“During this season of parenting, I am reminded daily just how quickly these younger years are going by,” shared Barrett Odom, a mom of three, living in Auburn.
“My goal is to soak up all the little things with our kids, like having dinners together at the table. Moments like these grow into meaningful memories as our kids get older.”
Barrett has been happily married to her husband, Andy, for twelve years. Together, they have three children—a daughter, Thomley (8), and two boys, Axel (6) and Ozzy (3). Andy is a police officer serving and protecting the City of Auburn, and Barrett works part-time with Auburn City Schools as a Title I math tutor.
As a family, they enjoy traveling and visiting different campgrounds, spending time outdoors, playing sports, and having a good old-fashioned game night.
“Sitting at the table every night as a family is very important to us. Even with busy schedules—like this season, when we’re at the soccer fields four nights a week—we adjust our dinner times so we can sit down either before or after practices and games. It gives us a chance to connect and hear about each other’s days,” Barrett said.
One meal that always brings everyone together is this classic meatloaf. In fact, the Odom kids love it so much that they always want to be involved in making it.
“Our kids love to help in small ways in the kitchen,” Barrett shared. “With three eager helpers, we rotate each step so everyone feels like they’ve contributed.” Barrett reminds busy moms that family meals don’t have to be fancy or elaborate. Focusing on simply providing a meal while prioritizing time together should be the main goal. “When I start to worry about whether a meal is ‘enough,’ I remind myself what a blessing it is to prepare and provide multiple meals a day for our family—no matter how healthy, tasty, or fancy they may be,” she said. “Just have a protein, a carb, and a veggie, and enjoy your time at the table together. That’s what matters most.”
Classic Meatloaf
Ingredients for the meatloaf:
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper.
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef (80/20)
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Mince the onion.
- Add the ground beef, egg mixture, breadcrumb mixture, and minced onion to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until evenly combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Place the meatloaf mixture on a rimmed baking dish and shape it into a loaf that is approximately 4 inches wide, 8 inches long, and 2 inches tall.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the glaze ingredients (ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard).
- Spread the glaze evenly over the top and sides of the meatloaf.
- Bake the meatloaf for 50-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Allow the meatloaf to rest for 5-10 minutes after baking, then slice and serve.
