Among my finds was a copy of "The Joy of Cooking" given to him by his Aunt Isabel and Uncle Elmer Anderson in 1961. Taped in the back of the book was a recipe from another aunt, Anna Anderson, one of the Anna's for whom I am named.
It is a fairly simple and straightforward recipe for meatloaf. Actually, I have to admit that it is so simple I'm not so sure it is one I would try. But the reason I found it interesting enough for a blog post was the last ingredient; Garden Special. My first thought was that this was some kind of discontinued seasoning, but a pint of it? That would be too much.
That is where my mother came in. When I found the recipe she was sitting next to me on the couch, going through things with me and she was able to tell me what this mystery ingredient is.
According to my mother, Garden Special is whatever veggies are left in the garden at the end of the summer. No need to make sure you have specific ingredients on-hand, just chop up whatever you've got, as long as it makes the amount you need.
So, what do you think? Would you ever try my Aunt Anna's Meatloaf recipe, or do you make something similar? Or are you more comfortable with breadcrumbs and ketchup and some nice bacon on top?
My mom used oatmeal flakes instead of cornflakes, plus it had to have at least chopped onion, chopped celery, and grated carrot, plus anything else vegetable in the frig - e.g., left-over peas etc. We added more seasonings, and of course, some HP sauce and Lea & Perrins. A little smear of ketchup along the top.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe looks very much like ones the moms in our neighbourhood used in the 50s. I always loved meatloaf so I could have a meatloaf sandwich for lunch the next day!
- so glad you were able to finally recover so much of your family's treasures, Anna. All the best in the digging.