I'm having an affair...

...yes a love affair. I'm not afraid to admit to it.

Is it wrong? Some would say yes but I disagree.

This affair started when I was about 8 weeks pregnant. My husband was making a meatloaf for his lunch that week and I was ALWAYS hungry and looking for something to eat. It use to be a hateful relationship between me and the meatloaf. I hated it as a kid. Every time I heard the word meatloaf I wanted to puke.  I had never tried it as an adult because all I could think about was a rubbery substance that tasted like grease.

Then on a Sunday evening in April it all changed.  I think I had already eaten two dinners and we were getting ready to watch planet earth on TV.  I all of a sudden said "What's that smell?"  Chris responded with "Meatloaf."  Then I responded with "Really?  It's never smelled like that before."  He rolled his eyes cracked a grin and said "Yes it has."

I was basically staring at the timer waiting for it to tick down to zero so we could pull that bad boy out.

I was scared.  I wanted a piece so bad but I was also scared of puking.  I was pregnant and putting something that was greasy and extra chewing in my mouth would definitely make me puke.  So Chris cut him a piece and I think he must have seen me staring at it out of the corner of my eye and drooling on myself.  He said "You sure you don't want to try it?"  I said "Maybe just a small bite."

That bite changed my life.  Seriously.

It was so soft and moist.  It melted in my mouth.  The meat was perfect.  The topping was perfect.  The mashed potatoes were perfect.  I ate three huge slices that night sitting right there on that couch watching planet earth.  Not much of it made it to Chris's lunch box that week.  I will not be ashamed of this.

For the rest of my pregnancy Chris made a double recipe of meatloaf  Every Single Week.  And I ate three-quarters of it by myself.  Lunch and Dinner.  It was heaven.  I would have eaten it for breakfast too but Chris was already making fun of me so I figured I better lay off it at breakfast.  People at work would say "Really?  Meatloaf again Marti?"  And since I ate it so much of it while I was pregnant I was worried that I wouldn't like it once Ivy was born.  I was soon relieved a couple of weeks later when Chris made it for me.  I still loved it!  And when Ivy was 9 months old and could have her first bite of real food, guess what it was?  I thought it was only fitting.

So I've come clean and admitted to my affair.  And Chris has learned to live with me having two loves.

Anyone wanna come over for dinner?

Old-fashioned Meat Loaf - A.K.A Basic Meatloaf (Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes (without juice)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meat loaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Topping:
Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy