Tuna casserole recipe -- missing info?

On Thu 02 Mar 2006 06:12:18a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Phred?

Quoted message said:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

Firstly, allow me to apologise for fragmenting this thread, but some
strange behaviour of the previous contribution (Message-ID:
<[email hidden]>😉 seemed to confuse my
newsreader, so I've been forced to a cut and paste job here.

We have seen several suggestions along the following lines:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

2 cans of Tuna, drained.
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Egg Noodles (those rectangle kind with the frilly edges)
I always have to guess on the quantity of noodles.
Salt & pepper.

That's pretty much mine as well. I use the whole grain "egg" noodles,
and throw in a handful of frozen peas. Also, I sprinkle with bread
crumbs.

IIRC, one of the earlier ones actually specifically referred to using
*cooked* noodles in the recipe, and I assume the above do too.

Apart from the somewhat undefined ingredients list (how big is a
"can", for example) the thing that has me somewhat confused is the
lack of subsequent cooking, or even "warming" instructions.

To me, a casserole is a moist brew cooked for a relatively long time
in the oven. Is that what we're talking about here? If so, for how
long in this case -- just until "warm" I would suspect, if indeed you
do it at all for this sort of tuna casserole.

I'm also a bit uncertain about that soup. Is that the made up soup,
or just the glug that comes straight from the can? I suspect the made
up version would be rather too "moist". 🙂 On the other hand, the
canned soup here in Oz is usually pretty "solid" straight from the can
and, undiluted, would be a pretty potent ingredient!

More detailed guidance for a neophyte cook would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

Cheers, Phred.

Well, Phred, when it comes to the ubiquitous Tuna Noodle Casserole and
similar such concoctions, I'm afraid that we USians make a lot of
assumptions.

This is the recipe I posted, but with can sizes added:

1 (7 oz) can solid-pack tuna, well-drained and flaked
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup uncooked fusilli (corkscrew pasta)
buttered bread crumbs or crushed potato chips

Cook noodles according to directions. Combine all ingredients and spoon
into a 1-1/2 quart casserole. Top with the buttered crumbs or potato
chips. Bake at 350 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes, until mixture is
bubbling and topping is brown.

HTH

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Phred) said:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

Firstly, allow me to apologise for fragmenting this thread, but some
strange behaviour of the previous contribution (Message-ID:
<[email hidden]>😉 seemed to confuse my
newsreader, so I've been forced to a cut and paste job here.

We have seen several suggestions along the following lines:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

2 cans of Tuna, drained.
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Egg Noodles (those rectangle kind with the frilly edges)
I always have to guess on the quantity of noodles.
Salt & pepper.

That's pretty much mine as well. I use the whole grain "egg" noodles,
and throw in a handful of frozen peas. Also, I sprinkle with bread
crumbs.

IIRC, one of the earlier ones actually specifically referred to using
*cooked* noodles in the recipe, and I assume the above do too.

Apart from the somewhat undefined ingredients list (how big is a
"can", for example) the thing that has me somewhat confused is the
lack of subsequent cooking, or even "warming" instructions.

To me, a casserole is a moist brew cooked for a relatively long time
in the oven. Is that what we're talking about here? If so, for how
long in this case -- just until "warm" I would suspect, if indeed you
do it at all for this sort of tuna casserole.

I'm also a bit uncertain about that soup. Is that the made up soup,
or just the glug that comes straight from the can? I suspect the made
up version would be rather too "moist". 🙂 On the other hand, the
canned soup here in Oz is usually pretty "solid" straight from the can
and, undiluted, would be a pretty potent ingredient!

More detailed guidance for a neophyte cook would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

Cheers, Phred.

Ah, Phred darlin'. . . . there are no instructions for a tuna hotdish
(casserole, if you must) because we all know how to make them. All of
us. We watched our mums do it when there was more month left at the end
of the money, when it was Friday, when it was Lent, or when an
unexpected kid showed up at suppertime. We just know how.

We all know that a can of cream of mushroom soup is a 10-1/2 ounce can
of Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. We all know that a can
of tuna is a 6-7 ounce can of Chicken Of The Sea tuna (unless it's
Starkist "-) We know that you just use as many noodles as you need.
The cognoscenti know that you use flat medium-wide egg noodles, not
elbow macaroni or macaroni shells or other macaroni shapes. Noodles,
m'friend. Noodles.

I haven't made one for quite a while but I think I will for tonight's
supper and I'll think of you when I do. I'll fix a green salad to
accompany it. And just for you, Sweets, here's the narrative of what
I'll do:

Barb's Tuna Hotdish for Phred

Egg noodles - a couple handsful of medium-wide
1 can cream of mushroom soup
(optional: some cooked fresh mushrooms if you like)
milk to rinse the soup can - 1/3 - 1/2 can
1 can tuna, drained and lightly rinsed
black pepper to taste
a handful or two of frozen green peas
crushed potato chips - a small handful (I never use them, though)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the egg noodles until barely tender
in lots of water, drain and rinse; drain and set aside. In a mixing
bowl or whatever combine the cream of mushroom soup and the tuna. Rinse
the soup can with milk and stir that into the mixture, too. Add a
couple twists of black pepper and the frozen green peas. Mix it all and
then add the cooked noodles to it, mixing to combine well. The mixture
should be a little bit wet. You might not use all the noodles; maybe
you will. Turn the mixture into a buttered 1-1/2 quart casserole dish
and pop it into the oven for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the crushed
potato chips on top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until
things are bubbly and maybe the chips brown a bit (I never use them, so
I'm guessing.). Dish it out and eat it up! Now some people might dump
some grated cheese on top instead of the potato chips. Ishta.

There you go, dearie. Tuna Hotdish as learned in Minnesota, the best
place to live. Some people cringe at the idea of dishes like this.
[censored] on 'em. Here's a good story for you: My mom used to make this and
I don't really think she put anything else in it but it maybe just
seemed like it -- my memory is of teasing her about what all went into
the hotdish. (Yes, hon, it's one word.) She made some once and at
supper, having eaten half of what was on my plate, I asked if she
remembered to put the tuna in. She gasped! She'd forgotten it. We
never noticed. :-) God rest her weary soul.

Hoping this helps you. :-)
-Barb Schaller
--
-Barb
<www.jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 2-28-2006, Crazy Lady Party;
Church review #7

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snip> Barb's Tuna Hotdish for Phred

Quoted message said:

Egg noodles - a couple handsful of medium-wide
1 can cream of mushroom soup
(optional: some cooked fresh mushrooms if you like)
milk to rinse the soup can - 1/3 - 1/2 can
1 can tuna, drained and lightly rinsed
black pepper to taste
a handful or two of frozen green peas
crushed potato chips - a small handful (I never use them, though)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the egg noodles until barely tender
in lots of water, drain and rinse; drain and set aside. In a mixing
bowl or whatever combine the cream of mushroom soup and the tuna. Rinse
the soup can with milk and stir that into the mixture, too. Add a
couple twists of black pepper and the frozen green peas. Mix it all and
then add the cooked noodles to it, mixing to combine well. The mixture
should be a little bit wet. You might not use all the noodles; maybe
you will. Turn the mixture into a buttered 1-1/2 quart casserole dish
and pop it into the oven for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the crushed
potato chips on top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until
things are bubbly and maybe the chips brown a bit (I never use them, so
I'm guessing.). Dish it out and eat it up! Now some people might dump
some grated cheese on top instead of the potato chips. Ishta.

There you go, dearie. Tuna Hotdish as learned in Minnesota, the best
place to live. snip
-Barb Schaller

I remember the very first time I had tuna hotdish. My mother didn't make
it -- in fact I didn't know anyone who had a mother that did (in my home
town.) I went to visit my Aunt Milly in the sophisticated city of Madison,
Wisconsin and she served it for lunch. I couldn't get enough of it, it was
wonderful and also my first experience of what I consider a hotdish. I was
lost in admiration. I mean who but my big city aunt would think of the
defining touch of topping with potato chips? Beverage that day was Nesbitt
Orange. Wow!!!
Janet

Melba's Jammin said:

Ah, Phred darlin'. . . . there are no instructions for a tuna hotdish

Quoted message said:

We all know....

I think it's a basic component of WASP DNA.

Quoted message said:

supper, having eaten half of what was on my plate, I asked if she
remembered to put the tuna in. She gasped! She'd forgotten it. We
never noticed. :-) God rest her weary soul.

You're makin' me all misty, Barb.

nb

On Thu 02 Mar 2006 08:58:34a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Janet
Bostwick?

Quoted message said:

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snip> Barb's Tuna Hotdish for Phred

Quoted message said:

Egg noodles - a couple handsful of medium-wide
1 can cream of mushroom soup
(optional: some cooked fresh mushrooms if you like)
milk to rinse the soup can - 1/3 - 1/2 can
1 can tuna, drained and lightly rinsed
black pepper to taste
a handful or two of frozen green peas
crushed potato chips - a small handful (I never use them, though)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the egg noodles until barely
tender in lots of water, drain and rinse; drain and set aside. In a
mixing bowl or whatever combine the cream of mushroom soup and the
tuna. Rinse the soup can with milk and stir that into the mixture,
too. Add a couple twists of black pepper and the frozen green peas.
Mix it all and then add the cooked noodles to it, mixing to combine
well. The mixture should be a little bit wet. You might not use all
the noodles; maybe you will. Turn the mixture into a buttered 1-1/2
quart casserole dish and pop it into the oven for 20 minutes. Then
sprinkle the crushed potato chips on top and continue to bake for
another 10 minutes until things are bubbly and maybe the chips brown a
bit (I never use them, so I'm guessing.). Dish it out and eat it up!
Now some people might dump some grated cheese on top instead of the
potato chips. Ishta.

There you go, dearie. Tuna Hotdish as learned in Minnesota, the best
place to live. snip
-Barb Schaller

I remember the very first time I had tuna hotdish. My mother didn't
make
it -- in fact I didn't know anyone who had a mother that did (in my home
town.) I went to visit my Aunt Milly in the sophisticated city of
Madison, Wisconsin and she served it for lunch. I couldn't get enough
of it, it was wonderful and also my first experience of what I consider
a hotdish. I was lost in admiration. I mean who but my big city aunt
would think of the defining touch of topping with potato chips?
Beverage that day was Nesbitt Orange. Wow!!!
Janet

And a good lunch was had by all! I love that Nesbitt Orange. Do they
still make that stuff? At the time tuna noodle casserole became popular,
we lived in St. Louis MO. My mom was from MS, and we really didn't have
casseroles (never heard of hotdish back then). I felt the same as you did
the first time mom every made the tuna casserole. I couldn't get enough.
I don't know if the recipe she used called for it, but she use fusilli
(corkscrew) pasta, and we've made it the same way ever since. <<tradition>>

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snip

Quoted message said:

And a good lunch was had by all! I love that Nesbitt Orange. Do they
still make that stuff? At the time tuna noodle casserole became popular,
we lived in St. Louis MO. My mom was from MS, and we really didn't have
casseroles (never heard of hotdish back then). I felt the same as you did
the first time mom every made the tuna casserole. I couldn't get enough.
I don't know if the recipe she used called for it, but she use fusilli
(corkscrew) pasta, and we've made it the same way ever since.
<<tradition>>

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

Even the church socials back then in my area didn't have hotdishes. There
were Nesco roasters full of ham, turkey, chili, German potato salad, baked
beans, bratwurst -- stuff like that. Of course, lots of Jello salads and
tons of wonderful home made cakes.
Janet

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snip

Quoted message said:

And a good lunch was had by all! I love that Nesbitt Orange. Do they
still make that stuff?

snip

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

I just looked on the Web and all I can find reference to is memorabilia. To
bad, that was good stuff.
Janet

On Thu 02 Mar 2006 10:03:16a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Janet
Bostwick?

Quoted message said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snip

Quoted message said:

And a good lunch was had by all! I love that Nesbitt Orange. Do they
still make that stuff? At the time tuna noodle casserole became
popular, we lived in St. Louis MO. My mom was from MS, and we really
didn't have casseroles (never heard of hotdish back then). I felt the
same as you did the first time mom every made the tuna casserole. I
couldn't get enough. I don't know if the recipe she used called for it,
but she use fusilli (corkscrew) pasta, and we've made it the same way
ever since. <<tradition>>

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o ____________________

Even the church socials back then in my area didn't have hotdishes.
There were Nesco roasters full of ham, turkey, chili, German potato
salad, baked beans, bratwurst -- stuff like that. Of course, lots of
Jello salads and tons of wonderful home made cakes.
Janet

The same in St. Louis, too. Our church has the best fish fries I've ever
eaten. Ah, yes, the jello salads and home made cakes, though I think we
had more home pies. <waxing nostalgic>

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

On Thu 02 Mar 2006 10:14:20a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Janet
Bostwick?

Quoted message said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snip

Quoted message said:

And a good lunch was had by all! I love that Nesbitt Orange. Do they
still make that stuff?

snip

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright o¿o ____________________

I just looked on the Web and all I can find reference to is memorabilia.
To bad, that was good stuff.
Janet

That's a pity!

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

great story barb!

--

Do we need to impeach Bush to bring some focus to this man's life?
The man was lost and then he was found and now he's more lost than ever,
plus being blind.
.........................Garrison Keillor

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Phred) said:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

Firstly, allow me to apologise for fragmenting this thread, but some
strange behaviour of the previous contribution (Message-ID:
<[email hidden]>😉 seemed to confuse my
newsreader, so I've been forced to a cut and paste job here.

We have seen several suggestions along the following lines:

Quoted message said:

>2 cans of Tuna, drained.
>2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
>Egg Noodles (those rectangle kind with the frilly edges)
> I always have to guess on the quantity of noodles.
>Salt & pepper.

That's pretty much mine as well. I use the whole grain "egg" noodles,
and throw in a handful of frozen peas. Also, I sprinkle with bread
crumbs.

IIRC, one of the earlier ones actually specifically referred to using
*cooked* noodles in the recipe, and I assume the above do too.

Apart from the somewhat undefined ingredients list (how big is a
"can", for example) the thing that has me somewhat confused is the
lack of subsequent cooking, or even "warming" instructions.

To me, a casserole is a moist brew cooked for a relatively long time
in the oven. Is that what we're talking about here? If so, for how
long in this case -- just until "warm" I would suspect, if indeed you
do it at all for this sort of tuna casserole.

I'm also a bit uncertain about that soup. Is that the made up soup,
or just the glug that comes straight from the can? I suspect the made
up version would be rather too "moist". 🙂 On the other hand, the
canned soup here in Oz is usually pretty "solid" straight from the can
and, undiluted, would be a pretty potent ingredient!

More detailed guidance for a neophyte cook would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

Cheers, Phred.

Ah, Phred darlin'. . . . there are no instructions for a tuna hotdish
(casserole, if you must) because we all know how to make them. All of
us. We watched our mums do it when there was more month left at the end
of the money, when it was Friday, when it was Lent, or when an
unexpected kid showed up at suppertime. We just know how.

We all know that a can of cream of mushroom soup is a 10-1/2 ounce can
of Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. We all know that a can
of tuna is a 6-7 ounce can of Chicken Of The Sea tuna (unless it's
Starkist "-) We know that you just use as many noodles as you need.
The cognoscenti know that you use flat medium-wide egg noodles, not
elbow macaroni or macaroni shells or other macaroni shapes. Noodles,
m'friend. Noodles.

I haven't made one for quite a while but I think I will for tonight's
supper and I'll think of you when I do. I'll fix a green salad to
accompany it. And just for you, Sweets, here's the narrative of what
I'll do:

Barb's Tuna Hotdish for Phred

Egg noodles - a couple handsful of medium-wide
1 can cream of mushroom soup
(optional: some cooked fresh mushrooms if you like)
milk to rinse the soup can - 1/3 - 1/2 can
1 can tuna, drained and lightly rinsed
black pepper to taste
a handful or two of frozen green peas
crushed potato chips - a small handful (I never use them, though)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the egg noodles until barely tender
in lots of water, drain and rinse; drain and set aside. In a mixing
bowl or whatever combine the cream of mushroom soup and the tuna. Rinse
the soup can with milk and stir that into the mixture, too. Add a
couple twists of black pepper and the frozen green peas. Mix it all and
then add the cooked noodles to it, mixing to combine well. The mixture
should be a little bit wet. You might not use all the noodles; maybe
you will. Turn the mixture into a buttered 1-1/2 quart casserole dish
and pop it into the oven for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the crushed
potato chips on top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until
things are bubbly and maybe the chips brown a bit (I never use them, so
I'm guessing.). Dish it out and eat it up! Now some people might dump
some grated cheese on top instead of the potato chips. Ishta.

There you go, dearie. Tuna Hotdish as learned in Minnesota, the best
place to live. Some people cringe at the idea of dishes like this.
[censored] on 'em. Here's a good story for you: My mom used to make this and
I don't really think she put anything else in it but it maybe just
seemed like it -- my memory is of teasing her about what all went into
the hotdish. (Yes, hon, it's one word.) She made some once and at
supper, having eaten half of what was on my plate, I asked if she
remembered to put the tuna in. She gasped! She'd forgotten it. We
never noticed. :-) God rest her weary soul.

Hoping this helps you. :-)
-Barb Schaller
--
-Barb
<www.jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 2-28-2006, Crazy Lady Party;
Church review #7

Janet Bostwick said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snip

Quoted message said:

And a good lunch was had by all! I love that Nesbitt Orange. Do they
still make that stuff?

snip

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

I just looked on the Web and all I can find reference to is memorabilia.
To
bad, that was good stuff.
Janet

Nesbitt flavors are made by Big Red; their email and phone number are listed
on the American Beverage Association website:
http://www.ameribev.org/variety/who.asp lists who makes what. Use your
browser find feature for quickly locating a given brand.

I found it with a google search on "nesbitt soft drink"; you probably
searched for "nesbitt soda". I grew up in the south (Kentucky, not deep
south) where we didn't have soda, we had "pop" or "soft drinks". Didn't
hear of soda (and its hayseed cousin, sodee) until I move to St. Louis.

--
To email, replace Cujo with Juno

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

And a good lunch was had by all! I love that Nesbitt Orange. Do they
still make that stuff? At the time tuna noodle casserole became popular,
we lived in St. Louis MO. My mom was from MS, and we really didn't have
casseroles (never heard of hotdish back then). I felt the same as you did
the first time mom every made the tuna casserole. I couldn't get enough.
I don't know if the recipe she used called for it, but she use fusilli
(corkscrew) pasta, and we've made it the same way ever since.
<<tradition>>

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

My Gramma always used flat skinny noodles. So naturally that's what I use.
But I don't actually *like* tuna casserole so I make mine chicken.

It's really weird to get a craving for something you don't even like.

Ms P

In article <[email hidden]>,

notbob said:

Melba's Jammin said:

Ah, Phred darlin'. . . . there are no instructions for a tuna hotdish

Quoted message said:

We all know....

I think it's a basic component of WASP DNA.

<chuckle>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

supper, having eaten half of what was on my plate, I asked if she
remembered to put the tuna in. She gasped! She'd forgotten it. We
never noticed. :-) God rest her weary soul.

You're makin' me all misty, Barb.

nb

She was something else, nb. She kept us fed and worked as hard as any
woman I've ever known and a helluva lot harder than most. I learned
early on to never complain about MY lot in life!

She had 13 kids in 28 years, not out of desire but out of duty and, I've
always suspected, ignorance (or bad information) of how to not. She
kept a coop of chickens for eggs and for "egg money." She had a mean
reach with a broom handle, too. :-/ And she liked me best. "-)
Which is why nobody else did. Pure jealousy. ;-) Never drove a car.
Read her Bible faithfully and prayed all the time.

My greatest regret for her is that her God was a harsh one and she never
felt she measured up to Heavenly standards. She was afraid of going to
Hell - winding up on a front row bench in front of the furnace. What a
pity. Shoot, I figure she's got a nice spot in a rocking chair in front
of the fireplace instead.

She never saw her mother after she left Europe at 15 with a girlfriend -
the last boat out before WW I started. I had a dream of her once after
she was gone, that she was running through the hills of her homeland,
braids flying in the wind, laughing. She made great soup and cooked
every piece of meat until she was sure it would never move again. I
could outlast her on the borscht, though. Blech! She was a proud woman
who never borrowed anything from anyone. I've got a couple of her
cooking pots that I never use but cannot bear to part with. :-/ My
kids don't understand these things. Vicnaja pamjat - your memory is
eternal.

I've cooked the noodles and rinsed and drained the tuna for tonight's
supper. Cream of mushroom soup has been procured. I sure hope I've got
peas in the freezer! Gotta have peas in tuna hotdish. Gotta.
--
-Barb
<www.jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 2-28-2006, Crazy Lady Party;
Church review #7

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

notbob said:

Melba's Jammin said:

Ah, Phred darlin'. . . . there are no instructions for a tuna hotdish

Quoted message said:

We all know....

I think it's a basic component of WASP DNA.

<chuckle>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

supper, having eaten half of what was on my plate, I asked if she
remembered to put the tuna in. She gasped! She'd forgotten it. We
never noticed. :-) God rest her weary soul.

You're makin' me all misty, Barb.

nb

She was something else, nb. She kept us fed and worked as hard as any
woman I've ever known and a helluva lot harder than most. I learned
early on to never complain about MY lot in life!

She had 13 kids in 28 years, not out of desire but out of duty and, I've
always suspected, ignorance (or bad information) of how to not. She
kept a coop of chickens for eggs and for "egg money." She had a mean
reach with a broom handle, too. :-/ And she liked me best. "-)
Which is why nobody else did. Pure jealousy. ;-) Never drove a car.
Read her Bible faithfully and prayed all the time.

My greatest regret for her is that her God was a harsh one and she never
felt she measured up to Heavenly standards. She was afraid of going to
Hell - winding up on a front row bench in front of the furnace. What a
pity. Shoot, I figure she's got a nice spot in a rocking chair in front
of the fireplace instead.

She never saw her mother after she left Europe at 15 with a girlfriend -
the last boat out before WW I started. I had a dream of her once after
she was gone, that she was running through the hills of her homeland,
braids flying in the wind, laughing. She made great soup and cooked
every piece of meat until she was sure it would never move again. I
could outlast her on the borscht, though. Blech! She was a proud woman
who never borrowed anything from anyone. I've got a couple of her
cooking pots that I never use but cannot bear to part with. :-/ My
kids don't understand these things. Vicnaja pamjat - your memory is
eternal.

I've cooked the noodles and rinsed and drained the tuna for tonight's
supper. Cream of mushroom soup has been procured. I sure hope I've got
peas in the freezer! Gotta have peas in tuna hotdish. Gotta.

What a nice way to honor you Mother's memory. Thank you for this
lovely story. :o)

I suppose this is the wrong time to say that I never tasted a Tuna
Casserole or an authentic Macaroni and Cheese Casserole. I had one
once, but that was not a real one, but it was wonderful. With three
or four gourmet cheeses, bacon, kosher salami and all sorts of
vegetables and regular elbow macaroni. If Jillie sees this post, I
wonder whether she remembers.