HETTIE’S HOMESTEAD – coming full circle

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Hi there,

It is my pleasure to share with you Hettie’s story about her homestead and cooking with her mother. She has included a wonderful recipe for us to try. You can find more heartfelt stories at her blog http://hettieshomestead.com. I know you will not be disappointed if you take the time to visit with her.

I grew up cooking with my mom in the kitchen. She was no ordinary woman and was an extraordinary cook. Having been a manager of a college cafeteria she could cook for large crowds and even make camp jello appealing. People in our community would talk about how delightful it was to get an invite to her table. My father was incredibly proud of her abilities and would frequently invite others to join us for a meal. One of my dad’s favorite sayings was, “we live like paupers but eat like kings.” Growing up on a farm and being the only girl meant I was her assistant in all things– snapping, picking, washing, chopping and the list goes on. For the most part I loved my time in the kitchen with my mom even though it was hard work. My favorite memories involved my mom and I singing old hymns while working; my Mom would always sing harmony with me. My mom is no longer on this earth, I imagine that she is in heaven planning and preparing a feast while singing with the angels. Her legacy in the kitchen and life, live on through our family traditions and meals.  I love to prepare a meal for my family and my boys tell me frequently that I cook just like her. 

Mom loved to “cook” with her grandchildren too.

One of my family’s favorites was my mom’s meatloaf. Growing up I had no idea how much bad meatloaf there is in the world. People thought it was funny when I would tell them meatloaf was one of my favorite meals. I also did not know about the whole ketchup meatloaf craze. My mom’s meatloaf was a melt- in- your- mouth mushroom meatloaf. Once you try it you won’t go back for the ketchup bottle. So save your ketchup for your french fries and try this yummy recipe ! 

Ingredients for Mom’s Mushroom Meatloaf:

 2 lbs of ground beef (at least 85% lean)

¾ cup of plain bread crumbs

½ diced sweet onion (this can be left out)

2 eggs

1 can of cream of mushroom soup 10.75 ounces

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions for Mom’s Mushroom Meatloaf:

Preheat Oven to 375 Fahrenheit 

Step One: Place beef, chopped onion, bread crumbs, eggs, seasoning, and half a can of cream of mushroom soup in a bowl. 

Step Two: Use your freshly washed hands and blend the ingredients together.  

Step Three: Pat out your meatloaf in a 9×13 casserole dish, making sure to not touch the sides of the pan with your loaf.

Step Four: Cover the meatloaf with the other half can of cream of mushroom soup. (If you want to be fancy you can add a few fresh quartered fresh mushrooms to the top.) I usually lightly season the top with blackpepper, it is a great accent to the meatloaf flavor. 

Step Five: Place in the oven with the middle rack lowered (so basically not in the bottom of your oven but the slot just above the bottom) and bake for one hour. 

Mushroom Meatloaf ready for the oven or the slow cooker

*Another option is to place meatloaf in your slow cooker and cook on low for six hours. 

A couple of years ago my husband developed diabetes.  We changed what we eat and I changed how I cook.  I cut way back on carbs and developed low carb recipes for a lot of our favorites. At first I was not sure if I could continue to make our beloved meatloaf. However, after a couple of tests and trials, I came up with a savory lower carb option that my family (even my teenage boys) enjoy.  You simply replace the breadcrumbs with ½ cup of almond flour along with ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese and now Mom’s Meatloaf is low carb.  Over the years I also developed a sauce or gravy, if you are feeling a little extra in the kitchen.  

My Simple Mushroom Meatloaf Sauce:

½ can of  cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of sourcream

2 tablespoons of meatloaf drippings (wait till the meatloaf has cooked entirely) 

Add milk to thin 

Directions for Simple Mushroom Meatloaf Sauce:

Step 1: Whisk the first three ingredients in a saucepan on the stove

Step 2: Heat ingredients until the everything is warm and well blended

Step 3: Use milk if needed to thin sauce to the consistency you prefer

Serve meatloaf and sauce over rice,mash potatoes or eat with a lower carb option like mashed cauliflower. This recipe is considered comfort food in our house, and when my college age son rolls into town it is always on his request list for dinner. 

20 responses to “HETTIE’S HOMESTEAD – coming full circle”

  1. Hettie’s Homestead – I am a simple Kentucky girl. In one form or fashion I have been homesteading my entire life, from growing up a farm girl on my parents twenty acre horse farm, to raising container tomatoes in a trailer park, to feeding a family of five year round with home grown produce. My family now lives on a homestead that’s a bit more than one acre. On our homestead we grow a large garden, raise meat rabbits, chickens (both meat and egg laying), and pursue several other homesteading projects. I am a new goat Mom after bringing home two cute little Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Follow my journey of homespun fun, hard work, and learning on my little family homestead.
    Hettie’s Homestead says:

    Thank you for allowing me to share, my mom would have loved sharing her recipe ❤️

  2. Chef Mimi – As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!
    Chef Mimi says:

    I’m sorry but I cannot cook with canned soup! That’s just me. But I love this story and post.

    • V.M.Sang – UK – I was born and educated in the north west of England. I trained as a teacher in Manchester and taught in Salford, Lancashire, Hampshire and Croydon. I write fantasy novels currently. I also make cards, knit, crochet, tat, do cross stitch and paint. I enjoy walking on the Downs, cycling and kayaking. I do not enjoy housework, but like cooking.
      V.M.Sang says:

      Why not make your own mushroom soup and use that? It’s one of the easiest soups to make, In my opinion.

      • I think that a lot of cooks back in the day used cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup. I know homemade would be better but not as thick.

  3. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, chocolate, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. I cook from scratch, and try not to use anything that has ingredients I cannot pronounce! After many years of daily serving up local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most full-fat dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies, and I try to educated myself about our food sources! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
    Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

    What a nice story! Some of my own favorite childhood memories are cooking in the kitchen with my mom.

  4. Darlene – British Columbia, Canada – Writer of children's stories, short stories and travel articles. https://twitter.com/#!/supermegawoman http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=201634059868404&id=631897250&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/Darlene-Foster-Writer/362236842733
    Darlene says:

    This sounds like a great meatloaf recipe. Even more so because it was your mom’s. Thanks for sharing it.

  5. Angie@Angie's Recipes – Angie's Recipes is an interactive blog dedicated to sharing yummy & creative recipes, helpful cooking hints and tips. Enjoy your visit and spread the word!
    Angie@Angie’s Recipes says:

    An interesting mushroom loaf recipe! Thanks for sharing the sweet memories and your mom’s recipe with us, Hettie.

  6. Lovely tribute! Memories make food so much tastier! 🙂

  7. V.M.Sang – UK – I was born and educated in the north west of England. I trained as a teacher in Manchester and taught in Salford, Lancashire, Hampshire and Croydon. I write fantasy novels currently. I also make cards, knit, crochet, tat, do cross stitch and paint. I enjoy walking on the Downs, cycling and kayaking. I do not enjoy housework, but like cooking.
    V.M.Sang says:

    Thanks for sharing your mum’s recipe. I’ve never made meatloaf, but this is one I’m definitely trying.

  8. sammee44 – Victoria, BC – I am a West Coast Reader and Writer who enjoys the big and little things in Life. My philosophy is–if you don't enjoy those precious moments and savour the joy, then how can you appreciate the little things that crosses your daily path?
    sammee44 says:

    This is a delicious and tasty meatloaf that is a change from the tomato sauce one! Also Cream if Celery and Cream of Chicken soups works too. . . .

  9. Hi Bernadette, how amazing that you have shared a recipe for meatloaf today. A few bloggers said my bobotie recipe was like meatloaf so I was curious as I’ve never eaten it.

  10. It’s the taste of home that makes it comfort food! Nice to see a meatloaf that isn’t dripping in tomato glaze. I like the idea of creamy mushroom sauce, and I’d probably take it a step further and make that part myself.

  11. I never had meatloaf with mushrooms, yum!

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