New twist on an old comfort food

In most of the country it is snowing and chilly outside. This is the time of year you fire up the stove for some comfort food to take the chill away. You don't want to spend a lot of time, and if you didn't make it to the market before the big storm hit, you need to use pantry items. I have the perfect dish. This frugal and quick recipe was all the rage in the late 60's and early 70's, fueled by the casserole craze and the prices and availability of canned tuna.

I enjoy a good tuna noodle casserole but have found it dry and bland at times. I set out to enhance the texture and taste. Here are my adjustments and ingredients.

1 bag of wide egg noodles, boiled and drained. Be sure to add oil to water.
2 cans tuna packed in water (preferably not albacore, too dry)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp of mayonaise (not salad dressing)
1/4 cup of sour cream.
1/4 cup of milk
1 cup peas, either frozen or canned (optional)
1/4 cup of bread crumbs (crushed corn flakes can be used as well)
2 tbsp of butter cubed
1/4 tsp Mrs Dash (regular)
Salt & pepper to taste.
Loaf of crusty bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cooked noodles, mushroom soup, mayonaise, sour cream, milk, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add peas if desired, and remix. Now without draining the tuna, add to the bowl and stir lightly trying not to break up all the tuna. Over mixing mashes the tuna into small pieces which brings nothing to the table as far as taste.

Now select a lovely 1 1/2 quart baking dish from your cupboard. Remember this casserole will be served on the table from this dish, so make it something warm and inviting. Presentation is everything. Grease the casserole dish well and add the contents of the bowl. Combine butter cubes with bread crumbs or cereal crumbs at this time and sprinkle across the top. Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes until bubbly. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes and you are ready to serve. A loaf of crusty bread is an excellent complement for this dish.

Here are a few options for casseroles.



I hope you enjoy and stay warm.

Tis the Season

Well, the snow is falling and it is beginning to look alot like Christmas.  I have been busy these past few weeks attending craft shows, fulfilling my Etsy orders and spending time with family.

Spent Thanksgiving at my son's house.  A full house of family and friends and it made for a very enjoyable day.  The food was very good and of course there was plenty to go around.  Spent the day and then went off to set up for the Hara arena craft show in Dayton.

This past weekend I helped a friend in Huntington, WV.  It wasn't the show we had hoped for, but everyone seemed to have a good time.  The Lions club puts this on as a way of raising money for their many charitable causes.  I believe they were successful in their venture.

I have been working on a few one of a kind projects and thought I would share some of those.  The first is a snowman painted on an old vintage ironing board.   This board was unassembled and I painted a lovely face, attached a hat brim and some festive trim and made sure his orange nose was fitting for his size.  The snowman sold very quickly at my show in Muncie.

This old vintage Samsonite suitcase was just sitting there waiting for me to paint on it.  I couldn't resist the star with the berry vines and on the other side, I painted a sheep with two stars on either side.  The entire suitcase was painted black to give that old look.

I am currently working on list a lot of new items on Etsy.  Etsy has been real good to me this holiday season, and all year for that matter.  It continues to be a great venue to showcase my work.  As well, I am heading to Rockbridge, Ohio to stock my booth at the Appalachian Art and Craft mall.  As I said before, tis the season for friends, family and of course shopping.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that all your wishes come true.  I am sure mine will, being with family is all a girl could want.  Merry Christmas!

Life changes…

This has been a week of uncertainty, with my Hubby taking a new job I have been staying at my Son’s during his orientation. His profession is that of an over the road truck driver and involves a lot of time waiting and uncertainty as to when he will get home. Instead of hanging out alone, I stayed at my son’s as he lives only 20 minutes from his main terminal.

With that said, I have been busy on the computer, listing on Etsy, tweaking my show schedule, and deciding if I will continue with my online store or not. Well the decision has been made; yes, I will continue www.kpdreams.com. I know it is very consuming to keep it updated, and I realize I can sell on Etsy, but the idea of having my own store which I can sell what I want appeals to me. And this store carries my business name, which provides my products with brand identity.

Many of you may not realize but I offer my products through several venues. First, my online store www.kpdreams.com. I have been operating my website in some fashion since the late 90’s. I also sell at craft shows and events throughout the eastern US and that includes the south in the winter months.

I have my products in a lovely booth at the Appalachian Art and Craft Mall in Rockbridge, Ohio. It sets just north of Logan in the very well traveled Hocking Hills area on Route 33. This area is home to Old Man’s Cave.

Then I have my Etsy store, Here I offer a variety of products from vintage, handmade and some supplies. My last item listed brought my store to 100 items for sale. There is a little for everyone there.

And I cannot forget, Facebook. Become a fan to get the latest info on my shows, travels and new products. And follow me on Twitter

Well, with all that said, I am exhausted. I had better get to work creating something. I hope you will check out my stores and sites and I hope to see you in person down the road.

Tutorial Tuesday

I wanted to share a little history on a common decorator item that many of you may have in your home; the courting candle. The courting candle was designed and used by many an anxious father when the young daughter became of the age to attract suitors.

These candle holders were very primitive and most times made by the father or family member. They were designed to hold just one candle with a wooden base that could be turned to lift the candle up through the cork screw style of the base.

History tells us that during those days of visits by a suitor or courting visits, the father would place a candle in the holder and light the wick. Then the candle would be cranked up to a level that the father felt comfortable with. The more he liked the suitor, the higher; the less, the lower. When the flame would burn to the level of the metal it was time for the suitor to leave.

With candle light used for lighting in those days, it was the perfect item to sit in the parlour or sitting room for the two to visit. But it was never too far for the father to keep an eye. It has been told that when the father didn't like the suitor or felt it was going to far, it was common for him to blow out the flame completely sending a clear message to the suitor to leave.

Today we use this primitive candle holder for a decorative item in our homes. It is kept close in case of a power outage, and lends a certain charm to our place of comfort. The next time you light this candle, try and remember the significance this item had in years gone by.

Every day has a reason

Well, after many weeks of soul searching I have finalized my blog series. I wanted to make each day be specific to a subject matter and was truly stumped for a while. But last night after spending some time working on my Etsy account, and reviewing my many pictures I have taken over the months, it came to me.

So from this point on my blog will feature the following:

Monday, Monday, a recap and regroup from my weekend as well as new items I have designed.
Tutorial Tuesday, I will tackle some sort of "how to" from cooking to crafting and household tips.
Wandering Wednesday, Here I will share my travels, my motorhome life, pictures of events and interesting people I have met along the way.
Thrifting Thursday, I have been doing these segments all along, and I will continue to share my flea market and thrift store finds.
Festive Friday, A celebration of life, family stories, plans for the weekend, shows I will be attending. Everything else thrown into a basket!

Be sure to follow my blog and I am confident you will find many articles of interest. If there is a particular story or issue you are interested in and if I can't share a story, I have a host of friends and family that I am confident would be happy to "guest write" for you. So your feedback is encouraged.

These features will begin on Monday March 8, and run everyday. I am helping a fellow vendor out this weekend at a swamp buggy race, so that should be worth a thousand words and pictures.

Until we meet again!

Festive Friday

Been a busy week with flea markets, thrift stores and working on new merchandise for my upcoming show. This is a benefit to raise money for the Levy County animal shelter. I am looking forward to getting back out there and see how my new line of merchandise is working.

I repurposed several items that I found at the flea markets and thrift stores. I took a canvas that was mounted in an ornate plastic frame. It originally had fruit painted on the canvas; it was primed barn red over black and then sanded to give that well worn look. A frosty beer mug and the words "Free Beer Tomorrow" were added and then grunged with paint and stain. I think it turned out well.


I had several rectangular boards, so the perfect fit, a checkerboard. Again I used the technique of painting barn red over black, grunged and painted a black checkerboard pattern. And look, it actually has checkers. A hook on the back allows for a great wall accent.



The finale; I painted an old rusty hand saw. It was sanded, cleaned and painted in a warm cream. Note the handle was left as it was. Then after applying a warm antique process, the words, Faith, Family, Friends was added in black paint. Several barn red stars add the finishing touch. Another great accent for that primitive decor.


I hope you enjoyed these makeovers. I will be off to the show this weekend, my first of the season. Wish me luck and I will see you on Monday with a great recipe for blackened salmon.

Till we meet again.