Sunday, February 14, 2010

Shoot For the Stomach (and Bypass the Heart)


Introducing meatloaf as the new aphrodisiac. This Valentine's Day Cupid's flying around hoping to strike an unsuspecting Romeo with his arrow of carrot. Watch out, Easter Bunny, it could be you--but whoever heard of a rabbit needing an aphrodisiac??

Pasta as Art
I knew I wanted to use mini shell pasta as Cupid's headdress. I decided to go with cooked pasta and bake it right on, rather than add the pasta to the baked meatloaf. I really liked the result--the shells turned gold, an effect I was looking for just a couple of weeks ago.

The string on the bow is a single strand of Angel Hair pasta (regular sized spaghetti might have worked better but I didn't have any on hand).

A Note About the Meatloaf
I passed by the McCormick's seasoning packets at the supermarket and noticed there was one for meatloaf. thought it would be amusing to try it out--after all, this is a blog about meatloaf, and don't all methods deserve a fair shake? I went all the way by using the recipe on the back of the packet. When I opened the packet, I got the predicted whiff of a concoction that screamed soooodium. But I could smell garlic and paprika, so I was encouraged. I have to admit, Cupid tasted fantastic! As Rachel Ray often says on 30 Minute Meals, sometimes it's good to take some help from the store. But will I be using the packet again? Nope. The meat was yummy, but you could still detect that processed taste.

But Elyse, meatloaf for Valentine's Day? you ask. Doesn't your husband deserve something different after eating meatloaf for weeks? Yep--I made it yesterday. Tonight we're having chicken parm. But---DO make a Valentine's Day meatloaf for your family!

Other Valentine's Day Meatloaf Ideas:
-Keep the romance alive by shaping a big heart and using a toothpick or knife to carve your and your honey's initials in the meat.
-Kids would love getting to carve their initials, too!
-Spell out your Valentine's name, shaping the letters out of meatloaf (works better if his name is Joe and not Englebert).

3 comments:

  1. "I passed by the McCormick's seasoning packets at the supermarket and noticed there was one for meatloaf. thought it would be amusing to try it out--after all, this is a blog about meatloaf, and don't all methods deserve a fair shake?"

    Oh man I LOVED this pun.

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  2. This meatloaf went straight to the heart of what Valentines Day is all about. Feed someone you love with something delicious. :)

    Cupid is right on point.

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  3. Sigh. See where I get it from, Jonathan? Love you, mom!

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