Great meal!

Temporarily jettisoned back to 1983, I pull out my fax copy of a recipe that my roommate, Cathy and I used to make in our little apartment on King Street, Shippensburg University.  Our apartment was just above the green awning, and PS—in 1983, it looked NOTHING like this!

Seeing Cathy's handwriting on the fax, reminds me of the notes we'd leave for the other, the grocery lists she'd write, and the "down to the penny" method she used to keep her checkbook neat and orderly. (Something to which I aspire to this day...) We were seniors, and along with our other sister-friends in an adjoining apartment had many joyous, happy, sad, difficult, fabulous days together.

  Our bedroom was in the inner part of the apartment and had no windows.  It literally fit two beds, two dressers and two desks—a two foot walk way allowed for access to the halls of our shared dwelling.   We even found a way to squeeze in an aquarium and used to fall asleep to the glow of the light and the fish doing what fish do. Our bedroom was the access and egress between our two apartments; a weigh station between friends if you will!  We would parade back and forth as if it was one big space, and we loved our time together.

 Heading to class on any given morning as we headed down the steep fire escape, the delicious aroma of fresh donuts beckoned to us.  We would hop into my roommate’s  Honda Civic and head to Valley Pride bake shop and gobble up donuts,  11 cents a piece—a bargain breakfast!  On any given Friday night, you could find us, beer in hand, sitting out on the roof behind our building looking at the stars and lamenting about how much work we had and how hard it was.  Little did we know what was ahead in what I now know is “real life!”    My roommate Cathy, who sadly, lost her mother at a young age, was wise beyond her years and had spent many of her formative years cooking, cleaning and making a life for her younger sisters.  I was a true beneficiary of all of her talents, as during that wonderful time in my life, she taught me the basics of cooking.  How to make chicken stock, how to make a white sauce, then a cheese sauce and how to roast a chicken!  We actually planned meals, shopped, used coupons—just like grown-ups!

After dinner, we would clean up the kitchen, put a kettle on to boil, make Sanka instant coffee and even steal a smoke from time to time as we talked about our day, classes, the latest General Hospital episode or what the future held for us.  It was a quiet time, where two friends shared so many things. 

This blog is what I call a “rambling.”  Stream of consciousness of memories shared and random thoughts.  What a fabulous time those days were and how very blessed I am to this day, to have these wonderful women in my life.  In October, we will gather together and share a weekend of sisterhood, friendship and love.  There is talk of having this recipe on the menu!

Tonight, I share the recipe with you—(and to my Ship sisters--I love you all--Mim, Cath, JP, Marilyn and Goat--Here's to you!! )

MEXICAN CRESCENT CASSEROLE

1 lb. Ground Beef
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 can cream of mush. soup
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 can crescent rolls
1 1/2 cup crushed corn chips
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef, add onion, cook til tender, drain. Stir in soup, enchilada sauce, and garlic. Simmer while preparing crust. Separate crescent dough into to large rectangles. Please in ungreased 9X13 pan, spread over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, 1-1 1/2 inches. Sprinkle in 1 cup of the crushed chips, spoon meat mixture over. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining chips. Pour milk over all. Bake 30-45 minutes, let stand 10 minutes before serving.