Saturday, October 4, 2008

Playing in the Kitchen Today

So I taught my Crazy Patch class this morning and I must say everyone is doing so well!!! Today they started to experiment with all the fancy decorative stitches that are on their sewing machines that they have never used before. I love to teach projects where my students get to try something they never used before on their machine. Some of these people have very beautiful high end machines that have alot of STUFF they have never used, or afraid to move. Many others have your basic straight/zig zag stitch, but have never played with the lengths and widths very much.

I remember last year I taught a Trapunto Table Runner. The majority of that class was having to drop their feed dogs and just do free motion embroidery. It took a bit of time to get the hang of it, but in the end they produced amazing results! One of those students became a very good friend of mine and has joined our Thursday night quilting group. She is now in the process of making two more trapunto runners in a different design for Christmas gifts. In the new year we both plan to each make a full size trapunto quilt. That is going to be alot of free motion embroidery. Trapunto is a great way to use up all those extra pieces of batting we cut off from our quilts once all the quilting is done and we start the binding. I have a large Rubber Maid tub full of batting scraps!

So I didn't do much sewing of my own today, although once my girls were settled in on their next step with their crazy patch blocks, I took out the Christmas tree table runner I will be teaching next year and started working on that. I almost have the runner top done. I am hoping by tomorrow to have the top completed and hopefully layered.

When I came home from class it was too late to set up my machine and all the stuff that goes with it (as for the moment I sew on the dining room table) as Trevor and I were having our friend Jody and his son Nicholas over for supper. I had to take a run to the grocery store to pick up my ingredients, come home grab some lunch, rest for a bit by writing out a few more recipes from my Aunt's huge recipe book. I have soooooo many recipes to try out!!! So tonight I put on a pan of my lasagne! I am not a big fan of lasagne, but I looooooooooooooooooove to make it!!! Both Trevor and my Mum love my lasagne, so I made a pan for tonight for us for supper. Next month I will make it again for my Mum. The pan I make serves alot and so there is lots left over to cut up and freeze for future quick meals. I also made up this pan of lasagne as I am trying to cook up some casseroles and such for the freezer for quick meals when Trevor and I are on the run after work for other activities.

So I thought I would post this recipe should anyone have the interest in making it themselves. This recipe is very easy to put together and the prep work takes about 20-30 minutes. Cook time is 40-50 minutes. So without further ado......

My Favourite Lasagne Recipe
from the book "365 Quick, Easy & Inexpensive Dinner Menus" by Penny E. Stone

12 lasagne noodles
2 lbs of lean ground beef or turkey (I have always used beef)
1 jar (32-40oz) spaghetti sauce
1 jar or can of pizza sauce (If I don't have that on hand, I will put a tomato paste in)
4 cups ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tsp Basil (I love to use my Epicure Marinara herb spice here)
1 Tsp salt (I don't add this, as I try to eliminate salt whereever I can in our diets)
2 Tsp Oregano
1/4 Tsp Pepper

Brown teh meat and drain off fat. Add thh spagetti and pizza sauces (I also like to add in a chopped onion to the meat), salt and pepper. Set aside. Cook lasagne noodels according to package directions. Set aside. Mix together ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, and herbs. In the bottom of a 13x9 pan, lay down a layer of cooked lasagna noodles. Cover with a 1/3 of the meat sauce and 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Cover with another layer of noodles. Cover with a 1/3 of the meat sauce and the rest of the cheese mixture. Cover with another layer of lasagne noodles. Cover with remaining meat mixture. Top with remaining shredded cheeses. Bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes.

Serve with a tossed salad and garlic bread

Enjoy!!!!

So on that note, I have a few more dishes to clean up before our guests arrive in half an hour!

Quiltingly Yours
Andrea


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