Rachel Ray? Paula Deen? Emeril? Bobby Flay?

Progress of eggs - I'm very proud of them. Almost time to trim!

I found a yummy compilation of recipes on a fun blog. I bought all of the ingredients last week. Saturday morning I checked the recipes and they served like 8 adults! WOW! So, I got on the phone for some help to eat this yummy stuff.
This is why I don't dice vegetables for dinner each night. Quite a bit of time. Computer on the counter for quick checking.
So you take these vegetables and add them to this

Matt Certain will be so proud of us for this butter melting!!!! I think the first blog I ever posted referenced a cardiologist! It was really cool seeing these bell peppers and onions simmering in this pan of cholesterol.

This yummy mixture was added to 2 lbs of ground beef and 1 lb of ground pork and some breadcrumbs for some DELICIOUS meatloaf.

As if those little dollops of butter were not enough, I added 1 3/4 sticks of butter to our small and shallow iron skillet to make a yummy looking apple cake.

So......the meatloaf came out total perfection and came out looking just like the pictures from the blog. I made some homemade mashed potatoes with heavy cream, cheddar/monterey jack cheese and sour cream. I mean I wanted to slap my momma so good. And, before you ask, I will begin a fast tomorrow. That is, after Baxter's birthday cake is gone. Yikes, Jenny Craig and Kirstie Alley I need your help!

Look how great!

Now, before I begin this story, I must tell you that iron skillet apple cake did turn out edible. Edible is a word you should remember as you read along.

Our company arrived and we were visiting in the den. Kids were inside/outside having a blast. Ben was in his swing sound asleep. Things could not have been any better.

When they got here I put the skillet in the oven. It needed to bake at 375 for 20-25 mins. Great huh? I'll stick it in the oven and it will be bubbling nicely while we enjoy our main course. The aroma of the apples/cinammon will drown out the hearty smells of the honey and ketchup and meats that had filled our lovely home with our sweet friends. I'm telling you this meal was just great. Pride swelled within me as I felt such accomplishment from my culinary skills.

Sound too good to be true? Feeling like something has to go wrong at any minute...

SMOKE ALARMS

SCREAMING BABY

CATERWALLING KIDS

CLOUDS OF BLACK SMOKE RISING

COUGHING

ALL DOORS/WINDOWS OPENED

SMOKE

SMOKE (NOT TONY STEWART)

DID I MENTION LOTS OF CATERWALLING? (MOSTLY FROM LGK)

SMOKE

STOP, DROP AND ROLL WAS MENTIONED

SMOKE

This would be the end of the pictures...all that's left is a yucky pic of our oven. Remember earlier when I mentioned the SMALL, SHALLOW iron skillet? Well, apparently it was a litte TOO small and shallow. The apple cake bubbled over and spilled into the bottom of the oven!

It was a dinner to remember!

The meatloaf was awesome, potatoes delicious and perfect consistency, english peas were canned and cold, salad light and the only thing that was less than 8,000 calories on the table and the apple cake.....EDIBLE. That's about it.....EDIBLE.