Ultimate Meatloaf

1lb ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crumbled
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon chives
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup water or beef broth
1 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13" baking dish. In a large bowl mix meat, eggs, and crackers thoroughly. Next add minced onion, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, tarragon, basil, chives, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Move meat into prepared baking dish, form into loaf, and pour water or beef broth on top. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and discard the aluminum foil. Cover the top of the meatloaf with the ketchup and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and onto a platter. Slice and serve. Makes 8 slices.

DIY Bear Planter

I'm always looking for a way to reuse old containers. If your family loves animal crackers as much as mine then you should have no problem eating you way through a year supply of animal crackers to get this awesome plastic bear container.

Materials:
Plastic animal cracker container
Gravel (I used some out of my driveway)
Topsoil (Wal-Mart sells 40lb bags for $1.24)
Chives- seeds or plant (I bought a ready to harvest plant from the produce section)

Wash and dry the bear. Fill the bottom two inches with gravel for drainage. Fill the stomach with topsoil. Plant the chives into the head. I arranged mine into a straight line to make a Mohawk. Fill in the rest of the head with topsoil and put an inch of gravel on top. Water lightly everyday. When chives reach 12" trim them back down to 2". You can watch the bear's "hair" grow back! You should be able to cut it every two weeks. Use chives in place of green onion in soups and salads. Also great to spice meats. Use the bear as a decoration in the garden or on a sunny spot on the kitchen counter.

Cheesy Herb Bread

1 Italian loaf about 12 inches long 
1/2 cup butter melted
1/8 cup olive oil
3 tsp minced onion
3 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp poppy seeds
3 tsp chopped parsley
3 tsp basil
3 tsp green onion or chives
12 oz grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F.Mix the melted butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, dijon mustard, poppy seeds and herbs in a bowl. Cut the bread into cubes with X slices without cutting all the way through the bottom crust. Pour the butter-onion garlic mixture carefully into those X cracks using a small spoon and over the top of the bread. Cover with  grated cheese. Wrap the entire loaf with foil, sealing the sides properly and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and unwrap. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey. Enjoy while it's nice and warm.