Aw, this thread had me cracking up right up until the deaths in the family. I'm sorry, John! Reality crashes down yet again. However, if you're still auditioning meatloaf recipes, this one might not touch the cheesy bacon versions, but it's the only meatloaf this non-meatloaf-eater has ever liked...and my meatloaf-loving, late FIL said it was the best he'd ever had (of course, he was probably just happy to have someone cooking for him). ;) I had to find this online since my DH packed up my cookbooks. My preference is for the mustard topping. Great flavor, good way to hide veggies (but not strongly flavored veggies like spinach), and still recognizable as meatloaf. Doesn't hold it's shape as well as some (possibly because I tend to over-process the veggies). S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d Meatloaf from "Cheap, Fast, Good" Cookbook 2 large eggs 1/2 cup tomato juice (or tomato-vegetable juice such as V8) 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup dry bread crumbs (packaged or homemade) 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant) 6 cloves fresh garlic (or 2 tablespoons bottled minced garlic) 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, optional (or 2 tablespoons dried parsley) 1 medium-size carrot 2 ribs celery 1/2 medium-size green bell pepper 1 large onion 1 pound lean ground beef, defrosted if frozen (85 percent lean is recommended) Cooking oil spray Mustard-Brown Sugar Topping or Ketchup Topping Mustard-Brown Sugar Topping 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup prepared mustard Ketchup Topping 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Cooking Directions Preheat the oven to 350�F. Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato juice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Stir well. Stir in the bread crumbs and oats. Set aside. Peel the garlic cloves, if using fresh. Turn on a food processor and drop the garlic cloves, one at a time, through the feed tube. Process until finely minced. Then drop the fresh parsley leaves (if using) through the feed tube and finely mince. Peel the carrot and cut it into roughly two-inch pieces. Cut the celery into roughly two-inch pieces. Core and seed the bell pepper half and cut it into roughly two-inch pieces. Add the carrot, celery, and bell pepper pieces to the processor bowl and pulse until the vegetables are cut into very small pieces (but not soupy). Transfer the vegetable mixture to the mixing bowl, along with the bottled minced garlic and dried parsley (if using). Peel and quarter the onion and place the quarters in the processor bowl. Pulse until the onion is cut into very small pieces (but not soupy). Add the onions to the mixing bowl and stir to mix well. Add the beef to the bowl and, using your hands, thoroughly combine the meat with the vegetable mixture. Spray a large loaf pan (about 10 x 6 x 3 inches) with cooking oil spray. Spread the meat mixture evenly in the pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread the topping of choice evenly over the meat. Bake, uncovered, until cooked through, about one hour and 10 minutes. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Mustard-Brown Sugar Topping Stir the brown sugar and mustard together in a small bowl until smooth. Ketchup Topping Pour the ketchup in a small bowl and add the vinegar. Stir until well blended.

Oh, WOW! Now that looks so yummy. Not to hi-jack your post, but my tale of honey-wheat bread. We used to buy frozen honey-wheat bread dough and bake it, all of the family just loved it. Then I had a temporary lay off from my job so I decided to try to make my own at home, so I bought all the makings, including a large jar of dry yeast. I mixed up the first batch, let it raise, put it in the pans, let it raise again, then out it in the oven. MMMM the smell was so good. When the time was up, took the pans out of the oven and they were flat. After a short cooling time took them out of the pans and they looked like bricks. I repeated this several times with the same outcome. My son, Brian finally said if I made enough of these we could build a BBQ. LOL They tasted good, just......flat. That was the end of my home made bread making, until I got a bread machine, years later. Jasdip, THAT is what a loaf of bread should look like. Pans are cute too. Good going!

It really will depend on the recipe. If you're making a yeast bread you'll have a cold cast iron pan and there's going to be a certain amount of time for the pan itself to absorb heat. Once the heat is absorbed it will brown beautifully and you will find the bread has a wonderful crust. But for a quick bread (i.e. cornbread) you can preheat the pan if you wish. That will give you a quick burst of heat and faster results. You're just going to have to play with the pan and make notes per each recipe until you get a sense of how the pan works for your favorites. Carol

I just got a Martha Stewart enameled cast iron casserole - the 2.75 qt for I think $29? I'm in love with this pan. Heats evenly and well on the ol' portable induction. I might get the bigger one if I find it marked down. Browns things well without burning. Pans I think are needed depend on family size, how often you entertain and for how many. The venerable chicken skillet (12-14" heavy straight tall sides and a lid), egg pan (8" non-stick), chefs pan (10-12"), couple of 2-3 quart pans for veg, couple of small pans (1-4 cups) for cooking cereals, melting butter or reheating soups, one 6 quart pot(s) for making soup, chili, stock, pasta. A non-stick griddle. Maybe a 12" black steel frying pan, maybe a larger stock pot - like a 12 qt. Not criticizing johnlin, but I can't imagine what needs a 20 qt pot. Flotilla of lobsters? Tomato sauce for the jolly green giant? One of those things where you cook the pig head? Seriously, other than canning, what's it used for? I'm kinda agnostic about woks. Partly that's because they don't work well on my p.o.c. range. Brightens up Maybe I can get an iron one and use it on the induction.