Room for One More?

In August, the Kids (daughter-Chris, son-in-law-Choi, and grandson-Alexander) came out for visit. This was a pretty momentous occasion for us. Sure, they had been down before. But, it was only for a couple of days. This time it was for two whole weeks. Not only that, but when they came before, Xander had been a little baby and was quite content to sleep just about anywhere you placed his travel crib. But, now, he was a big boy (16 months) and needed a real room to sleep in.

Since we have a three bedroom house, this should not have posed a problem. That would be one bedroom for us, one for Chris and Choi, and one for Xander. Well, if we were your normal couple, this would be true. However, the husband and I have two flaws (well, we have several, but these are the only pertinent ones at this time). Individually, the flaws are not so bad, but in combination, they can be quite troublesome. You see, we are packrats and easily distracted.

When we moved into our home 11 years or so ago, it was our intent to turn that third bedroom into a combination computer room/office/den/library/emergency spare bedroom. Instead, it became the repository for anything that we couldn't bear to throw out, didn't know where to put, needed to get out of the way before company came, etc. We were always conscious of the ever growing mass of "stuff" in that room, but every time we planned on cleaning it out......well, the weather was really nice, there was a movie that we wanted to see, the Discovery Channel had that special on the dung beetles, etc.. Face it - we really didn't want to deal with that mess.

But, now we had a real problem. 11 years worth of accumulated stuff and an ever shortening period of time to clear it out. The Kids gave us plenty of "warning" about their visit. In fact, we had over two months. Did we take advantage of it. Get serious - not with the Discovery Channel available 24 hours a day. So, on the last weekend before the visit, we were plowing a road into the room. We found all sorts of interesting things. The first check the husband ever wrote (and every one since then). The autograph book the staff of the OR gave me when I left the hospital 12 years ago. The Yosemite calendar that was supposed to have been a Christmas gift for Mutti a few years back.

It worked out OK. We cleared out more than half the stuff. Xander had plenty of room, but since he keeps growing, we have to keep clearing. But, wait, is that the Discovery Channel I hear?

Oh, the reason why you are getting a meatloaf recipe for this go-around is because I happened into a discount bookstore while the Kids were here. I picked up a copy of a book that claimed to contain 365 recipes for meatloaf. Sure, it contained the standard meatloafs, but that only lasted for about 30 recipes. Then, it started to go into the more esoteric. Venison loaf. Bison loaf. Gator loaf. Since most of us can't run down to the local market for a pound and a half of gator meat, I decided to "cook" up something a little different that we all can make......

Meatloaf and Spinach Roll
Serves 4.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large garlic clove -- crushed
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 whole egg
1/4 pound ham -- sliced
1 package spinach -- frozen & defrosted
1/4 cup red onion -- minced
1 whole egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix ground beef, garlic, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and 1 whole egg. On a sheet of waxed paper, pat mixture into a rectangle (approximately 9 inches by 15 inches). Spread ham slices out on rectangle. Squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture. Mix spinach, red onion, egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Spread over ham. Starting at one narrow end, roll meatloaf up like a jellyroll. Place in a loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 1 hour. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Corn and Pea Casserole
Serves 4.

1 can corn kernels -- drained well
1 can creamed corn
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
salt -- to taste
pepper -- to taste
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/8 cup parmesan cheese

Mix corn kernels, creamed corn, peas, salt, and pepper. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven.

Garlic Cheese Crescents
Serve 4.

1 package crescent rolls
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese -- shredded
garlic powder

Unroll crescent rolls. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Follow directions for rolling and baking.