Jesus Loves Casseroles

I know!

It's been a while since I posted some recipes. Things have been so busy around here.

Well today I'm going to make it up to you. I'm posting more recipes than I usually do.


The first recipe is from WSU Laura's mom.

Susan is an amazingly talented woman. She wins our Ugly Christmas Sweater party contest every year with her fantastic enthusiasm for the party theme. She makes amazing jewelery, paints, draws, one of the best junkers ever, and is just an all around super smart creative woman. I was so excited when she sent me a recipe to post.

Dee Dee's Tuna "Delight"

My much loved Godmother, Delia Hodler, a Black Irish (From the Druid side, rather than one of the Viking offspring...dark hair rather than red) taught me this recipe when I was 8 years old. It got me thru LOTS of hard times and tight money and has always been popular with the designated eaters.

Ingredients:
1 can water packed white tuna.(Less "fishy" than oil packed)
1 big can Chinese Noodles
4/5 stalks celery
1 onion
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup (Lo-sodium is best)
1 bag Bar-b-que potato chips
If you're feeling rich:
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can mushroom bits and pieces

Take large unbroken chips and layer the bottom of your casserole dish leaving at least 1/2 bag. Chop/Slice onions and celery and saute till slightly translucent, (I got lazy in high school and skipped the saute part...never went back...a little extra crunch is good.) Mix with tuna, soup, noodles, water chestnuts and mushrooms.
Pour/Spoon gently into casserole so chip layer stays in place. Secure chip bag and use rolling pin to crumble remaining chips and shake over top so evenly covered.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serves 4 to 6 depending on age, appetites and side dishes.

The next recipe was sent to me from Peggy.

Peggy and I went to high school together.

I know!

Doesn't she look great?

You would never know she's 29ish.

Peggy and I recently connected on Facebook after an obscene amount of years. It's been fun chatting with her, playing Facebook games, seeing pictures of her and her family. She also has a daughter who is some kind of freaky talented fantastic skater.

Don't you love Facebook?

TACO BAKE

2 lbs. ground beef
2 pkgs. taco seasoning mix
1 c. water
1 1/2 cans crescent rolls
1 reg. size bag corn chips
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. Cheddar cheese

Brown the beef, drain. Add seasoning mix and water. Simmer 5 minutes.Line 9x13 pan with the rolls. Bake rolls at temperature listed on package for 5 minutes. Crumble 1/2 of the bag of chips and put over rolls. Top with meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Sprinkle with remaining chips. Bake 11-13 minutes, 375 degrees.

Sauerkraut Salad

This is a recipe that my Grandmother use to make for our family reunions. Now I make it and take it to our family reunion.

It's a great refreshing salad for summer

Which we all need right now with the temperatures in the 100's everyday.

2 1/2 lbs. can sauerkraut

rinse very well and pat dry

1 chopped med. green pepper

1 sweet onion, chopped

1/4 c. pimentos

(optional, I don't put it in because I always forget to buy them. Even if they are on the list)

1 tsp. caraway seeds (Dill seed is also and option)

DRESSING:
1 c. sugar

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1/3 c. salad oil

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cider vinegar. Heat until sugar dissolves. Let cool

Add salad oil and mix well. Mix sauerkraut, onion, pepper, pimentos, and seeds.

Pour dressing over sauerkraut mixture. Toss and cover overnight in refrigerator to blend flavors.

Makes 1 quart.

Desserts

This is always my favorite part of Jesus Loves Casseroles!

Have you met Laurie Anne at Tinkers Piggies?

She's on the left.

WSU Laura (in the middle) and I finally got to meet her in person when we attended the Funky Junk Sisters Show last month.

The e-mail I got from Laurie Anne was titled

Jesus Loves Rhubarb

and read:

Hey Ya Timi,
This gets rave reviews and couldn't be easier. You know me, I'm all about the easy!! :0)
Hope your summer has been fun. Mine has been joyfully uneventful. Gotta love those lazy days of summer (heavy emphasis on LAZY)

Laurie Anne


Rhubarb Dream Bar

(from the Amish Cook)

Crust

(I usually throw it in the Cuisinart and pulse until it looks like fine crumbs)
1 ½ cups flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
¾ cup butter
Mix the three above ingredients like a pie crust.

Press into a 9X13 cake pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350.

Filling:
2 cups sugar
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups rhubarb chopped in small pieces

Use the darkest red rhubarb you can find, it more pretty that way
4 eggs

Mix eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and rhubarb. Pour onto crust. Bake at 350 for 35-45 (closer to 45- you want to make sure the filling sets) minutes. Cool and then cut into bars. The topping will have the same consistency as a lemon square.

Aren't they pretty?

Thanks Laurie Ann for sending the picture along with the recipe.

Now I would like to introduce you to my cousin Carrie. One of the super stars of life that I have the pleasure of knowing. You know, she's salt of the earth type stuff. LOVE HER!

I know, your thinking "and they're related?" "how weird!"

Carrie recently decided for fun to enter some baked goods in to the Linn County Fair in Albany Oregon a couple weeks ago. This was the first time Carrie had ever done anything like this.

Well check this out!

She took home a few ribbons.

1st place for Grandma Fodge's Oatmeal Cookies

(Grandma Fodge is Carrie's Mom's mom)

1st place and Grand Champion ribbons for my Blueberry Coffeecake recipe.

2nd place for my Peach Kuchen recipe.

It is a coffeecake recipe that has yeast in it - a quick bread type of coffeecake.

She received a Reserved Champion for Pecan Bars.

This is the very cool part of the whole story. Carrie was reading my blog one day, then started clicking around on blogs that I follow.

She landed on Lisagh at Grosgrain Garage where there was a recipe for Pecan Squares.

So Carrie tried the recipe, thought it was fabulous and entered it in the fair and WON!

Don't you just love Blogland?

Don't they look fabulous?

This picture is courtesy of Grosgrain Garage. Check Lisagh's blog. She is always cookin up something wonderful. All of her recipes are under

Foodie McFooderson

Lisagh has the best recipes and I love that she is always trying something new. She is also an amazing sewer, knitter, needle pointer, and.......well she just has lots of fun stuff on her blog. Go check her out.

The Recipe

(adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookie Book)

3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Heat oven to 350°

Grease jelly roll pan. Beat flour, butter, sugar and salt in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly (mixture will be dry). Press firmly in pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Meanwhile mix:
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Until well blended, then add:
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Pour filling over baked layer; spread evenly. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

All those other recipes that where fair winners............I'm working on getting them from her.

Keep those recipes a comin!

I'm havin the best time reading the stories sent along with the recipes, looking at the pictures and just chatting with people about food.

Remember Jesus Loves Casseroles is about good food and sharing it with others.

You can join the group Jesus Loves Casseroles on Facebook too.

Also...............

Don't forget about Hot Blogust Nights coming up on August 8th in beautiful Downtown Snohomish. Great time to come out and meet your fellow bloggers and blog readers.