All you need is LOVE!

Happy (slightly belated) Valentine's Day everyone! I hope each and every one of you had a very LOVEly day! We had a very wonderful first Valentine's Day as married folks. This year my family was extended greatly...and I am so very thankful for them! I just love how recipes are passed down from generation to generation...even if it just doesn't quite taste like moms!

On Valentine's Day I made one of Jake's favorite meals (and now one of my own favorites). It is a casserole recipe from his childhood days. We are so very thankful to Patsy (Jake's mom) for passing this fantastic recipe on!

Today I am making a special little treat, thanks to my mama, to welcome Jake's family who are coming to visit. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Now, this is one of my favorite recipes from my mom...and originally her mom, my Grandy. Oh my goodness, it is baking in the oven right now and it smells absolutely to die for!

So today, a special treat for this week honoring love, two special family recipes! Enjoy!

Everybody's Favorite Casserole

Patsy Yeager

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey (or beef or chicken)

1/2 to 1 onion diced 

2-3 garlic clothes, minced (I love garlic, so I almost always use 3 cloves)

14.5 oz diced tomatoes (1 regular can)

1 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

1-2 TBS sugar 

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

16 oz cooked noodles

Directions:

- Saute onions, garlic and meat until browned. 

- While meat mixture is browning, cook noodles according to package directions.

- Combine all ingredients and stir.

-Put combined mixture into a casserole dish and bake covered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Sooo delicious! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Amy Anderson

Ingredients: 

1 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 TBS quick cook tapioca

1/4 c orange juice

3 c cut rhubarb (fresh or frozen)

1 c sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 recipe pastry (2 crusts)

1 TBS butter

Directions:

- Combine sugar, salt, nutmeg, tapioca, orange juice and rhubarb.

- Place in 9" pie pan, lined in one pie crust.

-  Top mixture with strawberries.

- Dot with butter.

- Put on top crust and cut fancy air vents (or use 2nd crust to cut into strips to make lattice).

- Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes.

- Then REDUCE heat to 350 degrees F for 30 minutes (check to make sure crust isn't too brown - if it is, cover lightly with foil). 

Bon appetite!