Now what??? Reflections of a Year-Long Blogger...

 Where do I begin?

About a year ago I was contemplating starting a blog.  I never thought I had anything original enough or "internet worthy" (well, I guess that's not saying much) to say.  But I loved the idea of journaling, or blogging online.  I've never been one who can easily keep up with a journal.  I always try and fail.  But I'm passionate about food.  I was finding inspiration for new dishes in so many places, and was already offering ideas to other cooking women verbally, so it seemed to fit that I start blogging about food and sharing my ideas and inspirations with a larger group of people.

This has been an incredible year.  I learned a lot, I met a few of my goals, but not quite all of them. Looking back, I sometimes can't believe what I did.  I remember about 2 weeks into the project I was already getting tired of taking pictures of my dinner EVERY night and I seriously wondered if I was crazy and what I was doing.  Of course, I didn't quite take a picture every night for the whole year, and the guilt of my repeating meals or dining out nights subsided as the year went on.  (We also got busier as the year went on!)

I was looking back through my entire blog, especially the Why I'm Here tab in order to help me form what I wanted to say as my "concluding" post and this paragraph stood out to me:
"I also wanted to address why I'm starting this NOW.  There's a saying, "In trying times, try something new."  My husband and I have been in a sort of waiting period for a while for things to happen in order for us to start meeting some of our goals.  Emotionally, it's been hard on both of us, and now that he's graduated, it's a step in the right direction, but the waiting has also intensified.  I guess this blog is a way for me to keep my mind occupied on something else--a distraction, if you will.  I'm already pretty busy, but it's mostly with "heavy" stuff: kids, work, Bible study, housework, bills.   Hopefully this will be something light and fun to do which may lead elsewhere."
Wow.  Around July of 2014, I was doing our budget and looking over some of our yearly goals we wrote when we first got married.  I realized that we met all of our 5-year goals, and we'd only been married for 4.  Praise the Lord!  Of course I'm in no way saying that it's because of the blog.  But when I went to re-read what I wrote a year ago, I didn't even remember that I had written it.  This blog truly was a good distraction for me.  I dived head first into a passion I have and it kept me (kind of) from going crazy while we waited on the Lord.  The flip-side is that I do feel like our house search and renovations became a hindrance to this blog.  There were so many nights we had to eat out or do something very quick for dinner because of everything we had going on.  I feel like I lost momentum for a long while, there, which disappoints me, honestly.

Some of the things I wanted to accomplish but didn't were: making my own pasta from scratch, making my own ice cream, and I wasn't able to limit my repeating meals as much as I wanted to once the home renovations started.  But the fact that I was able to blog about the renovations a little bit, blog about home-schooling Abby, and write more thought-provoking pieces, really brought me into my own as a blogger.  So much so that I bought my own domain.  It's not ready to be launched yet, but I'm very excited about what that will turn into!

I do think that my blog was successful in that my confidence in the kitchen grew tremendously.  Reading back on some of my posts has definitely helped me plan new menus.  And of course, I got a ton of positive feedback both online and in person, so thank you everyone who supported me and read my posts and even tried the recipes!!!

So, now what?  Well, I mentioned the domain that I purchased.  I'm working on a new website that will be all my own.  It's not finished yet, but I'm hoping to use this time I have now that I'm not under the 365-day blog pressure to work on the new site.  So am I done blogging?  No.  Just like I'm not done experimenting in the kitchen and pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone.  (Um, I made DUCK on Monday!)  The funny thing is that when I started this blog, cooking duck would've definitely felt like stepping outside of my comfort zone, but when I made it on Day 365, it didn't feel uncomfortable at all.  I will be taking a hiatus for a little while from blogging, and trying to step away from social media as much as I can for that time, too.  I need some time to just cook and not publish, and to do things other than sit at the computer.  I'm looking forward to it, but also scared of it.  I can't remember how much time people say it takes before something becomes a habit, but blogging about my food has definitely become a habit.  And habits are hard to break.  I made homemade granola bars yesterday and instinctually thought about how I would write the post for it.  We're having bleu burgers and onion rings on Friday night, and I was thinking about what I'd write on my blog for that meal, too.  I'm also a little sad that my meals won't have as much of an audience anymore for a little while, haha!  But I know it's a good thing.  The break is needed.  During this time I'm hopeful that I'll enjoy cooking just a bit more (without the pressure of writing about it) and get more enjoyment from things that aren't internet-related.  (I have a lot of craft-projects, reading, and other things to catch up on!) 

And hopefully we'll tighten our belts!  (Literally and figuratively.)  I'm absolutely certain that cooking delicious meals doesn't have to break the bank or your "figure", however, I'm pretty sure I used this blog as a good excuse to spend just a little more at the grocery store and bake just a little too much at home.  So now it's time to get back on track.  (Maybe I'll blog about that when it's over!) :)  Randy and I have big plans for our wallets and our diets.  I've actually adjusted my perpetual menu for our family to include more protein shakes and salads for my lunches and I'm being more intentional and, quite frankly, limiting on the amount of baking I do!

For now, thank you so much for reading and I hope this blog can still be used to look up recipes and inspire home-cooks to try new things!  Use this time that I'm not publishing anything new to get caught up on past posts if you want!  And look out for my new website that I hope to publish soon enough (no time frame on this whole hiatus yet).  I have so enjoyed this year and this time of opening up my home, heart, and kitchen to you all!  Blogging is a pretty cool thing, I think!

 

I came across these verses in a recent devotional, and although it was used in a completely different context, in a way I feel like it fits our whole social media, blogging world we're living in!  And it's another reason I'm looking forward to my break:

"There is a time for everything, and season for every activity under heaven ... a time to be silent and a time to speak." Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7

Day 365: Pan-Seared Duck Breast & Roasted Red Pepper Cheesecake

I have been thinking for some time about what I would make for my last day cataloging my dinners and recipes.  This past week I let people make requests for what I made, and I thought that Day 365 should be something I've always wanted to make, or something "epic."  You know how in the movie "Julie & Julia" Julie's last meal was Julia Child's beef bourguignon--a classic and elegant dish?  I thought of doing that, but I've made that meal before, albeit a long a time ago and it never made it onto this blog.  It was hard for me to come up with something I've "always wanted to make" because I feel like this whole journey has been about what I've always wanted to make.  But I finally got the idea--duck.  I can't even remember if I've eaten duck at a restaurant before.  But whenever I hear of someone having it, it sounds so fancy and wonderful.  So that's what I made, pan-seared duck breast.  I researched some recipes to find one that I thought looked yummy.  I stumbled upon this Anne Burrell  recipe that looked good, and it was delicious!

For "grown-up time" I served the appetizer that I had wanted to serve for Randy's birthday but wasn't able to.  This recipe was from Giada De Laurentiis, but I didn't follow it perfectly.  For starters, she requires a 4-inch spring form pan.  Who has a 4-inch spring form pan?!?!  My smallest is an 8-inch.  So I used a loaf pan and adjusted the cooking time accordingly.  Secondly, we ran out of eggs this morning.  I go shopping tomorrow.  I had already sent Randy to the store to get a few things, not realizing that eggs was one of the things I needed him to get.  So I decided to be inventive and used about a tablespoon of mayonnaise instead.  The appetizer was still delicious!!!  Here's the recipe:

Roasted Pepper Cheesecake
Remember how I said that cheesecake is Randy's favorite dessert?  That's why I thought it would be fitting to serve this as an appetizer on his birthday, but that didn't happen.  But it was still an excellent addition to tonight's meal!

4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz ricotta cheese
2 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
1 egg (or 1 TB of mayo, like I used)
salt, pepper
2 jarred roasted red peppers, sliced
1/2 cup apricot preserves
pita bread

Preheat the oven to 350*.  In a food processor, combine the 3 cheeses, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper.  Pulse until smooth.  Carefully fold in the sliced red peppers, being careful not to overmix and turn the cheese mixture pink!
Line a bread pan with parchment paper, and pour in the cheese mixture.  Place the pan in a larger pan and pour hot water around the bread pan, until it comes up about halfway.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  (If you are using a 4-inch spring-form pan, you probably want to bake it longer, like 45 minutes.)
Let cool and then refrigerator for a few hours.  Flip the cake out of the pan and top with the apricot preserves.
Cut the pita bread into wedges and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 425* for about 10 minutes, or until crispy.  Serve with the cheesecake.

Strawberry Margaritas
Combine equal parts strawberry syrup and tequila, and half as much triple sec or orange liquor.  Shake and serve over ice.  Garnish with orange zest and mint leaves.
To make strawberry syrup, heat frozen strawberries in a sauce pan.  Add 1-2 TB of sugar.  Cook until strawberries are soft.  Mash strawberries up and then strain the liquid into a jar, removing the solid pieces of fruit.

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Grape Sauce
I knew going into this that the toughest and most important part of cooking a good duck breast was rendering the fat.  Duck has a very thick layer of fat between the meat and the skin which needs to be rendered completely.  The skin should be crispy, but obviously not burnt.  This is a slow process, when compared to cooking other meats.  Randy thought it was absolutely perfect, and I'll admit that the meat and skin of my duck were to die for.  But I did think our meal could have benefited from a minute more of fat-rendering, but then again, I've always had a really weird thing about meat fat in a meal.  All in all, we definitely want to have this again.  The duck was absolutely delicious--easily my favorite meat, now.  Super flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth good!

4 duck breasts (I only used 3--those babies aren't cheap!)

salt
olive oil
2 cups red seedless grapes
2 strips of bacon, chopped
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/2 cup port wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp paring knife.  Season them with salt, and let the breasts sit out for about 10-15 minutes to come to room temperature after being in the refrigerator.  Place a little olive oil in a skillet and then the duck breasts, skin-side down.  Bring the skillet up to medium heat and cook them low and slow to render all the duck fat--about 25 minutes or so.  Then flip the breasts over and cook for another 10 minutes on the meat side.  If you want to finish them in the oven, go ahead, but you may not need to.  Remove the breasts and let them rest for a good 10 minutes.  Add the grapes and the bacon to the pan and cook on medium-high until the grapes are splitting open and the bacon is crispy.  Remove half of the grapes and set aside.  Add the red wine vinegar and the port to the pan and cook until the wine is reduced by half.  Add the chicken stock and continue cooking until that is reduced by half.  Add the grapes back to the pan.  Slice the duck breasts in strips and pour the grape sauce over them.

Day 364: Leg of Lamb & Game Day Quesadillas!

About a week ago I took some requests for meals to make my last week of this blog.  Today I'm fulfilling two of them.  Because I like rich Sunday dinners like roasted chicken, pot roast, etc, I thought the leg of lamb that someone requested would be a good Sunday dinner after church.  And then tonight is game night for our New England patriots and I'm serving up some good game-food:  Quesadillas, homemade guacamole, and restaurant-style salsa with tortilla chips.  We're ready!

Leg of Lamb
I could only find boneless when I went shopping, and I suspect that bone-in would be a bit better.  But you can easily apply the same concept, here, just increase the cooking time.  With bone-in or larger cuts of meat, I like to roast them at high temps for a half hour or so before decreasing the temp to let it finish cooking.  Starting at a high oven temperature helps to get the outside a little crispy, and then reducing the temperature will ensure that you don't burn the meat while still continuing to cook the inside.  My boneless leg wasn't all that big, so I simply seared the outside for that crispness and then roasted it at an even temperature in the oven.

1 leg of lamb
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TB rosemary, chopped
olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt, pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
herb medley: fresh rosemary, chives, parsley, chopped
flour
red wine
chicken stock

Just a couple hours or so before you cook the lamb, drizzle it with some olive oil and lemon juice.  Then rub it with the salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary and massage the meat with your hands.  Let it refrigerate until you're ready to cook.
Preheat the oven to 350*.  Heat a cast iron skillet and sear the meat over high heat on all sides.  Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast for about 20 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 150*-155* for medium/medium rare.
For the sauce, start sautéing the onion in the pan drippings on the stove over medium-high heat.  Add the fresh herbs and some salt and pepper.  Add a tablespoon of flour.  Whisk in the red wine, cook for 1 minute.  Add twice as much chicken stock as red wine.  Whisk and cook until reduced.  Serve over the lamb. 
Of course, lamb has to be served with cous cous!  For my recipe, click here (also a recipe for lamb meatballs). 

Tonight we hosted our Bible study, which is usually at our friends' house.  Obviously, we had to make the arrangement to accommodate the football game!  We had an early study and then turned on the game and ate dinner.  The guacamole and salsa are perfect game food!  Here's a recipe for quesadillas that was shown to me on facebook.  I glanced at it and then just tried to re-invent it myself when I made them tonight.  They were excellent!  I made a bunch so just know that this recipe makes a lot!

Cheesy Quesadillas

3-4 large chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in
cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz  cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
salt, pepper
tortillas

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin.  Roast in the oven at 400* for about a half hour.  Let cool.  Pull the meat off the bone and shred it.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and tomatoes with green chiles.  Mix well.  Add the shredded chicken and Mexican cheese and mix again.  Fill each tortilla with the mixture and fold in half.  Place in the oven (at 400*) for 10 minutes.  Serve warm!

Guac to my left, salsa to my right!  That's my kind of dinner!

 

Days 362 & 363: Top 10 Posts & More

I'm coming to the end of this year-long journey!  I do have a few more recipes prepared to make and share tomorrow and on Monday, but yesterday and today brought nothing new food-wise.  I had a ladies' night last night (Day 362) where we went to one of those painting classes.  It was a lot of fun!  I had dinner with my family first, leftover lasagna, then it was off for a night of artistic fun with the girls!  They came over afterward for some mocha brownies.  Today has been a day of errands and a bit of relaxation.  We're ordering pizza tonight.  So I figured this would be a good time to share the "top 10 list."  Here are the top 10 most-viewed posts from this blog.  The funny thing is, some of the most popular posts were the ones that had little to do with food.  I tried to tie all of my "thought" posts to food somehow, but not all of them included a recipe.  Hope you enjoy the list!  Then read on to see Randy's thoughts on this whole experience...

Top 10 Viewed Posts from "Welcome to my Kitchen"

10. Day 16: Carbonara  A very popular dish and easy to make!  Check it out if you haven't already!

9. Day 62: A Story Unfolding  Here is the story of my first ever catering job!  Since that one, I've had a handful of others.  I've decided to take a little break for now, and I'll write more about that in a later post.

8. 11 Tips for Vacation with Children  This post is exactly what the title indicates.  There are also a couple recipes included at the end for sweet delights!

7. Eric Thinks He Can Lift a 4000 lb Dumpster  Was it the title that attracted people to this one?  haha  This post mostly has updates on our kitchen demolition (ah, those days... glad to be over and done with them!) but there is also a recipe at the end for a grillin' meal.

6. Day 11: Spaghetti & Meatballs  Classic.  Great recipe for sauce, here.  This was probably the post I referenced the most in other posts, so I'm not surprised it's so high on the list!

5. Day 2: Chicken Piccata, Mustard-Roasted Potatoes, Balsamic Broccolini  Another popularly referenced post!

4. Call me "Shrek": Discovering a Body After Babies  Here's a "thought" post--worth the read, I think, if you haven't yet.  No recipes, here, just thoughts on body health and body image.  Plus a couple good references.

3. Day 33: No Pressure  This was my first "thoughts" post, I was a little nervous to publish it.  I'm glad it did so well!

2.  Day 1: Zuppa Toscana  First recipe, I'm sure everyone was curious!  This is a great soup!  I recently started making it often again since the weather turned cold.

1. Introduction: Why I'm Here  I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that my most popular post was the first one.  Does that mean the quality of writing went down after that?  Or that people got bored?  haha  I realize that writing a post almost everyday for a year does mean that not a lot of the posts will be as popular as the first--who has the time to read a blog post every single day???  ;)

Other Popular Posts (in random order)...
Letting Go of Supermom
Day 68: Steak Gorgonzola & Thoughts on Feeding Kids "Adult" Food
Day 41: Two Dishes To-Go!
Day 26: Valentine's Day Dinner for Two
Day 20: Turkey Club Supermelts

A word from Randy...

As Bethany nears the end of cooking and blogging over a 365 day period, we both thought it would be nice if I shared how this experience impacted me beyond my expanding waistline (Thanks for that Bethany).

Easily one of my favorite parts of this blogging experience was watching Bethany challenge herself and commit to making so many new dishes and having as few repeats as possible over the course of a year. That's not the answer you were expecting was it? Did you think I was going to say my favorite part was the eating!? This certainly was a great part but not my very favorite. When I think of all the times she had to create a new grocery list with different items on it in order to cook new meals for the first time, it is enough to make a man want to take a nap.

A close second for me was reading the blogs. They became much more than just a food blog, they became a window into our lives. A window into our faith, our relationship with each other, our relationship with our children and our relationship to the world. It was such a pleasure for me to read them. (See Thoughts on Letting Your Husband Minister to Others) Aside from the insight into our world, and her captivating writing style, the blogs were easy to follow. the step-by-step process that included pictures made difficult recipes more accessible to beginners. I couldn't believe all the little time saving tips she knew until reading them. I also loved how all the recipes she cooked were cataloged and given various tags for easy access when in need of a recipe in a pinch. I used the tags multiple times, especially when a coworker needed a recipe they had tried and loved. My coworkers usually made me realize how well I was actually eating. Some may have lived a little vicariously through me.

If you have actually viewed these blogs of hers, I think you would understand why it goes without saying that I have been eating well. This is both a blessing and a curse. Bethany is a gifted cook and I am a gifted eater. I am always telling her when we sit down for "grown-up time" or dinner, that we are so blessed! We certainly have been blessed in so many ways by God. The fact that Bethany is home with our children each day and able to devote herself to the care of this family is a huge blessing. I have to work a bit more, but it is worth it.

This whole experience hasn't been without its frustrations. One of the biggest ones that I eventually got used to was trying to find the camera to take a picture before sitting down to actually eat. Most of the time it was easy enough to locate. Blogging was also a big time commitment for Bethany. It cut into much of our time together during the evenings which kinda stunk. So in a sense, I am thankful this blogging journey is going to relax a bit now that day 365 is approaching. I also remember having to go to the store often and pick-up a missing item. Hopefully I won't have to do this as often.  ;)

In the future, I am hopeful that Bethany will continue to blog on occasion and challenge herself with new recipes from famous chefs or even ones she creates. I also hope this could be something that our kids could look at for reference when they grow up and want to know how to cook that delicious dish mom used to make. Who knows, maybe one of them will be inspired to do something similar as well.

I'm so proud of you, Bethany!  And I love you!
-Randy

Day 361: "Italian" Pork Chops

I'm not a huge fan of pork chops, and I don't like onions.  But these onion-smothered pork chops are good!  (Okay, I didn't eat all the onions.)  But I've learned that I can actually eat caramelized onions and like the flavor they give whatever they're eaten with.  We don't have pork often, but I would never completely take it off my repertoire.  It's cheap.  Randy really likes pork (and loves onions) and I want my kids to have broad palettes.  That means introducing them to a wide variety of food, even if I don't particularly like what we're having.  I also get just as much, if not more pleasure out of cooking food as I do eating it, so it really doesn't bother me to make something I'm not anxious to eat.  I still enjoy the cooking process!
This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis.  She says that it's her "Italian" take on the American classic of pork chops with applesauce.  I guess the sweet, caramelized onions represent the applesauce. 

Italian Pork Chops
Warning: You must start this recipe 2 hours before you want to eat.  The "marmellatta" needs to cook for 2 hours and the pork chops need to sit in the fridge seasoned a good couple hours before you cook them.

Marmellata
4 onions, thinly sliced
1 TB rosemary, chopped
1 TB thyme, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup orange marmalade (I actually used apricot preserves because it's what I had on hand)
salt, pepper
1 TB sugar
2 TB balsamic vinegar

Pork Chops 
4 thick pork chops (I used bone-in, but you can easily use boneless)
1 TB chopped rosemary
1 TB chopped thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, pepper
olive oil

In a large pan on medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, onions, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the marmalade, sugar, and balsamic vinegar and cook on low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape the bottom of the pan.
Combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper and rub the mixture on each pork chop, both sides.  Cover the pork chops with plastic wrap and refrigerator for 90 minutes or so.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.  Place the pork chops in the pan and turn after about 5 minutes.  Be sure to only flip them once so they don't get too tough.  If you need to finish them in the oven, that's fine.  Top with the onion marmellatta and serve.

Seasoned Roasted Potatoes
This is kind of my idea of a winter potato salad.  I used some of the same flavors in a summer provencal potato salad, but roasted the potatoes and served them hot.

1 bag small, boiling potatoes
1 shallot, chopped
olive oil
salt, pepper
dried parsley
dried oregano
white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters.  Place on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried parsley, and dried oregano.  Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Place in a bowl with the chopped shallot and drizzle with a little more olive oil and some white wine vinegar to taste.

Spiced Blackberry Sour
Our grown-up time special treat.  Serves 2.

Muddle 4-5 blackberries in a cocktail shaker.  Juice 3-4 limes into the shaker.  Add equal parts vodka and spiced rum (about 2 oz each).  Then add some simple syrup (about 1 oz).  Add ice and shake.  Strain into chilled glasses.

Day 360: Classic Lasagna and Links to Others

I've made a few different lasagnas over the past year, but never a real classic lasagna.  (I'll include the links to the others at the end of this post.)  Lasagna is a pretty basic, traditional dish, which is why I think I never found a recipe for classic lasagna in all of my searching through my recipe books.  Chefs these days are always trying to do something different with lasagna.  Maybe I was a little scared to make my own lasagna in the beginning of this blog.  I knew I could probably make one and it would be good, but I wanted it to be GREAT.  I wanted to make the best lasagna that my Italian husband had ever tasted.  That was a tall order.  When Randy was a bachelor, you could pretty much make him any homemade meal and he would rave about it.  He and his brother didn't eat a lot of home-cooking when they were living in a condo on their own.  But now he's been married to an aspiring home-chef for about 5 years and he's had a lot of good home-cooked meals.  If I was going to make him THE BEST classic lasagna he had ever had, I needed to use everything I've learned so far about really good cooking.  And tonight, I think I accomplished that.  Without going too crazy or over-the-top, just trying to keep it basic, I give you THE BEST Classic Lasagna...

Classic Lasagna

1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
half of 1 large carrot, grated
1 TB dried basil leaves
1 TB dried oregano leaves
dried parsley
salt, pepper
1/2 cup red wine
3-4 cups traditional homemade spaghetti sauce (or jarred marinara sauce)
32 oz ricotta cheese
2 TB grated Asiago cheese (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 TB fresh basil, chopped
1 egg
8-10 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

LASAGNA NOODLES: TO BOIL OR NOT TO BOIL?  That is the question.  So, when buying lasagna noodles you have some choices out there.  You have to boil your lasagna noodles unless the box says "Oven Ready."  So it seems like the obvious choice to buy "oven ready" noodles so you can skip the step of pre-cooking your pasta.  But you have to be careful because if you buy "oven ready" noodles, that means they are going in the lasagna hard.  You have to be sure that each and every part of each and every noodle is covered by enough sauce liquid so that it softens in the oven, otherwise you'll be crunching down on your lasagna and end up with hard pasta stuck in your teeth!  So if you don't like a lot of sauce in your lasagna, you're probably better off boiling your noodles ahead of time.  In fact, some lasagna recipes out there call for "oven ready" noodles but you have to soak them in hot water first anyway.  Huh?  If you're going to do that, then I say just boil them!
THE SAUCE: The noodles may be the structural part of the lasagna, but I really do believe that the sauce is the foundation.  My husband loves marinara sauce.  I use my own homemade sauce (see link above) because I know it's delicious and we both love it.  If you don't have homemade sauce on hand, you can easily concoct your own the night you make the lasagna.  When you're cooking the meat and it comes to the step to add the sauce, you can either add a jarred marinara sauce, or a simple canned tomato sauce and add your own seasonings to it.  If you want a chunky sauce, opt for a can of crushed tomatoes and put in some dry Italian seasonings.  But what if you're not really a marinara sauce kind of person?  No problem.  Instead of adding sauce, just add a little tomato paste for flavor.  You also may want to add some beef broth for a depth of flavor and so the meat doesn't dry out in the oven.

Now, on to the recipe...

Preheat the oven to 375*.  In a large skillet over medium heat, begin browning the ground beef.  I use 80/20 meat because the fat adds more flavor and then you don't have to use oil in the pan.  When the meat is almost completely brown, add the onion and garlic.  Season with the dried basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Then add the shaved carrot.  This adds a nice sweetness to the meat.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the red wine and cook another minute.  Now add the sauce (homemade, jarred, tomato paste, whatever you want to use.)  Allow the sauce to come up to a simmer then turn off the heat.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of parmesan, the Asiago cheese (if using, I happened to have some on hand, which is why I used it), the egg, fresh basil, and salt and pepper.  Mix well.
In a 13 x 9 pan, spread out a thin layer of meat sauce.  (Remember, I used "oven ready" noodles, so I want them completely surrounded by moisture in the oven.)  Then top the sauce with the noodles.  Spread a layer of the ricotta (half your mixture) on the noodles and top with more meat sauce.  Continue the pattern: noodles, ricotta, meat sauce one more time.  I had more noodles and sauce so I did one more layer of noodles, then a final layer of sauce on the top.  So I started with sauce and ended with sauce.  On top of the sauce, I sprinkled my mozzarella cheese, combined with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.  Let stand for at least 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the fresh parsley on top for garnish.
Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Links to previous lasagna recipes:

1. My own Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Lasagna: http://bethanysmeals365.blogspot.com/2014/06/day-142-chicken-broccoli-alfredo-lasagna.html

2. Vegetarian Lasagna: http://bethanysmeals365.blogspot.com/2014/02/day-23-red-green-vegetarian-lasagna.html

3. Turkey Sausage Lasagna: http://bethanysmeals365.blogspot.com/2014/04/day-74-turkey-sausage-lasagna.html

4. Two-Sauce Pasta (like a lasagna, deconstructed): http://bethanysmeals365.blogspot.com/2014/06/two-sauce-pasta-days-134-138.html

5. Swiss-Chard Manicotti (manicotti reminds me of lasagna noodles, which is why I included this one): http://bethanysmeals365.blogspot.com/2015/01/day-358-swiss-chard-manicotti.html

Day 359: Apple & Walnut Crostata, Beef Stew with Butternut Squash and much more!!!

Happy birthday to my amazing husband, Randy!!!  He is 31 years young today!  Next to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Randy is the most important thing to me.  We have been together for six years, but have known each other for 9+.  I look forward to many, many more years as your wife, my dear!  You make my life comfortable, relatively easy, and all kinds of wonderful!
Of course I wanted to make Randy's day special with food, so here's how it went...

BREAKFAST: eggs benedict (Randy's favorite breakfast) & spiced Americano
While I was serving breakfast, Randy told me that he secretly hoped I was making eggs benedict.  I love how we know each other so well!

Spiced Americano
This is a great coffee for the very cold months!  The spices in it add an extra warmth--perfect for right before heading out into the cold to go to work!  (Or to sip around the house while doing dishes and laundry.) ;)

1 cup espresso
1 cup boiling water
spiced simple syrup (recipe follows)
whipped cream
cinnamon and cinnamon sticks (for garnish)

Let's talk about espresso.  (First off, it's a pet-peeve of mine when people call it EXpresso.  It's ESSSSpresso.  Ahem, mother.) ;)  I don't have an espresso machine, but you don't really need one to make espresso--especially if it's just going into a different drink like a latte, cappuccino, or Americano.  I just use half the amount of strong coffee grinds as water.  So for 1 cup of espresso, I use 2 cups of water and 1 cup of coffee grinds right in my coffee maker. 
I've been making a lot of simple syrups for drinks lately.  A simple syrup is very easy to make.  It's just water and sugar boiled on the stove until the sugar dissolves.  Generally I like to do 1 cup of water to 1 cup of sugar.  But you can use only 1/2 cup of water, too, for a thicker syrup.  For this spiced syrup, use 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, a pinch each of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger.  Once the sugar dissolves you are done!
Combine this syrup with the espresso and the boiling water.  Top with whipped cream (you can make your own with 1 cup of whipping cream and a couple TB of powdered sugar--whip until stiff peaks form) and a dash of cinnamon.  I stuck 2 cinnamon sticks in each Americano.

LUNCH: broccoli & cheddar soup in homemade bread bowls
Randy brought a few of his co-workers home for lunch and I made this soup and bread bowls and served it with salad.  We also had leftover Italian cream cake and coffee dessert.

DINNER: apple & walnut crostata, apply & thyme martini, beef stew w/ butternut squash, and chocolate & brie Panini
I started out the evening disappointed.  The appetizer that I originally wanted to make for "grown-up time" required hours of refrigeration.  I don't know why I didn't read the recipe more thoroughly a few days earlier!  Luckily, I had enough ingredients for a great back-up plan!  I told Randy that it just meant that his birthday food could be extended one more day--we'll have that appetizer tomorrow or the next day. :)

Apple & Walnut Crostata
Randy loves gorgonzola cheese so this was really a great alternative to my original plan.  I adapted this from Giada De Laurentiis' recipe.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 TB cold butter
pinch of salt
1/3 cup cold water
2-3 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
2-3 TB butter
cinnamon

For the crust, place the flour, cheese, cold butter, and water in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until fully combined and the dough comes together.  Pull the dough out and place on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. 
In a saucepan, place the butter and apples and cinnamon and cook over medium-high heat until the butter melts and apples become soft.  Turn off the heat and add the walnuts and gorgonzola.  Stir.
Preheat the oven to 400*.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out and onto a greased baking sheet.  Pour the apple filling in the middle of the dough and then fold over the edges of the dough to form a crostata.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Apple & Thyme Martinis
A martini is Randy's favorite "mixed" drink.  I prefer something a little sweeter than a traditional dirty martini.  This is a perfect compromise, though definitely closer to a traditional martini than a sweet drink.  This was the second simple syrup I made today!

10 oz vodka
6 oz apple juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
5 sprigs of thyme, plus more for garnish

Place your martini glasses in the freezer.  Combine the vodka and apple juice and refrigerate them.  In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and 5 thyme sprigs and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the sugar dissolves.  Allow to cool.  When ready to serve, pour the vodka, juice, and simple syrup into the chilled glasses and garnish with a few sprigs of thyme.  Add ice if desired.

Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

This is a great dinner to come from the cold to and it's a little more elegant than a traditional beef stew or pot roast.

2 lbs stewing beef
2 TB olive oil + 2 TB butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3 cup flour
salt, pepper
2 TB chopped rosemary
2 TB chopped thyme
1 lb butternut squash, cubed
1 cup marsala wine
2-3 TB sundried tomatoes
3-4 cups beef broth

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat.  Cook the onions until they're translucent.  Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook for another minute.  Place the flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss the beef in it.  Add the beef to the pan and cook until brown on the outsides of the cubes.  Add the marsala wine, squash, and sundried tomatoes.  Cook for a few minutes to let the alcohol cook out.  Pour the beef broth into the pot until it covers the beef and squash.  Simmer for one hour and then serve.

Chocolate & Brie Paninis
I thought this looked like a really cool and different dessert.  Actually, it seems like the perfect, hearty afternoon snack for my kids when they're older.  But Randy and I really enjoyed them as a sweet/savory dessert.  The basil is a great complement to the chocolate and we never would've thought of that!

Make a sandwich with artisan crusty bread of sliced brie cheese, chocolate chips, and chopped basil.  Butter the outsides of the sandwich and place on a grill pan with a weight on it to press it down (or use a panini press).  Flip the sandwich when it has dark grill marks on one side.  Serve warm.

     

Day 358: Swiss Chard Manicotti

Happy Meatless Monday!!!  I planned another special Italian (meatless) meal for Randy's week of "birthday" meals.  It was almost for nothing since Randy had a late site visit today and would have to go right to his second job afterward.  Luckily he decided to come home during the late afternoon in the time he had between site visits and we had an early supper.  I'm so glad we did that because not only did Randy LOVE the meal and not stop talking about it, but it was so nice to have all of our evening routines over and done with by 6 pm!  As of 6:01 the dishes were done, the kids were bathed, the kitchen was clean, and the kids and I were sitting in the living room watching "Peter Rabbit."  If only all nights could be that easy...

While this meal has no meat in it, it is VERY hearty and flavorful.  And if you're looking for a new way to get green veggies into your kids, just try coating them with 2 pounds of cheese! :)  Try this amazing recipe.  Trust me, you'll love it!

Swiss Chard & Pea Manicotti (Giada De Laurentiis)
1 box of manicotti (usually 12-14 pasta shells)
1 bunch of Swiss chard (green or red--I used red), stems removed and chopped
olive oil

1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
15 oz ricotta cheese
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped basil
salt, pepper
Fontina Sauce:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 oz grated fontina cheese
2 TB grated parmesan cheese
2 TB chopped basil
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for 6 to 8 minutes.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.  Preheat the oven to 400*. 
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion.  Cook for a few minutes, until soft.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Then add the Swiss chard and cook for a few minutes until wilted.  Cool slightly.
In a food processor, combine the ricotta, peas, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper.  Add the Swiss chard mixture.  Pulse until smooth.  Place the filling in a large Ziploc bag and snip off the corner.  Pipe the filling into each manicotti and place in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. 
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk and heavy cream to a simmer.  Add the shredded fontina cheese and whisk slowly until smooth.  Add the parmesan and basil and slowly incorporate until smooth.  Pour the sauce over the manicotti.  Top everything with the shredded mozzarella.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
I served it with an arugula salad: arugula, shaved pecorino cheese, freshly cracked pepper, and balsamic vinaigrette.  It added a fresh touch and the acid helped cut through all the cheese of the manicotti dish.  Delicious!