Lasagna for Dinner!

I guess about my favorite thing that I make is my Lasagna. I found a recipe about 15 years ago in the good ol' Betty Crocker Cookbook, but I've since made enough adjustments so that I can truly call it "MY" lasagna. In fact, I usually don't measure stuff, so this was weird! I love lasagna cause it makes this big pan and you can have it for dinner, lunch the next couple of days, midnight snacks, take some to work for friends....whatever! And it just always turns out good. Put some spinach in it if you need veggies, or have veggies with my cheese dip. Now the story of the cheese dip is this...there is a restaurant in ..well maybe I'd better not say...anyway, SUPPOSEDLY, one of the employees let slip to a friend of a friend of mine the "secret" recipe for their cheese dip, who let it slip to me. For a really long time, I didn't share it, but now...oh well... I can't see a restaurant really making the dip this way, although you never know. I have included that recipe as well, cause it's really good. Also, here is a picture of the actual lasagna and cheese dip I made tonight, just to tempt you. So, without further ado.....bon appetit!

Here is my Lasagna recipe:

1 lb of Italian Sausage, crumbled

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

Brown these all together, drain if necessary, then add:

2 cans diced tomatoes (15 oz)

1 can tomato paste (small)

1 tomato paste can of water

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp parsley

1 tsp basil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

stir it all up, turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, mix:

1 lb ricotta cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tbsp oregano

1 egg

put the layers together in a 13 x 9 pan sprayed with cooking spray

Like so:

• lasagna noodles cooked al dente and drained (cook 9, use 3 at a time)


• sauce


• ricotta cheese mixture


• mozzarella cheese (lots of it! I use about 4 1/2 cups total)

repeat,

end with noodles, sauce and mozzarella on top

Cover with foil, bake at 450 for 15 min then turn down to 350 for 45 min. I take the foil off for the last 10 min to let the cheese get brown and bubbly.

Let stand for about 5 min, if you can wait, then serve.

YUM!

Cheese Dip for Veggies

This is awesome with Italian food, or just any old time!

2 packages Kraft Mac & Cheese (Kraft is the best)

2 bars of cream cheese

garlic powder to taste, I use about 1/4 tsp

soften the cream cheese*

put about a tablespoon of water in a bowl and mix in the garlic powder and the cheese sauce powder from the Mac & Cheese. Make a necklace out of the macaroni, if desired!

Mix till smooth and then add the softened cream cheese.

Smoosh it all around and mix really well. Put in fridge overnight. Eat with favorite veggies.

Try to not eat too much!

*I have used the soft cream cheese before. It's easier, but it's just not as good.

The Sad Saga of Patty O'Furniture

Once upon a time in a very nice house in Indiana, there lived a woman who had a deck on her house for the first time....
Ok, that's how it would start if I was writing a fairy tale, but, alas, this is a true story. About 2 months ago, Aldi had a patio table & chairs and a glider for sale. The total for both of them was $300. I was talking to my sister about them, and she talked to mom, and, well, they decided to help me to get them. They paid half on it. So, knowing that the money was coming, I went to Aldi and, of course, none of them had any of either in stock. I was frustrated, but my daughter and I decided to check out Kmart down the road. We found a patio set that was absolutely FABULOUS. And it was the right price, but on sale. But of course, I only had half the money I needed right then, so we decided to leave.
On the way out, we spied a pizza place in the store and decided to have some pizza. While we were waiting, my daughter looked over and saw a sign that said "LAYAWAY"! Well, who in the world has layaway anymore???? So we took that as a sign and put the whole patio set on layaway!
Ohhh...sooo excited. I showed the picture from the website to anyone who would look, and faithfully showed up at Kmart every other week to make my payment on the furniture. Finally, my last payment was due this past Friday, and it was time to bring the furniture home!!! I could hardly wait to go get it. My daughter came home from work, we cleaned out the trunk of my car and took off to Kmart.
We walked back to Layaway (why is it always in the very back of the store??) and waited in line for about half an hour, made the payment, and then waited another 15 min while the stock guy went in search of our furniture.
Then...it happened. Andrew (the layaway guy) came walking up and said that they had lost my umbrella...ella...ella...hey hey..pffft... There wasn't one in patio and there wasn't one in the back. So, trying to not be discouraged, I got the money back for the umbrella. We took the rest of the furniture out to the car, and it didn't fit. The stock guy said that he wouldn't recommend us putting it in the trunk or even trying to put it in the car, because it was glass and might break. I didn't know what to do, but decided to just get the money back for the rest, and go look elsewhere.
So, on Saturday, I went off on the Great Patio Furniture Hunt. I found a set, and it was beautiful! I made sure to ask if it was in stock and the guy said oh yes. I paid for it, same price too, and told him I would pick it up as soon as I could get help. This morning, my daughter and I went in to the store to get the furniture. The manager came up to me and when I told him what I was there for, he said that when they went to get the table from the back, there wasn't one. So they were going to give me the display table. It was dropped, the glass broke. I couldn't believe it! He said that his manager was going to go get another one tomorrow and I could get it, but you know....my daughter and I were thinking about it and it just suddenly didn't feel right. It was like it was a sign or something...not supposed to have one...I don't know. But I got my money back from there too.
I went shopping again tonight, I hate shopping, but third time's a charm, right? WRONG!
I got a vacuum cleaner and "My Bloody Valentine" in 3D.
I know a sign when I see one.

Another Day in Paradise!

Well, I don't know if Indiana is paradise or not, but it's been a pretty good day. I've not been feeling the best. Trying to fight off the blahs that come from still having pain from my stupid falling on Memorial Day. But I keep trying. I've got the gardening bug now. I want so bad to get out and dig in the dirt, but can still only do a little at a time. I do it anyway. My petunias are beautiful, my pansies...welll...they died.. too much water, not enough drainage, I believe. Live and learn, I guess.. My tomato plant is in a coffee can and has grown to 3 feet. I think it's time to transplant! And a friend gave me a rosebush. A climbing rosebush with the very appropriate name "Stairway to Heaven". It is still in a pot, and growing like crazy. The roses will be red. I've never had a rosebush before. It's a little daunting, and I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about how to make it grow into the thing of beauty I just KNOW it's going to be!
I have one more payment on my patio table set, and I'm really really excited about having a cookout and sitting around playing cards afterwards under my new umbrella, ella, ella... So things are going pretty well. Just maintaining my sanity and trying to remember to BEND my knee when I walk, so I don't limp. It'll be better. Doc said it would take about 4 weeks to get back to where I was before I fell, so this is week 2 starting today.
I'm getting ready to start making Christmas stockings, so if there are any orders, now is the time!
So, ttfn from Paradise...if you pack your bags you can leave tonight! See you at the cookout!