Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake!!

I promise this cake tastes as good as it looks!!! It's sweet, flavorful, and melts in your mouth...and it's addicting :)

Weekly Menu 11/29-12/5

Can you believe tomorrow is the first day of December? I'm so excited! Thanksgiving is over and now we're in full on Holiday mode. Speaking of Thanksgiving, how was everyone's? Ours was really lovely. I spent some of the afternoon with my mom before we headed over to Josh's parents house. The food was delicious...however, I'm more health conscious than I was a few years ago so I had only the one helping of everything and my plate wasn't piled high. :( I now kind of wished I would of indulged more, but I guess self-control is always a good thing to practice. And I guess I get to make up for it around Christmas time now :)

The week of Thanksgiving, our temps dropped really love. Some nights it got below 20 and during the day it was below freezing. We saw a bit of snow and a lot of ice. The ice was freaking me out a bit because I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it to the store in time for everything I needed. I did end up making it out, but not to my local store. It made me mad because everything was more expensive at the store I went to so I had to cross off a lot of things that were on my list that I felt I could live without so I could stay within budget.  Was there crazy weather where you lived?

For the next few months, Josh has offered/volunteered to help make dinners on a more regular basis. He normally helps out a few times a week anyways, but Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, if I don't already have something pre-prepared he is cooking. I'm in the process of beginning to train for a marathon in March and I'm going to have to be at the gym longer than usual some nights, so Josh is helping me out with dinners. You'll probably see an increase of crockpot meals in the weeks and months to come because I'll be relying on those to help out with our dinner schedule. 

Monday

Josh made parmesean crusted grilled cheese sandwiches and warmed up an Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup meal for us ( I was at the gym)

Tuesday

We have to go grocery shopping tonight, so I'm not sure. We might grab something out.

Wednesday

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and rice with a veggie...maybe green beans

Thursday

Homemade Taco Pizza

Friday

Crockpot Minestrone Soup with a side salad and rolls

Saturday

Stuffed Peppers with rice

Sunday

Honey-Ginger Chicken Stir-fry with Rice or noodles

Desserts/Treats

I've got some leftover Cranberry Sauce from Thanksgiving so I think I'm going to use the leftovers to make some Cranberry Sauce Muffins from Two Peas and their Pod.

And maybe cookies of some sort...Not sure yet.

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday. I was so busy cleaning the house, doing laundry, and organizing closets, hahaha!

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Where I come from, Cranberry Sauce from the can is very much the norm. I don't think I've ever had a traditional fancy cranberry sauce...until now. As I'm sure many of you are, I'm a faithful reader of The Pioneer Woman ( Gotta love that Ree Drummond) and her blogs; especially, her cooking blogs. Her recipe for Cranberry Sauce came through my inbox a few weeks ago and I was drawn to the beautiful crimson color of the cranberries and since the recipe read super duper easy, I knew that this was a dish I wanted to make for Thanksgiving.

This isn't any ordinary Cranberry sauce. This is a Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce! Sounds delicious doesn't it? I'm a big fan of Pomegranate's. I love the taste of them and they make a perfect snack...or companion to Cranberry Sauce. 

You want to start by making sure your berries are clean. So give them a good rinse and while your standing there, allow yourself to admire the beauty of a Cranberry. They are gorgeous and so friendly looking. 

Once you've got your berries squeaky clean, transfer them to a medium sauce pan. Pour in the sugar and the Pom juice. I took the advice from the PW and took a swig of the juice...and then I felt super oober healthy, lol! 

You want to heat the berries up so that they begin to boil but that they don't get them to hot, okay?! Reduce the heat down once they've come to a boil and cook them for about 15-20minutes. Stirring every so often because you don't want them to burn on the bottom.

See, this is me baby-sitting my beautiful berries :) I look rather happy about it don't I? Actually, I was standing there hoping that I wouldn't burn my dessert and hoping I would have enough time to curl my hair before we left for my in-laws, haha!

Once your berries have cooked down, take them off the heat and transfer them to a pretty serving bowl and chill them in the fridge till it's time to eat. As it chills, the sauce thickens up and becomes completely amazing!

Doesn't it look incredible? I assure you, it is; by itself and on Turkey. It really moistens the turkey up and gives it this juicy sweet and tart flavor. YUM-O!

The PW also says, it's good on English muffins and on toast, but I'll have to take her word for it because I left my leftovers at my in-laws house last night. But when we go back over there tonight, I intend to steal it back to eat it as a topping, it is that good!

I encourage you to make this at your next holiday gathering. It's so simple and can be made ahead of time and you'll be so happy you did :) Enjoy :)

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

(Source: The Pioneer Woman)

1 bag (about 12-16oz) fresh cranberries

16 ounces, fluid Pomegranate juice

3/4 cups sugar, more or less to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to prevent burning. The cranberry mixture will thicken as it cooks, and will thicken even more as it cools. 

Cool in a bowl in the fridge. Serve with Thanksgiving Turkey.

Weekly Menu 11/22-11/27

How was everyone's weekend?

Our was really good and really busy. Saturday morning, Joss, Gracie and I had dentist appointments and a birthday party that evening. Sunday morning we had church, followed by our Praise Him Potluck and then another birthday party in the evening. It made for a very long day and a very quick weekend.

Gracie lost her 3rd tooth last night at dinner. That was very exciting for her. She was so excited and proud of herself for not freaking out over the little bit of blood and no tears. So the Tooth Fairy had to make an appearance last night only to get caught red-handed. Good thing, I was able to talk my way out of there and she was none the wiser. So my 6yr old still believes in the tooth fairy and I'm happy I didn't ruin it for her.

It's supposed to snow here tonight in the NW. I'm not sure it will, although it's been very cold and rainy. But the weather people say it's going to happen. We were going to go grocery shopping tonight, but Josh got off work late and with the cold air/snow possibility were going to hold off to maybe tomorrow night.

If we had time this past weekend, we would of already done our shopping. But, it's kind of last minute now which sucks because everything I need will probably be gone because of  Thanksgiving; one can hope though.

Because of Thanksgiving and some family coming into town, I'm not all that quite sure how dinners are working out here. So I really haven't put to much thought into it. We may go over to Josh's family house a few times to join them for a meal because of our family, but it's still up in the air. So I have to have back up meals. You'll have to forgive me, because the menu is not impressive, but it will get the job done. I'm sure once the week is over, I'll have a more normal menu for the following week along with some blogs about the Holiday Dishes I've made. Trust me, your going to want to read them and then steal the recipes :)

The menu is in no particular order except for Monday and Thursday, so bear with me okay kids? I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat I'm in :)

Monday

Fried Egg Sandwiches or Ham and Cheese Omlette's

We were going to go grocery shopping so it had to be easy.

Tuesday

Tuna Helper and leftover garlic bread and green beans

Wednesday

Home-made Pizza with leftover ham and pineapples...maybe a side salad

Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day everyone:

Gobble Gobble

Friday

Again, I'm attempting to make the stuffed peppers...

They'll get made one of these days

Saturday

Chicken with Mustard Gravy, roasted Cauliflower and mashed potatoes

Sunday

??? 

I'm not to sure about this one. Josh will probably make something.

As far as desserts and treats go...

Desserts/Treats

 Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

the one I made for the Potluck was a hit (again) and I kept getting asked for the recipe ;) Love that

and I was debating about making a pie. 

 I'll either make the Pioneer Woman's Nantucket Cranberry Pie

or my mom's Blackberry or Huckleberry Pie...I'm just not sure...I may not even make another pie.

The problem is, there will already be 2 or 3 pies at my in-law's house plus the cake I'm bringing. And if I make another pie that might be to many. Or I could make a pie for just Josh and I. It's a lot to think about...and I'm just not sure. 

Do you guys have any thoughts?

Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving is officially a week away! (Yay!!)

I am super excited about it. I love the holidays and all the yummy foods. Tonight is jump starting our Thanksgiving week though. On Thursdays, we have Awana, and since next Thursday is Thanksgiving, we obviously won't be meeting. So tonight, the kids get to have an Awana Thanksgiving Dinner.  I actually forgot about the dinner part when I was making out the dinner menu earlier this week, so I guess that means I get to save on a meal :)

All the parents are pooling together and putting together a cute little meal for the kids. Popcorn, Rolls, Pumpkin Pie, and turkey deli meat. I'm in charge of the Popcorn :) I'm sure the kids will have a wonderful time together.

Then on Sunday, our church is having our annual Praise Him Potluck and I'll be making a dessert, much like I usually do. I might try and do another side dish...but I'm not sure if I'll have time to make two things, seeing as though Saturday we're going to a Birthday party.

And of course Thanksgiving. This year, we'll be with Mom and Dad Rief ( my in-laws) and I've offered to make a few dishes there too. My mother in law and I talked earlier this week on what I would be bringing or making and we decided on a dessert ( the same one I'll be making for the potluck) and I'll be making a new Cranberry Sauce. I've offered to do more...but she'll have lot's of helpers with all the kids back home ( minus my hubby because he's with me).

But for Thanksgiving morning, Josh and I will have made a delicious sausage-egg casserole. This is our go to holiday breakfast meal. You make it the night before and in the morning, just pop it into the oven, and it is beyond yummy.

Thanksgiving Menu

I'll be making 2 Pumpkin Gooey Butter Pumpkin Cakes

(one for the potluck and one for Thanksgiving)

I'm trying the Pioneer Woman's Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Rief Family Egg & Sausage Casserole

( I'll blog this one ;))

Kidney Bean Sandwich

Don't let the name of the sandwich scare you off. There really is no good name for this meal, come to think of it, I'm not even sure there is a real name for this meal. So for now, I'm dubbing it, Kidney Bean Sandwich...or until my mom informs me of it's true name, haha :)

I have to give my mom kudos for always coming up with fun lunches for us kids. On the days of the week where there may of been an in-service day at school, my mom would break up our everyday norm of either pb&j or deli meat, cheese, and a huge piece of lettuce ( which I always dug out of my sandwich and threw away, sorry mom...you did try ;)) and make something fun. Sometimes it would be simple Macaroni and Cheese ( out of the blue box) and other times maybe it would be Top Raman, ( which my brother usually made, because only he could make it taste so amazing) and other times it could be Egg Salad Sandwich ( a personal favorite of mine).

But sometimes, when it was just her and I, she would make Kidney Bean Sandwich! I'm not sure what it is about this meal, but it was special. The ingredients couldn't be any simplifier and they definitely are nothing special, but the time we shared while she prepared it, were special. I can see it now...I'm sitting in my mother's kitchen on a bar stool at the kitchen island while I watched her butter bread and warm up the beans and we are chatting away. Such simple moments filled with lot's of smiles and conversation.

For me, it's easy to get into a lunch rut. I am not all that adventurous or creative in my lunch making preparations. I'm just not a real lunch person all together. I would rather skip the meal and eat an apple instead. But, my kids can't skip meals and certainly can't survive on an apple alone like me. They need substance...and variety. But as I said earlier, I'm not good with variety. I can do mac and cheese, whole grain- chef boyardee, and pb&j or a lunch meat deal. We like our eggs in our house, so I don't always have enough for egg salad sandwich ( although it sounds really good right now) and I'm stingy with my canned tuna.   Meaning I don't like to use it unless I have too. But, now that I've thought about it, I'll make tuna fish sandwiches for the kids next week.

 I was talking to Gracie a few weeks ago about this lunch my mom (her Nanny) would make for me and she was really interested in trying it. In fact she requested that I buy an extra can of Kidney Beans the next time I was at the store...which I did and I wasn't to worried about Eden liking it, because Kidney Beans have always been one of her favorite things to munch on since she had teeth. ( I know...she is a weird and bizzare child and sometimes I wonder if we're really related, lol...just kidding )

So, Monday afternoon, I decided Kidney Bean sandwich would be lunch. When Grace saw me take out the beans of the cupboard she got so excited. She asked," are you going to make us the Kidney bean lunch Nanny used to make you?"  I said, "I sure am." So while the kidney beans and the liquid were heating up on the stove, I lightly buttered some bread and got their drinks and plates ready.  We all sat down to eat lunch ( Yes, I ate too) and the girls inhaled it! I was so happy that this meal that I had always loved is one they enjoyed too. :) So thanks Mom for the memories and the really frugal/easy lunch meal that I can now enjoy with my children. I love you, Mom!

Kidney Bean Sandwiches

Slices of bread

Butter

1 (15oz) can of Kidney Beans

Open a can of kidney beans and pour all the bean and liquid into a saucepan and turn the heat on to low-med. While the beans are warming up, butter the slices of bread and lay face up on your plate. When the beans are warmed, not hot, scoop them up and pour a decent amount along with the liquid over the bread and butter. The liquid melts the butter and softens the bread making this delicious flavor. Cut off pieces with a fork like you would French Toast and to top the meal off, serve it with some fruit, in our case we used Grapes :) Enjoy!

This a great way to use up any extra kidney bean leftovers you might have from a previous meal.

Weekly Menu 11/15-11/21

My weekend went by wayy to fast! I always hate that. You just start to get comfortable with your weekend routine and then it's over. Such a disappointment.  But we had a good weekend.

We all got our hair done on Saturday and it's amazing how much better you feel afterwards. Then that evening, we celebrated Josh's brother turning 18 yrs old. He's really grown into such a gentleman! My sister in law, Jessica was able to come up from college for the weekend and it was a surprise. I was so excited to see her I almost cried.

Oh Sunday Mornings...I really struggle Sunday mornings. I'm always tired and my bed is always wonderful and amazing. I had woken up at 3am with a horrible headache and it lasted most of the morning so that really slowed me down. But after I got the kids hair done, Josh took the kids to get the oil changed while I got ready for church and when he picked me up when he was done, he had Starbucks waiting for me, ( I love him) and it made my morning a lot better. I don't think I really woke up till about about 10:15am...and I think the fact that we were singing worship this Sunday helped wake me up. All the songs were really upbeat and it was a great Praise time.

As usual, our Sunday afternoons were lazy and wonderful. Eden took a nap when we got home and Grace played quietly in her room while I made the grocery list and watched The Mentalist in the bedroom with Josh, sipping egg nog...which just so happens to be Eden's new favorite drink, lol! She calls its Ache Nok :) We ended the night with finishing Mr. Smith goes to Washington, the kids going to bed, and Josh writing my newest guest blog post. You really should read it if you haven't yet.

Monday

Slow-Cooker Chili (with ground turkey breast) and

 homemade whole wheat cornbread 

Tuesday

Josh is making his Chicken Tacos

Wednesday

BLT Sandwiches

Thursday

Stuffed Shells, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Friday

Slow-Cooker Stuffed Peppers (with ground Turkey Breast)

Saturday

Janell's Birthday

Sunday

The plan is to make Chicken with Mustard Gravy with mashed potatoes and corn, 

but we're having the PRAISE HIM POTLUCK at Church and I'm not sure how hungry we'll be...

As far as treats and desserts go this week...I'm not to sure. I'll be making a dessert for the Potluck and maybe a side dish too...but we still have some leftover pumpkin bread in the house so I might skip treats this week since I know we have a birthday party this week plus all the yummy treats for the potluck.

Desserts/Treats

Paula Deen's Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

About 3-4 years ago, I was watching a Rachael Ray episode that was featuring guests and recipes to help with Thanksgiving. One of the guests was Paula Deen. Have you guys ever watched her. She is hilarious! She reminds me a lot of Julia Child. Anyways, she made this incredible dessert and I've been making it ever since and everytime, it's a hit.

GUEST BLOGGER - Penne Perfection Part I

Just when you thought it was safe to return to cyberspace...

You notice the guest blogger is back, but with alliteration! I can't help it, I'm afraid. A predisposition to alliteration is an inherited trait, in this case, on my father's side. Whether it makes sense or not, we just can't help but jump at the opportunity to set the first letters of words in titles and slogans to the same point of alphabetic alliterative arete. There it goes again. Dang genes.

So, it's been a couple of months since my last foray into the wonderful world of the web-bound wordsmith (wow - I know), also known as the blogger. It was summer then, and I was grilling. Sadly, the rain has set in. Although I am definitely that guy that you all stare at and occasionally voice suspicions of creeping senility about as I stand on my deck in the pouring rain and freezing cold tending to my barbecue, the outdoor cooking definitely does not get as much attention now that the winter months are upon us. As such, I return to my robust repertoire of warm and occasionally spicy meals of Italian origin. We have a pair of primary passions in the Rief household where the culinary craft is concerned, and they are Mexican and Italian. I grant you, we are open to almost any and all ideas, and we frequently stray from these two genres, but they are definitely what we have grown to prefer. That being said, winter is for Italian food. Food with sausage and olive oil and pasta and tomatoes served in bowls. Yes, bowls. Two of my favorite winter Italian dishes are served in bowls, at least here. They just seem more indulgent that way!

With out further ado, my lowly league of larder:

As you can see, nothing too fancy here, many items of canned origin, and, yet, that is one of the many, many wonderful things about Italian food - although it can be, it does not have to be complex to be delightful. You will notice, I recommend a glass of wine with this meal - we chose a 2007 Blackstone Syrah - but I know that some do not partake of wine, understandably. For that lot, I recommend - wait for it - milk! In all seriousness, this is an indulgent, comforting meal. Milk is a fantastic way to go. Sipping a small glass of wine during the preparation is a very relaxing, even romantic (depending on one's company - mine was my lovely wife, of course) way to help the time go by. 

First things first, of course. Why do we say that? If the first things weren't first, they wouldn't be first! I believe I do possess the inherent ability to drive myself insane. Moving right along. First, I brought the water for the penne noodles to a boil and began browning the mild Italian sausage in the olive oil. This recipe calls for a full box of penne and a full pound of sausage, so I recommend a large pot for the penne and a large, deep pan for the sausage. Later in the recipe, you will be adding many more ingredients to the pan currently pulling browning duty, so use one of the largest you have available. Also, you'll want to have the oven preheated to 350.

The cooking of the penne noodles is, of course, extremely straight-forward. Follow the directions on the box for al dente pasta, and you'll be in good shape. Why does everything with Italian names sound delicious? Think about it. Roma tomatoes. Roma. It's literally one letter away from being aroma. How did that happen? So, yeah, that was a very random example. What about formaggio? The way it rolls off your tongue makes you wish you were eating it. I'm German, and I like German food, so no disrespect, but where did they come up with bratwurst? Seriously? You have to overcome the sound of the name and regain your appetite before the eating can begin. We Americans aren't much better. Hot dog? Really? Grilled Cheese? Did we have an imagination deficit running at some point in our history? I digress, as usual, but...macaroni. Lasagna. Tiramisu. Risotto. Agnolotti. Parmesan. Ricciarelli. Cappuccino. Panino. Pizza!

Anyhow. Once the sausage is browned, you'll need to drain the excess grease (there shouldn't be much) and deglaze the pan with a half cup of white wine stirred in with the sausage for about a minute. After this, stir in your three cans of various tomato applications, and simmer for about 10 minutes. I'll post the exact times from the recipe below.

Once the simmering is complete and the noodles are all al dente-d up (say that 10 times fast), you'll need to toss the mixture and the penne in the pot together. 

Make sure the pasta is totally coated with the tomato-sausage mixture, and then transition the whole delightfully decalescent discombobulation to a waiting 9x13 glass baking dish. Once the pasta is spread out in the dish, cover the penne with mozerella cheese (I believe the recipe call for 2 cups shredded, but you could use as much as you like - it's mozerella cheese - where are you going to go wrong?).

And this is really the best part. That's it! Throw it in the oven for 20 minutes, and you're done! Now, certainly, you could add a starch side dish to this, and it would be wonderful. Or a salad, and that would be marvelous. But honestly, once you take it out of the oven, scoop it in to a bowl, grab your favorite seat on the couch in front of the fireplace, and indulge in the coming of winter. I'm not a fan of the cold and the rain by any stretch of the imagination, but meals like this make me secretly, ever so discretely, barely noticeably, resist that much less.

In closing, I would highlight that this is a radically flexible meal. It can be incredibly romantic if it's just the two of you alone in the house with the rain battering against the windows and logs crackling in the fireplace (mine's natural gas, so sub in whatever romantic sounds natural gas makes), but it can also be a great meal for the guys if they're over to play poker, or for the girls to watch some overly sappy movie or whatever it is you girls do when you get together. I'm going to avoid delving too deeply into that one, as I don't wish to be labeled the sexist guest blogger, and I may be getting close already. ;) 

In short, it's not gourmet, but it tastes great. It's not formidable, but it is fruitful. It's not fancy, but it is flexible. Next time, look for less alliteration, and perhaps a goofier mood (hey, it's happened before, though I'm not guaranteeing any Jamaican proverbs), when I get around to blogging my vodka penne!

Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package dry penne pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Place sausage and onion in the skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Pour in wine, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to deglaze the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 664 | Total Fat: 33.5g | Cholesterol: 82mg

This recipe is Linked to:

Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight

A Traditional Lasagna

I've grown up with one version of Lasagna and one version only. It's the version my mom has been making for years and our family knows and loves. In my husband's opinion he says," It's so good that your taste buds have no idea that there isn't any meat in it." It's quite true. My mom's lasagna consists of cheese, olives, and mushrooms; (which I always leave out because eating fungus creeps me out) a pretty simple dish!

I think in my 7 years of being married to Josh, I've only made a traditional lasagna once...and I cannot remember where I got the recipe, but I didn't like it- so I never made it again. But, I was clipping coupons a few weeks back and not only did I find a coupon for pasta, but also ricotta cheese. I knew that I wanted to try to make another traditional lasagna. So I flipped through a couple of cookbooks and settled on recipe from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. At the top of the recipe it said it was a Best Loved recipe, so I trusted that and  wrote down all the additional ingredients I was going to need.

I love meals that you can go ahead and make ahead earlier in the day and just store in the fridge till it's time to make it. I usually tend to lean toward those meals or crock pot meals on Friday's because Josh is at the bank longer than usual making sure everything is done before the weekend. A lot of times, he doesn't get home till late, which means a late dinner, but that's why it's so important to have something already done or in the process of cooking when he walks in the door because he's tired from a long day.

So Friday afternoon, while the girls were playing, I got to work in the kitchen. The recipe has a quick version where you can substitute a jar of pasta sauce instead of making your own, but I figure since I'm not working (outside the home) and I have the time, why not make my own, it will taste better in the end and probably be a lot healthier too. So I got to work on chopping my garlic.

I love the smell of fresh garlic. I think I've probably mentioned that before in a couple of my other posts, lol, but in case you forgot or missed it, I had to say it again, ha ha! Garlic adds so much flavor to food though, I think that's why I'm okay with always adding a bit extra...I'm the same way with Vanilla extract. A little extra garlic and vanilla never hurt anyone ;)

Normally, I will substitute ground turkey breast for any recipe calling for beef. But, you don't mess with Lasagna. If it calls for beef, you cook it with beef. This recipe called for Italian or Pork Sausage or Beef...I chose the beef route, so while the beef began to brown I finished mincing my garlic before throwing it into the skillet. If you were to add an onion like the recipe calls for, then this would be the time to add that as well. But I just skip right over that part- you know me and onions, we just don't jive together. 

When the meat was browned to perfection, I went ahead and began making the red sauce. A can of diced tomatoes (yum), a can of tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, pepper, and if you like, you can add some fennel seeds. I happen to like fennel, so I went ahead and added that to it. Once it came to a boil, I reduced the heat, and let it simmer ( with a lid on) for 15 minutes...just long enough to get those lasagna noodles cooking.

 I suggest, you turn the pot with water on, so it can begin the boiling process once you add the garlic to the meat. It always takes forever for water to boil...unless you have one of those ritzy induction ranges that Electrolux sells that claims to boil water in 90 secs...( which by the way go for about $2900.00 a pop) but I'm guessing you probably don't. So if your like me, you could always pop the lid on the pot when you turn the burner on and it quickens the time of the boiling process, because the air can't escape anywhere. Cool, huh!?

So, while the noodles are a boiling and the sauce is a simmering...I was allowed to go on to the next part of the cooking process. Cheese!

You don't have to use Ricotta Cheese if you don't want it...but I can't understand why you wouldn't want to since Ricotta is this amazing white substance that trees will blow over for (sorry, I know, I'm random). But if you are of the picky variety and are one that doesn't like Ricotta, I will do two things for you...1) You can use cottage cheese if you like ( and if you don't like that then your out of luck) and 2) I will pray for you that you will eventually come to your senses and come to love all things that are Ricotta Cheese. :)

To make the filling I took a beaten egg, ricotta cheese, and grated Parmesan and combined it together.

I used a 9x13 baking dish and used about 1/2 cup of the red sauce and spread it over the bottom of the baking dish.  I took 3 lasagna noodles ( which I had previously drained and rinsed) and laid them at the bottom of the dish. Then I spread about half of the ricotta filling over the noodles and topped with the half of the red sauce. 

Then layer that with half of your Mozzarella Cheese

And repeat with the remaining ingredients.

At this point you can go ahead and bake it or if you're like me, stick it in the fridge till it's time to make it...which in my case ended up being Sunday night, lol! Josh got home so late Friday night, that he didn't want lasagna. He wanted Taco Bell...and were my feelings hurt? Not really considering the meal was going to take about 60 minutes to cook since I had made it ahead of time. 

Sunday night however, I preheated the oven to 375 and covered the lasagna with foil and baked it for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, I uncovered and cooked it for another 20 minutes. And then...it was done!

While we allowed the Lasagna to cool for 10 minutes, we went ahead and prepared a lite Cesar Salad and sliced up the garlic bread. (lol, yes more Garlic)

Even though, dinner had been prepared Friday and not cooked till Sunday, it was still excellent. I don't think you could tell it had been sitting in the fridge. Josh loved the change of Lasagna and the kiddos gobbled it up. All the flavors were exciting and new and the Ricotta Cheese was AMAZING!

I will say this though, this made a ton of food and we even had it for leftovers one night, and still we had a lot of food leftover. So, I think I'll make this again when we have company over because it was just to much for us, but super yummy :) You might be curious to know that this meal is only 441 calories per serving :) Not to bad eh?

Lasagna

Adapted from the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook

Prep: 45 min Bake: 30 minutes ( or longer)

Oven: 375 Stand: 10 minutes

Makes: 8 servings ( or more)

1 lb Italian, pork sausage, or ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 141/2- oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 TB dried Italian Seasoning, crushed

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (optional)

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 dried lasagna noodles

1 beaten egg

1 15oz container ricotta cheese or 2 cups

cream-style cottage cheese, drained

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 oz shredded Mozzarella 

Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

1. For sauce, in a large saucepan cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.
2. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and black pepper into meat mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles for 10-12 minutes or until tender, but still firm. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well, set aside.
4. For filling, combine egg, ricotta, and the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Set Aside.
5. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 2 qt. rectangular baking dish. layer half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish, trimming or overlapping as necessary to fit. Spread with half of the filling. Top with half of the remaining sauce and half of the Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. If desired, sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top.
6. Place baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake in a 375 oven for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above through step 5. Cover unbaked lasagna and chill. To serve, bake, covered, in a 375 oven for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

End of October Grocery Summery

October has been a beautiful crazy month. It's hard to believe that we're in November now. The anticipation of Halloween is over and has been replaced with either a dreaded stress of the upcoming Holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving and Christmas) or excitement about the family traditions and festivities that will be coming in the weeks to follow. I know I'm already planning on some yummy treats to make for some of the Holidays :)

I saved a lot of money in October with all of my coupons, but unfortunately, we were over budget once again.  :( $300.00 is a tough bracket to stay in for a family of 4. I look forward to the day when we can increase it to maybe $330.00 or $350.00. I think it would be easier. But, Hey...it's okay :)

Our Budget is $300.00

We spent $340.01

Which put us over by $40.01

With Coupons, I saved $ 81.92

A huge improvement over last month with coupons by a long shot. I will say that I did really good at Albertson's though. We scored a buy 1 get 1 on some Roasts, so I now have 2 of those in my freezer. One grocery trip did put us over budget though, which is never helpful. But if I remember it was all things we needed, lol!

Again, I hope for this month (November) to be better. But since it's Holiday Season...I'm not expecting it to be. Oh well. We do the best we can do right?

Weekly Menu 11/8-11/14

I'm not to thrilled that the weekend is already over. It went by wayy to fast :( Does anyone else feel the same way?And to make things even more busy/complicated, it was Daylight Savings Time!

Josh worked his first Saturday in over 8months at his new branch in Salem from 9-2pm and then he came home, and changed his clothes and then he and I went to a wedding of a friend who also works for the bank. The wedding was out in a Vineyard...also in Salem ( Yes, Josh drove to Salem twice in one day) and we had such a wonderful time. Our friend, the Bride was gorgeous, and the set-up was all Italian which was really fun. I got to wear my new dress I bought a few weeks ago and it was so nice to just get dressed up for once :)

Sunday, we got our hour of sleep back...but Josh and I woke up around 4am and talked for a few hours and fell back asleep till 8am and then got ready to go to church. We had breakfast at Starbucks on our way up and it was so wonderful. Church was great, and afterwards we came home, changed, and checked out the brand new Goodwill...which was my idea, not Josh's. ( He Hates Goodwill.) Josh made dinner Sunday night and we picked up a few ingredients at the store and came home. The kids played and Josh worked on dinner while I uploaded my pics to the computer and listened to the jazz music streaming in through Pandora...and when dinner was done, we sat down and ate while we watched Toy Story 3...Super cute, sad movie! I was balling my eyes out like a 2 yr old, lol!

But now it's Monday, and I'm wishing it was still Sunday. How about you. Did your weekend go by fast too?

Monday

Harvest Ham, with cut up sweet potatoes and carrots in the crockpot

Tuesday

We have lot's of leftovers that need to be eaten

Wednesday

The leftover ham will make for delicious Omelette's with a baby red potato hash

Thursday

(Awana Night)

Stuffed Shells and rolls

Friday

Turkey Chili and cornbread

Saturday

I think we'll be celebrating my brother in law's b-day that night so we'll probably have dinner with them.

Sunday

Chicken with Mustard Gravy, Corn, and mashed potatoes.

I had a lot of dinner options this week, but because we're doing a really small grocery trip tonight, I'm going to do a lot of meals in which I don't need to buy anything for. I think next Sunday, we'll do our bigger trip.

Desserts/treats

I never made the free-form apple tart. It was a rough week and for most of the week I was fighting something off. But since my parents babysat the kids for us at our place on Saturday, I used the apples to make an Apple Crisp for them for dessert.

Pumpkin Bread

( from what I remember last year, my BIL really liked the one I made, so I'll make him a loaf to share on his b-day)

Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

One of my favorite vegetables is the potato. I love them in every form they come in. Raise your hand if you love potatoes too! ( I see you over there shyly raising your hand :))

This past Monday, I made my Roasted Parmesean Potatoes to go along with my chicken dinner. It was a great way to use up some of my red and russet potatoes that were getting old and a way to break away from the mashed and baked potatoes that can be a common side in my home.

What I love about this recipe is that I always have all the ingredients on hand so that means I don't have to buy anything extra at the store adding to my already full grocery list and tight budget. Which brings me to another reason I love potatoes so much. They are Cheap! Grocery stores practically give them away for free. I usually keep a big bag of russet and red potatoes on hand, along with a few sweet potatoes. What kinds of potatoes do you normally buy?

Roasted Parmesean Potatoes

3-5 Potatoes, (I like to use Red and White potatoes, but russet work well too). 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Paprika

2/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, plus more for on top.

Pre-heat oven to 450

Scrub the potatoes real good. 

Cut the potatoes into little wedges and place in a greased 8x8 baking dish. Cover them with Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Salt, Parsley, Paprika, and Parmesean Cheese. You can use grated or shredded cheese, whatever you have. Mix it all together and sprinkle the top with more cheese.

Place in the oven for 20-30 Minutes and enjoy :)

Weekly Menu 11/1-11/7

I can't believe Halloween is over and November is officially here. Josh and I were talking on our drive home last night about how once November hits, it's like full on Holiday Season. (Which makes me very happy)

Josh and I are already talking about what we would like to do with the kids this holiday season. This is my favorite time of year. The food, the colors, the decorations, and the music and movies; and I can't forget the holiday commercials. Remember the Campbell's Soup commercial with the little boy who is the snowman and once he eats his soup he melts into the boy? I love that commercial.

How was everyone's Halloween? Ours was good. The kids had a lot of fun and got a decent amount of candy. Grace was a cowgirl and little Eden got Gracie's old chicken costume.

Super Cute, huh?!

The Chili I was supposed to make yesterday, never happened. Sunday Mornings, are just not great mornings for me to try and prepare something. I'm always running late, haha!

Monday

Soy Chicken, steamed broccoli, and 

roasted parmesean potatoes

Tuesday

Leftover Lasagna and garlic bread

Wednesday

Crockpot Three Beans and Sausage with rice

Thursday

Stuffed Shells and rolls

Friday

Crockpot Harvest Ham with Sweet Potatoes

and carrots

Saturday

Josh and I will be at a wedding in the evening so we'll be eating there :)

Sunday

Sausage Ziti ( Josh would make this meal) Not sure what sides...

Back-up Meals

Chicken with Mustard Gravy and corn

Chili and Homemade Cornbread

Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Snacks/Treats

Free-Form Harvest Apple Tart

and

Maybe a Berry Pie

Are you trying anything new this week?