Some Days We all just need a casserole
Cas-se-role
/ˈkasəˌrōl/noun
1. refers to both a deep baking dish used in the oven and the hearty, one-dish meal baked inside of it.
2. The resulting meal is typically known as the epitome of comfort food.
Not gonna lie, I love casseroles! And I mean love everything about them, from the variety of nifty casserole baking dishes, to anticipating the delicious taste of a bunch of my favorite foods all baked together. I can confidently say, I love casseroles almost as much as I love any canned meat that needs the little key, fastened to the bottom of the can, to open!
My sister, Jo-Anne and her friend Chris, frequently practiced their Home-Ec cooking skills at our place. Introducing what I remember as the first notable casserole, “Shipwreck”. It truly was a thrill to come home on a winter day after skating all afternoon to the smell of “Shipwreck” baking in the oven. It was the punctuation mark of comfort to the end of a perfect day – that feeling of happiness, contentment, even relaxation all wrapped up in the smell, sight and taste of that casserole dish. I would be in the best of moods for the rest of the weekend!
On a side note, and because I am the tangent queen, I consider Kraft Dinner a casserole too! It was, and some days still is, my first love…..and Yes I can justify “Six ways from Sunday” how KD belongs in the casserole category…..however I digress and KD deserves its own story!
Recently my entire definition of casseroles was shaken up and expanded on, after watching an episode of “My Life with the Walter Boys”. After experiencing the tragedy of their family barn burning down, Katherine Walter comes home to find her recently estranged friend Joanne, just leaving. Even though they hadn’t spoken since an unresolved and intensive argument, Joanne is very emotional and visibly shaken by the devastation Katherine is enduring. She can hardly speak as she says, “I left a couple of casseroles on your porch”.
Those words instantly took me back to my days growing up in Milden. Milden had an amazing and solid community foundation. I’m not saying we all got along, that certainly wasn’t the case, however in hard times, people showed up and they showed up in many different ways.
A family experiencing the loss of a loved one, a fire or difficulty of any measure, would signal people showing up with what I now coin as a casserole of different varieties. Plenty would appear in the form of a traditional casserole meal with enough food emerging to feed several people over a long period of time.
What I realized is that many times there are no cooking skills involved in giving a casserole. Some casseroles show up as cutting grass or shoveling snow; other casseroles were a compassionate friend who drove 90 minutes to pick up family at the airport or even more casseroles showed up as temporary caregivers of children keeping them entertained and fed.
I’m sure all of you reading this little story can identify numerous times when you delivered a casserole in other ways than the ones mentioned. Those times when you dropped everything and hopped in your car or got on a plane to travel the distance to sit next to a friend in need.
…But how about those times when we’re the one in need of a casserole?
Those times when that stretch of road seems to be a little tougher than the one before – the load on our shoulders seems a little weightier, the waves seem to be a little higher than the day before. Those times when our hard time isn’t public and not visible to anyone but us.
Full disclosure, the first words out of my mouth when I watched that scene from the Walter’s Boys was “I need a Casserole”!
Honestly, I didn’t even know what that meant……I need a casserole…..what exactly do I want? A plate full of Shipwreck or some KD? What had I seen in the exchange between the two women in the Walter Boys that has me wanting a casserole?
Then it hit me, casseroles are about the Connection – something we all crave and desire. It is the feeling of comfort from being seen and heard by another person with compassion. It’s about feeling someone understands even at times when it’s impossible to understand ourselves. Connection is the feeling that we’re not alone.
We can feel connection from a stranger who makes eye contact and the unexpected smile, followed by “Good Morning” as they pass by! The exchange that stays with me the entire day and brings me warmth whenever I think of it. Funny thing is that one of my favorite casseroles is hearing someone heard a song that made them think of me!
I believe connection begins with the thought or idea from the casserole giver. It all starts with their thoughtful intention to bring comfort to someone in need by applying the care, kindness and thoughtfulness the whole time the casserole is being assembled.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that thinking of an appropriate casserole is my action to words I sometimes just can’t find. I’ve learned that when I am at a loss for words and I can only squeak out “my thoughts and prayers are with you”, it’s time to build a casserole. It’s time to put some verbs in that sentiment and decide what casserole will express what’s really in my heart.
If you’ve read this far and are still with me – I thank you for your willingness to go on this casserole journey with me!
… I don’t yet know all the secrets of what to do when I need a casserole. However, I found that if I can spend some time to figure out what casserole I need, I have a fighting chance to determine “where to from here”.
…But here’s the deal, more often than not, I can think of someone who needs the same casserole. By following through with a call, or a note telling them I miss their face, I feel the exact connection I want for myself.
I’ve learned connection and casseroles bring feelings of community and whether I’m giving or receiving, the tough stretch of road I’m on smooths, the burden on my shoulders eases and my big waves calm to a small ripple…and that’s more than I can possibly ask for!
So, tell me what’s your go to Casserole? I’d love to hear from you!
