What's cooking, good-looking?

I'm cooking dinner tonight. My specialty, meatloaf.

I cut this recipe out of the newspaper when I was first married, almost 40 years ago, and it's still one of my staples. And best of all, my family loves it!

Why is it All-American? No clue. But it IS delicious! So I decided to share.


All-American Meatloaf

2 lbs extra-lean ground beef
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp spicy mustard
1 tsp salt

Glaze
1 cup ketchup
2 tblsp horseradish
1 tblsp spicy mustard

Mix all meatloaf ingredients in large bowl. Form into loaf. Place in meatloaf pan or on rack in baking pan. Top with half of glaze. Bake 350F for 2 hours. Serve with additional glaze as desired.

8 servings of 315 cal each, 7 Weight Watchers Plus Points per serving.

Evil comes to visit

A saga in pictures:

Evil great blue heron sneaked under the pond net and can't get out.

Frantic flapping, but the netting keeps him in.

Davey goes to raise the netting and evil bird flaps across the pond to me.

Back on the far side, he rests after his terrible ordeal.

Free at last, he huddles by the fence before finally flying away.

Christmas Reviews Part 4

Emilie's Christmas Love by Joyce Lavene
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Two-haiku review:

She's a rich teacher
Handicapped, wants to adopt
He has sister's kids

Sweet Christmas romance
Too much in character's heads
Good action ending

A Family For Christmas by Mary Eason

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:


He annulled marriage
She ran away, remarried
Now widow with son

Quite a few errors
Too much thinking, not doing
Nice happy ending

Must Love Santa by Nina Bruhns

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:

Undercover cop
Plays Santa for surveillance
Meets woman with dog

Wish it were longer
Superficial mystery
Very nice romance

Enchanted by Patti Berg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:

CEO's a mess
A new housekeeper appears
And his eyes open

Liked characters lots
And hint of Christmas magic
Plot could be tightened

It Really Is a Wonderful Life by Linda Wood Rondeau

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:

Her husband was killed
She joined a theater group
Met two men she liked

Christmas love story
Not bad, but superficial
Oversimplified

Naughty or Nice by Kari Lee Harmon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:

She drinks way too much
Breaks into his antique store
Will he arrest her?

Clever novella
Lots of sexual tension
And the perfect end

Christmas in Venice: A Short Story by Meadow Taylor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Review haiku:

Very short story
Venice airport--she meets cop
He's handsome, of course

View all my reviews

Christmas Reviews Part 3

A few more of my reviews of Kindle Christmas freebies. Most are lendable if you want to borrow.


Jingle This! by Stephanie Rowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Two-haiku review:

She gets dumped, can't write
Business is his everything
Do they have a chance?

Her angst broke my heart
Like both of these characters
Ending too easy



No Exchanges, No Returns by Laurie Kellogg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Two-haiku review:

She'll be surrogate
For her sister and husband
Then sis leaves them both

Misleading cover
Not Christmas story at all
Way too much drama



31 Kisses by Chautona Havig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Two-haiku review:

She says what she thinks
Meets him in grocery store
It starts with one kiss

I loved this story
Clean, innocent Christian love
It warmed up my heart

My True Love Gave to Me by Christine Lynxwiler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:

She loves Christmas things
He takes family away
On RV journey

Doing Christian good
Not traditional romance
But family love


View all my reviews

Christmas Reviews Part 2

Here are a few more of my reviews of free Kindle books. Remember, they may not be free anymore, but I'd be glad to lend.


Gift Wrapped for Christmas by Mona Ingram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Two-haiku review:

Roommates find romance
Overcome difficulties
Fall for two brothers

Two stories in one
Neither is quite deep enough
But enjoyable

Blue Christmas by Diane Moody
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:

Student meets rock star
He's nice and also Christian
He loves her right off

Fanfic done for teen
Reads that way--very YA
Not believable

Bah, Humbug! A Romantic Comedy Novella by Heather Horrocks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two-haiku review:

TV home show host
Moves next door to novelist
He beheads snowman

Sweet Christmas story
Well done, if a little short
Loved the characters

Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Review haiku:

Their daughters are friends
She assumes mistakenly
He doesn't give up

View all my reviews