You are not going to believe it, but my daughter asked me to come to her place after work tomorrow evening to help her fix a meat & potatoes dinner for her beau. Yes……………you heard me right meat & potatoes, or if making a meat and potato dinner was too distressing for me considering my current situation, we could make my gourmet macaroni and cheese instead, and hold the ketchup she promised. Of course I was flattered, accepted the invitation as that’s what mom’s are for and have already packed my overnight bag with recipes in tote as the evening includes a spend the night with lot’s of mother/daughter talk while we cook & prep.

Now for the really great news, my daughter Meredith has a great photo background, which I will attest to since I am still paying off her education, which included a stint in photography to one of the finest Art Schools in the country. This makes her not only a valuable resource because of her talent, but also because she is indebted to me and will be for quit some time. This translates for you the possibility of seeing some really great pictures of food sooner than later, especially if my culinary skills shine. But you must come back tomorrow to get the recipe and see the actual food, as this is just a little preview of the joys to come.

In all fairness I do make a mean meatloaf courtesy of my mother, the only dish passed down by her that would qualify for the traditional meat & potatoes catagory.   Her version is quite simple but includes a messy concoction that includes ketchup (how ironic), mustard & brown sugar spread on top with a few slices of bacon before being popped in the oven for a good bake. I am sure my Yankee heritage is showing up about now as it tries to uproot the Southern Lady status that I’ve earned just by surving the hot steamy Southern Summers here in Charleston. 

My husband is a Yankee also, having lived in the North for most of his life, even though he is a gentleman there is not a chance that he could ever be transformed into a Southern Gentleman and I suspect that his Yankeeness is where this ketchup thing comes from. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you  but you might want to check back in a few days, as I have a little treat in store for him, something that might cause him to leap from his chair in praises… something that would give me instant good sport status in anyone’s book.

Speaking of husbands, a little update on my trip to Atlanta which was not as successful as I had planned. It seems the legal prompters have run out of prompting options, so it looks like I have to put the Gourmet Shop on hold and be content to cook for the family and you. Perhaps this is a blessing and part of God’s plan, as finding my way back to the kitchen and ultimately to my heart might be found quicker if I slow down and take life a little easier, don’t y’all think. It might also be a wise choice if I stick to the kitchen and leave the managing of the universe to God, as I might mess up more than a meatloaf.