Lazy Lasagna

We're moving.  Like in a couple days.  I'm terrified of not having everything together.  Or losing something.  Or desperately needing something that I haven't used in 18 months, but might just need in the next two weeks, only to find that it's packed in a box at the bottom of the pile.

I'm trying to use up the food we have.  I found this recipe for Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups in a cookbook.  And I thought, "I have spinach in the freezer!  And ricotta in the fridge!  That's what I'll make for dinner!".  Well, the ricotta was moldy, but I already had my mind set.  So I bought more.  Then we only had half a box of lasagna noodles, so I bought more.  Then, when I finally was home from running errands and was starving, I got lazy.  I didn't feel like messing with the spinach.  Or like cutting up garlic or onions.  So this is NO CHOP lasagna (I cut the parsley with scissors). 


Lasagna
1 pound ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
16 lasagna noodles
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 T. fresh parsley
1- 16 oz. container of ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg

Cook the lasagna noodles in a big pot of salted boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain.
Brown the ground beef and then add the sauce to warm.
Mix everything else EXCEPT for 1 cup of mozzarella (set aside) in a mixing bowl.
Layer the sauce, noodles, and cheese, starting with the sauce in a 9x13 pan.  I did 4 noodles at a time, and ended up with 4 layers in the pan.
Sprinkle that extra cup of mozzarella on top.
Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.  Take the foil off and broil until the cheese on top is bubbly.

Ode to a Hairdryer

My hairdryer.

Purchased at the CVS Pharmacy in Philipsburg, PA.

February 2007.

I remember that my old hairdryer died and I needed a new one, like THAT day.

I had the day off from school (my 6th semester I believe).

So that would've made it a Tuesday or Thursday.  

Living in the middle of nowhere, I had to drive the whole way to Philipsburg to get a hairdryer.

I didn't want to go the whole way to Wal-Mart in Clearfield.

Anyway, it was $16.99.

At that time, $16.99 for an unplanned purchase was a BIG deal.

Regardless, the Conair finished college with me and moved to Alaska a year and a half after that.

Oh the sights it's seen compared to other hairdryers!

Not every hairdryer gets to move so far from home.

While our first home here in Alaska was a blessing and Godsend at the time...

the master bathroom is awfully small.

With only one sink and only enough counter space for one sink and little else.  

And its cord was always in the way.  Often being stuffed in the cupboard by a frustrated husband who needs room to shave at 5am.

And, regrettably, it took approximately 18 falls from the counter to the linoleum 4 feet below.

I think it was the 18th that did it in.

So it was last Saturday that the hairdryer took the 18th fall, and officially stopped working.  

I would say that 4 solid years of hair-drying wasn't bad for $16.99.

I felt really bad throwing it away.  But one of my goals in life is not to become a packrat.  Especially since we are moving next week and I'm slowly becoming aware of how much STUFF we have.  

So I went to Target and bought this Conair Ionic Cord-Keeper for $23.99.

Valentine's Day and Crepes

Scott and I have now been together for 3 Valentine's Days.  The first one, we became engaged.  The second one, he was deployed.  I refer to that part of my life as the "season of unemployment and deployment".  I had some lovely friends to celebrate with, but still...not ideal.  This year, I had to work.  I told myself that was the blessing though.  Instead of "deployed and unemployed", he's here and I had my own classroom to spend the day in. 

I don't really understand why a holiday like this would be created to commemorate someone's death.  But, regardless, if Valentine's Day means being nice to your significant other, then I hope every day is like Valentine's Day to you.  I think it makes us feel obligated to buy a present or put on a show.  Scott wanted to buy me something.  I needed a new hairdryer because mine was out of commission (Ode to a Hairdryer will be a forthcoming post).  I got a hairdryer.  It's red, in honor of Valentine's Day.

Scott also cooked me dinner.  For dessert, he made crepes.  I ate four.

Crepes with Strawberry Sauce

1 cup of flour
2 eggs
1/2  cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 t. salt
2 T. melted butter


In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and eggs.  Slowly add the milk and water, stirring to combine.  Stir in the salt and butter and mix until smooth.
Lightly oil an omelet pan and heat to medium-high.  Pour approximately 1/4 of a cup of batter into the pan.  Tilt in a circular motion so the batter coats the bottom of the pan evenly.  
Cook for about 2 minutes.  Flip with a spatula and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes.  Serve warm with strawberry sauce.


Sauce:
Fresh strawberries
Sugar

In the food processor, puree the strawberries.  Add some sugar to taste.  You get a sauce that looks like the one below.  Pour into a serving dish and warm in the microwave before drizzling over crepes.

This is what Scott said he did to make the strawberry sauce.  Here is another strawberry sauce recipe from Our Best Bites in which you would cook the strawberries first.  Both recipes are incredibly simple.  (*It's important to note that I have not tried the Our Best Bites recipe because I live in Alaska and strawberries purchased at the grocery store must be worth their weight in gold because that's what they charge for them.  We don't do a whole lot of fresh- strawberry-anything these days.  When I make this again, I will probably use frozen.)

Beef Lo Mein

This stuff is SO good.  In fact, I came home from work last Friday exhausted and starving, and I didn't mind making this because it wasn't that much work.  Friday is usually that day when I pull out the last of that week's food reserves.  The very last choice of what I had on a potential menu plan for the week is created on this day. This week, the last of the food reserves was used up on Thursday.  Yesterday we ordered pizza.  However, last Friday I cooked. 

I didn't really start eating Chinese food until about 2 years ago.  My least favorite thing about going out for Chinese is that your clothes (and coat) will smell like a Chinese restaurant until you wash them.  We don't go out for it often, but I do make Chinese at home a lot these days.  Then I notice that my entire house (including my coat) will smell like oil and soy sauce for a day or two.

(Easy) Beef Lo Mein
(Serves 2)
6 oz. of dry spaghetti (almost half the box)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh broccoli
3/4 cup of thinly sliced onion
1/2 T. of grated fresh ginger 
2-3 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 pound of thinly sliced flank steak
3 T. of beef broth
3 T. of soy sauce
1 1/2 T. of brown sugar


*This is the recipe just about cut in half.  I also customized it a bit.  The original recipe can be found here.  I also forgot to take a picture of it.  I guess we were pretty hungry.  

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.  After draining, put the noodles back into the hot pot and toss with the sesame oil.
Add the vegetable oil to a large frying pan with high sides.  When hot, cook the broccoli and onion for about 3 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for another minute.  Add the sirloin and cook for about 5 minutes until it is no longer pink.  The thinner the slices, the quicker it cooks.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and beef broth.
Add the sauce and pasta to the mixture in the skillet.  Cook for a minute or two until it is all heated through.


**Scott thinks it's the ginger that makes this recipe great.  I think it's the sesame oil.  The ginger is a couple of dollars, but you can keep the whole hunk of it in the freezer for a long time, just grating off a bit when you need it.  The sesame oil was less than $2 and I use it ALL the time.  

*UPDATED 4/10/11*

A picture of the finished product!

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

I tried a slow-cooker macaroni and cheese from a recipe book awhile back and wasn't crazy about it.  This one came from A Year of Slow Cooking.  It's better.  Scott liked it.  I liked it too, but it wasn't like the kind straight out of the oven.  I just hate taking the time to make a roux, make a mess (I always make a mess), and then clean up the kitchen.  I mixed all of this together in the stoneware.  Plus, the only days I get to actually use my crockpot are Saturday and Sunday.  I always feel the need to take advantage of that.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese
8 oz. elbow macaroni OR shells UNCOOKED
3 cups of shredded cheddar
4 cups of milk (I was almost out of milk, so I actually used half evaporated milk and it worked just fine.  Or maybe it would have been so much better with regular skim milk.  I guess we'll never know...)
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t onion powder
1 egg
1 T Grey Poupon

Spray the stoneware with cooking spray.  Mix milk, egg, mustard, and spices in the stoneware.  I used a 4 quart crockpot.  Stir in the noodles (UNCOOKED!) and the cheese.  Cook on high for 2-4 hours or low for about 6. 

I do realize that this is the worst picture.  Of anything.  Ever.  Scott likes to take my camera ice-fishing.  Then he likes to hide it in the garage.  And it's too cold in there and I'm too lazy to look for it.  So I end up using my phone for most of these pictures.  We are looking into buying a fancy new camera.  Suggestions welcome!

Chicken Pot Pie

Here it is.  The recipe I've perfected over the last year.  We usually eat the whole pan in less than two days.  However, I recommend doubling it for a 9x13 pan.  I use a 9" pie plate for just the two of us.

Chicken Pot Pie
5 T. canola oil
1/2 cup of flour
3/4 cup of milk
1 can of chicken broth
2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, green beans, peas, and corn is what I use)
1/2 lb-1 lb of diced raw chicken (the amount you use depends on how chicken-y you like it)
1 t. each of salt and pepper
1 t. of poultry seasoning
1 sheet of pie pastry

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.  Cook in a deep skillet in some olive oil.  Once cooked, remove chicken to a plate.  Add the canola oil to the pan and wait for it to heat.  Then add the flour and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes.  Whisk in the milk and chicken broth and let thicken.  Once it's thick, add the frozen vegetables and chicken.  Stir well.

Pour into a 9" pie pan and cover with pie pastry.  Slit the top and crimp the edges.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.