Ack! A New Cookbook!!

Just when I resolved to return to my kitchen...let alone to my cook-a-recipe-from-each-of-my-cookbooks goal...I was gifted another cookbook for Christmas.

Mind you, I'm not complaining. I read The Complete Southern Cookbook from cover to cover and fell in love with it. (Who wouldn't love Southern cooking?!?)

It's gotten quite cold in Hayley land, making us long for comfort food.

Actually, it's making The Boy long for chili. But I told him (six times) that I.am.not.making.chili.every.day. And that's that.

So, instead, I made meatloaf. Simply Marvelous Meatloaf, from my new cookbook, to be specific.

I'm not a big meatloaf eater (not a big meat eater, really), so anything that claimed to be "Simply Marvelous" was worth a try.

Simply Marvelous Meatloaf

• 2 t. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 purple onion, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 lb. ground beef
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 c. plain fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 t. tomato paste
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 t. pepper sauce
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1 t. dried parsley
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a loaf pan and set aside. Place the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute four minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Stir well.

If you've always wondered what to do with leftover tomato paste (particularly when a recipe only calls for one teaspoon!), here's a secret: Buy tomato paste in a tube. Use what you need. Refrigerate the rest. It keeps forever!

Add the onion mixture, stirring until well combined.

Transfer to the prepared pan. Yes, I use latex gloves. Yes, I have issues with touching raw meat. No, I am not seeing someone about it.

Top, if desired, with mustard or ketchup (I used chipotle ketchup). Bake 50 minutes, or until cooked through. Let cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Threaten to kill any cats that consider stealing meatloaf.

Our verdict? It was pretty good meatloaf - The Boy went back for seconds, even. I don't know that I'd call it simply marvelous, but I'm not a big meatloaf eater. So I'm probably not a good person to ask what you should name a meatloaf recipe.

But what was simply marvelous was having a meatloaf-sprouts-provolone-on-baguette as leftovers.