Crock-Pot Lasagna

Tonight on Facebook, I posted this:

Crock-Pot Lasagna



Well apparently I posted it right around dinner time because before I knew it there were like a thousand requests for the recipe (ok, just 3 or 4 but I think more wanted to say it, they just couldn't because they were wiping the saliva off thier computer screens!).

So for all my loyal Facebook friends, this is for you. A recipe I concocted all by myself, with a little help from Jessica Steinfeld. Ok, so basically it is her recipe but I added meat so you can kinda say its my recipe. Note to self... might be a little smarter than best selling cookbook author. 

Anywho... here it is

(with my version)!

Ingredients:

3 cans (14.4 oz) crushed tomatoes

(I didn't have crushed so I threw some diced ones in my NINJA and crushed those puppies up in no time!)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

(I use squeeze garlic because it is the greatest invention EVER!)

2 T dried oregano

(didn't add it)

1/2 tsp salt

(didn't add it)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

(nope didn't add this one either)

2 containers (15 oz) fresh ricotta

(I don't know about fresh, I mean I bought it at the grocery store Sunday so it was still "good".)

2 cups grated mozzarella

(1 bag of Kraft with a 2 in the corner works too!)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

(NO GREEN CAN for this one people!)

12 lasagna noodles

(whatever was in the damn box)

5 oz baby spinach

(Frozen bag of spinach from store worked just fine.)

AND

(1 lb of cooked ground beef)<-- This wasn't in the original recipe but my kids like meat!

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and some black pepper.

In another bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your crock-pot. Top with 3 noodles, breaking to fit if necessary.

(Yes it is necessary to break them unless you happen to have a rectangle crock-pot! Also, don't worry with using 3. I think I used 5 or 6. Laid one in the middle and broke up a few around it, then did it again.)

Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.

(Yeah so pour some sauce on top then sprinkle some of that frozen spinach around. Put some of that cheese mixture on top of the spinach followed by some meat.)

Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach & cheese mixture.

(Keep doing it until you run out of sauce, spinach, cheese mixture and beef! I think I got 3 full layers!)

Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

(I hope you remembered to save some extra noodles for the top, otherwise it is going to get messy or you are going to be grabbin' for another box of noodles. I think I had like 5 noodles left so I just used them all. I also added a little parmesan cheese to the top after the mozzarella.)

Cook on low, covered for 3 1/2 hours.

YOU'RE WELCOME!! 

126

126


126 is the amount of weight I have lost to date.
Is it the amount I wanted to lose by now?
HELL NO.
Am I happy with this weight loss?
HELL YES


I was hoping I would have lost close to 200 pounds by now. I suppose I have myself to blame for not losing more. I got stuck for awhile but I am back on track!


I think the kids being home for the summer really did me in. They did all sorts of fun stuff and I drank all kinds of alcohol.
Alcohol is my new guilty pleasure.
It used to be candy but now it is alcohol.
I suppose if I am going to continue to drink, I should find an alcoholic beverage that has less calories.


You see I found this at the grocery store...

I know what your thinking....

That is wierd. How can something that comes in a pouch at the grocery store and costs less than $3 taste good??

There is something that happens when you put this in the freezer, or better yet when you take it out of the freezer...

Trust me when I say don't even bother getting a glass. Just cut a hole at the top and stick a straw in it. SO GOOD!! It even wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be. DONT GET ME WRONG, this shit is sweet just NOT AS sweet as I was expecting.

You want sweet? Hell, I'll give you sweet. If I can't eat it... you might as well!

Kim's Homemade Peach Cobbler

Peach filling ingredients~

about 8 peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into slices or chunks (whatever you prefer)

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of cloves

1 tsp. vanilla

cobbler ingredients ~
1 recipe peach filling
1 cup flour
1/4 cup + 2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/3 cup buttermilk
(Substitution: 1 cup milk + 1 T vinegar + sitting out for 5 minutes= 1 cup buttermilk)
4 T butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions ~
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400.
Place the fruit filling in a 9" deep dish pie plate.
Put the pie plate on a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake 30 minutes.

While the fruit is baking, whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt together in a large bowl.
In a seperate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter & vanilla together.
In a small dish, toss the cinnamon with the remaining 2 tsp sugar.

When the fruit filling is done baking, whisk the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until the dough is just combined.

Remove filling from oven and stir. Drop the biscuit dough on top of the filling however you want it to look.
Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon/sugar recipe.
Return to oven and bake for 15-20 min or until the biscuits are cooked through and are brown on top.



Milk Dud Mania

This time last year I was in Galveston.

• Twice a day I was drinking slim fast. 
• I was eating cucumbers at all hours of the day.
• I wanted to punch anyone in the face at the store when they would say "WOW! You must like cucumbers!

Still I managed to get through the torture...

So why do I feel the urge to eat Milk Duds?
Now, all of a sudden?
Why do I dream about them, think about them and constantly obsess over them?

Well I decided to finally buy some. Sometimes if you just do it then you will think... "Bad idea, won't do that again!"

Well not only was eating Milk Duds a bad idea... it was probably the worst idea I've ever had. Why you ask??

Let's put it this way... Milk Duds + temporary crown = FREAKED out woman on highway!!

Ok... lesson learned...

(Note: There were no children or cars harmed in the freaked out moment!)