Stuffed Shells

I don't know how appetizing this picture is, but that is a whoooole lotta cheesy, saucy goodness going on. This is what we had as our "red" entree on Valentine's Day. If they weren't so expensive to make [Hello!? Have you priced ricotta & mozarella cheese recently?] We would eat this every week. They are that good.

I am not posting the recipe and the following conversation with Pooldad will illustrate why it isn't necessary.

First this: Since walking is sometimes painful for me Pooldad has done all of the grocery shopping for the last 12 months. That is not an over statement and he deserves credit. He is exceptional at it and I love/appreciate his effort everytime he brings home food for the family. But every once in a while he hits a snag.

For example:

Pooldad returns home from the grocery store stocked with bags full of the ingredients for our Valentine's Day dinner. I meet him in the foyer and he immediately pulls a box out of one of the bags:

Pooldad: "Honey, these are the shells for dinner. I don't know ... are they big enough?"
Skippy: [Taking the box and looking it over] "Well, I don't know Pooldad, did the picture on the front of the box [points to delicious representation of a stuffed shell prominently displayed, in color, on the box] give you a hint?"
Pooldad: "............."
Skippy: [Turning box over and handing it back to him] "Or maybe the recipe on the back should clue you in?"
Pooldad: "I will give you a running start." Laughing, he snatches the box back and makes to bean his loving and adoring wife.

So, no recipe. Just use the one on the box and I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. My picture is gnarly, but trust me, they are so good. We had plenty of leftovers for dinner the next night, so I guess they aren't all that expensive, but it does total about $15-$18 for just the cheese.

Today the youngest is making "Apple Pan Dowdy" for extra credit in her history class. It is recipe she found in "The President's Cookbook" and was evidently quite popular way back in the day. The only problem I am having with the recipe is at one point it says to "dowdy" the crust.

Anyone know how to dowdy something?