Manic Meatloaf

I awoke on Valentine’s Day morning, my birthday, to a gorgeous crimson sunrise. I was excited to be spending the day with friends and family on my favorite day of the year; a day to pamper and to be pampered.

It was a stellar day that began with waffles and ended with meatloaf, both in the shape of hearts. (The meatloaves were a brilliant suggestion from my husband as I pondered what to make for a cozy dinner.) I ran around non-stop from coffee to a pedicure to breakfast to lunch — all with friends — and then sprinted to my kids’ school for a Valentine’s Day party. I was on cruise control, enjoying my day but in the back of my mind I was wondering how or if I’d manage to make the heart shaped meatloaves.

When a conversation with my friend Kathe turned to the topic of dinner, she loved the meatloaf idea and said she had some chopped meat to make some too. Yay! I’d be able to squeeze some cooking with friends into my favorite day of the year. So I rushed home, grabbed the chopped meat, bread crumbs and heart shaped ramekins, drove to Kathe’s house for a fifteen minute interlude where we squished, mixed and molded our love infused dinners.

Although our crazy schedule didn’t allow for a sit down family dinner, each of my children (and later my husband) got a kick out of the ketchup drizzled x’s and o’s atop their meatloaf hearts. It may have only been meatloaf, but it ended the day with smiles and a little love. Every Valentine’s Day should be as good as it was this year.

My Meatloaf
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced finely
1 cup bread crumbs
2 garlic cloves
2 eggs
Chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
A bit of ketchup

Mix all of the meat together in a large bowl. Fill the heart shaped ramekins (or pancake molds) with mixture and draw x’s and o’s with ketchup. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.