Tuna Noodle Casserole and Other Comfort Foods...

Comfort foods ... there are so many out there!

One of my favorites is Tuna Noodle Casserole. It's specifically grand and comforting in the winter months. Cold dark months ... warm, cheesy and tasty casserole ... yup!

Ingredients:
Noodles (Typically I use egg noodles, though any type will do) - 1 lb
Cream of Mushroom Soup - 1 Can
Tuna Fish - 1 to 2 Cans
Peas - 1 Can
Milk 1/4 of a cup (or so)
Garlic Powder - to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste
American Cheese

How To:
Boil pasta, when it's cooked drain it and return it to the pot. 
In the pot combine pasta with cream of mushroom soup, tuna fish, peas, milk, and spices. Stir it up. When it's well mixed, put mixture in a casserole dish. Cover the mixture with American Cheese. 

Place in over at 350degrees and bake for approx. 20 minutes (until the dish is hot throughout and cheese has melted, perhaps even started to brown up a bit).

Remove and devour! 

YUMMO!

Genius...Individual Salad Storage (ready to go ...)

This is genius!
And I am SO doing it (once I acquire a few mason jars that is).

The Arrangement From Bottom to Top:
Dressing
Shredded Carrots
Sunflower Seeds
Hard Boiled Egg(s)
Baby Spinach

Or whatever you want to put in the jar actually ...

Directions:
Arrange ingredients in a large mason jar.
Store in fridge for up to one week.
When ready to eat: shake jar and pour contents into bowl (or onto a plate) and dig in!

You can make any arrangement you'd like; just remember to keep the dressing AWAY from the greens.  

Saaaaa-weet!

Gingerbread Ducks … you read that correctly!

Oh yeah … so, I wanted to make Gingerbread Men Christmas cookies this year, so I went out and obtained all the ingredients I didn't already have (molasses) to make them.

Made the dough ... did you know that gingerbread is mostly molasses??? 

Then I pulled out the cookie cutters only to find that I did not own a gingerbread man cookie cutter … hmmm. What did I make you ask? I made Gingerbread Bells, Stars, Snowmen and DUCKS!  

Word. Or is it quack?

Cake fail that was so NOT a fail!

About a week ago I was baking a carrot cake (from scratch 'cause that's how I roll) for my work Holiday Party - which is a pot luck style set up.

Several "trauma's" occurred while the baking was in progress ... however, my co-workers LOVED it ... and I must say they were 100% accurate, it was delicious (pat pat pat on my back - sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do)!

I thought those KitchenAid mixer "covers" were supposed to keep things IN the bowl???

Gaaaaaahhhh...the cake is falling apart ... but I will fix it will icing!

Time to cut the cake ... and to eat it!

Baking Party!

It's going to happen in the New Year ... so stay tuned!

Pesto

So, my basil plant recently went berserk ... ok, not true, it's just been plentiful and I've not cooked dishes that use it, so ... I had a LOT of basil.  And, as it happens some times, I also had pine nuts in the house.  So ... bam, pesto!

Currently cooking pasta to give it a try-o!

Pickle Steaks, O'So'Goot!

Pickle Steaks, more commonly known as Rouladen, is one of those dishes that I've known since childhood.  A German dish, made often by my Mother who lived with my Father in Germany for 3-years, I really can't say enough good things about Pickle Steaks.

Beef - yes.
Pickle - yes.
Bacon - yes.
Mustard - yes.
Cooking in beef-brothy-goodness ... for hours ... YES YES YES!
Served with Spaetzle and Red Cabbage ... ohhhhhhhh yes!

Yummmmmmmmmmmmo!

My Mom recently had a dinner party, and though I wasn't at the party, she made me one too!  Woot woot.  And then my Dad brought it to me the next day.  My folks ROCK!