on a Lazy Daisy recipe from the Shabby Housekeeper: Tuna Noona Casserole

You don't get much lazier than the Shabby Housekeeper. That's why I'm shabby. I try to spend the least amount of time possible on household chores such as laundry, cleaning and cooking. So when I find an easy-peasy, tasty recipe that pleases my kids, I tend to stick with it forever.
One such recipe is a family favorite: Tuna Noona Casserole. Your kids will be coming back for seconds, and it's got the protein and nutrition you want for your family -- along with a few carbs and fat grams.
That's what makes it good, right? My kids named it Tuna Noona when they were little, and it flowed better than Tuna Noodle. You get the idea.
Here's how it's done:
Boil up a big pot of water while pre-heating the oven to the universal cooking temp, 350 F.
Dump a bit of cooking oil in the water to keep the noodles from sticking. When the water boils, turn it down to half, and cook up a big bag of egg noodles per the directions on the bag. Use any kind of noodle you like. It's all good.
Open up some tuna. I do the big 9 x 13 glass casserole, and use either two big cans or four little ones. I use tuna in water, but you can use tuna packed in oil. Drain the tuna. . . my animals love the tuna juice as a treat on their food. If you use oil, share sparingly with Fido and Fluffy. Don't want 'em sick.
When the noodles are ready, drain 'em, rinse 'em, and pour 'em into the casserole.
Add your tuna, and put in several generous handfuls of shredded cheese of your choice. I like white mozzarella mixed with sharp cheddar. It's up to you.
Next, add a small can of your choice of soup. I like Campbell's broccoli and cheese, cause you get the broccoli. But cream of mushroom or cream of chicken are also good. This keeps your noodles moist. Season to taste, with garlic salt, oregano, ketchup, whatever you like.
Stir well to mix, then cover with aluminum foil. Cook for around 20 minutes. You just need to heat it up and melt the cheese.
Voila! Magnifico.
A few variations would include using different meat, such as salmon or ground beef or shredded pork or chicken, and using a different sauce, such as marinara or BBQ sauce. That's how you get stuff like Johnny Marzetti, right? You could even add fresh or frozen (thawed/drained) broccoli for more of a veggie kick.
Just delicious variations on a theme.
I hope your family likes this stuff as well as mine. It's always a hit.
Enjoy!

The neighborhood bad seed

In my neighborhood, a very respectable neighborhood full of mostly retired people with lots and lots of time on their hands for performing various lawn-care tasks, I am the bad seed.

Literally. My lawn, which is managed by my teen-aged son who cuts it as low as possible to extend the time between cuts, thereby burning it brown by early August, is currently filled with dandelions going to seed. Soon, they will be borne on the wind to all my neighbors' beautifully cared-for lawns. They won't thank me for this.

One neighbor told me recently that when someone drives by my house, it is obvious that the lawn is managed by a kid. 

Which it is.

He worried, because he's a genuinely nice guy, that a potential employer, seeing our poor excuse for a lawn, will judge my son a lazy-no-account and will not hire him to flip burgers, or whatever, based on the sad-looking expanse surrounding my otherwise decent-looking house. 

Okay, the lawn isn't great, though it isn't terrible, either. But I don't think it'll keep my kid from ever being gainfully employed.

And I have to admit that I'm okay with not having the best lawn on the block.

Are you hearing this, my brother who lives across town and has a perfect lawn?

As far as I, a full-time, single, working mom, am concerned, my lawn must be mowed weekly, weeded very well once in the spring and then catch-as-catch-can the rest of the summer. Done. 

I'm not completely unsympathetic to the situation. I'm considering treating the lawn with weed and seed. That would kill the dandelions.

Meanwhile, I'll talk to my son about setting the bar a bit higher. Literally. That may keep things green through August.

I may even have his older brother, visiting this week on leave from the Marines, teach him how to weed-whack. 

And to any of you who live next door to me, or across the street, or within wind-range of dandelion seeds, I apologize. (You might try wishing on one of those dandelion seeds that things will improve!)

By the way, dandelions are a favorite of honey bees, which are in trouble, and I could argue that I'm providing a cash crop for them so I get their honey later on. Just a thought.

Please feel free to spend any spare time you have after caring for your own lawn 20-30 hours a week weeding my gardens. I respect you, but can not, at this time, emulate you. Thank you!

~ The Management of the Seedy House down the street