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Homemade Lasagna

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Just when I think life should be slowing down it does the opposite. September was full of activities and family events. Those events included birthdays and an anniversary. The best part of all of the celebrations is, of course, the food. Including mom’s Homemade Lasagna.

In case you don’t know this already I do not eat red meat. Don’t think that I never have. However I have discovered over time that red meat does not like my body very much. Therefore, I avoid it.

However, over the weeks leading up to my birthday I was having some very strong cravings for some of my favorite foods from younger day; biscuits with sausage gravy and my mom’s homemade lasagna.

For close to 10 years beginning at 18 my mom and dad made me homemade lasagna every year for my birthday. It was always delicious and made with so much love. Oh, and they always made my favorite Cherry Cheesecake. It is the very best cheesecake ever. If you don’t believe me try it for yourself:

https://ortsofsorts.com/2015/02/23/very-best-cheesecake/ ‎

A few weeks before my birthday I mentioned to mom that I had been hungry for her homemade lasagna. She gave me a puzzled look. I told her that I was quite aware that the amount of red meat in the lasagna would make me feel ill physically, but I was serious about wanting it.

Mom and I didn’t talk much about it after that. With all of the other activities surrounding my birthday week my actual birthday came and went. No lasagna, but I did get a Cherry Cheesecake from her.

On Saturday, the day after my birthday, as we were having our weekend coffee mom asked what was on the menu for the day. I laughed and said that I had written “Lasagna, if Mom loves me enough to make it; otherwise leftovers” on the menu. She laughed. Then she told me that she had purchased all of the ingredients to make homemade lasagna.

Then my mother revealed to me that, although it was her recipe – given to her from a friend, she had never made it by herself. Dad had always made it with her. She just didn’t think, for a couple of reasons, that she could make it by herself.

I spent several hours with my mom making lasagna. First we put together the sauce, which simmers for the better part of a day. Then I put together the cheese filling and cooked the noodles. Together we layered it. Daughters 3 and 4 popped in a few times to see what was going on. A brother and a nephew stopped by for a bit to talk with mom and hung out in the kitchen while we were layering the lasagna.

 

Then, I took the lasagna home to bake. While it baked I made a loaf of Italian bread and put together a salad.

I texted mom and let her know what time dinner would be done. It was delicious! It was (almost) every bit as delicious as I remembered. Knowing how much time it takes I realized more than ever that the special ingredient my parents added to their lasagna was love.

What a wonderful gift for my mom to give me – not just the mile long list of ingredients, but the time with her putting it together, and stories she shared of times she and dad had made it together. I also got to share mom’s homemade lasagna with my family.

This was definitely one of the best birthdays. The busyness of the month now over, I can bask in the memories of September and start planning for the holiday season. I’m ready to share more morsels with my family, make new memories, remember past times, and share it all with you!

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Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 5 15- ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 2 15- ounce cans tomato puree
  • 1 15- ounce can tomato paste
  • Italian seasonings to taste see below as a reference
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoons black pepper
  • Red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 teaspoons basil
  • ½ teaspoon parsley
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ pounds lasagna noodles
  • 1 pound mozzarella cheese cubed
  • 3 15- ounce tubs ricotta cheese
  • 1 16- ounce tub cottage cheese
  • 12 ounces shredded mozzarella
  • 3 eggs

Instructions

  1. Combine tomato sauce, puree, and paste in a large sauce pan, Dutch oven, or stock pot. Add seasonings and sugar. Cook over low heat all day.
  2. Brown ground beef and Italian sausage and drain. Add meat to sauce. Continue cooking.
  3. Mix ricotta, cottage cheese and eggs thoroughly. Cover and chill.
  4. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse. Lay noodles out onto waxed paper.
  5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  6. Cover the bottom of your lasagna pan with sauce. Lay one layer of noodles over the sauce. Top noodles with a layer of cheese mixture, cubed mozzarella, and shredded mozzarella.
  7. Repeat 3 times. Add a layer of sauce over shredded mozzarella.
  8. Bake for 1 hour.
  9. Allow to sit 5-10 minutes before serving to cool slightly and firm up.

Recipe Notes

This makes 2- 9X13 cake pans of lasagna, or in a note my father wrote on the recipe a 17 1/4 X 11 3/8 X 2 1/4 inch pan.

Fettuccine Alfredo

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The end of September is always so exciting for me. It just so happens that I had my first daughter on my parents wedding anniversary and the next day is my birthday! This year D1 was coming home to spend a few days around and encompassing our birthday/anniversary days. When I found out she was coming home I asked her what she wanted for dinner. Of course she wanted Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Caesar salad, and Angel Food Cake.

That has been her go-to birthday dinner for almost as long as she has been able to voice what she wanted for her birthday dinner.

Because D1 hasn’t lived at home for almost a decade I haven’t made Fettuccine Alfredo as often as when she did live at home.

The salad and loaf of store-bought bread would be fine. So would the cake. Angel Food cake is one of the rare things that I do not make from scratch. Boxed Angel Food cake is so easy and turns out so light and fluffy!

I had asked The Hubs if he would grill the chicken breasts that I had butterflied and marinated and he agreed.

Really that just left me to boil a pot of water and cook pasta and make the Alfredo sauce. What an easy birthday dinner.

I whipped up the Fettuccine Alfredo sauce while my girls talked with my mom, who joined us for dinner.

It was all delicious and everyone enjoyed it. Even with grilled chicken breasts and salad, this is the furthest thing from a light dinner. No one was the slightest bit underfed.

I had made way too much Alfredo sauce. Not that I’m complaining. It’s wonderful warmed up and also makes a great sauce to bake mushrooms in or use on homemade pizza!

What is your favorite birthday dinner? Have you had the opportunity to eat your go-to childhood favorite recently?

Fettuccine Alfredo is definitely not a dish I want to eat every week, but it’s easy enough to make that I could!

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Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese grated (real Parmesan, not canned)
  • ½ cup Pecorino Parmigiano Reggiano, or Asiago cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 pound Fettuccine noodles cooked according to package directions

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed 2 quart saucepan over medium low heat.
  2. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in garlic and cheese, whisking to combine. Add salt and pepper and continue to whisk until sauce has thickened and is hot. Remove from stovetop and stir in parsley.
  4. Serve over cooked Fettuccine noodles.

Ramen Stir Fry

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Sometimes it feels like I make the same things all of the time. This is a bit strange. I feel like I try very hard to make new and different foods for my family to enjoy; and to share with you. So, when I made Ramen Stir Fry it made me wonder if Paganini had felt similarly doing his Variations on a Theme.

Like Paganini’s music the reviews on my dinner were favorable. The biggest negative came from The Hubs. He was not disappointed in the dinner that I made, but had misread the menu and thought I was making Ramen Bowls again.

The girls really liked Ramen Stir Fry. In fact they liked it more than traditional Fried Rice which they both like. Using the noodles made the stir fry more like Lo Mein which is one of their favorite dishes.

What I love most about this meal is how quick and easy it is. Yes, it is a variation on a theme. It is another great way to use the ever popular, cost effective noodle packets that are a staple in college rooms. Again, I told out the sodium laden seasoning packet and flavor it with some pantry staples and vegetables.

Another plus for any stir fry, not just Ramen Stir Fry, is the versatility of various meat additions or not. This is a wonderful vegetarian dish if the meat is left out. It is also a wonderful platform for leftover pork, beef, or chicken.

Do you make homemade Stir Fry? If so, what are your favorite things to stir in?

I will absolutely make Ramen Stir Fry again. Of course, I will probably do a few slight variations on the theme.

 

Ramen Bowls

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One of the things I love most about cooking is finding new appreciation for a standard. That was definitely the case when I made Ramen Bowls for the family.

Of course everyone is familiar, to some degree, with Ramen noodles. Whether it came in the form of a cup o’soup style or cellophane wrapped rectangle Ramen was a staple of many college dorm rooms.

Over the past few years Ramen Bowls have become very popular in the United States. They have always been a traditional dish in Japan.

I decided to try my hand at making Ramen Bowls for the family, knowing that they might not be a big hit. Of course I knew I had to have an amazing broth as my base, but I also wanted some delicious add-in options. My toppings / add-ins were grated carrot, sliced green onion, jalapeno, beef, cilantro, nori, red peppers, Sriracha, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and 7-minute eggs.

To my delight everyone loved the Ramen Bowls. Daughter 3 and The Hubs immediately commented on how much they liked the beef. Daughter Number Fours initial comment was on how much she liked the broth.

Neither of the girls wanted an egg on their Ramen Bowl, so only The Hubs and I got to enjoy those. He liked it so much he asked if I had made extra (eggs). I had not. Everyone liked the Ramen Bowls so much I should have made twice as much!

 

What a thrilling experience! We all enjoyed Ramen Bowls and got to practice our chopstick skills. I am not the expert that The Hubs is in using chopsticks. This was a great reason to practice. I have already been asked to make them again.

Have you made Ramen Bowls or eaten them out? If so, what was your favorite part or what else should I have to add in?

I’ll let you know if everyone likes them as much the second time!

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Ingredients

Broth

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 vegetable stock concentrate
  • 1 carrot grated
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 packages Ramen noodles no seasoning

Add-ins (per your taste)

  • Green onion sliced
  • Cilantro chopped
  • Red or yellow peppers julienned
  • Carrots julienned or grated
  • Nori dried seaweed
  • Jalapeno thinly sliced
  • Cooked beef or pork sliced thin
  • 7 minute eggs
  • Sesame seeds toasted
  • Sesame oil
  • Soy sauce
  • Sriracha

Instructions

  1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add grated carrot and cook for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute or two, stirring to keep from burning. Do not allow garlic to brown.
  2. Add in vegetable broth, stock concentrate, water, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Return broth a boil and add noodles. Use a fork to separate noodles. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
  4. Ladle noodles and broth into soup bowls and add toppings of your choice.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones

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Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone. I will definitely stick to that adage the next time I decide to try a new scone recipe. Not that my family did not love the Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones that I made for brunch last week, it’s just that they were not proper scones.

When I came across the recipe I thought it would be great to add some extra nutrition in the form of oatmeal. I have made scones many times before and so has The Hubs. We love scones. We especially like them with butter and fruit spreads like Orange Marmalade.

As the Chocolate Chip Oatmeal scones were coming together for yesterday’s brunch I could tell that they were a little too wet. I did not add more flour, as was my instinct. I thought maybe the oatmeal would somehow expand or compensate during baking.

As I tried to make triangles of dough out of the wet mess I had in my bowl I resigned to having a mess. When I checked the scones at the end of the recommended baking time I added another five minutes to the timer. They were definitely not done.

When I finally did take the Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones from the oven and place them on the cooling rack I just looked at them. Then I called the girls in from a project they were working on in the backyard. They knew what I was supposed to be making for brunch, because I had written it on the menu. Both of the girls took a look at the ‘scones’ cooling on the rack. Out of respect they said nothing.

I told the girls, as The Hubs was making his way into the kitchen, “I made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal breakfast cookies,” laughingly. They all assured me that they loved the breakfast cookies that I made and would definitely eat them again.

I shared one with my mother, as well. She agreed that she would eat them again. Was I making them next week?
While I won’t be making them as soon as next week, I am adding Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones to my brunch list. However, I will be calling the Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies.

What recipe did you make, with good intent that turned out entirely different than you expected? Although this was not a success, it was not a failure. I will classify this as a definite food adventure!

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Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones (aka Breakfast Cookies)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed
  • 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • ½ cup milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add cold, cubed butter and pulse until combined to resemble coarse meal.
  4. Place mixture in a large mixing bowl. With a spoon, mix in oats and chips.
  5. Beat together eggs and milk.
  6. Stir egg mixture into the dry ingredients until just mixed. Do not overmix.
  7. Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll or press dough to ½ inch thickness. Cut dough into triangles roughly 2 inches across by 2 inches long.
  8. Place scones on ungreased baking sheets.
  9. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and set.
  10. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack.
  11. Serve warm with butter, or cold.

Panzanella

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It eludes me as to why I have never, before this summer, made or eaten Panzanella.  It has all of my favorite things in one refreshing summer dish.

I have heard of Panzanella on a few cooking shows during the past few years, but for some reason I just had never made it. However, when the tomatoes started to take off I needed to find recipes that utilized the delicious fresh tomatoes.

That’s when I decided I would make Panzanella. It is a salad made of fresh tomatoes, herbs, a vinaigrette, mozzarella, and Italian bread. What is not to love? Bread, cheese, tomatoes, and herbs mixed together and called a salad? A.Ma.Zing.

I was skeptical that the family would like it, but that didn’t stop my from making it. Unfortunately, D3 can’t eat it because of her orthodontia. The grilled / toasted bread was too hard. Fortunately, everyone else liked it.

In fact, it was so delicious I have made it several times, and plan on making this a summer tradition when tomato season peaks!

Have you ever eaten Panzanella? If not, what is stopping you?

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Panzanella

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf Italian bread bite size cubes (about 4 cups)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil +1 for grilling
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes mixed variety
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella in bite size chunks
  • ¼ - ½ cup red onion petite diced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano 1 teaspoon dried, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves sliced or torn
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
  • 1 tablespoon capers drained (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat a grill or oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Lightly oil the bread before roasting or grilling. Toast bread cubes on sheet pan (or uncut on a grill grate) until dry and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
  3. Cut tomatoes into bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add mozzarella, onions, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Toss.

  4. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. Whisk in olive oil slowly, whisking constantly until fully combined. If desired, add capers.

  5. Add bread cubes to the tomato mixture and toss gently. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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August gave us a few more hot days. It’s great to find recipes that allow me to bake without heating up the house. Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars is one of those recipes.

The family, including my mom, enjoyed the fresh baked cookie bars quite a bit. I find that one of the downsides to a good slow cooker dessert is that the family thinks that I should make them all of the time. This also includes my mom.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars also has a tendency to get dry on the edges if overcooked. Turn them off or down before they dry out.

This recipe is also delicious topped with vanilla (or any flavor) ice cream!

Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar

Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar

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Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Using parchment paper cut into roughly 4” wide strips line the crock of a slow cooker to form an “X”.
  2. In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Pour dough into the prepared crock of a slow cooker. Press down with a spatula or your hands.
  6. Cover and cook on high for 2 – (or on low for about an hour), until the cookie is cooked through and still slightly soft in the center.
  7. Remove cookie bar from slow cooker using the parchment paper.

  8. Cut into bars. 

  9. Serve warm or cooled. Great with ice cream or whipped topping.

Whiskey Wednesday

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William Shakespeare coined the phrase “too much of a good thing” in the 15th century. It is still valid in our world today, when there are times that excess can do harm. Here is a Whiskey Wednesday tip that will defray the harm that your excess may cause.

Whiskey Wisdom

Most cheap whiskeys and other spirits, such as gin and vodka are produced on a column still. Good whiskey is made in a pot still, which is a more precise way to cut out the distillates that make people sick – when they drink too much of a good thing.

That tip, paired with the following Whiskey Wednesday Wit will not only assist you, but also the Top Shelf Whiskey industry, as well.

Conserve Water

Conserve Water, Drink Whiskey

Zucchini Bread

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There comes a point in the garden growing season that the bounty of fresh produce gets to a stage of mass production. While this doesn’t occur for every vegetable every year zucchini is usually one of the plentiful producers. That’s why it is a good idea to have many zucchini recipes on hand. A zucchini bread recipe is a must have if you grow zucchini.

One of the best things about zucchini bread is that it allows you to use zucchini that have gotten too big for much else. When zucchini is roughly 6-10 inches long it is best for grilling, roasting, and sautéeing, At this stage the skin is still tender and edible and the seeds are small or non-existent.

Once zucchini grow to over 12 inches and up to 30 inches and they are 2-3 inches around, their skin is tough and the seeds are large. These big zucchini lend themselves perfectly to being scooped out and turned into zucchini boats or shredded and used in zucchini bread, muffins, cake, and pancakes. It is a good suggestion to remove the large seeds before using the shredded zucchini in your recipe.

Another great thing about having an abundance of large zucchini is that you can save it for use later. It is one of the easiest vegetables to prep for storage; simply peel, shred, and freeze. I freeze mine in freezer bags and freeze 2 cups of shredded zucchini per bag. My zucchini bread recipe calls for 2 cups shredded, so it saves me measuring time later.

Growing up I loved my mom’s zucchini bread recipe, and it is the one I still use.

Of course we are at the stage in the garden where the zucchini harvest is plentiful and they are getting big. I decided to make up a batch of zucchini bread yesterday morning before work. The assembly time is easy and I was able to let it bake while I was getting ready for work.

The girls were awakened by the amazing smell of something baking in the oven. I let them have fresh, warm zucchini bread for breakfast. D3 has never cared for zucchini bread because of the vegetable factor. She doesn’t really like many vegetables. Yesterday she changed her mind. I also let the girls take some slices to school to eat or share.

I took the second loaf to work to share with my co-workers. They seemed to enjoy it very much; especially with a little bit of softened cream cheese spread on it. I also asked one of my co-workers ifshe would like to take the remainder of the loaf home for her husband and son. She didn’t argue a bit.

When I got home from work the loaf I had left for the family had also turned into an after sports snack for the girls. The zucchini bread gave them fuel to begin their homework and kept their hunger pangs at bay while I made dinner.

Do you have a favorite zucchini bread recipe that you use during the height of garden season? What other vegetables does your garden bless your life with? I would love to know how YOUR garden grows!

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Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups peeled grated, zucchini squash
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease and flour 2 bread loaf pans.
  3. Beat eggs until light and fluffy . Add sugar and oil and beat well.
  4. Stir in zucchini.
  5. Combine dry ingredients and cinnamon; add to egg mixture and stir until combined.
  6. Stir in vanilla.
  7. Pour ½ of batter into each of 2 prepared loaf pans.
  8. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees, until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack, in pan.
  10. Remove from pan and slice.
  11. Serve with softened cream cheese or butter, if desired.

Whiskey Wednesday 5

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Happy Whiskey Wednesday! I hope you enjoy today’s wisdom and wit!

Whiskey Wisdom

Remember Age is Just a Number. Older doesn’t always mean better, even with Scotch. If you give me the choice of drinking a sub-par fifteen year old whiskey versus a sublime younger whiskey, I’m going to have to go with the younger one. After all, it’s all about the taste. So, while there are some whiskeys that are aged to perfection, don’t get hung up on the age! After all, it really is just a number.

Whiskey Wit

The best bottle of whiskey

The best bottle of whiskey