La Joie! Everyday Joy....: Comfort Food

I've been feeling a bit homesick lately. I always feel this way when the weather turns colder and snowier. Whenever I start to feel this way, I take out my church cookbooks and start cooking those comfort foods that I remember eating as a child. My favorite comfort food cookbook is:

It comes from the church I grew up in and is filled with recipes from the women who were my mom's friends and mentors. The cookbook is just pieces of colored paper kept together with two ring clasps. I have to keep it in a zip lock bag because the pages have started falling apart - a testament to the fact that it has been put to good use.

One of my favorite recipes is Ruby's Hotdish.

I remember eating it for every occasion at our church: wedding and baby showers, funerals, confirmation celebrations, youth night......there's even a note at the bottom of her recipe page "This recipe is from Ruby Jensen and we served it at our Day of Love 15 year reunion." Ruby passed away a number of years ago but I still like to make her hotdish whenever I'm feeling a little homesick for some good comfort food.

Here's the recipe I'm so fond of!

Cut up one cup of chicken. I used way more than one cup. I have two teenage boys who need LOTS of protein! (I put everything in a baking pan and mix it right in the pan.)

Add three hard boiled eggs.

Chop up one cup of celery and at it to the chicken and eggs.

Add 1 Tablespoon onion and 1 teaspoon salt.

Here's the real healthy part (Ha!Ha!) - add 1/2 cup Velveeta cheese.

Mix in 2 cups of elbow macaroni.

Combine 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup with 2 cups of milk and pour it over all the other ingredients.

Stir all of the ingredients until well combined.

Put this concoction in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, before putting it in the oven, pour one cup of broth over it and top with crushed potato chips.