Kitchen-cabinet meatloaf

I recently visited my very sick grandparents in Florida and had the satisfaction of watching them scarf down my chocolate chip cookies. Inspired by the sight of these wasting octogenarians wolfing down sweets, I wanted to cook more for them. It's the easiest way for me to make people feel good without sitting on the couch holding hands and watching TV. Prescribed or not, I'm convinced that a week of my cooking would help them gain back some of that weight.

Now that I'm in med school, I viewed my grandmother's edematous legs and oxygen sat with a new understanding. I feel an additional responsibility to take care of her and ease her discomfort. Stuck in the apartment, I opted for raiding the cupboards for something to cook. A fun and entertaining challenge.

There may be a touch of old-people preferences in these ingredients but the results are really delicious:

• ~1 lb ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1-2 of each chopped carrots and/or celery ribs and/or onion
• 1/2 cup chopped prunes (or other dried or fresh fruit or tomatoes)
• 1/2-1 cup breadcrumbs (or 2 slices of bread soaked in milk and mashed up)
• 2 cloves chopped garlic or 2 tbsp garlic powder or Mrs. Dash seasoning
• ketchup
• salt and pepper

Mix everything but the ketchup together in a large bowl and pack into a loaf pan, then brush ketchup over the top. Bake at ~350 degrees for ~1 hr until a knife comes out clean. I served it with some kitchen-cabinet mashed potatoes (homemade, of course).

If you're not in Florida, this would be perfect for a snowstorm or exam-week studying-around-the-clock meal. Stock the fridge!