Home Cookin' on a Weekday Night

It's been unseasonably cool recently as we near the end of August here in Chicago. I was in the mood for some comfort food this week. The Barefoot Contessa's turkey meatloaf is comforting without being too decadent (and we all know what a bad girl Ina can be...) I made it Sunday night, halving the recipe, and it kept well in the fridge before I baked it Monday after work. And maybe it was the white wine talking, but I really love me a good meatloaf pan. Trust me - I'm not a huge gadget person (I'm serious - my favorite kitchen item is my $5 jelly roll pan from Northwestern Cutlery, the best place in Chicago to sharpen your knives by the way, but I digress) - but I really love this pan. Gets rid of the fat without drying out the meatloaf.

I'm currently auditioning Rosh Hashanah side dishes and was really pleased with Sunny Anderson's honey glazed carrots recipe - the secret ingredient is freshly squeezed lemon juice. Gosh, they were sooo much better than the cooked carrots I remember from the past. The plate had to be rounded out with some carbs, so I went Thanksgiving on my family with a traditional favorite: stuffing and spinach balls. However I have a shocking admission: I, an Italian girl, married a man who DOES NOT EAT CHEESE. This will be the stuff of many a post down the road, but for now, I will let you know I held the Parmesan cheese.