Thursday nights are CORE night here (Clean Out the Refrigerator - Ewwww!) I had a handful of snow peas, a few stalks of asparagus, some half & half, 1/2 of a red pepper, the last of a hunk of asiago, and a lemon. So I made this: Lemon Shrimp Pasta Fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces (I had about six stalks) Snow peas (I had a handful) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1/2 pound raw medium shrimp 1/2 cup chopped red pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup half & half and 2 cups milk (I use powdered milk and use the shrimp stock for liquid) Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1/2 box (8 oz.) angel hair pasta 1/4 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese 1. Peel the shrimp, and add the shells to 1 cup of water with a dash of white wine. Boil the shells for about 15 minutes and turn off the heat. 2. Lightly steam the asparagus. Drain and set aside. 3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (medium-high heat). Add the red pepper and saute for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, and add the half & half, milk and the asparagus. Heat thoroughly. 4. Pick out the shells from the shrimp stock and add the peeled shrimp and the snow peas. Don't heat - the stock should still be hot enough to cook them. 5. Cook the pasta and drain. Return it to the pot and add the sauce and the shrimp. Toss the pasta with the lemon juice and zest. Sprinkle generously with the asiago. Turned out pretty good for a CORE meal! Of course, the half & half was bad (the cats liked it though) so I substituted a can of table cream.

I never used to use the same recipe twice, I'd vary it although I usually used a guideline. I kind of liked a pizza flavored meatloaf and would use pizza type seasonings, mozzarella cheese cubes in it sometimes, a little bit of pizza sauce for one type, served with garlic bread and fries or potato wedges. Another time I used Marcia Adam's recipe for a guideline. I'd use what's on hand. I really like meatloaf. If you don't overseason it, it's hard to goof it up. The one thing that's not tolerable to me is the inch of ketchup or tomato sauce on top. That's gross. I like gravy and mashed potatoes most of the time with it. I think it's important to mix meats in there. I happen to like pork sausage (Jimmy Dean type), ground beef, some pepperoni and bacon. I used to use turkey but got some very unattractive stuff and was put off by it so I don't use it anymore. I don't keep oatmeal around or I might use that on occasion. Many like it and I thought it was OK. To me, it's more a guideline than a recipe. Getting too exact can be problematic. More or less meat, more or less additives will all vary the result. In the link above I gave the listing of things I used in the last couple meatloaves I made and probably how I'll make it most of the time from now on unless I decide to go pizza/Italian style or something. You certainly can substitute for or eliminate the onion altogether. It's certainly flavorful enough or you could add something else if you want. Don't be afraid of it. Meatloaf and meatballs are basically the same thing. You can make meatloaf patties out of it too and cook quicker. Make several kinds. Enjoy them. Combine them. That's what I did when I came up with what I liked. There is no "best" recipe for me, since I like variety. So no "one" recipe will do all the time. Want something a little different? Put some hard boiled eggs in there or some cooked bratwurst or polish sausage. Makes for an interesting presentation when you slice it. I do have one problem making meatloaf. I can't seem to get the good crust on there my mom's meatloaf had and I like the crust! It helped with the thin layer of BBQ, essentially brushed on and then seasoned. I imagine the gas oven was dryer than my electric oven and definitely dryer than the Nesco so that's probably part of the problem. Good luck and happy testing!

More good stuff. Thank you everyone. Blizlady, Not sure what the origins of this salad is but my beloved Mom made it for as far back as I can remember; I think my my Grandmother made it too. This is a very basic recipe that highlights the freshness of the ingredients. You may be disappointed to learn that it doesn't call for mayo, but I urge you to give it a try. The flavors are fresh and bright. It is not Christmas Eve without it and everyone looks forward to it. The measurements are only a guess, it really is done to taste. Mom's Shrimp Salad 3-4 lbs jumbo boiled shrimp*, cut into 4 pieces crosswise. 4-5 stalks celery, sliced about 1/4" thick (on a slight bias). Cut the wider part of the stalk into two pieces lengthwise before slicing. 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (I used a garlic press) Juice of 1 - 1 1/2 lemons Good quality extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt Toss shrimp, celery, garlic together. Add lemon juice and drizzle a few tablespoons olive oil. Lightly salt,toss. Serve chilled or room temp. *I buy the 4lb bags of shrimo at Costco, the ones that are by the fresh fish and sometimes sold at the kiosk. They are already deveined and cleaned; one only has to defrost (I defrost them in cool water) and remove the shells. To a pot of water I add lemon slices, pepper corns, bayleaf, and any other herb or spice I feel like including (coriander is good too). Once at a boil, I add some salt. Add shrimp and wait until pot returns to a boil. Check for doneness every so often. Once done, drain in colander and rinse with cold water. To trim shrimp, remove the 'beard' (its the overcooked flap of overcooked shrimp where the head was), and pull off the strips that looked ragged along each side of the slit. The cats are treated to these scraps. Sue

Not sure what the name of this one is but I had it at a restaurant DH and I went to and it was so good I've made it for my family a few times and they love it. Chicken Breast done on the grill. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. On top of the breasts put BBQ sauce, a slice or 2 of ham lunchmeat, grilled onions, fried bacon, and cheese. Put in the oven on about 350 degrees until heated and cheese is melted. Top with chopped tomatoes. Sooooo good!! Serve with whatever sides you desire. The restaurant had smashed tators with the skins in them and veggies. Also they used chives but DH prefers the grilled onions.