Mindy Carlson

As most of you may know I come from Iowa, the land where Jell-O is a salad. My husband, on the other hand, comes from Minnesota, where tuna noodle casserole – also known as Hot Dish – forms the foundation of the food pyramid and social structure.

I lived in Minnesota for a year and was indoctrinated in the culture of Hot Dish. If someone is sick you bring tuna noodle casserole. If someone has a baby you bring tuna noodle casserole.  If someone dies you bring tuna noodles casserole, but with extra potato chips crumbled on top.  A friend of mine recently lost his mother and received 8 Hot Dishes in 3 hours.  In fact, when I heard about his loss I had the urge to go out and buy tuna and cream of mushroom soup. And I haven’t lived in Minnesota for 14 years.

It is so much a part of the culture that someone actually created a quilting pattern called Minnesota Hot Dish.  My lovely sister-in-law, Michelle, gave me the pattern book and a beautiful collection of fat quarters to make a very large lap quilt.

I don’t know if the size comes across in the pictures, but it pretty much covered the top of my son’s bed and it covered our leather chair pretty handily.   I think the colors are really soothing and I like the elegance of the monochromatic look.  I’m thinking of making one in Christmas colors.  With some deep red and forest greens it could look like holly berries.

As much I’d like to just stare at it all day, I’m on to the next project. An Autumn themed quilt and a Christmas Log Cabin.