“Don’t worry, I’ll cook for you tonight.”

You crack open a cold one, get your stainless steel BBQ utensil case out and open the freezer for the burgers….and…. oops.. you used them all up last week.  Now what?  You think, ARGH, I don’t feel like Shake ‘n’ Bake and Rice ‘A’ Roni again.  I know that feeling guys, I’ve been there, so I’m here to tell you that Daddies can cook too!  It’s not that hard, really!

I would look in cookbooks and say, “Oh COME ON, where am I going to get pomegranate molasses??  You gotta be kidding me!”  The ingredients that I am using is found in your everyday grocery store.  Also, I’m somewhat lazy, so these are cooking formulas that are simple to follow. I call them formulas because I can’t spell resipe, recsipe, rescipe….sigh.  I am not that smart either!

Now ladies, don’t take exception to the comments I make throughout.  I think we all know that when it comes to some household chores we guys do things just a little bit differently.  I hope through these pages, you will get an insight into our complex minds, our profound philosophies, and our deep sensitivity….. or at the very least have a good laugh with us!

Today, we’re sharing one of Derek’s special recipes from his book — along with tips, suggestions, and personal reflections on being a new dad and supporting his family at home.

We hope you enjoy reading it and trying it out just as much as Derek enjoys embracing his new life as a proud and hands-on dad!

2 OUT OF 3 AIN’T BAD MEATLOAF

I guess I’m dating myself. I wanted to use that Paradise song in the title, but my wife said “I’d do anything for love, just don’t do that”.    Ok enough of that now.

Ground beef – extra lean: 2 lbs

Eggs – beaten first: 2

Ketchup: ¾ cup

Milk: ½ cup

Bread crumbs: 1 ½ cups

Onion – dried or fresh cut: ¼ cup

Salt: ½ teaspoon

Pepper: ½ teaspoon

Hot sauce: 1 tablespoon

Mix all of the ingredients very well in a big bowl.  Spray your bread loaf pan with vegetable spray and pack it in.  Squeeze some ketchup on the top. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and pop it in for 1 ¼ hours.   Take it out and it should slide out nicely onto your serving dish.

HINTS

I like using extra lean ground beef.  Less mess and better for you.

If you can, buy one of those silicone baking pans, they work great and so easy to clean.

You can put some grated cheese in the mixture,  if you like that sort of thing.

You can substitute the ketchup with BBQ sauce for a different flavour, or put more hot sauce in it to get it like a bat out of…..

WOW FACTOR

Wow …. hmm you took the words right out of my mouth.  I think I included most of his good songs.

Derek Swicheniuk is a passionate autism advocate, and a devoted family man. Married to Michelle, he is the proud father of two autistic boys, Everett and Dawson. Their home is filled with love—and their pets, Dora and Loki (dogs) and Rango (a Gecko)! As someone on the autism spectrum, Derek brings personal and professional insights into autism awareness, workplace inclusion, and accessibility. He actively shares his journey, highlighting both the challenges and strengths of neurodiversity, and advocates for more inclusive environments in workplaces and beyond. If you’d like to contact Derek, send an email to: dswicheniuk@sasktel.net