Mixmaster Monday

Welcome to this week’s edition of Mixmaster Monday!

This week features a recipe sent to me by Gloria, a very dear friend and former colleague from my days living in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

(Gloria, in her element, in Ruth's kitchen. McMurray Madams weekend, 2007)

Gloria was the nurse I worked with on Team Four, during my first 6 months in Fort McMurray. I had worked in ICU for 4 – 5 years before that, and had gone to England to do an Occupational Health Nursing course. When I’d finished that, I eventually got my first occupational health position at the oil sands mine and refinery where we worked. It was an enormous change to what I had been used to doing, and getting acclimatized to my first -40C winter was an experience as well. Those six months were the scariest, most rewarding, most enjoyable and most memorable six months of the eight years I spent in Fort McMurray. After that, Gloria went on days, I was moved to Team Three, and then words like “redesign”, “multiskilling”, “paradigms” and E F(-ing) A P started to become the buzzwords. It was all corporate psychobabble that we all had to endure, little of which made sense, and none of which improved our quality of work-life. The HR ‘gurus’ knew how to wring the joy out of any situation, and the Medical Center was definitely not overlooked. Oops… it was renamed the “Health” Center after a while, to focus less on the “grunt work” done on shift. Oh yes, I remember…

BUT... when I think of Glo-Bug, I think of the first six months. I try really hard to not imagine how green and naïve she thought I was, and I was, most definitely. She never let me know how green she thought I was, and for that I will always have a huge place in my heart for Gloria.

Therefore, this week, I dedicate my Mixmaster Monday to Gloria with all kinds of love and affection. Here is her recipe, and I hope it’s not the only one I feature from her!

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

1.5 lbs ground beef
26 - 28 oz of spaghetti sauce ( I've used all kinds)
1 egg
¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ( I've also used a mix of mozzarella & cheddar shredded)
1 tbsp parsley salt & pepper to taste
Wax paper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In large bowl mix beef, ⅓ cup sauce and bread crumbs.
3. Season with salt & pepper.

4. Roll out wax paper and flatten mixture on it.
5. Shape into a rectangle, approximately 8 x 10-12”.
6. Sprinkle 1½ cups of cheese and parsley down the center leaving ¾ inch border.
7. Then roll the meatloaf like a jelly roll tightly and be sure to pull off wax paper.
8. Press and seal the ends closed and put in pan.
9. Bake uncovered 45 minutes in an 8½ " loaf pan. Pour remaining sauce and cheese on top and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I hate ordinary meatloaf but really like this. (That's Gloria's comment, not mine!! HA!!)