Sneaky and Delicious

 

Tonight just felt like a lasagna sort of night.  So, out came all of the ingredients I had.  Ooops!  I didn't have enough ricotta cheese!  Not to worry - I just substituted cauliflower and zucchini.  And thanks to those sneaky little cookbooks I wrote about a few weeks ago, I now have a new and very delicious recipe that is a little more nutritious.  It also cut out some of the fat too. By the way, the family loved it and asked for seconds.
My Sneaky Lasagna

1 box oven ready lasagna noodles
1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce (or make your own)
1 pound lean hamburger meat
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
2 cups cauliflower and zucchini puree

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Cook hamburger meat until done and drain.  Add water and spaghetti sauce and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup mozzarella,  parmesan, eggs, ricotta, and puree.
• Place 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce mix in bottom of 9x13 pan. 
• Place one layer of lasagna noodles on top of sauce mix.
• Spoon 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles and spread out evenly.
• Pour one cup of the spaghetti sauce mix over the cheese mixture
• Place another layer of lasagna noodles on top of sauce.
• Spoon remaining ricotta cheese mixture over noodles
• Pour another cup of spaghetti sauce mix over the cheese mixture
• Place last layer of lasagna noodles on top of sauce
• Pour remaining spaghetti sauce mixture over noodles
• Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top
• Cover with double foil and bake 60 to 75 minutes or until noodles are tender. 

Results of my last post...

Okay - I just know you're anxious to hear how supper went last night!  Everyone loved the homemade macaroni and cheese except my youngest who normally doesn't like anything anyway, so I wasn't surprised.  My oldest boy had two helpings and was asking for more later. 

If they only knew they were eating cauliflower, zucchini, and flaxseed - wouldn't they be surprised!  So, since that went well, my experiement with sneaking veggies in will continue.





Shhhhhhh!

I have a secret and I do not want my three youngest children to know about it.  So, please don't tell them!  Oh, you want to know what that secret is?  Well, it wouldn't be a secret if it told you!   You promise not to tell them?  Okay....here's the secret.  My children will be eating baby food this evening!  How and why, you ask?  I'll tell you.

It all comes from finding a couple of very interesting cookbooks - Deceptively Delicious and The Sneaky Chef.  My children love fruit, but trying to get vegetables down them is sometimes tough.  The cookbooks give recipes for sneaking vegetables into average every day meals.  Tonight will be my first go at it.  While I don't think I want to put spinach in brownies, I do like the idea of adding carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, bell pepper, peas, and spinach to casseroles, burritos and soups. 

I just made up some cauliflower/zucchini puree and sweet potato/carrot puree.  It looks just like baby food.  Tonight, I will try homemade macaroni and cheese with the cauliflower/zucchini puree. 

Shhhhhhh....you promised - don't tell them.  I'll let you know how it went!



The Candlestick

Last week, my daughter and I were moved greatly by the Chilean rescue.  It brought tears to my eyes.  There is no way I can know just how those men felt down in that hole for 70 days.  For me, it would probably cause my insanity.  But those men held up for over two months not knowing when or if they would be rescued.  My daughter was so inspired by the rescue.  She was especially moved when several of the miners fell on their knees in thanksgiving to God for their rescue.   That day she wrote her very first poem.  I just wanted to share it with you.

The Candlestick

God is like a candlestick

That gives light to the whole world

Not only just to certain people,

But to every one.

 

His light will never go out

Like other gods made of stone;

He will shine the day he calls us home

Forever and more

Disgusted

I am disgusted.  Sorry - I know it's not very catchy, but that was the only word I could think of when I read a news story a few minutes ago on my home page.  It concerns a rapper who just made # 2 album. Evidently this man was charged with having an illegal weapon on his tour bus.  I did some more researching and found out that he also had separate charges of drug possession.

The reason I'm "disgusted" is the fact that people continue to purchase his music trash and keep him in the headlines.   Think what you want to, but I believe that type of music is garbage.   And who's buying this music trash?  My guess would be teens and young adults.  Just what our young people need - heroes who are in jail, doing time for illegal activities, all the while making millions on this # 2 album.  No wonder there are many punks walking around defying authority.  Why not?  After all, their "hero's" are doing it. 

Then there's the whole other aspect.  He's making millions sitting in jail while our tax dollars take care of him.  What a mixed up society this is! 

I don't want my children conforming themselves to what those in the secular world think is cool and acceptable.

Just some musings from this disgusted gal....

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2