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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Homemade lasagna

I've always wanted to try homemade lasagna.  It is a family favorite but we usually heat a frozen one.  I forgot to take a photo of the finished product, so here is what you get.....
 
 
Ingredients:
1 lb. Lean or extra-lean ground turkey
3 Garlic cloves, sliced, separated
2 cans Diced tomatoes
2 (6 oz) cans Tomato paste
2 T Basil
3 T Parsley
1 t Salt
3 cups Fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup Egg substitute (egg beaters- equivalent of 2 beaten eggs)
1/2 t Pepper
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
3-4 cups Grated mozzarella cheese
Whole wheat lasagna noodles (I always use oven-ready to save time.)
Cooking Spray

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Lightly brown the meat with 2 cloves of the sliced garlic. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, 1 T parsley, 1/2 t salt and last clove of garlic. If too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Let simmer 15-20 minutes.
  3. In a medium size bowl mix cottage cheese, eggs, pepper, 1/2 t salt, 2 T parsley and Parmesan cheese.
  4. Prepare 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with one layer of cooked noodles (or oven-ready). Place 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the noddles, followed by 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Place 1/2 of meat sauce on top of the cheese. Repeat, starting again with noodles and ending on top with the remaining meat sauce.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes on middle rack.
  6. Let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving to allow it to set.
Serves 12 (THANKS to my friend Stephanie C. for this tasty recipe!)
 
1 goal down, 29 to go.......

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Sew I did it....

Last week I attended my very first private sewing lesson!!  I learned the basics and became more familiar with my new machine.  In the photo below you can see that I learned how to sew a blind hem (top fabric), a button hole (middle fabric) and to switch up different designs and deminsions (bottom fabric)! 


Honestly, just threading the machine is a little intimidating to me right now, but I know that with a lot of practice (and several more private lessons) I will learn to love it!  And just think, in just over eight months I will have a beautiful set of Christmas stockings ready for Santa :)

Thursday, December 30, 2010

30 by 30

As we all prepare to ring in the new year, I have chosen not to make a resolution.  Instead, I have created a list of things for myself to accomplish by Oct 7th, 2011.  On this day I will mourn my twenties and will unwillingly turn thirty years old.  How can this be?!  As much as I dread the age itself, I look forward to what the next decade holds :)  The following list contains both small and big goals.  It encourages me to learn and do some things I have wanted to for quite awhile.  Hopefully this will put a happy spin on my next birthday.  I will use this blog to update my progress over the next nine months.  Ready, set, go!!!

1.       Make a wreath

2.       Establish a quiet time with the Lord daily

3.       Make homemade dinner rolls using my grandmother’s famous recipe

4.       Go to First Monday in Canton, TX

5.       Keep a daily prayer journal

6.       Learn how to make hair bows

7.       Enjoy an overnight trip alone with Jarrod

8.       Organize family photos

9.       Make home made lasagna

10.     Read one of our shelved books cover to cover

11.     Take each of the kids out for fun alone (just mommy & child)

12.     Hand make a necklace

13.     Hand make a tutu

14.      Schedule a concealed handgun class (set for Nov 19th)

15.     Plan and host a fun get together at our house (birthday parties don’t count!).

16.     Plant a vegetable garden

17.     Take time to learn more about my Canon Powershot SX100 Nikon D3100

18.     Make home made applesauce

19.     Enjoy a family night each week

20.     Perform a random act of kindness

21.     Completely pay off the little debt that we have

22.     Sew a set of Christmas stockings

23.     Learn how to change my own oil

24.     Write a letter to myself

25.     Memorize state nicknames for all fifty states

26.     Learn tons more about football

27.     Contact and go to lunch with a childhood friend

28.     Do something different with my hair

29.     Snazz up the yard

30.     Decoupage something

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." - Lucile Ball