Monday, August 27, 2012

Corny Spaghetti to the Corner of Nowhere

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Just when one loved one gets back from being sent away with the Army, it's time for another one to go.  My college roomie and her family are being sent to Qatar.  I must confess I had been pronouncing it caTAR, not Cutter, until I heard the Qatari team in the Olympic Opening Ceremonies the Parade of Nations.  I'm trying to change my ways.  

I had not been able to hook up with my friend the last couple times she came to town. However, I was thrilled when I got an invite to her hometown for a Farewell Open House.   It was a Pitch in party at her family's church (quite possibly the only one around), so I brought my friend Lisa's  family favorite, Aunt Doris's Corny Spaghetti, always a hit amongst the church lady pitch in crowd, once people are brave enough to try it.  The boys thought I was a little crazy packing them up to drive out to the middle of nowhere to say farewell to my friend.  I told them, you know how lots and lots of people came to welcome Uncle James home at the airport?  Well, everyone is so Thankful for our Freedom, we have lots of love and respect for those who go to defend it. You can't keep me away from giving my best wishes.  That didn't really make sense to them, so instead we said that they'll play with her boys, who are just a smidge older than mine. 

Oh yeah!  That they got.  As soon as we arrived, they didn't care about food, or snacks, or the nifty display about Qatar, nope they wanted to play ball! 


And Army Guys.  There were little army men decorating the tables, so Chris stole them off every almost every table, and commenced war.  It got ugly for a minute when the kids found a janitorial bucket full of rainwater from a leak in the ceiling, and the army became the navy.   Once disinfected, war began anew.  I never got the allure of those tiny plastic army guys, but my boys (and I think all boys in general) go bonkers for them. 


Sam didn't play ball or war as much, he was having a bit of trouble keeping up, and keeping his pants up.  He found out there were sodas available, not that he drinks soda, but he saw Mommy's Lemonade.  And he had to have some.  It's funny how his new favorite beverage is lemonade, he tries some this summer at a couple church pitchins, and now it's his fav.  He calls it "Memonade", not quite saying the L.  My friend, Carla came by and heard him saying Memonade, as he carefully sipped from my can.  She brought him a coffee stirrer straw and he was in hog heaven.  I realized it sounds like he's saying Minute Maid, the brand of lemonade I was drinking.  It made me wonder is Memonade his favorite Mimonade?  


The end of the War.  Chris and Ian played Army Guys until Chris started fighting over them, it was my sign, that after a full school day and long ride (and not eating more than a slice of cheese for dinner) he was ready to go home.  Of course, he denied it.  And flipped out. I had to make a run for it.  


Carla did take one picture of us as I was dashing out the door, so it does exist, but since I was dashing out, there wasn't a ton of time for teary farewells, which is probably a good thing.  Her boys sent mine home with Army Guys for the road, which made the drive home a lot smoother once Chris calmed down...which he usually does shortly after removal from situation and buckled in a seat.  So the ride home was great.  

I had been surprised at how little Corny Spaghetti I had to bring home with me, it had indeed been a big hit.  Even funnier was when I grabbed my dish, a lady grabbed me asking for one more helping (she said she'd already had 4!) and another ran screaming across the room for the recipe.  Literally screaming across the room, she said, it's my favorite things, all right with the world, corn and spaghetti in one dish.  
I sent the recipe back to the family, but just in case you are curious:  

Here's the recipe for Corny Spaghetti.  

Recipe for CORNY SPAGHETTI
from the kitchen of Doris Loseke of Leigh, NB

1 can creamed corn
1 can undrained whole kernal corn
1 cup raw spaghetti, broken in small pieces
2 tsp chopped onion (can use fresh or minced)
1/2 cup margarine (I chop it into little pats)
1 cup velveeta cheese (in little bits)

Mix all together in 1 qt. casserole dish.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered, and then 30 minutes uncovered.


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