cubes of stuff

On Saturday night I created a stunning version of Campbell’s tuna casserole. Maybe stunning is too strong a word – I followed the recipe, sans chopped pimentos – and the boys set upon it as if a horde of locust. I don’t normally have luck with them when it comes to any mixed dish that doesn’t have easily identifiable parts and pieces. (I will admit that I added some shredded mozzarella to the recipe in order to tempt them with something a bit creamier; I’m always trying to sneak about the place.) There may have been a day’s worth of hunger hidden inside them but I have a different theory. Casserole. The boys have some upper Midwest (Wisconsin) DNA running around in there and I think this is just the first sign of those Midwest / Great Plains roots blossoming. X mumbled something about liking casserole when she was young while running the woods of western Mass but that’s just silly. They don’t do casseroles (or hot dishes) in New England; not like we do in Middle America. It won’t be long before I’ll try again on the meatloaf with a side of green bean casserole; the classic green bean casserole didn’t make much of a dent the first time around a few years back. Maybe I can round out the menu planning with scalloped or au gratin potatoes. Oh, I can open up with a lettuce, cottage cheese, pineapple ring, and mayonnaise salad. Those Midwestern eating desires will eventually catch up with them. The next time I make the tuna I think I’ll add the Ruffles across the top in lieu of my healthier version with just bread crumbs - chips on food!

While I was trundling about yesterday afternoon the little missus swung out to various points in NoVa and gathered 640lbs. of topsoil, peat, some wood, and some other junkity-junk I don’t remember and now we prep for some square-foot gardening at the top of the driveway. I’m planning on unloading the Merc this evening – so it’s at least drivable – but the rains have come and that may be on hold. Over the last week there’s been a good bit of arranging of seed envelopes on the kitchen peninsula and mumblings about whether capsicum and alliaceae can co-exist; some strange alchemy that sometimes escapes her mind. I’ll tell you my opinion on that, no idea. I am, however, quite interested in working the garden of little one-foot cubes.

For those of you not on Facebook, I took some quizzes last week and apparently if I were a Supreme Court Justice, I’d be Ginsberg; if I were a legislator, I’d be Pelosi; if I were a movie star, I’d be Grace Kelly. Take those for what they’re worth.

Hey.