Tater Tot Casserole

That’s my busy signal.

 Sorry I haven’t been around–it’s not likely to get better for a while.  Or maybe you’ve enjoyed the break.  If you’re one of my six readers, that is.  Heh.

 dooooot, dooooooot, dooooooot . . .  . . .

  . . . . of at least three of the seven deadly sins when I watch this video.

Now before you go visit his awesome website,  Datamancer , you need to start praying, ” . . . Lead me not into temptation . . . ”

Did you get ensnared?

It’s pretty interesting to see the search engine terms that bring people to  my site.  By far the most common one is Tater Tot Casserole, and I’m sure that those folks aren’t amused to find that a site TITLED after the recipe they want does not, in fact, include any recipes, let alone the white-trash one for which they seek.   I do make tater tot casserole every couple of months or so (this IS Idaho and I AM white trash), but my olde tyme country way of making it involves no interesting ingredients, nor does it result in an exotically tasty dish.  It isn’t even pretty, since I make it with the tots on the BOTTOM of the casserole, which people tell me is weird.  So here’s my recipe (without pictures, since I told you it’s not pretty, interesting, or exotic):

1. Line a 8X8 baking dish with frozen tater tots. I don’t spray it first.
2.  Brown a pound or so of hamburger, adding chopped onions if you feel like it, or onion flakes, or just salt-and-pepper it. Sometimes I get crazy and sprinkle a couple of shakes of ground red pepper in.
3. Whisk together a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of water in a bowl. If your bowl is big enough, add in the hamburger and mix it all together. Salt and pepper it some more. If your bowl isn’t big enough, save the soup-and-water mix for the final layer.
4. Layer the cooked hamburger on top of the tater tots. If it wasn’t already mixed with the soup-and-water, now’s the time to pour that on top of it all.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

You’re welcome.

I’m revealing some of yesterday’s search engine terms because they make me giggle. I wonder how helpful my site has been to folks searching for the following:

Games with tater tots    You know, like Tater Tot Poker or Tater Tot Twister
Mormon Tater Tot Casserole    Cuz that would be the best kind, right?  The Only True and Living Tater Tot Casserole on the face of the earth. 
Tater Tot Casserole 20 kids    Just keep doubling, sister.
My Glasses    I get this one almost daily. Maybe yet another segment of pop culture of which I am unaware?  If not, how many people searching the net for their glasses actually find them?
Group women lie around    if only . . .
Mom’s thingies    Aha! Someone else who speaks with as much precision as I do! Honey, where’s the thingy that goes with that other thingy so I can do that thing for the thing I’m going to?
What does irreverant mean?   My answer: the experience on my pew during Sacrament Meeting
Why can’t I get anything done?    Please, please let me know if you find the answer to this.  Unless it is “Because I spend too much time on the internet.”
Naked Mormon Women    If life with Madame Chaos counts, I can help you with that every single day.
Pictures of Ugly Landscaping     Not the same search as the term above, right? Not in this house, of course–there is beauty all around. Emphasis on ROUND.

Some terms that come through are downright disturbing, and I won’t repeat them here for fear of drawing more sickos who will undoubtedly be disappointed with what they find here.  But for all others who make their way here, I love and adore you.  I might even make you some casserole.

My new pal Holly tagged me for 7 Random Things About Me.  Here goes:

1.  When I was little, my grandma told me that if you looked at a star and it twinkled, that meant that the star saw you looking at it and winked at you.  I believed her until I was about 12.

2.  Despite my literary bent and general distain for slapstick, one of my favorite movies of all time is Dumb and Dumber, for which my husband mercilessly teases me.  I can’t help it.  All I have to do is think “Tic Tac, officer?” or picture the (*cough*) laxative scene and I dissolve into giggles.

 3.  I can cross and uncross my eyes one at a time. 

4.  I’ve never watched the Twin Towers fall.  Really.  We never hooked our TV up to the outside world after we moved in July 2001, and I get my news from the radio or the internet.  I’ve seen still shots, but never watched video of those fateful moments.

5.  I don’t use top sheets.  Oh, I have them, and drag them out when company uses our beds, but since they just tangle you up at night or end up wadded at the bottom of the bed, I find them superflous.  None of my kids uses them, either, and it makes it much easier for them to make their beds.

6.  I have nearly 400 books on my Amazon Wish List.  It’s mostly Julie’s fault.

7.  Two of my girls have Star Trek names, though only one was on purpose.  I’m a hopeless geek.