Happy Ground Hog Day!

A quick little update on B who's been sick--

After running a fever of 103! last night, and freaking her daddy out, B's fever is gone this morning. Larry even checked her out about 2 am and she was not as hot, so we didn't wake her up to give her more medicine. She had her last dose at midnight, so maybe she burned the germs out of her with that high fever last evening.

When the fever got over 102, we'd overlap acetaminophen and ibuprofen----two hours after one, give the other. That seemed to kick the fever Thursday morning, and then again at midnight last night. I hope she'll stay fever free today---we have tickets to see a Willy Wonka play at MSC Opas tomorrow afternoon.

My dad sent an e-mail today saying we need to have Sausage Casserole (our standard birthday dinner request----a real treat for dinner---made with breakfast sausage) for today specifically, Groundhog day. I had to ponder that one. Why? I thought it was a reference to the movie, Groundhog Day. You know, where Bill Murray keeps waking up on Groundhog day and does the same day over and over again. If we had to eat Sauasage Casserole every day for a while like Bill Murray did, I'd be happy! But no, the reason is this: it's Ground-Hog day. ground hog. Oh, haha, Dad!

Here's the recipe. It's delicious, and yes, to promote Dad's efforts to start a groundhog day tradition, I'll make it for dinner---I have stuff on hand to do it! (i'm doing this one from memory---I can't find the recipe written out.)

Sausage Casserole

1 lb. ground sausage ---I usually buy Jimmy Dean "regular"

chopped onion

chopped green bell pepper

garlic, minced, about one clove

1 tbsp dried oregano flakes

2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

16 oz. bag of shell noodles

Velveeta (at least a half pound---1/4 a brick)

Brown sausage, onions and bell peppers in large skillet. Drain off grease and and add spices, and tomatoes. Simmer while you cook the shell noodles in a large 4 qt. pot. Pour cooked noodles into a 9x13" baking dish (or equal sized casserole dish of any kind). Pour sauce on noodles and mix up well. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Slice Velveeta thinly and arrange on top of the casserole, to completely cover the top. Return to oven to melt.

I serve this with a green salad and rolls of some kind and a fruit.

Another update: B took her temperature just now: 99.0