Slow cooker meatloaf is easy to throw together!

Of all the recipes that I like to make in a slow cooker, meatloaf has to be right up there close to the top! Seriously! To me, a good meatloaf is one of the most quintessential comfort foods ever invented! It can be served as a part of a regular meal with gravy or as a cold sandwich – (my personal fav)! Note for a more formal recipe go here!

Talk about easy! When I make a meatloaf, I no longer look at a recipe – instead, I assemble it from memory. In general, I start with a package of hamburger meat (whatever is on sale), two eggs, 2 slices of bread, ½ a med bell pepper, a quarter of an onion, a splash of milk and an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce. I basically dump in everything except the milk, tomato sauce and bread. Knead the mixture a bit with my hands and then shred the bread into small pieces while adding half the tomato sauce and just a splash of milk. This pretty 'goopy' mix is kneaded again and formed into a loaf. See easy greasy!

When the loaf assembly was finished. I prepare a base for it to sit on by placing three medium

potatoes that have been peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch slices. These are placed on the bottom of the slow cooker and a splash of water is then added around the base of the potatoes. I then take two one foot lengths of foil which are folded into two inch strips and placed over the potatoes in a 'cross' pattern. Finally, in goes the meat mix which is formed into a loaf. Over this is poured the rest of the contents of the tomato sauce, the pot is covered and set to cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours. Serves 4.

The end result offers up a number of meals for not a lot of money. I spent about $5 on the ingredients and estimate I'll get about 5-7 sandwiches out of it. The potatoes also go great with other meals I have planned for the week!

How to break a diet in sixty seconds!

There comes a point in every diet, a tipping point as it were, where the urge to just PIG OUT becomes unbearable! And whenever I am thinking this way, I invariably turn to McDonald's as the chief despoiler of my carefully crafted weight loss program.

Next to pasta (diet dynamite), white bread (a total sugar rush) and potatoes (tubers from Hell), McDonald's has got to rank right up there as a diet busting destination of culinary choice. I'm not sure what it is that drives me to kill a diet in this particular way when all those other guys are right at hand in my kitchen. Maybe they sprinkle their french fries with a light dusting of nicotine and opium! And maybe that's why after eating an extra large batch of fries, I feel so damn good.

And those cheeseburgers! You know, the ones that cost only a buck! Man-o-man, I don't even want to go there. I can gobble this combo of burger and fries down in just under a New York minute! Wham-bam thank you ma'am! And, there went 700 calories right on down the old chute where magically they get converted to a pound of fat on the spot. (If you think I'm kidding, just order up this combo for a week and check out your weight gain)!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming McDonald's for my affliction. And, I've even managed to refrain from indulging not more than once a week. But, I gotta tell you, the Big M is never far from my glutinous thoughts!

Random Thoughts for May 2013!

 Was Israel right to strike Syria?

You betcha! The restraint this country has shown should be set as a model for all the nations of the world to see. The people of Israel are caught between a meat grinder of extreme Islamists countries whose sole purpose on this planet seems to be to carry forward the work of Satan himself! And even though the removal of the Stalinist Assad could prove to be problematic, (especially if the Islamic Brotherhood replaces him), it was still good for me to see that this nation has the conjones that we seem to be sorely lacking as of late! I know everyone is war weary, but the truth be told - evil never rests!

Is our president a little bit strange?

Whenever I see President Obama getting ready to make a statement of any kind whatsoever, I find Helter Skelter)! And, I'm pretty sure his excuses will sound lame no matter what the topic. My viewing embarrassment only gets more heightened whenever it's Jay Carney on the podium and on the defense. (I often wonder how he's able to continued talking with such a straight face)?

I feel a little embarrassed, both for him and myself. It seems to me, now a days, that most all his comments are in defense of some new boondoggle going on in what has become a chaotic and out of control Washington quagmire. (Think Charlie Manson's apoplectic vision of Helter Skelter)!

I'll forever remember a line out of the movie Josey Wales – about the old Indian and how the White Man was always sneaking up on them Indians with ill intent. (The President even gave these 'Civilized tribes' medals for looking so darn civilized don't you know)? The Indian tribes were told to 'endeavor to persevere' – and when they had thought about it long enough, they declared war on the Union! Good for them! Maybe we should do the same if things don't improve..

That's what I would have done! Make a really deadly flu!

A team of Chinese researchers have deliberately created deadly new strains of influenza in a veterinary laboratory — and are now on the receiving end of severe criticism from across the wider scientific community. The controversial research, carried out at China’s National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory at Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, has mixed the H5N1 bird-flu virus — which is lethal but not easily transmitted between humans — with a 2009 strain of H1N1 that is very infectious to humans. That’s a bad combination as far as humankind is concerned. (Think the movie Contagion times 100)! It might seem, sometimes, that we are our worst enemy...

Democrats in retro-action!

After perusing the internet today, I've come to the conclusion that there exists a significant group of Americans (which I personally label Far Left-Winger Democrats or FLWD's) who are bound and determined to turn over all our rights to the government, and by any means possible! Not only that, but they also seem rather determined to disarm us in the bargain! (I'm guessing they're worried that we all might wake up someday and realize that the Feds have gone rouge on us). And, California, with the recent passage of SB 140 is leading the pack!

In the past, whenever I've tried talking reasonably to a 'FLWD', I've ended up walking away with two lasting impressions – 1) that they’ve been totally brainwashed by the Media and 2) that they'd rather have someone else in control of their lives. (Like a Big Brother perhaps).

Not a single one of these 'useful idiots' can stand up to the pressure of anyone who asks them informed and thoughtful questions. (Under such pressure, they simply get mad and try to make the topic into an emotional issue). As an example, please read up on the California bill SB 140 (which recently passed), and see if you can equate it with this statement by Senate President (Pro-Tem) Darrell Steinberg concerning SB 140.

"Today, each California community is a step closer to being safer," He said. “This swift action by the Legislature and the Governor to enforce the laws we already have is a wise and worthy investment to reduce gun violence."

Wait! Reread that statement again...'laws we already have'?? What he's saying is that they're dumping 24 million tax payer dollars into law enforcement coffers to aid them in enforcing laws that they were supposed to be already enforcing as a daily part of their jobs! Huh? This is what I call a 'feels so good' expenditure of hard earned tax payer money. And, by golly, it must be 'totally awesome' to be a state that's so well off financially (ahem), that they can afford such seemingly redundant actions!

It's a sad comment on the state of this country that we have people like Mr. Steinberg among us. Sadder yet, that they are in positions of power. That's my opinion anyway...

A micro study of our government at work!

If ever there was a good example of governmental FUBARism on a micro scale, it'd be the Army Corps of Engineers and how they recently responded to a request to slow down traffic in a local park near Forsyth Missouri!

Here's the setup! It seems that some fishermen, in their eagerness to get to the boat ramp at this park would sometimes exceed the posted speed limit of 10 mph! Apparently, this activity was disturbing to other campers in the park, and so a simple solution was embarked upon.

Simple solution: A couple of speed bumps costing a few bucks each would have been quite adequate and would have solved the problem neatly without much ado. (At least, that's how it seemed to me)!

The Government's solution: So, what did the Corps of Engineers actually do? They purchased a bunch of 'stop' and 'yield' signs that they posted all over the park and which, in retrospect, look completely ridiculous! In addition, I'd guess each of the seven signs cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 and while they might look pretty, it was amusing to watch the people entering and leaving the park completely ignore them. (After all, even the slowest of those who dwell among us can figure out that the roads in the park are not enforceable by the local police). Duh! So, while I kinda understand this effort, I cannot applaud the expense.

Biodiversity and a common field of grass!

I should say that a wild 'cultivated field' of grass is pretty cool to look at, at least along its edges. At this time of year (early May 2013) there are all sort of bio-diverse stretches of vegetation growing in small strips along a field of mono-cultured (aka made for money) fields that are leased out along the Bull Shoals river here in southwest Missouri. The really neat thing is; little life forms that make up our planet are still surviving in what ever spaces they may find! (Even while we, as a species, are exterminating approximately 100 or so species planet-wide per day)! Go team Man!

On this particular and most glorious day in mid-spring, I watched with fascination as grasshoppers, bumble bees and other interesting little insects went about their business amid a small stretch of ground that boasted a complex assortment of plants and weeds. I noted a plurality of wild garlic grass, purple clover, hog weed, grasses and other plants I have no name for – all growing 'cheek to jowl' in perfect biotic harmony.  Synergistic life, existing in an almost perfect balance with no other real enemy, other than man. A state of affairs that makes me wonder sometimes are we a Godsend to Earth, or, are we a scourge for all those innocent creatures over which we exercise such hard dominion? (At this time, I'm guessing that were it not for the Bible, we would not have very much to recommend us).

Personally, I'm on the side of the animals, the plants and the insects. May they prevail and prosper long after the 'Plague of Man' has long since passed!

Critique: Ballpark Flame grilled hamburger patties!

On a recent visit to my local grocery store, I was in search of some pre-made hamburger patties. You know the ones you don't even have to make yourself! They're ready to go into the microwave or grill of your choice.

The thing was, I didn't have a clue as to where they might be found and so stop the Deli lady to ask for help. Her name was Shelia

Odeela (I think) and right off the bat she wanted to know if I wanted the fresh or the pre-cooked patties. I stared helplessly into space waiting for some form of divine revelation when Shelia suddenly pointed to a package of Ballpark Flame Grilled patties that were on a frozen food shelf just a few feet away! With relief, I grabbed a bag and headed for the checkout counter. As I stood in line waiting my turn, I reflected that at $7.99 for a six (73 gram) burgers, I at least hoped the taste would be impressive! I was due that, right?

Once home, I extracted a frozen burger and elected to go the 'stove top route. I noted that the patty looked for all the world like a rotting piece of cardboard and when I placed it on a hot skillet there was no 'sizzling' sound. Well, after all, the picture did say it was already cooked! So there it set and then, after a few minutes,

Hmmm

it did begin to look vaguely like hamburger meat and I was vastly relieved. Before much time at all had expired, I'd made my self a hamburger that didn't look all that shabby. But, the big question was...how did it taste?

I'll be honest, I've had better burgers! This meat was a bit dry and though I think kids would enjoy it, us grownups would probably not. Money-wise, you can buy a pound of hamburger and make up 5 or six similar patties (the Tupperware hamburger press works wonders), freeze them and you'd have a much better product for just a little bit of extra work.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give this deal a lame score of 5. And, from now on, I'll stick to the homemade variety!

Followup: After nuking a patty in the microwave, I'd raise the score a point or two! For the money and convenience! This was not actually all that bad!