An exciting week....

... or at least the last two days. Yesterday, three inmates from the local state prison escaped. They were violent offenders and assaulted one of my husband's best friends who works at the prison. He was air-lifted by helicopter to a hospital with head trauma. They had also tied him up with a rope and he laid there for about an hour before he was even found. Fortunately, it looks like he is eventually going to be okay, but the inmates are still loose. Police spent the day searching barns and out-buildings with their guns pulled. Helicopters flew over our house last night looking for the men. It's an uneasy feeling not knowing where these men are. I can tell you that I slept with a pistol next to the bed last night.

Now, on to a food topic.
If I ever decide to write another Masters & Disasters cookbook, I have a new story for it. I had mixed up a meatloaf this evening and put it in the oven. About 40 minutes into the baking, my husband walked into the kitchen and called back to me in the living room, "There is smoke coming out from the vent in the stove."

I then remembered that when I had baked sweet potatoes last week some had leaked out from the aluminum foil onto the bottom of the stove. My husband slowly opened the oven door, knowing that the rush of air could cause a flame-up, which it did anyway. Sure enough, that's what was burning. It didn't help that the grease from the full meatloaf dish was dripping on top of it. My husband sprinkle baking soda on the flame and put it out. I used a metal spatula to remove the burnt potato and resumed the baking of the meatloaf after pouring some of the grease off. Of course, we also had to let the smoke out of the house, so doors and windows were opened. {{{Oh no, what about the escapees}}}

We kept an eye out and closed the doors after a short bit of time. Unfortunately, enough grease had dripped onto the bottom of the stove that soon the oven was smoking again. We turned the oven off and figured by the time the temperature when down, the meatloaf had baked enough.

It was eventful last few days and it looks like tomorrow, I will be cleaning my oven because I plan on having cornbread for supper.

Carol