About a year ago, in an oxymoronic never-ending quest to simplify our lives and upgrade our home all at the same time, we installed corner benches in our kitchen to create an almost-banquette.
How hip and urbane, we thought! This will truly revolutionize mealtime. We even have an extra space now if a guest would like to sit uncomfortably in the corner with his or her feet awkwardly unable to touch the floor. Perfect!
To be fair, we usually eat in shifts due to ridiculous schedules, and the four of us do fit comfortably at the table.
What we did not anticipate was the luxury this new eating arrangement provides for our four-year-old cockapoo, Minnie. Minnie -- that's HRH Minnie to you -- is a fairly low-maintenance dog in general, but one with an outsize attitude.
Certainly, she is cute and affectionate and all those things one cherishes in a family pet. What she is also, is highly entitled. Whereas Princess Minnie was unlikely to seat herself on the standard ladder back chairs, she is very quick to ensconce herself on the upholstered bench.
Because of her size, her head pops up at just the right height to enjoy the banquette and the table just like the rest of us (humans). Normally, this is not an issue. She sleeps most of the day with occasional breaks to bark at a squirrel, and we go about our business. At mealtime, she is relegated to the floor.
However, the other night, I made one of my standard meals: a spinach and cheese casserole. I had to go out, but my husband prepared a plate for my daughter who has late practice during the week, and left it on the table. Then he left the room.
Dear Reader, can you guess what transpired next? Indeed, Princess Minnie enjoyed the casserole immensely! And the experience must have been even better because of her comfortable seating arrangement.
When my daughter got home, she had a microwaved frozen burrito for dinner. Lesson learned.
In case you have a hungry cockapoo at home, I'm sharing the casserole recipe. It is embarrassingly easy to make and comes from a small book I've had for decades called "Food Editors' Favorites: Treasured Recipes," edited by Barbara Gibbs Ostmann and Jane Baker.
I've substituted frozen broccoli for the spinach at times and it also works well.
Spinach Casserole
2 eggs, well beaten
6 tablespoons flour
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and flour until smooth. Stir in all other ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased one quart casserole dish and bake for one hour.
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