"The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob.

Well, I suppose it's "18 Kids and Counting" now. As I sat down at my computer this morning, I was greeted with the headline "Arkansas family welcomes 18th child, a girl." Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long. The Duggars now have ten sons and eight daughters.

Congratulations, Duggars. So that's, what, two baseball teams' worth now? With two extra to officiate. I continue to remain in perpetual awe of Michelle Duggar, who undoubtedly was blessed with an extra patience gene (and a very flexible uterus). May you all have a very merry Christmas!

Yes, the recipe is below...

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 • 17 Kids and Counting and the Tater Tot Casserole

Lying in bed last night, eyes wide as saucers, I gave up on sleep and went to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Flipping through the cable channels (yes, my life is dominated by media) I came across "The Duggars: 17 Kids and Counting" on TLC. I am strangely fascinated by this family.

Why the fascination? I guess I like to put on my amateur cultural anthropologist's hat and study this group -- a family the size of a small classroom -- the interpersonal dynamics of this little society; how they accomplish necessary daily tasks such as food acquisition/preparation, education, etc. I could actually take them on as a project and write a thesis. Okay, not really.

Michelle, mom to the Duggar kids, is a model of efficiency and looks pretty put together and under control. She uses master meal plan calendars so there's no "What are we having for dinner tonight" and has a pantry that resembles a grocery store. Shelves are stacked with cans in rows; the cans are brought forward so as to keep everything in order by expiration date.

Trips to the grocery store: one a month.
Loads of laundry per day: unimageinable.

I can't imagine the monthly trip for groceries. I'm fully in favor of the custom followed in several countries whereby you take your own shopping bag to the market and pick out food for the evening's meals. Very cool if you can do it. We make at least three small trips a week. In, out, done. I'm sure I spend much more than she does comparatively. Tater Tot casserole would not fly in this house.

The children: good-looking and polite. They play well with others (one wonders if this is true away from the cameras) and live in harmony; pretty impressive for a group of that size. In contrast, growing up with five kids in our family, we were perpetually involved in all out wars, major conflicts, and minor skirmishes.

They're used to the cameras. When one of the small children (a boy of maybe 8 or 9) actually talked about their "live shot" during their Today Show appearance, I knew these children were media savvy (although they do live in their own sheltered environment by design).

The most interesting thing I saw during this episode was the home's kitchen. Industrial sized, gleaming steel countertops, with an actual tray line with grooves (just like the ones in school cafeterias). The entrees would be placed on one side and the family would file by and fill their plates (with tater tot casserole in this epidose. A family favorite. Yum). Then they'd move on to the very long table in the dining room.

Michelle Duggar could be the CEO of a major corporation with her attention to detail and extreme organization skills. The family seems content, but I don't think I'll ever get my head wrapped around the situation. That's what makes the world go around though; right? Some of us have one child, some have none, some have two baseball teams' worth. I can't help but feeling like a total slacker in comparison. I just hope Jim Bob gives her a big kiss when he gets home from a hard day at the office; on second thought, maybe he shouldn't...

Oh, and for those of you who are just dying to try-out that Tater Tot casserole, here's a four-to-six serving version on a handy 3 1/2 by 5" index card...



But wait, there's more. Here's a recipe for Tater Tot Casserole from someone who says they personally got it from Michelle Duggar (though in the episode in which she and her boys prepare their Tater Tot casserole lunch, they don’t appear to be using the name brands listed below, hmmm)...

"I personally got this from MIchelle Duggar! This is the best recipe ever..."

2 lb. bag Ore Ida Tater Tots
2 lb. Jenny O ground turkey
1 "Family Size" can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup.
1 "Family Size" can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup.
2 cans Eagle Brand evaporated milk

1. Brown turkey then spread in bottom of deep dish baking pan; layer Tater Tots over turkey.
2. Mix soup and evaporated milk well then spread evenly over Tater Tots.
3. Bake at 350 degrees 1.5 to 2 hours.

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