Lemon Barbecue Meatloaves

Somehow May has slipped through our fingers.  In a matter of weeks now school will be done and Emily will embark on another summer of adventure.  I am envious, a little.  I remember the anticipation of June and the promise of long, lazy summer days.
She spent the long weekend at her dad's, and judging by the texts I received throughout the weekend I suspect she was a little homesick.  I collected her Monday evening on my way home and we both turned in early.
On Tuesday she had no school, and mid-day I got a phone call.  She had found the recipe she wanted to make for supper.  I put her off for a day, as I had plans to go out with the girls, and she was supposed to babysit later.  The recipe she chose called for cooked, frozen meatballs, so I suggested she set it aside for the following week and make something else.  With some grumbling disappointment she quickly suggested meat loaf.  Meat loaf is a meal that lends itself to fall or winter days, but it has been rather cool and rainy.  I pulled out one of my favourite cookbooks, one well perused and falling apart and tuned quickly to the recipe for Lemon Barbecue Meatloaves.  It was already bookmarked, the page stained; it is an old favourite.  She looked it over and decided to give it try.
When I left for work Wednesday I advised her to peel 4 or 5 potatoes when she got home, and to dice them and put them in cold water.  It is not a speedy process for her yet, so I figured she could get a head start on that part of the meal.  When I arrived home she had done as I suggested, but the potatoes looked more like they had been minced for hash browns than cubed for boiling, but the job was done.
While Emily began collecting her meatloaf ingredients I minced an onion for her (some how, for someone who had just minced 5 potatoes, she would have only diced the onion) I also ran a few slices of bread through my manual food processor to make her some fresh bread crumbs.  To ground beef Emily added the onion, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, an egg and some seasoned salt.  I showed her how to shape the mixture into six small loaves and once they were in the oven she began making the barbecue sauce.
After 15 minutes she removed the meatloaves from the oven and spooned sauce over them, finally topping each one with a slice of fresh lemon.
The meatloaves were as good as I remember, the sauce sweet and tangy.

Lemon Barbecued Meat Loaves

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef                               1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 4 slices)            1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 cup lemon juice                                                1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup minced onion                                             1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 egg                                                                       6 thin lemon slices

2 teaspoons seasoned salt 

1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, lemon juice and seasoned salt.  Mix well and shape into six individual loaves.  Place in a greased baking pan.

Bake 15 minutes.

While the meatloaves are baking prepare the barbecue sauce.  Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, allspice and cloves.  Mix well.  Spoon the sauce over the meatloaves and top each with a lemon slice.  Return to the oven and bake 30 minutes longer, basting occasionally with remaining sauce.  Serve any remaining sauce on the side.