We met for dinner at Hap's in downtown Pleasanton. Highlights included a very yummy Vox vodka martini for me and delicious prime rib for John. After dinner, we call came over to the house for presents and chocolate cake...and, of course, the Birthday Hat!!! For John's actual birthday, we had a nice dinner here at home. I made his favorite meatloaf and am including the recipe in case you'd like to try it.
Ingredients:
2 T. salad oil 1 ½ t. salt
1 medium onion – chopped ½ t. pepper
1 celery stalk – chopped 1 egg
3 white bread slices 8 oz. tomato sauce
2 lbs. Ground beef (I like sirloin) 1 T. light brown sugar
1 med. Carrot, finely shredded 1 T. cider vinegar
1 T. chopped garlic 1 T. prepared mustard
Instructions:
2 hours before serving – or day ahead:
(1) in 2 qt. Saucepan over medium heat, heat salad oil and cook onion, celery, and garlic until tender (10 minutes or so)
(2) in large bowl, tear bread into small pieces, add onion mixture, ground beef, carrot, salt, pepper, egg, and ½ of tomato sauce. Mix well
(3) in a 12 x 8 baking dish, shape mixture in 8 x 4 loaf (or 2 smaller ones). Set aside.
(4) In a cup, mix brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, and remaining tomato sauce. Spoon mixture evenly over meat loaf in the baking dish.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours. 8 servings
Oh, I made a new Happy Birthday sign for John's birthday....yes, you guessed it.....it involved stamping.
Also this week, we celebrated Allison's birthday (John's youngest niece). She turned sweet 16! We went over to Cathy and David's for a dinner celebration, presents, and an entertaining evening watching Allison and her friend, Jen, figure out a way to go to the midnight showing of Twilight. The key to the strategy was talking Jen's dad into picking them up after th
e midnight show.
Speaking of keys, Allison did get a new "used" car for her birthday....and from her Uncle John, she received an engraved keychain from Tiffany. We do love those Tiffany blue boxes.
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