Tuna Hotdish

That would be tuna casserole to those of you that don't live in the Midwest. My husband actually requested that I make tuna casserole because we have an over abundance of peas in the freezer. (Why does this bother him?) However, I love tuna hotdish. We try not to make things with creamed soups very often anymore because it's not exactly health food. It is comfort food since we consumed cases and cases of it growing up.

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use one each cream of mushroom and cream of chicken.)
1 c. milk
1 c. peas
2 cans tuna
4 c. cooked egg noodles
2 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter, melted

1. Stir soups, milk, peas, tuna and noodles in a 3 qt. casserole.
2. Bake at 400°F for 30 min. Stir.
3. Mix bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake 5 min. more.

OPTIONS:
- In place of bread crumbs, use 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese.
- Substitute 2 c. cooked cubed chicken for tuna.

We skipped the bread crumbs and butter and used shredded cheddar cheese and crushed potato chips instead.

Flower Pots

This is one of my favorite flower pot combinations; 14-16" pot, spike in the middle, asparagus fern in the front, alternate geranium, Diamond Frost euphorbia, second geranium, second Diamond Frost euphorbia, and a third geranium around. So beautiful! I have four pots exactly the same because I read that three or more the same make a statement.

Body Beautiful

I have had food issues and body image issues since forever. I am not model material, but I am far from ugly. I am not thin, but I am far from fat. I am tired of being on a "diet." I'm done. I am what I am. I AM. I'm exactly what I should be. This is not to say that I am going to let myself go. I am still going to eat healthy most of the time, take my supplements, go for walks, work in my garden and just be me. Have you ever looked at a small child smiling and think how wonderful it is that they just know that they are perfect and loved. Why do we lose that?

Namaste (the spirit in me which is also in you; the God within).

Lemon Bars

My grandmother made these bars, my mother makes them and now I make them. I'm pretty sure the recipe is in the Lutheran church cookbook as is most of the recipes my mother made for us growing up. I usually squeeze fresh lemons, but if you use the stuff in the green jar, it's OK.

Lemon Bars

1 c. butter
2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 eggs, well beaten
2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
7 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. flour
powdered sugar

1. Melt butter and mix together with 2 c. flour and 1/2 c. powdered sugar. Press into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 325°F for 20 min.
2. Combine eggs, sugar, salt, lemon juice, baking powder and 4 tbsp. flour. Mix well and pour over hot crust. Bake 30 min. at 325°F.
3. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.