In the middle of July with the temperature roasting us at 104 degrees, you may be asking yourself, “Why would she turn on the ovens to make dinner?” For our family, these past couple of weeks have been like winter holidays for us–as far as the dinner fare is concerned.
     We’ve taken this opportunity to celebrate as if these were holidays, fixing our youngest son’s favorite meals and side dishes~as we all prepare for the real farewell. Farewell to the moments of having Jordan stretched long and lean across the family room floor; farewell to hearing both sons rip into the latest sports news; farewell to evenings of him wrestling with Chip, the Wonder Dog; farewell to mounds of laundry everywhere; farewell to trips to the grocery store with youngest for spicy chips and Gatorade; farewell to seeing his face across the table from mine.
     Instead of focusing on the inevitable July 18 date of his departure from our home and arrival at Navy Boot Camp, where he will become a man and leave behind his childish ways and any dependence on Mom, we have chosen to celebrate! I’ve prepared everything from Aunt Mary’s Enchiladas to No Bake Peanut Butter Bars; from Beef Stroganoff to the dish our family calls “Those Potatoes.” We’ve had Popcakes with strawberries and powdered sugar for breakfast while feasting on Sweet and Sour Meatballs in the evening. We’ve also delighted in homemade chocolate chip cookies, more than once.
     Tonight, we had our Thanksgiving special–“Broccoli Crumb Casserole.” I paired it with Sesame Seed Chicken (what other meat do we serve here?) and some Stove Top Dressing–an outdated box I found in the pantry. Without further adieu, we present to you Broccoli Crumb Casserole.

This gives you an idea of what the soup mixture looks like as you stir it in–thick