Rachel Ray’s Lazy Lasagna and Going to the Chiro

Today was a dreary, gloomy day. 

It’s hard to get excited about a Monday when it looks like this.

But I sucked it up and it was actually a pretty good day.  After work, I went for my first visit with a chiropractor.  I have never been to one before.  I have thought about going, especially since I had some back pain and muscle spasms not too long ago, but it was one of those things I thought about but never did.  Last week, a local chiropractor came to our school and did mini massages for us, so I booked an appointment at their office.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.

(By the way, that’s my nervous face.  I’m not picking my teeth.)

Today wasn’t scary, though.  I just had x-rays and scans today.  I’ll go back soon for the results. 

I did realize after I took my shoes off that I accidentally wore two different socks.  Oops!

When I got home, I got busy cooking.  I knew I had seen a recipe for Lazy Lasagna recently on a Food Network show.  After some Google research, I located this recipe and remembered watching Rachel Ray make it not too long ago.  This is one of the first RR recipes I have ever made.  Lots of times I am intimidated by her recipes because sometimes they have long ingredient lists.  This one did have more ingredients than I would usually use, but I had most of it on hand, so I decided to give it a go.

I made only a few adjustments.  I only used 1 lb. of beef.  I also cut the wine and stock back just a little bit, to keep it from being too soupy.  I also used 1% milk instead of whole milk to save on calories.

The verdict?  The dish was very tasty.  I really loved the flavor of the meat sauce.  It has a much different flavor than your basic spaghetti sauce, mainly due to the wine and beef broth.  I saw that there were mixed reviews about the béchamel sauce.  I honestly feel that it could be left out.  It didn’t add a lot of flavor.  It gave it more creaminess, but I honestly think the dish could be just as tasty without it.  I also swapped the cloves and nutmeg for fresh basil, parsley, and oregano.  I just thought those herbs made more sense in this dish. 

I also think it is funny that this is called “Lazy Lasagna” because it took me 3 pots AND a baking dish to prepare this.  I was prepping and cooking for about an hour or so.  I don’t know that you could call that “lazy.”  I guess Rachel and I interpret that word differently.  :)  And I did manage to pour boiling water over my hand in the process.  (OUCH!)  But like I said, it was pretty tasty!  Thanks for the recipe, Rachel!

Alright friends… I am going to relax a little.  I am afraid I might be getting an ear ache!  I just mentioned that to Ryan and he said, “You are falling apart!”  Bless my little heart.

2-in-1 Holiday Appetizer

I used to love watching “Quick Fix with Robin Miller” on the Food Network.  The thing that really made me watc h the show was how she would transform the leftovers from dinner into something new and different the next day.  I like meals that you can really get your money’s worth out of. 

Today I would like to show you one of my favorite Holiday appetizer… and the great thing about it is… you have breakfast ready for the morning when you make this app!

These easy Stuffed Mushrooms taste amazing and are sure to be a hit at any holiday party.  They are very hearty and have just the right amount of heat.  I try not to make them all year, so that when I make them during the holidays, they are special!  I first tried a version of these mushrooms at a holiday party a year ago when my friend Tracy made them.  They were a hit!  I made a few adjustments to her recipe to incorporate freshly chopped onion and to stretch the filling, and voila! Appetizer + breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground sausage (I recommend Jimmy Dean HOT)

1 small onion, chopped (or 1/2 a medium/large onion)

1 block of light cream cheese

1/2 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

whole mushrooms (bigger than a quarter, up to half dollar sized)

Fresh or dried parsley

Prep:

Begin by prepping the mushrooms.  Pop the stems off, one by one.  This will give you a little “well” to fill.  After the stems are removed, you can wash the mushrooms well.  Set them, well-side down, on paper towels to dry.  They dry the tops.  Allow to stand and dry while you prepare the filling.

Brown sausage with onions in a skillet on medium-high heat.  (Throwing the onions in with the sausage will help soften them and add flavor to the sausage.)  Drain the meat after browning it to get rid of excess fat.)  Reduce heat to low.  Add block of cream cheese and stir while cooking over low heat, until cheese melts and is smooth.  Add the soup and mix well.  Add parsley and mix.

Fill each mushroom with filling.  Then bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and filling is bubbling.

(before baking)

(after baking)

Delicious!  You will not regret making these!  And they taste way more complicated than they actually are! 

But now… you probably have leftover filling.  What do you do with it?  Put it in the fridge.  Tomorrow morning, grab a bagel or English muffin, spread some filling on it, and pop it in the toaster oven.  In just minutes you have a hot, delicious, hearty breakfast!

How was your weekend?  Ours was wonderful!  Here are just a few shots from the past 2 days!

Holiday charity Zumba class!

Coffee…

Warm fuzzy socks…

and time with friends around a fire!

 

More Steel-Cut Oats, Birthday Cake, and Pasta from Giada!

This morning, I made a new batch of oatmeal.  I used steel-cut oats-- they are really growing on me!  I made the apple cinnamon flavor again.  Ryan liked them too!  Luckily, I made enough for tomorrow, too.  I can't believe I didn't eat an egg today!  That's unheard of for me on a Saturday!

See the steam?

Apple slices

Then we headed to visit some friends who have a new baby; Baby Avery is sooooo cute! 

Ryan holding Baby Avery

Today we had a special birthday party to attend.  Sadie's cousin, Jack, turned one yesterday, and today was the big celebration!  We had a great time watching Jack smear cake all over his face and open his presents!

Baby Jack seems excited!  Can you tell?

I never would have thought I would like Barbecue Chicken Pizza, but this pizza from Donato's is delicious!

Aren't these little figurines cute on the cake?

He's not too sure about that candle...

Jack got some help from his big brother, Jerry, and Sadie

Then we all got to enjoy some cake and ice cream!

What a mess!

He sure looks content!

Birthday presents!  Big brother Jerry helps out.

When we got home, Sadie was pretty tuckered out, so she (and Ryan) headed upstairs for a little siesta.  I used that time to catch up on The Real Housewives of D.C. and flip through a cookbook I haven't used in a while: Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis.  This cookbook has some really simple but delicious meals!  I found two that I wanted to make, so I headed to the store and got ingredients for two meals, the first of which I made tonight: Ziti with Asparagus, Mozzarella, and Black Forest Ham. (This is adapted from the original, just a tad-- see my notes below.)

Ingredients:
1 box of penne pasta
3 oz. light mozzarella, cubed (this was supposed to be smoked mozzarella, but I couldn't find it-- even in the specialty cheeses!)
3 oz. ham, thinly sliced (originally supposed to be prosciutto, but I had ham I needed to use up)-- don't use the woody ends, though
1 1/2 tbsp EVOO
1 lb asparagus, diagonally sliced into segments about the same length as the pasta
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add penne.  Cook for 5-6 minutes.  Add asparagus cuts.  Vook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until pasta is al dente and asparagus is a little tender.  Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid.  Drain pasta and asparagus.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add garlic and saute for about 20-30 seconds, until it is fragrant.  Then add pasta, reserved liquid, and salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.  Remove from heat.  Then add mozzarella, ham, and basil.  Toss to combine.  Serve hot. 

This recipe is delicious!  The flavors went so well together.  The mozzarella was so gooey and melty and the ham added a little extra saltiness.  It was a big hit with everyone.  I will definitely make this again.

Maybe Not Gourmet, But...

So, if you read my blog, then you know that I am by no means a "Gourmet Chef."  I don't know that you can even use the word "chef" to describe me.  I read lots of food blogs and see amazing meals and recipes.  Sometimes, I am just in awe of what some people can create in their home kitchens. I am in awe that there are people out there with full-time jobs that have TIME to create such amazing dishes. 

I was thinking about all my years of watching the Food Network and trying to decide who my favorite FN chefs are. 

There's Ina Garten.  She's who I would aspire to be if I didn't have to work.  She grows so much of her food herself.  I love when she says, "I'll just grab a handful of basil," and she turns to her amazing basil plant that somehow grows big and bushy in her kitchen. 

I love Giada de Laurentiis.  Italian is one of my favorite cuisines.  I don't know how she stays so thin, cooking the way she does.  I have two of her cookbooks and I can always count on her when I need a good dinner recipe. 

And another one of my favorites is Sandra Lee.  I started watcing her several years ago when she was doing the show "Semi-Homemade."  For those of you who haven't seen that show, Sandra makes recipes are are 70% store-bought with 30% fresh ingredients and creative touches.  The first time I saw that show, I was like, "Whoa.  This is REAL."  So many moms and dads are looking for a way to serve tasty meals to their family, while avoiding the frozen dinner section of the grocery store. 

So, in honor of Sandra, tonight's dinner was:

 "Cheesy Ravioli and Semi-Homemade Sauce."

I started with some extra vergin olive oil.  I heated about a tablespoon in a saucepan.  Then I added about 1/2 cup of chopped yellow onions, 1 clove of minced garlic, and 2 tbsp of chopped fresh basil.  Whe the onions were soft and the kitchen was smelling AMAZING, I added a can of petite diced tomatoes.  Finally, I added a jar of spaghetti sauce.  My spaghetti sauce was a sauteed garlic-and-onion-flavored sauce.  However, by adding in some fresh sauteed garlic and onion, it made the flavor much more bold.  It tasted REAL.  Does that make sense?  I let it all come to a boil and then simmered for about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, I heated some water in anoher pot and added in my ravioli.  Remember my trips to Earth Fare last week?  Well,this was my free low-fat cheese ravioli. 



Free Ravioli!

120 Calories-- not bad!  Even if you eat 2 servings-- 6 ravioli-- not bad at all!

I'll admit, I was skeptical.  Sometimes low fat cheesy anything equals yuck.  However, Penne Lane proved me wrong!  This ravioli was tender and so tasty!  I definitely recommend it and will buy it sometime!  Thank you Earth Fare for the FREE ravioli!  When everything was finished, I topped it with a little Parm and voila!  Yummmmmm!  So tasty!

Finished product

I mean, it WAS an Italian meal... you have to have wine!

As for the rest of the day, it was great!  I didn't have time to make my lunch this morning, so I took a chance on the school cafeteria.  And it paid off!  I had a very tasty wrap today with Baked! Lays and a fresh peach.  (I brought the peach from home.)  The best thing about the wrap was the pickles!  I LOVE pickles.  I am going to give my school cafeteria manager two thumbs up tomorrow and also ask her about the calories.

Yummy cafeteria wrap!

See those pickles in there?  Love it!

I went to a Palmetto Reading Council Meeting today after school, which was great!  I was kind of dreading going to a meeting after school, but I am so glad I went!  I won a bag of coffee, and I learned things about Google that I never knew!  AND, there was popcorn and chocolate.  What a great combo...



Free coffee!  Yay!

 Finally, I have to thank Ryan for the 2 hours of peace and quiet this evening.  It was wonderful!!!

A funny thing happened as I was writing this post.  I was wearing one of my grandmother's old aprons when I was cooking tonight.  It's one my sisters and I used to dress in when we were playing house when we were young spending time at our grandparents' house in Philadelphia.  Well, I haven't worn this apron since I brought it home to live with me in South Carolina.  As I was typing, I got up to let the dog out and reached into the pocket.  And here's what I pulled out... wonder whose ticket this was? 

Just a little preview... tomorrow we are having one of my favorite fall crock pot meals...