Bear's Anecdote - I finally get to tell an anecdote of my eldest sister!! Back at St. Helena's grade school in Center Square, Pennsylvania, my three sisters and I were all enrolled. My big sister, Marilyn, would skip rope like the other kids, except she would skip to "three point one four one five nine..." (the digits of pi) or "Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen..." (the periodic table of elements). It was rather embarassing back then, but even then I think I was a bit proud of her. She has since earned her undergraduate and masters degrees from MIT in Nuclear Engineering. She edits engineering text books and has an unbelievably wonderful husband and set of kids. Her husband, Pete, is genuinely the nicest man I have yet met. Her eldest daughter, Becky, is spending time as an intern with the state legislature in Arizona. Her son, David, is a much accomplished musician and athelete. And her youngest daughter, Linda, has a mischievious sharp wit. If pride is a sin, well OK, I am guilty of the pride I have for my sister and her family!! It is a priviledge to know them all!
This is one of my nephew, David's, favorites, and it is particularly a good idea for lent!
Caution: Tuna Prowlers!
This recipe is extremely adaptable. You can add or subtract a can of tuna, use different vegetables, substitute other types of soup, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top instead of soup, etc. It also lends itself well to scaling. I often make a ½ or 2/3 size just for David, who’s bonkers about this dish.
Makes 4-5 servings, or 2 if one of the diners is David.