Hot and Spicy Lasagna

A few years ago, and I mean quite a few years ago, my daughter was still about 2 or 3 years old, and we had gone to Oklahoma to visit my mother in law.

One of the things she made for us to eat, was her Hot and Spicy Lasagna.  I remember that I loved it so much and asked her for the recipe.  Instead of scribbling it down on a piece of paper, she actually bought me her church cookbook, which included this recipe plus a few others from her mother, sister and niece.  A real treasure for me.

I love this little book, I think that church cookbooks tend to hold some of the best homemade recipes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Hot and Spicy Lasagna

Credit: Pat Bourland

1 lb. hot sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp basil flakes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
10 oz. lasagna noodles
24 oz. creamy cottage cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
2 beaten eggs
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Brown sausage slowly;  spoon off excess fat.  Add garlic, basil, flakes, salt, tomatoes and green chilies and tomato paste;  simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cook noodles in large amount of boiling water until tender;  drain.  Rinse;  drain again.

Combine remaining ingredients except Mozzarella cheese.  Place 1/2 of the noodles in 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish;  spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese filling over noodles.  Add 1/2 of the Mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the meat sauce.  Repeat layers.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake

It has been such a long time since I've last had this coffee cake.  I always wonder why I stop making something, or tend to forget about it, when it's something that I know I love.

This Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake is a Pampered Chef Recipe.  I can actually remember the very first time I tried it.  I was hosting a Pampered Chef Party at my house, when we still lived on base in Idaho.  The hostess had asked me to pick a few things for her to prepare and I honestly didn't know what to pick because I hadn't tried anything at all, so this was her suggestion.

I remember that I kept thinking that it was so easy to make, and obviously wondered if it would taste good.

One bite and I was hooked.  Since then it has become one of our favorites and I have tried it with apple, strawberry, lemon, blueberry and raspberry fillings, each one just as good as the other.

Last weekend I went to a barbecue at my brother's house, it was sort of a last minute thing and I didn't know what to take.  I don't even know how I remembered this dessert, but I'm glad I did because I happened to have everything on hand.

Give it a try if you haven't before, I can almost guarantee that you will love it just as much as I do.

Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake

Cake & filling
2 (8 oz. each) pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
21 oz. can cherry pie filling

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent dough and arrange 12 of the triangles in a circle with wide ends toward the outside edge of the Large Round Stone - the points will not meet in the center. Lightly flour and roll out the seams making a 14" circle with a 3" hole in the center. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg & vanilla and spread over dough. Top with pie filling. Cut each of the 4 remaining triangles into thirds (starting at the wide end opposite the point and cutting lengthwise to the point). Arrange over filling evenly in spoke-like pattern. Press ends to seal at center and outer edges. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Mix powdered sugar and milk until glaze consistency and drizzle over coffee cake.

Menu Plan - August 18th - September 1st

This month seems so very long, doesn't it?

I have done the grocery shopping and the menu planning for the next two weeks, so here we go.  Keep in mind that sometimes I switch meals around, if let's say on a specific day I realize that I forgot to thaw the meat for that meal, or if I feel like something else from the menu, I just switch the days.

The great thing about menu planning is that it's not written in stone, it is an outline and helps tremendously when doing the grocery shopping, but it doesn't mean you are not allowed to switch things around here and there.  Just go with the flow.

Monday 18th
L:  French Bread Pizzas
D:  Pork Chops with Parmesan Potatoes

Tuesday 19th
L:  Clam Chowder with Oyster Crackers, Sliced Peaches
D: Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Carrots, Potatoes

Wednesday 20th
L:  Green chile and bean burritos
D:  Bratwurst Hoagies w/ Sauerkraut, Fries

Thursday 21st
L:  Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches
D:  Steaks with cream sauce, Rice, Salad

Friday 22nd
L:  Ramen Noodles (we love these for a quick lunch)
D:  Spaghetti Pizza Pie, Salad

Saturday 23rd
L:  Hotdogs
D: Portuguese Bean Stew, Rice

Sunday 24th
L:  Bacon, Eggs, Toast
D: Mini Cheese Topped Meatloaves, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli


Monday 25th
L:  Cheesy Quesadillas
D:  Yummy Hero Sandwiches

Tuesday 26th
L:  Ravioli
D: Salisbury Steak, Rice

Wednesday 27th
L:  Cheese and Ham Sandwiches, Fruit
D:  Chicken Stroganoff, Mashed Potatoes

Thursday 28th
L:  Hotdogs, Carrot and Celery Sticks
D:  Fettucine Alfredo

Friday 29th
L:  Leftovers
D:  Chicken Egg Rolls, Salad

Saturday 30th
L:  Homemade Pizza
D:  Hot and Spicy Lasagna
 
Sunday 31st
L:  Bacon, Eggs, Toast
D: Baked Pork Chops, Mash, steamed broccoli

{ Cheesy Pork and Veggie Rice }

You know when you buy a pack of pork chops and you think there are more in there than there really are?  But you don't notice it until you go to cook them for dinner?

It's not the first time I've done this, either because I forget that there are not enough in there when I buy them, or because I have a pack of pork tenderloin chops sitting in the freezer that need to be cooked, and are just not enough to feed everyone.

I came up with this recipe last night as I sat there staring at 6 small chops and wondering how I would feed 4 of us.

The result was a delicious, filling meal that everyone enjoyed.  I paired this rice with some corn on the cob and dinner was a success.

Please keep in mind that I don't measure, I learned how to cook at a very young age with my great grandmother and she never measured.

Cheesy Pork and Veggie Rice

Pork tenderloin chops (I had 6 small ones), diced into small cubes
1 small onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 bay leaf
paprika to taste
Turmeric to taste
Small bag of mixed veggies
1 and a half cups of rice
3 cups of water
shredded cheese

In a large skillet, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil, the onions and the bay leaf.  Season with the salt and pepper, garlic powder and paprika to taste, stir well and cook on medium/high until onion is translucent.

Add the pork and cook until brown making sure it is cooked all the way through, then add in the mixed veggies.  Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Add the rice, stir well and pour in the water.  At this point, sprinkle on some turmeric, I like my rice to look nice and yellow so I added about a teaspoon, stir.  Turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is to your taste.  Some people like it very well done, others prefer their rice with a bit of a bite to it. 

When the rice is cooked to your liking, sprinkle on some cheese, stir, place a lid on the skillet and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey.  Enjoy!!!