Best Meatloaf Recipe

Growing up I wasn't fond of meatloaf so I've only made it a handful of times. I must say that it has grown on me. Here's my favorite recipe. Try it. You and your family will not be dissapointed.

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
2. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

ENJOY!

Party idea for your pre-teen to teenage son

If you live near woods (or know someone who will let you use their woods) I'd like to suggest a paintball party. We have a few guns and our local hobby shop rents paint equipment.We are going to set up a capture the flag paintball game for my son's 12th birthday. I'm even looking forward to it!

P.S. Party went great. Only one out of the group ended up with a bloody welt and that was dad.:)

Mile high laundry

There are 6 of us in this house. Laundry for 6 people is a part time job in itself. I would need at least 2 hours a day of laundry duty in order to stay on top of my laundry. Who the heck wants to devote so much time to something whose only financial gain is some occasional loose change! In the past year I have pushed this job off on my 2 oldest. Lately they are really slacking but, I don't have the heart to lay in on them too hard since I can totally relate to the hopelessness of the job. So, today is going to be laundry catch-up day. Somewhere between my appointment with the small business resource guy, piano lessons, getting my neighbors child off the school bus and karate I am going to do my best to bang it out! Look out laundry...here I come.

Uncool is contagious. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

If you had told me when I was 20 years old where and who I'd be in 13 years I probably would have rolled my eyes and written you off as completely insane. Back then I was a self proclaimed Buddhist with a love for eccentricity. I didn't shave my legs, eat meat, or buy brand name clothes. I was one of the coolest ...well, whatever I was...around. The last thing I ever wanted was what came next. 

I can still remember what it felt like after it happened and I realized that my friends were not being as open-minded as they once claimed to be. I now realize that those "free-spirited", "open-minded" individuals were never really who they had built themselves up to be. Which is exactly the way I was. You could have told me you believed in tree fairies and goblins and I would've listened with open ears but, when it came to the J word...you're a wackerjack.

An excerpt from Bob Dylan's, I Believe in You 

 ...They look at me and frown,
They'd like to drive me from this town,
They don't want me around
'Cause I believe in you.

I have since had to get used to being "uncool". That was the easy part. The hard part however, has been watching life long friends walk out of my life because of my faith. As if my new "uncool" might be contagious. Hmmmm. Now that I think of it, maybe it is ...

What's your secret?

• For sparkling windows-make a paste out of cornstarch, apply in a circular motion, wipe with a clean dry cloth. Perfecto