checking in

Feeling pretty unmotivated to post tonight, but just thought I'd check in. Matt had a minor surgical procedure on Friday morning, so he's been on strict "don't walk except to get up and pee" rest since. I'm pooped with taking care of Jonah and all Jonah chores (drawing meds, g-tube meals, washing tubes and syringes, setting up for next day's dressing change, dressing change, picking up toys, night time blister draining etc) without a break. Jonah has been an angel but he's thrown up three times in the last two days (after barely throwing up at all in the last two months), so it's been a long couple days. Matt's recovering well though and he has been a good patient. :)

Funny story:

Background - One of the worst things Jonah deals with is itching skin when his wounds are healing. He takes Zyrtec in the mornings and Atarax in the evenings, and I use some creams and stuff to help, but no matter what, he has some days and moments where the itching drives him crazy. I will often times scratch his boo boos (most of the time on his fingers, heels or wrists) in a safe way to give him some relief. He really can't scratch because he only has two fingernails and does more of a dangerous rubbing against something. Anyway, when I scratch for him, you should see the look on his face. He smiles and laughs and says, "Scratch!" like I've given him the best gift in the world. It's really break-your-heart-cause-it's-so-sad-and-adorable-at-the-same-time sweet.

Anyway, I've tried explaining that Daddy can't walk and play right now, telling Jonah that Daddy has boo boo legs, just cause I don't know how to explain why he can't walk around. Anyway, when I first told him, Jonah walked over to Matt, said "Boo boo legs," and started scratching them for him. It was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. It was the only way he knew to make Daddy feel better. I won't lie. I  teared up a little.

He is such a compassionate, affectionate little kiddo. Any time anyone coughs or sneezes, he'll say "Okay, Daddy?" or "Okay, Nana?" or whoever. When you get your mean voice and scold him, he'll rub your arm and say, "Iss okay, Mommy. Iss alright. I sorry, Mommy. Iss okay." He loves my friend Lindsey's little boy, Mason, who's four, and just hugs all over him every time he sees him. When his occupational therapist comes, after feeding therapy, they play on the floor and he is ALL OVER HER, wanting to sit on her while he plays. I love how sweet and affectionate he is. I really think he is going to have a beautiful tender heart. (But I'm also preparing myself for him to be the weird kid in school who pets his neighbors.)

Anyway, he's been very helpful with Daddy down, helping clean up his toys, helping feed Deac, and helping carry the trash from the bedroom to the kitchen. I'll tell him to go tell Daddy what he did and how he was a helper, and he'll squeal and run to the living room, so proud of himself he can barely stand it. I hope he always wants to help his Mommy.

Switching gears, I made Mongolian Beef last night for dinner, and it was A-MAZ-ING.

I found the recipe on Pinterest (have I mentioned that I love that site?), and it did not disappoint. Click HERE for the recipe. It calls for flank steak, but I used beef tips because that's what I had and it was super delicious. Let me know if you try it!

PS - We are in the western middle part of NC, so we are safe and sound but many of our Greenville friends have lots of damage and power outages, so please keep them in your prayers. Lots of flooding and I know the Northeast is about to get hit badly too. Praying that everyone stays safe. Don't take stupid chances!

cheesy brown rice (and steak for good measure)

I've been using myfitnesspal to track my calories and exercise. I don't want to lose much weight, but I'd love to lose a few more and tone up. I feel crappy when I'm not exercising and y'all know as well as I do that after two kids, no matter what the scale says, the belly flab and love handles are there. 


SO... anyway. I love myfitnesspal and it's really helped me be aware of what I'm eating. But the last couple days I've fallen off the wagon and haven't eaten like I should. But you know what? Sometimes you just need some rice (and pasta and steak and oatmeal cream pies). Ahem.


I wanted to do rice last night, but thought I would be good and do brown rice. Unfortunately I've never liked the texture of brown rice. So I searched on the internet and found this recipe from Pinch My Salt.

Perfect Brown Rice (adapted from Saveur)

brown rice (whichever type you prefer)
water – use at least four cups of water for every one cup of rice
salt – to taste

Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds, swirling the rice around with your hand.  Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.  When water boils, add the rice, stir it once.  Turn heat to medium and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After 30 minutes, pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.  Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat.  Immediately cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes (if your pot lid isn’t extremely tight, place a piece of aluminum foil over pot then place the lid on top of foil for a tighter seal). After ten minutes, uncover rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt to taste.

That sounded more like it. I did do it that way and it was definitely fluffier and less gritty than I remembered, but I think I should have used more water. I think when I do it again, I will use at least six cups of water to every one cup of rice. I wanted the rice to have a little more flavor so I looked on All Recipes and did what any desperate southern girl would do. I added cheese. Can I get an Amen?

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• brown rice (prepared)
• 1/2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Prepare brown rice however you see fit. (My edit)
2. Prepare a skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook the bell pepper and onion until lightly browned; stir into the cooked rice. Add the Cheddar cheese and continue stirring until the cheese has melted completely.

It was good. I did add seasoning though. I think I added salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I didn't have any red or yellow peppers, so I used just the onions and zucchini. I also added an extra 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. (Don't look at me like that. It was 2%.)

YUMMY.

Hey do you guys remember that time yesterday morning when I had lost six pounds? Yeah. Those were the days.

patrice, katie, and the case of the monster zucchini

As I mentioned, I picked this from my (teeny) garden early last week.

Katie and her girls came for a visit on Friday, and we decided to tackle that big boy.

The seeds were the size of pumpkin seeds...

So Katie took to them with an ice cream scoop.

We ended up making three types of zucchini bread, saving the rest of the recipes for our zucchini yet to come.

We got 8 CUPS of shredded zucchini out of that one giant monstrosity, and we made all of this.

Katie's comment she just posted on my original post of the photo.

Oh yeah, zucchini?  You were no match for a knife, a veggie peeler, an ice cream scoop and a vitamix.  No, I don't want to hear that it was four against one.  You lost.  And you are in. my. belly.

Good times.

Here are the recipes we used:

Chocolate Zucchini Bread (from Kim aka bakingmommy)

3 eggs, 1/2 cup canola oil, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups raw shredded zucchini, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 cups flour, optional is 1/2 cup raisins. Combine wet and then add dry. Bake in greased bundt pan or 2 loaf pans at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Zucchini Bread (from Kim aka bakingmommy)

2 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2/3 cup canola oil, 1 3/4 cup shredded zucchini, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups flour. Combine wet and then add dry. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes in greased loaf pan.

Zucchini Bread (from my friend, Gaye)

3 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2 c. zucchini (peeled and grated)

2 c. flour

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 c. finely chopped nuts

Beat eggs until light and frothy.  Add sugar, oil, and vanilla, mixing until thick.  Add zucchini and stir thoroughly.

Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt.

Add to egg mixture, stirring until smooth.  

Stir in chopped nuts and lemon rind.

Bake in 2 greased and floured loaf pans about 1 hour at 350 degrees.    

Anyway, if you're like me and want something besides fried, baked, or sauteed zucchini, I hope you like these. I'll share more as I try them.

Matt and I went to our first class today, and it was very good. I'm exhausted though and we're going to try to make it to church, so I'm going to head to bed early. Hope you are having a good weekend. Happy Baking!

Spicy Shrimp and Grits

A couple people have asked for my Shrimp and Grits recipe. It's from Cooking Light, and Matt says it's the best Shrimp and Grits he's ever had and says it's his favorite thing that I make. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 4 slices applewood-smoked bacon
• 1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
• 1 cup thinly vertically sliced white onion
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground or crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup green onion strips

• 1. Combine milk, water, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; gradually add grits, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium; cook 4 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.
• 2. While grits cook, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings; crumble bacon. Add shrimp to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from pan. Add white onion to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in bacon, tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, pepper sauce, and red pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are heated. Serve over grits; sprinkle with green onions.

Serves 4 (unless one of those four is Matt)

I think preparing it as written makes is super hot. I half the hot sauce and red pepper and it's still plenty hot. I don't typically have peppers in adobo sauce, so I just use Tabasco or Texas Pete.  And I typically use cheddar instead of parmesan. You can get the raw, deveined, peeled shrimp (frozen) at Walmart (I know, I know... I'm so two faced.) And if I don't have green onion, I just leave it out. It's still super tasty. (And I leave the tomatoes out of Matt's part.)

For a printable version, click HERE.

Hope you like it. Let me know if you try it.

squash muffins

I am about to be your new best friend. I thought this was Matt's sister's recipe, but she says she got it from Matt's Aunt Katherine. Katherine, you are my hero.

I don't know about you, but I can only take so much fried squash, baked squash, and sauteed squash... enter Squash Muffins.

Yellow Squash Muffins

2 lbs. yellow squash (about 8 medium or 5 large)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp and 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375. Wash squash, trim off ends, cut into slices. Cook in boiling water 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain WELL and mash.

Measure out 2 cups of squash and mix with eggs and butter, set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl, add remaining squash and the squash mixture, stir just until evenly moistened.

Spoon into greased muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on edges (not whole muffin).

This recipe makes 18-24 muffins.

I used Country Crock Lite instead of butter, and they still tasted great. Next time, I think I will try replacing at least some of the sugar with apple sauce and see how that goes. I had to bake them for 25 to 27 minutes, which is a little longer than the recipe says. But it's definitely true about just baking them until the edges are brown, not the whole muffin. They were PERFECT!

I didn't have enough yellow squash from my garden, so I combined yellow squash and zucchini. Matt was a little concerned about how that would taste, but I told him, "If a recipe calls for a cup of butter and a cup of sugar, it's going to taste like butter and sugar."

And he was pleased, as you can see.

It really is a great way to use some of your garden (or Farmer's Market) squash if you are tired of the same old thing. And they freeze well too. Kim says she always makes a double batch, freezes them and then just thaws them and heats them in foil in the oven. Tasty, even the second time around. Let me know if you try them!

this and that

UPDATE: Hummus, got it. :)

We've had a good but uneventful day today. I know my posts have been boring as of late, but we really haven't gotten out that much. Jonah ate LIKE A CHAMP today. He took 33 ounces, all of it without a fight. I just shook my head when I added it up, looked at Matt and said, "That child beats anything I have ever seen." He makes critical decisions EXTREMELY hard to make and/or stand by. I still think we're making the right decision with the g-tube, but geez louise, talk about doubting yourself.

Tomorrow we have our appointments with Jonah's dentist and dermatologist in Chapel Hill. Our dentist appointment is at 11 am and our dermatologist appointment is at 2 pm. I'm nervous about the dentist, only because I have know idea how they plan to give him an exam without messing up his skin unless they plan to sedate him. Maybe they will. I don't know. This dentist is an EB guy though (Weston came from Texas to have him do his surgery), so I'm pretty excited about that. It may just be the first doctor we'll have ever seen that knows more about EB than we do. And I haven't researched the dental side of it at all, so I really am going in blind. Thankfully, Matt has taken off work to go with us.

Tripp came out of surgery fine and last she tweeted, they were home safe and sound. Thanks for praying! :)

I have recently begun subscribing to Cooking Light and Southern Living. I got great deals on a year subscription when they went on sale at Amazon. I LOVE me some Amazon. Anyway, I have been trying new recipes now that Jonah is napping better, and I thought I'd share. I'm not typing them out here because if you click on the links, it'll take you to it, and it will be easier to print out from there.

This first one is called Spicy Chicken Shawarma, from the April 2010 issue. You can find it here.

I thought it was super delicious (similar to a Greek Pita), but Matt just thought it was okay. This recipe called for 1 Tbsp of Tahini, and the only jar I could find was 16 ounces. I have no idea what to do with 16 ounces of Tahini. I didn't even know what Tahini was before this. I'm open to suggestions. :)

This one is Spicy Shrimp and Grits, and Matt said it was the best Shrimp and Grits he'd ever had. You can find it here. It was from the March 2010 issue.

I thought it was only okay because I have texture issues with both grits and non-breaded shrimp, so it wasn't for me so much. But like I said, Matt thought it was awesome!

This last one was what I made tonight. It's Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese. You can see it here. It was also from the March 2010 issue.


Matt and I both really liked this one. I didn't have onion powder so just did extra garlic powder and didn't have the kind of cheese it called for so I just used mostly Cheddar, a little Mozzarella, and Parmesan. It was delicious even with the modifications.


I would really recommend all three of these. Very, very tasty for "light" recipes.



Oh yeah, I'm going to get a blog makeover in a few weeks (I'm on the waiting list) and am also renaming the blog. I just decided on a name yesterday (I've been thinking about it all the time for days), and I want to share it (and the why) so bad I can hardly stand it, but I really want it to go along with the makeover. So you'll just have to wait right along with me, but I'm really excited.


Okay, off to bed. We're going to have to pull Jonah out of bed and start dressing change at 6:30 if we want to get Jonah fed and make it to Chapel Hill by 10:45. Very early morning. Yuck.

jonah's auction and tasty soup

Jonah really loves his new exersaucer. And I love it too because between that, him being able to sit up (with his boppy behind him and a pillow on each side in case he falls) and play by himself a little, and his new chair (that goes up to 40 lbs), I'm getting a little more hands-free time. He has now decided that the only way he'll sleep during the day is if I hold him. Period. He used to take a 28 min nap in the afternoons, but he's over that now. Really, it's okay though. There are much worse things. If I didn't have so much to do, I could sit and rock him for hours. He smells yummy. :)

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I hope you guys are able to keep up with Jonah's EB Auction Fan Page on Facebook. Katie is hosting some fun guessing games and some awesome sneak peeks of many of the auction goodies. She's also putting the sneak peeks on the actual Auction Blog Site, so you can still see them, even if you don't have Facebook.

Believe me, you are not going to want to miss this. I know that sounds very salesmanny of me, but I don't mean it that way. I really do mean there is tons of great stuff that's going to be up for bid, and it's for a good cause. And it's going to be so much fun. And even if you feel like you shouldn't really spend money, there are gas, grocery, and other practical gift cards to places you'd have to spend money anyway. So really, you are paying (less) for stuff you'd have to buy anyway, and your money is going to help cure EB. THAT's what I'm talkin' about.

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Are you ready to love me (and Aunt Kim) forever?

My sister-in-law, Kim, sent me a recipe out of Food Network Magazine. It's called Almost Famous Broccoli-Cheddar Soup. Panera wouldn't give up their Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Have you tried it? It's soooooooooo tasty!) recipe, but their chefs came up with this concoction that they claim is a very close knockoff. I have to admit - I did a little happy dance when I got in the mail.

I have not tried it yet. I'll leave it to those of you who, say, have kids who take naps. Let me know what you think.

Here's the recipe:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups half and half

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 7-inch sourdough bread boules

4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)

1 large carrot, diced

2 1/2 cups (about 8 oz) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 min. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 min. Then gradually whisk in the half and half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the bread boules, using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a one inch border all the way around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.

3. Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

4. Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup of water if soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread boules and garnish with cheese.

Seriously, let me know if you try it. I really want to know if it tastes like Panera's. I crave it. It's a sickness, really.

sweet tea for baby j

So in an effort to convince Jonah that not everything that goes toward his mouth is negative...

I let him try sweet tea.

And Jonah, the boy who won't open his mouth for anything, opened right up (over and over again) for some good ol' sweet tea.



Here in the south, we like to start 'em early.

And for those of you who've asked, here is how I like to make mine -

I always use the Lipton Decaf tea bags. I definitely think Lipton is better than Luzianne. I typically get the Family size bags. (But I'd say five or six of the small bags equals two of the big ones.)

I turn a burner on high and fill a medium saucepan about 3/4 full of water. (OK, really I don't know what a "medium saucepan" is exactly. I use not the smallest pots I have, but the next size up... the size you'd warm up a big can of soup in.)

I put four family size tea bags in the water.

I let the water get to a boil, and then almost immediately turn it off. (It's okay if it boils for about a minute, but no longer.)

I then let it sit for about five minutes (but no longer) while I put my sugar in my gallon pitcher. For a gallon of tea, I use about 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Suuuh-weeeet.

I then pour the tea over the sugar in the pitcher, using a slotted spoon and mashing the extra tea liquid out of the bags.

(I don't like my tea to taste over-brewed... think Bojangles...blah... so that's why I don't boil it very long, don't let it sit for very long, and get rid of the bags early.)

I add a little more hot water and mix the sugar until it dissolves and then fill the pitcher the rest of the way up with cold water.

I put it in the fridge and usually don't touch it for 24 hours... or at least until it's really, really cold. (THIS may be the most important part!)

I like NOT using ice if I can get by with it.

So that's how I do it, and it's dang tasty if I do say so myself.

Here are my DON'TS for sweet tea:

- DON'T use Splenda when making sweet tea. You might as well give up tea altogether.

- DON'T make tea in a coffee pot. No matter how much you clean the pot, you can taste the coffee (or I can, anyway).

- DON'T over-brew your tea. If you leave it too long and get distracted or let it boil longer than just a couple minutes, start over.

- DON'T buy "sweet" tea in a bottle at a convenience store. It's GROSS. And in most they add that fake lemon flavoring, and that's even worse.

My DO's:
- DO try the sweet tea at El Maguey. It's the best I've ever had. Seriously.

- DO give sweet tea to your eight-month-old. DO NOT care what other people may think of you because of this.

It's your blog and your kid and you'll let him drink sweet tea (AND WATCH TV EVEN THOUGH HE'S UNDER TWO YEARS OLD) if you want to. (Some people - ahem, Anonymous - need to get a life.)

fajita mac and cheese

This recipe is from the January 2004 issue of Southern Living. But I think Kim, my sister-in-law, is the one who passed it along to me.

I made it a couple weeks ago, and it was SUPER tasty and REALLY easy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
16 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1/2 cup sliced green onions, divided
1 (1.4 oz) envelope fajita seasoning mix
2 (15.5 oz) jars salsa con queso
1/2 (4.5 oz) package taco shells, crushed



1. Chop green onions. (Look up how to chop green onions because you never have before.)


2. Feel better that you must not be the only person who doesn't know the proper way to chop green onions because there's an actual video on it.

3. Whatever you do, do NOT admit to the whole world, publicly on your blog, that you had to watch a video on how to chop green onions before you could complete such a simple task.

4. Complete simple task successfully. Feel really proud. Take a break and reward yourself with some Hershey's chocolate.



5. Brown ground beef in a large skillet; drain.

6. Stir in cooked macaroni, 1/4 cup green onions, seasoning mix, and salsa con queso.

7. Pour into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

8. Add additional (uncalled for) cheese on top. Because, really, can you ever have too much cheese?

9. Sprinkle with crushed taco shells.

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup green onions.

ENJOY!

Note: I am presenting this recipe in all of its unaltered, full fat, deliciously wonderful glory. I do not claim that it is a healthy recipe. You are free to make any changes you so desire, but I will always present the recipes I've tried in their original state. I'm sure I could have used ground turkey or whole wheat macaroni or low-fat, organic salsa con queso (or something), but I didn't. And I'm okay with it. Feel free to be healthy if you feel so led.

As for me and my house, we'll eat fatty cheese, and we'll like it.

jeannie's lasagna

My mom bought me this nifty book when I was about to leave home for college. It's really neat. It has easy recipes, laundry tips like how to get out stains, and basic first aid information.



One thing I really like about the book is that it has blank pages where you can write in your favorite recipes. And one of my favorite recipes ever is Jeannie's Lasagna.


So here it is folks. THE BEST LASAGNA EVAH. Seriously, this is the best lasagna I've ever tasted. The secret's in the curry. (I've posted this recipe before but never with the photos or clever asides.)

Ingredients:



6 lasagna noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce (original or traditional)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp oregano or Italian seasoning
8 oz cottage cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350.


2. Cook lasagna noodles per package directions. Put a little bit of olive oil in the water.
(Barefoot Contessa says this will keep the pasta from sticking. And whatever the BC says, we do.)

3. Chop onion.
- Get out your really big knife so you can do it like they do on The Food Network. Attempt chopping.


- Put your big knife away for fear of accidentally killing yourself.

- Get out your Quick Chop. Ask forgiveness for trying to be all hoity toity by using your big knife. Remember how much you love your Quick Chop.


- Drop Quick Chop on floor, scattering onion bits everywhere, almost giving your dog a heart attack.

4. Brown hamburger and onion.

5. Add jar of spaghetti sauce, curry powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Wish husband was home to open stupid lid of stupid sauce.


6. Simmer until most of liquid is gone.

7. Layer:

3 noodles, ½ meat sauce, ½ cottage cheese, ½ mozzarella cheese, ½ cheddar cheese.

Repeat layers.

Break to take care of an adorable baby who just woke up from his THREE HOUR NAP very happy.

8. Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes (the lasagna, not the baby.)

9. Prepare bread:

- Mix crushed red pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, basil, and parsley (about 1/2 TBSP of each)

- Brush 4 to 6 pieces of bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

- Sprinkle seasoning on bread

- Bake with lasagna the last 10 to 12 minutes.

10. Be thankful you have a dog who will eat all the cheese and such that has fallen on the floor, because, Heaven Forbid, you actually sweep your floors.

ENJOY!