Hello Friends,

Tonight we enjoyed Meat Loaf, Sauteed Sweet Taters and Apples, Mess O' Greens, Corn Bread, Mashed Potatoes and Peas.

Mrs. Dibble's Back Porch Meat
Loaf
Serves: 6-8

If you like, you can double the glaze and omit the bacon topping from the loaf. Brush on half the glaze before baking, and the other half during the last 15 minutes of baking time.

Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze

¼ cup ketchup or chili sauce
2 Tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider or white vinegar
dash of cinnamon

Meat Loaf

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/2 buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
2/3 cup quick oatmeal or saltine crackers crushed
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6-8 ounces thin-sliced bacon (8-9 slices) 1. Glaze: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Meat Loaf: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes; set aside to cool.

3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, pepper sauce and milk or yogurt. In a large bowl add egg mixture to the ground chuck, ground veal and ground pork. Next add the oatmeal or crackers (depending upon what you have decided to add), parsley, cooked onion and garlic; mix with a fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture does stick, add additional buttermilk, a couple tablespoons at a time, and continue stirring until mixture stops sticking.)

4. Turn the meat mixture onto a work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into a loaf approximately 9x5 inches.

5. To bake free-form: Cover a wire rack with foil; prick foil in several places with a fork to allow drainage. Place rack on a shallow roasting pan lined with foil for easy cleanup. Set formed loaf on rack. Brush loaf with all of glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping them slightly and tucking them under the loaf to prevent curling.

6. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 F., about 1 hour. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

7. To bake in a loaf pan: Omit bacon and double glaze. Turn meat mixture into a loaf pan WITH a PERFORATED bottom, fitted with a drip pan. Use a fork to pull mixture away from pan sides. Brush mixture with half of the glaze. Bake until glaze is set, about 45 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze and continue to bake until second coat has set and loaf registers 160 F about 15 minutes longer. Sauteed Sweet Taters and Apples

3 med. sweet potatoes
3 med. apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used Rome)
1 stick butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 pkg. Wiley's Sweet Potato and Yam Spice*
1 t. vanilla

* Wiley's is a package I found right next to the sweet potatoes, ask your grocer for it.

Boil the sweet taters til tender. Drain, cool, peel and slice into rounds. Melt the butter in the skillet, add the sugar, and the Wiley's seasonings, stir to blend, and add the apples and the yams, stir gently to cover with liquid. Cook on med. low till heated through about 30 mts.

Mess O'Greens

Servings: 4-61 smoked ham hocks (about 9 ounces each) or 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillion Ham Base
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 pounds collard greens, well rinsed, thick stems trimmed of and discarded, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Salt and pepper to taste
1 med. onion
bacon drippings

In a large pot, combine the bacon drippings with the chopped onion and saute. When limp, add the garlic and saute til aroma released. Add the sugar and the seasonings and 1/2 c. water. Add the collards and stir well, simmer on low. Cook the ham hock in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water for 45 mts. When done, add 2 cups of the liquid to the greens and when ham hock is cool enough to handle, cut the meaty parts off and add to the pot of greens.

Georgia Style Corn Bread

3/4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. sugar
1 t. finely ground black pepper
1/2 t. salt
a sprinkle of cayennne red pepper
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
1 cup corn kernals, drained well
3 eggs beaten til frothy
2/3 c. half and half

Preheat oven to 400. Thoroughly grease a 13x 9 baking pan and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, peppers, and salt into a med. bowl. Add the cornmeal and toss with a fork to blend. Add the corn, eggs and half and half, stir just to blend. Pour into prepared pan and bake til golden brown, 15 mts. Cut inot squares and serve hot and buttered.