Mid-January, MLK and Comfort Food - Sis's Meatloaf

In mid January, there isn't alot to do in the garden. Especially because for most of this January the garden has been covered in snow. We have had an unusual amount of snow and it has stayed on the ground longer than normal. Most years it has snowed one day and then it's been 65 degrees the next day. This year when it snowed the temperature stayed so low that the snow hung around longer. And then it snowed again.

Sis always said, "old folks say when the snow stays around for three days it's waitin' on more to come". I guess Sis and the old folks know what they are talking about.

Besides four sisters, my mother-in-law named Sister, and my Aunt Sissy, there is another Sis. Her real name is Clara, but everybody calls her Sis. She is another intuitive cook who taught me many things. Not all of it was about cooking. One day she was at our house and we were both trying to "straighten up a little" which was interesting with two little boys running around. Sis mentioned that there were fingerprints on the glass door and I blew it off saying "let's don't worry about that". Sis stopped, gave me a look and said, "WE can do BETTER than THAT." It made an impression. I still make sure to keep the fingerprints off the glass door.

But Sis is more playful than stern. When the boys were little she would come over and get everybody outside for fresh air. Most of the time she found something from the yard to bring inside. Other times she would perch little stuffed animals in funny positions and in funny places all around the house. I'm sure she did this to play with the boys, but it was fun for me too. I would laugh when I would find a floppy elephant hugging a teddy bear on the staircase. These things would appear where I least expected it and the laugh would come when I most needed it.

Sis has many cooking specialties but one of my favorites is her meatloaf. I hadn't made it in a while so I called her the other day to refresh my memory. It was good to catch up with her and to hear her sweet voice. Her instructions for meatloaf did not include amounts. Her instructions barely included ingredients. Our conversation went something like this:

Sis, "just put some ground beef, chopped onions and ketchup in a bowl." Me, "like maybe 2 pounds of beef and a whole onion?" Sis, "ummhuh. yeah, then add a little light bread and crumble it around with your hands." Me, "like maybe two pieces of bread?" Sis, "ummhuh. yeah, then add some egg and a little milk so it won't be too dry." Me, "maybe some green pepper?" Sis, "if you like green pepper you can put some in. some people do and some don't". Well you get the picture. So I made the meatloaf and added a few things we like. Sis always puts ketchup on the top in a swirling pattern so I did that too. It turned out great.

In mid-January, we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr for his preaching and teaching about peace, love and service. In honor of MLK here are two of my favorites quotes:

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."
— Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear".
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Like Sis, MLK taught that WE can do BETTER than THAT.


Sis's Meatloaf (more or less)

2 lbs ground chuck or lean ground beef
1 onion (about 1 cup diced)
1/4 cup green pepper diced
about 3/4 cup ketchup (I use a mixture of ketchup and steak sauce)
2 pieces light bread
2 eggs
a few drops of milk to keep it moist if needed
salt, pepper to taste

For an extra kick, I add:
1/4 tsp dry mustard
a few drops tabasco and worchestershire sauce

Mold into a loaf in a frying pan. Pat down and drizzle ketchup on top. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Don't overcook. Sis said to "push on it a little and you can tell when it's done". There will be grease in the pan and it's best to remove meatloaf to another pan before you slice it.

Serve with homemade mashed potatoes, english peas and homemade biscuits for a great comfort food meal.