Glazed Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Spinach with Bacon and Onions

Glazed Meatloaf

I couldn't make a meatloaf worth a darn for years, I tried recipe after recipe with no luck until I came up with this one. I think the secret is to add the glaze at the end of cooking that way it doesn't burn.

½ C ketchup

1/3 C brown sugar

¼ C lemon juice, divided

1 tsp. mustard powder

2 lbs. ground beef

3 slices bread, torn up into small pieces

Dry minced onion to taste

1 egg, beaten

Cajun seasoning to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar, and 1 Tbsp of the lemon juice and mustard powder. In a large bowl combine ground beef, bread, remaining lemon juice, onion, egg, seasoning and 1/3 of the ketchup mixture. Mix well and place in a loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, drain any fat off, then spread ketchup mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 10 more minutes then serve

Mashed Potatoes

I have a confession. I don't make the mashed potatoes in our house, my husband does. All I have to do is ask and he produces the most perfect, fluffy potatoes. Isn't he sweet? I love him all the more because I don't have to peel one single potato or worse yet use those boxed potato flakes.

Spinach with Bacon and Onions

We eat a lot of greens in our house. I am anemic and I read some where that nothing has more iron content than greens. I use that as an excuse to serve them. The other reason I use them a lot is because it's winter and they are in season and that makes them inexpensive as well. Really I'd serve them anyway because I just love them.

4 slices bacon

1 small onion, chopped

1 (28 oz.) can spinach, drained

In a skillet fry bacon until crisp. When done remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Remove all but 2 Tbsp or so of the bacon grease from the pan. Return pan to the stove over medium heat and add onion, cook until tender and then add spinach. When spinach is warmed crumble the bacon into it and serve.

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