Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Birthdays were a huge deal for Mom.  She always did her best to make our day special and she did that for everyone she knew - family, friends, neighbors.  Mom had a stack of cards on deck and her birthday calendar was overflowing with names; there was hardly a day went by when she wasn't passing birthday wishes along to someone.  She had a penchant for picking out raunchy cards, especially for her close buds.  This used to embarrass the crap out of me when I was in high school, but now I find myself searching the aisle at CVS for that perfect card with the dirty joke.

Going off to college, Mom would call me every year as close to 6:30 am as possible (aided slightly by the fact that I was a whole time zone behind) so she could remind me of the time I came into this world.  I'm fairly certain the roommates did not appreciate this call, but I sure did.  It was just one little thing I came to expect each year, and now as my second birthday passes without Mom I realize how much I miss that call. Half the time I was barely awake, or slightly hungover from the night before, but Mom's call always made my day.  We'd chat for a few minutes, share my plans for my big day, thank her for the gift she sent and the day would begin.

I've had some awesome birthday celebrations throughout my short 42 years - the Big Wheel my roommates got me junior year in college and the ensuing keg party that almost got us kicked off campus, sleeping out for ND tickets on the eve of my 21st birthday, taking friends to Great Adventure in my teen years, my 40th surprise dinner party with the mac-daddy limo into the city, hanging at the Willie Nelson concert in Big Sky with the family.  Good times, really good times.

I am blessed and I am lucky, but I still feel a little sad.  Whether Mom was here to celebrate with me, or just a phone call and card away, I knew how much she relished my special day and I miss that.  As a mother, I completely understand how special it is to celebrate the birth of your children.  It's not just a time to plan a party or make that special dinner.  It's an amazing miracle that these children have graced our lives and their birthdays are special beyond words.  Regan, Jack and Thomas won't understand that until they have families of their own, but they love to hear the story of their arrivals in this crazy world and I love to tell them all about it.

I'm trying hard not to forget my special story but with Mom gone, those details are starting to get fuzzy.  I do know I was born at 6:30 am and I do know that my birthday dinner always consisted of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  So, I share with you Mimi's meatloaf recipe.  Not exactly the fare you would expect on Labor Day weekend, but give it a try sometime and make sure to remember your friends' birthdays (preferably with a raunchy card!).

Happy Birthday to me. . .

Meatloaf
Meatloaf mix (or 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 lb ground veal, 1/2 lb ground pork)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
2-3 dashes worcestershire
1 small onion diced and sauteed until soft
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
parsley flakes
Italian seasoning
garlic salt
salt and pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients and put in loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour.  Top with sauce and bake for another 15-20 minutes.