MARIE'S MUSES

I was out walking one day and I happened to run into a friend that I had not seen in quite a while. The day was somewhat gloomy, and clouds in the sky threatened to drop a downpour on us at any moment. Immediately as I saw her, a smile broke out onto her face and she greeted me with these cheery words, “Hello, I was thinking about you this morning!” Suddenly it didn’t seem to matter that rain was threatening and the day didn’t seem quite as gloomy anymore. I felt all warm and rosy inside. Someone had been thinking about me.

As usual, things like this get me to pondering. There’s no such thing as co-incidence you know . . . Only God-incidence. Everything happens for a reason and a purpose. This thought came to my mind . . . “Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could stop for a minute once a day, and think about someone else, instead of focusing on our own small world and mundane selves?”

It only takes a minute . . . Not long . . . Sixty seconds . . . But if we all did this, there’s no telling what we might be able to achieve. We’ve all got twenty four hours in a day, that’s 1440 minutes. Surely we can, each one of us, spare just one to be quiet and think peaceful, loving thoughts of others.

This is my challenge for you today, and I think you can do it. “One minute for others.” There you have it! Now that didn’t hurt a bit did it?

I promised you something tasty to make with the leftovers of the brisket today and I am a gal that always keeps her promises!

Serves4-6

This is a most delicious way to use up all those leftovers from your Sunday lunch. It’s an old fashioned recipe that I have had kicking around in my blue recipe folder for a great many years. It’s really good and very quick and easy to put together and uses up all the little bits you may have leftover. It comes from a day and age when nothing was wasted. It’s an oldie but a goodie!

2 cups cooked lamb, or pork or beef or chicken, cut into smallish pieces

1 cup diced celery

1 large onion, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 ½ cups leftover cooked vegetables, diced

1 tin of campbells condensed cream of tomato soup, undiluted

1 tin of campbells condensed mushroom soup, undiluted

3 cups cooked egg noodles

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup of meat stock (the kind depends on what kind of leftover meat you are using)

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease a casserole dish and set aside.

Put the onions, celery and garlic into a microwave safe bowl along with 1 TBS water and cover with plastic cling film. Pierce the top in a couple of places and then microwave it for about 1 ½ minutes, or until they are crispy tender. Remove and drain, if needed.

Mix the onion mixture together with the chopped meat. Place the meat, vegetables and noodles together in layers in the prepared casserole dish, ending with noodles on top. (season each layer lightly with some salt and pepper)

Blend the soups and meat stock and pour this over top of the whole mixture.

Combine the grated cheese and the bread crumbs and sprinkle this evenly over top of the casserole.

Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until nicely bubbling and lightly browned on top. Delicious!