Lasagna Love!

Jill posted a recipe for crock pot lasagna on facebook a week or so ago and I thought...
Crock pot lasagna?
Really?
But I love lasagna and I have never ever made a good lasagna.
I made Pioneer Woman's lasagna once and it was so spicy it burned my tongue off, but usually it just turns out like lasagna soup or lasagna brick or just lasagna yuck which really makes me mad because everyone I know says oh I make the best lasagna ever and usually they're right they do.
I, on the other hand, do not.
So, Jill posts this recipe and I think to myself... Maybe?
It. Was. Amazing.
So easy, ready in four hours, and I think it's pretty much no fail.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 whole egg
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 6 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions

1. 1In a large skillet brown beef and onion. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Drain.
2. 2Add spaghetti sauce and water and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. 3Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, egg and parsley.
4. 4Pour 1 cup of spaghetti meat sauce into a 4 to 6 quart sized slow cooker. Place half of the noodles and half of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles (If the noodles don't fit exactly break them to fit) and cheese mixture and meat sauce.
5. 5Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until noodles are soft. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella and remaining parmesan. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
6. 6Do not overcook and don't try to speed up the process by cooking it on high.
7. 7*Works best with a 4 to 6 quart size slow cooker.

And here's the link with all the credit where credit is due
TABLESPOON


Here's a story that will amaze you.
My washing machine has been dying a long slow drawn out painful suffering death.
We have been supporting and encouraging it with kind words and swift kicks to try and just get that one last load out of it and mind you it has been a hard blow for us because the stupid thing is only five years old and I think it cost more than my first car.
Six has had it apart six ways to Sunday cleaning filters, counting bearings and checking hoses and he could usually get it to run for a day or two, but it would always end up sputtering and stopping with a barrel full of water and a tank full of suds, so finally, it was time.
I told him I couldn't take the madness any more, he knew what we had to do.

It was time to take the long walk to the shop and uncover the boss.
The thirty year old stand by.
The heavy.
The top loading faux wood grain shiny white Whirlpool.
We really had no other choice, we had to have a machine we could count on and albeit ugly and old, it was tried and true.

But... To my surprise, Six had one more trick up his sleeve.

With the boss on the patio and the broken bohemia looming large in the garage Six went for his tools one last time...
What he would emerge with would shock us all.
It was the water pump.
Packed with sand.
Like a sand castle bucket at the beach.
Gross.
Five years of door mats and towels, logging pants and dog beds, all there, packed in the water pump.
Six had won.
He cleaned the packed up pump and conquered the bohemia, and as he wheeled it back into it's place in the utility room I thought I saw him walk a little taller and he may have even slept a little sounder that night.
A wise man (Red Green) once said,
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
I'm pretty lucky to have both.
 ❤
Peas

Decisions...

I can tell that August is winding down because my crochet finger is getting very twitchy...
I can't stop looking at patterns of afghans, doilies, sweaters or scarves and each one seems to draw me in even more than the last.
So now the decision...
What to start with.

I am loving this afghan done in a warm rich fall colors.

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L20072.html?noImages=

I really like this.

Maybe I'll start with it.

For sure.

I think.

But then I am also tempted by these little doilies...

And can easily see myself sitting down with a brightly colored stash of fingering weight yarn churning out doilies by the dozen...

But then there is also this...

http://www.patternfish.com/patterns/10434

What more is there to say about this scarf.

Really.

Crocheted with sock yarn so the look and feel would be out of this world.

You can see where my quandary lies.

Maybe I'll make some brownies instead.

Brownies are good and the decision making process is simple and straight to the point.

My only question about brownies...

If you eat the entire 9x13 in one sitting is it still considered just one piece?

I say that it is.

Peas.

Summer Wrap Up!

Ahhh, the blissful sounds of a late summer morning.
The company has all come and gone, the commotion of late nights is quickly turning into early to bed school night practice runs and it even seems like the livestock knows to take a que and quiet their early morning banter.

Without a doubt, this is my favorite time of the day.

So much has happened this summer I wouldn't know where to begin, but it was action packed and spring loaded!

Maddy came to visit the second week in July and brought with her a sewing machine and an itchy craft finger!
That kid has creativity coming out the WAZOO!

We made some fabulous strawberry freezer jam

Lots of cookies...

Some AMAZING crock pot teriyaki chicken

A purse from no pattern.

More earrings than you can shake sticks at

And of course there was lots of swimming and fun to be had at the pond!

All in all a fun time was had by all.

Of course the Texas Tornado breezed in for a late summer visit, but I must confess, it was pretty painless.

And we found long lost Cousin Zack and that was the BEST!!

Aliciaberry came to teach the bunny rabbits how to jump rope.

As we all know, a very useful skill only attainable from a little blonde cherub in a bright pink tutu.

The Summer Wedding Event Went Off Without A Hitch...

Well unless of course you throw in a new medication that makes menopause sweats look like a soft morning glow and you find yourself soaked to the bone with red stained skin having to do the the greet and squeeze and soak with family and friends.

Oh well. 

Here's how I look at it.

Every wedding needs that one guest with that one outlandish flaw, rather it's double dipping the clam dip, too much champagne or just a real bad case of the sweats.

Considering I didn't drink or have any dip I feel like I covered the awkward sweaty guest with limited style and grace and I intentionally never ever once went in for any big emotional embraces.

I chose two outfits and of course wish I would have gone with my first choice.

The second left me rather busty and feeling a little exposed, but it was from off the rack at Old Navy and I loved it at first sight and ran with it.

Again, if it was a little daring, it will just add to the flavor of the sweaty story.

The bride was beautiful.

Congratulations Mitchell and Sarah.

The Neighbor

What can I say...

He is perfectly perfect and the light of my life and every morning when I wake up knowing he is sleeping next door my heart beats with more love than I ever knew it could.

I will try and remember this feeling when he's two.

Here he is fishing with his Dad.

Craft Intervention

Somebody help me, I can't stop making these.

Is this the cutest pattern ever for little flower coasters???

The original pattern dates back to the 1800's.

I feel so securely vintage in my table top protection.

This concludes your summer briefing.

Peas.