A-drift AT My Door and a Cold-Day Casserole

Got up this morning to more of the white, wet, stuff and when I wanted to open the door on the grocer's porch (an old-fashioned contrivance from a time when a delivery boy would actually bring your groceries TO you) the space between the back door and the storm door (both 110 years old) had 18 inches of snow blown between them. I scooped it out with a plastic Santa Claus cookie platter and forced the door open. Welcome to a glittery wet mess!

The wind was the worst of it last night and the kitty, Miss Americanna , was very content to sleep in my front bedroom on the corduroy quilt and suck up all the warmth (supplemental heat) while the wind howed and whistled between the houses. There was an occasional bang just for sheer relief!

I don't have today's pictures but as soon as I get some I will post them here. Meanwhile I made a favorite cold-day treat, Pierogie Casserole. This version uses a red cheese and marinara sauce with mild cheddar cheese and some green and yellow wax beans. This is not to be confused with wonderfully nutritious food because there are two starches, the pasta and the potatoes and the pierogies are commercially bought, but it's very yummy. You can add 1/2 pound of lean ground beef pre-cooked OR vegetarian crumbles if you wish, layered between the pierogies.

Need: Two boxes of pierogies. I prefer Mrs T's sour cream, potato and chives. An 8 ounce bag of grated mild cheddar cheese. A jar of sauce-I use a cheese blend flavor. 1 and 1/2 cups of frozen mixed green and yellow wax beans...I boil these with the pierogies for 8 minutes and drain. In the proper size of greased (use margarine)casserole dish, layer pierogies, 1/2 of the beans, 1/2 of the sauce and then 1/2 of the cheese. Shake a small amount (1/4 tsp.) over each layer as you go. Bake at about 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Do not let get too brown. I try to serve the pierogies whole and this size will feed about six people, so half a recipe will feed about three people. It is good with a salad on the side and we sometimes use cheese ravioli instead. It is best to use italian grated cheeses then!

This is a very-stick to the ribs meal and isn't something that I make every week! We also make a white sauce version that I will share on another day!

Talk more later!