Easy and Delicious Meatloaf Recipe

Growing up, the “good” dishes and “everyday” dishes dichotomy was short-lived in our house after our “everyday” dishes proved too cheaply made to actually withstand the everyday, and our sturdy “good” dishes, that actually could weather the daily use, languished in the cupboard.  When the last crummy “everyday” dish bit the biscuit, my Mom decided to just use and enjoy the fancy Villeroy and Boch dishes she had received as wedding gifts (this cute floral pattern and the simple cream version with the same shape).  In 25+ years hardly any of these dishes broke, no matter how rough we were on them, and every family meal (even pizza night) felt special.  When I moved out, my Mom scored some nice Villeroy and Boch dinnerware at HomeSense for me, in a classic white, and Hubs and I have been enjoying many an elegant pizza night on them for years.  When Villeroy and Boch contacted me to review something new, I jumped at the chance.  I was offered a choice between six options, including adorable Anumut orange-trimmed salad plates and Colour Concepts cranberry hued glassware.  I chose the Urban Nature Platter and Bridge set because I thought they would pair nicely with my current dinnerware and colourful linens.  I’m planning open shelving for the lakehouse kitchen and figured these would make a subtle statement on display too!

Hubs and I were both shocked at their scale and heft when they arrived:

These pieces will definitely not get knocked over easily at our next dinner party (it’s that German engineering!).  I love these two serving pieces because they work well separately and together.  The platter is excellent for piling on burgers for a summer BBQ and I’ve already used the bowl for holding fruit on the counter.  I’ll admit, while I’m a proponent of using good dishes, I don’t always use special serving ware.  I often favor oven-to-table Pyrex or Jadeite, but some meals just look plain ugly when they emerge from the oven . . . like my meatloaf:

Taking two seconds to place the meatloaf on my new platter and toss a salad into the bridged bowl has the same effect using good china everyday does: making a simple meal that much more special.  Hubs and I want to enjoy whatever time left we have in the townhouse, so we’ve been prying ourselves away from the television and eating at our dining room table!

I’ve never used place cards, decorated the table with confetti, or even put the cutlery in the right order (I’m a lefty).  I use my Villeroy and Boch dishes with vintage napkins, glassware and cutlery, paired with a colourful, DIY tablecloth (similar to this one).  Simple.

Where do you stand on the good dishes/everyday dishes spectrum?

P.S. Here’s my yummy meatloaf recipe:

Approx. 3 lbs ground turkey
1 diced onion
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/4 cup mustard
1 cup dried parsley
1 cup shredded carrot
Salt and pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in one bowl and shape into a loaf in a large greased baking pan.  I read somewhere that using a glass pan larger than the loaf helps heat circulate.  Cook for 1.5 hours at 350°F (use a meat thermometer to be sure it’s cooked).  Then, if you’re anything like us, you can then get totally lazy and throw together some lettuce, pecans, dried cranberries and feta cheese with a balsamic vinaigrette and call it a day.

Villeroy and Boch provided the Urban Nature platter and bridge for review, but I was not asked or encouraged to write positive things.  That my Mom and I are long time fans and have our own Villeroy and Boch dinnerware is a fun coincidence!