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Donna Knight: Meatloaf holds lessons Comment By Donna Knight The Courier/Daily Comet DailyTidings.com By Donna Knight The Courier/Daily Comet Posted Feb. 11, 2015 at 8:55 AM Updated Feb 11, 2015 at 8:56 AM By Donna Knight The Courier/Daily Comet Posted Feb. 11, 2015 at 8:55 AM Updated Feb 11, 2015 at 8:56 AM » Social News Last week, I was hungry for meatloaf. Not just any meatloaf, but the meatloaf that my mother used to make. Mom made the best meatloaf in town when I was growing up in Indiana. She made it all by hand. I remember her rolling up her sleeves, taking off her wedding rings (that was the only time I remember her removing them) and she would knead that meatloaf like she was making bread. Mom always made it the same way. She would use just plain, fresh hamburger from our neighborhood butcher with no other meats added. Then she would crush saltine crackers between two pieces of waxed paper with a rolling pin until the crackers were just fine crumbs. Next she would dice an onion and a green bell pepper into small pieces. Then, as she was kneading the meat she would add salt and pepper and two eggs. She always used the same bowl to mix the meatloaf in. It was a large white mixing bowl from the set that went with the mixer she got for a wedding present in 1951. I remember her standing at the kitchen table, because there was no counter in our kitchen, leaning over the bowl, mixing and kneading the mixture until she got the texture just right. Then she would shape two mounded loaves and put them into her special round oven roasting pan. She would top the loaves with ketchup spread thickly all over and add a slice of bacon on top each one. Then my brothers and sisters and I would wait for that lovely smell to waft from the oven. Mom’s meatloaf was a treat usually reserved for company, Sundays or holidays. It was something we really looked forward to eating. While we were waiting for the meatloafs to cook, it was my job, being the oldest girl, to peel the potatoes to boil for mashing and also cook the vegetables. Sometimes I cut fresh corn off the cob to boil or peeled and sliced carrots to cook to go with the meatloaf. But oh, the heavenly smell coming out of that oven. We couldn’t wait until it was time to eat. Since our table was in the kitchen, when we all sat down around that crowded table, we were literally engulfed by good smells and the warmth from the oven. It was always so warm and cozy in the kitchen, especially when it was winter in Indiana. Mom would take out the roasting pan and lift the lid. The meatloaf was always perfect. The ketchup had cooked into a shiny red glaze and the bacon was curled and brown on the top. Mom would transfer the meatloaf to her green glass meat plate, which I now have, and she would slice it. The slices were always uniform, solid and never crumbled. Now that my 86-year-old mother has Alzheimer’s and has not been able to cook for the last five years, I really miss those wonderful meals. I have tried many times, but I just can’t seem to duplicate her perfect meatloaf. At first I thought I was doing something wrong, because no matter how many times I tried, my meatloaf was just never like Mom’s. Mine just crumbled when sliced, or were soggy, and I never could capture that wonderful taste hers always had. But I now believe her secret ingredient was that she seasoned her meatloaf with the love and dedication she had for her many children and husband. And try as I might, I just can’t replicate that. Donna Knight is a columnist at the Courier and the Daily Comet in Houma and Thibodaux, Louisiana. You can reach her at at donna.knight @houmatoday.com. By Donna Knight The Courier/Daily Comet DailyTidings.com By Donna Knight The Courier/Daily Comet Posted Feb. 11, 2015 at 8:55 AM Updated Feb 11, 2015 at 8:56 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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