~ it happens...even for one who loves to cook!

Menu Planning Monday

Mom's Cookin' by Sharon Pedersen from art.com

It's Monday ... I'm home ... I've done my menu. Is that some kind of a record?! It seems like the last few weeks have been all upside down LOL.

Here's what we're eating this week:

Monday: Vegetable Lasagna, not sure what we'll have with it yet
Tuesday: Pork & Apple Meatloaf, baked potatoes, carrots, cauliflower & broccoli
Wednesday: Honey & Orange Crumbed Chicken, vegies as for Tuesday
Thursday: Herbed Ricotta Fritters, steamed vegie au gratin
Friday: Creamy Bacon & Mushroom Pasta
Saturday: Zucchini Quiche, scallop potatoes, steamed carrots, broccoli, cauliflower
Sunday: Soup & English Muffin Pizzas

I'm going to try and remember to take photos this week ~ I might actually get around to posting some recipes!!

Millaa Millaa Falls, Queensland (picture from art.com)

Just Let Me Say
by Geoff Bullock

Just let me say how much I love You,
Let me speak of Your mercy and grace.
Just let me live in the shadow of Your beauty,
Let me see You face to face.
And the earth will shake as Your Word goes forth,
And the heavens can tremble and fall.
Just let me say how much I love You,
O my Saviour, my Lord and Friend.

Just let me hear Your finest whispers
As you gently call my name.
And let me see your power and Your glory,
Let me feel Your Spirit's flame.
Let me find You in the desert
'Til this sand is Hold Ground;
And I am found completely surrendered
To You, my Lord and Friend.

So let me say how much I love You,
With all my heart I long for You,
For I am caught in this passion of knowing
This endless love I've found in You,
And the depth of grace,
The forgiveness found,
To be called a Child of God,
Just makes me say how much I love You
O my Saviour, my Lord and Friend.

Two Favourite Resources

I thought I'd share with you two of my favourite resource books. I'm not big into non-fiction, but I do have a couple that I wouldn't be without!

The first one is my copy of the 'The Complete Tightwad Gazette' by Amy Dacyczyn. Amy is very inspiring in the lengths that she has gone to, to achieve the lifestyle that her family desired. I have read it cover to cover and less constantly now, but I often delve into it for some gem of information or recipe that I require. You can't get this book in Australia so I had to carefully weigh up whether it was worth the hassle and expense of exchange rates and charges etc. It definitely was. If nothing else, I felt that it gave me permission to be my own person and not try and live to what society tells us we should desire. Of course, it is full of great ideas and interesting food for thought on all things frugal. Given what we then went through financially, this has been a very valuable resource to have on my shelf.


The second one is newer to me. Again, after much deliberation on the value of obtaining a book I couldn't thumb through to find out if I felt it was worth it, I had my BIL bring this one back with him when they came over for Christmas just over a year ago. I'm so glad I did, and that he was willing to bring it over with him. 'Nourishing Traditions' by Sally Fallon has completely turned my ideas of good nutrition on its head. I feel like I am far better informed on nutrition than I could have ever been without it! I never knew that low fat dairy was devoid of much of the good nutrition it should have, or that saturated animal fats are needed....or that the high use of vegetable fats and hydrogenated oils are more likely to be the cause of high cholesterol and heart disease than a bit of fat on your meat, or cream on your dessert (if you were so lucky to have dessert, that is!). This is one I would very highly recommend. I haven't read it cover to cover ~ but I do pick it up and read it while having breaky from time to time and glean a little more that improves our nutrition and health. It takes me a bit to 'digest' (ha ha) all that it has to offer. Plus I'm learned how to prepare foods so that we get the most out of them. There is just sooooo much in there!

My Exile Is Over

Those of you who read Kate's blog at Our Red House will know that Victoria has had major wind storms this week, and power outages that are fairly widespread. While we were at Mum's place we had bad dust storms. We were home all day that day and just watched it go past. We were nice and warm and cosy and had all our little projects at hand to keep us occupied.

We got home at midday yesterday to no electricity. It had gone out at 2pm the day before. Not surprising ~ we were fully expecting it, as power outages in our area are common when there's a big wind. Gum trees and power lines are not good mates.

We spent the evening huddled around the fireplace (the first time we've lit it in the 2.5 years we've been here) to keep warm. We had out all our little fat squatty candles, kept for just such occasions. I nicked up and bought enough ingredients just for dinner ~ Singapore Noodles, which is cooked entirely on the cooktop. Thankfully that is gas and was no trouble, except to remember that it won't self ignite when the power is out! Interestingly, our main street, just 800m away had power!

The power came back on around 1am-ish. I am soooooo relieved! I have a mountain of washing to do and a fridge to clean out and re-shop for. After 30 hours only the un-defrosted meat is salvagable...and yes, the meat stayed frozen.

How wonderful to get up this morning and turn on the heater and television....and computer! I find power outages to be rather tiresome and somewhat draining. I just don't seem to cope very well with them. The only thing I could do was knit whilst it was daylight and read with the aid of a rechargable lantern (that was charged, thankfully!).

Oh...and PS from my last post ~ yes I will post photos as my projects are completed. As you can imagine, my sewing machine couldn't be used either!

The Creative SAHM

Picture by Renior from art.com

My time here with Mum has been quite productive. I brought some fabric with me, and a piece of interfacing that I had traced a skirt pattern onto. It's just 8 curved panels. I put that together yesterday and today and will take it home to put on the facings and zip.

I also bought a new knitting pattern and some yarn to start a new cardigan. Completely different the the one I just finished. Again, just basically a stocking stitch, but I love the style.

Meanwhile, Mum has been madly piecing a foundation paper quilt. She's gotten to the last twenty or so patches and needed more sets of 3 fabrics for each patch so we've been matching up fabric swatches together and sorting through her massive stash to find them!

The girls are back into their crocheting. Not without quite a bit of frustration on Miss Sunshine's part. Her stubbornness outweighed her frustration and she's finally got the hang of the double crochet stitch!

And I've been walking. In the mornings, just for 20 minutes...boy I seem to be feeling it. I didn't realise that I was that out of shape.