April Fools' Day!

We've had a memorable one or two April Fools' Days in the past, but it's not a regular thing. This year, I baked meatloaf in a pie crust, and topped it with beet juice-dyed mashed potatoes. (Recipe below.) Trevor had come through the kitchen and was clued in on what was going on. He's always interested in what's for dinner.

I'd already announced that I was making a chocolate strawberry pie. I set a piece on each plate, turned the lights down, and called everyone to to the table. Holly was surprised to see pie, and I told her that, in honor of April Fools' Day, we were eating our dessert first. She thought this was a great idea! She took a bite, expecting sweetness--and was so shocked that she had to spit out her food!

It was hilarious! I couldn't believe I'd gotten her!!! She went on to eat the meatloaf anyway, even going back for seconds.


We had a giant bowl of broccoli with it, and continued celebrating with banana splits for dessert, with Holly making real whipped cream.

We also told Trevor that we'd decided to send him to this camp during the summer. His first question was if he'd get a bigger allowance, but he clued in soon enough.

A fun and funny day; the best compliment was when both Holly and Trevor said they'd do similar food pranks on their own kids.

Fauxberry Pie!

1. CHOCOLATE (MEAT LOAF) FILLING
   1/3 cup barbecue sauce
   1/4 cup milk
   1 tablespoon dark molasses
   1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
   1/2 teaspoon chili powder
   1 small onion, finely chopped
   1 tablespoon oil
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   1/2 teaspoon celery salt
   1/4 teaspoon pepper
   2/3 cup bread crumbs
   1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
   1 egg, lightly beaten
2. 
   STRAWBERRY (POTATO) TOPPING
   2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
   Salt
   1/2 cup canned sliced beets (not pickled)
   1/4 cup (or more) warm milk
   4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3. Heat the oven to 350º. Sauce onion in T. of oil until transparent, about 7 mins. Combine the barbecue sauce, milk, molasses, cocoa, and chili powder. Mix well. Mix in onion, salt, celery salt, pepper, and bread crumbs. Then add the beef, egg, sauce mixture, and onion. Thoroughly mix the ingredients using your hands or a wooden spoon. It's helpful to make the beef as smooshed as possible so it imitates pudding texture instead of meatloaf. 
4. Place ingredients in a pie pan, spreading evenly with a spoon. Baked until cooked through, about 60 minutes.
5. While the pie is baking, prepare the mashed potato topping. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to completely submerge them. Salt the water lightly, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook the potatoes at a low boil until they are tender, about 15 minutes.
6. While the potatoes cook, puree the beets and 1/4 cup warm milk in a blender until only small bits of beet are left in the mixture. Set aside.
7. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and pureed beets and, using an electric mixer, whip the mixture until it's smooth and fluffy. Add more milk if needed and salt to taste.
8. Spread the whipped potatoes over the top of the cooked meat pie with a spatula, as you would whipped cream, mounding it slightly in the center. Slice and serve the pie while the potatoes are still hot. Makes 8 servings.
9. It worked best for us to keep the lights down low, haha!