I love to have a big, hunka meat right in my face, teasing and seducing me.

I’m talking about dinner, you dirty birdies!

My fave plate of anti-vegetarianism is without a doubt the beloved meatloaf. But that’s one meal that can easily turn bland and pack in the saturated fat like Brit Brit on a junk food binge. Luckily, I came across an amazing recipe that’s gonna knock your flip flops off (if you still have them on; damn you, end of summer weather!).

This ain’t yo mama’s dry, crumbly meatloaf with mysteriously colored ingredients! Not only is this recipe simple and healthy (if you’re trying to maintain that bangin’ bikini bod), you can dress it up with your favorite flavors. In this recipe from Hungry Girl, we take taco night to the next level…the meatloaf level!

Ingredients:
1 pound raw extra-lean ground turkey
2 slices fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup canned sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix (I use the entire packet…kicks it up a notch)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cook peppers and onions for 3 minutes over medium heat in a nonstick pan sprayed with Pam.

3. In a large bowl, combine onions and peppers with turkey, corn, and seasoning mix.

4. Spread half the mixture evenly into the bottom of a loaf pan (about 9″ by 5″) sprayed with Pam.

5. Layer the two slices of fat-free cheese on top of the mixture. Evenly top with the remaining meat mixture and pour the salsa over the top of the loaf (by now you should be craving a strawberry margarita).

6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top loaf with shredded cheese and return to the oven for another 15 minutes (or until the gooey goodness has melted).

Now that your taco meatloaf is ready to feed you and 5 friends, whip up your favorite margarita and turn up the Ricky Martin playlist on your Ipod (What? You don’t have one too?). Livin’ La Vida Loca!

This past weekend, I experienced something that, I think, only very lucky people get to experience in their respective lifetimes. I met my idols, my heroes, my very favorite entertainers in the whole entire freaking world: The cast of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Most people don’t understand my intense love for the show (most people have probably never even heard of the show?), and that’s fine, I don’t understand why people like Nickelback or are fascinated by the minutiae of Paris Hilton’s life, but MST3K was a part of my childhood and stayed with me constantly to my adulthood, so this little TV show is something very precious to me.

So when I heard that they were having a 20-year anniversary retrospective in Dallas at the USA Film Festival, I knew I had to go. These guys rarely get together to do stuff like this and if they do, it’s never in the Southeast, where I live. So my boyfriend and I saved up and right after I finished my last final, we took the three hour plane trip to Dallas for the weekend to meet them.

I had been thinking for weeks about what I would say when I finally got to talk to the cast. At all costs, I wanted to avoid the pathetic, “I’m such a huge fan”, and “I’m so honored to meet you”. I’m sure they get that lame sh*t all the time. No, I wanted to stand out, to create a speech that would make me seem all at once excited, but composed; funny, but not like I was trying too hard. I wanted to make an impression. Read More »