We're Baaaaack!

We're back! What a fun trip! We had such a great time & we even fit in a "surprise"! We managed to fill up a whole memory card which fits something like 500 pictures or so.  Needless to say, it's gonna take me a bit to go through them all. I think I'm going to have to post by day since there are so many. Can you guess what the surprise was??? ;)

What's for dinner? The BEST Lasagna. Ever!

I LOVE the Pioneer Woman's website. She has so many great recipes and I've blogged about her before.  I found the link to the cake pops on her site also. 

A while back I made her Lasagna recipe.  She called it "The best Lasagna recipe ever". I had to try it because pretty much anything I've made from her site has been awesome. So if she was saying it was the best Lasagna recipe ever it had to be at the least good! Of course it lived up to it's name. It rocks! It is now the recipe for Lasagna I keep in my recipe box.  Mario is half Italian.  I would make this for his family and be confident that they would love it! Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Check her out here www.thepioneerwoman.com

The. Best Lasagna. Ever!

Ingredients:

1-½ pound Ground Beef

1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes

2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste

2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley

2 Tablespoons Basil

1 Teaspoon Salt

3 Cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese

2 whole Beaten Eggs

1/2 cups Grated (not shredded) Parmesan Cheese

2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese

1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles

*add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt and 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil to Pasta Water

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked).

To assemble:

Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.


Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.


Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

Here's a link to the recipe on PW where you can print out a index card.

Best Lasagna, Ever!

Vegetable Co-op

So, we recently joined a Vegetable Co-op in our area.  We love it! We paid less then we would for regular grocery store produce but it's all organic and much better produce.  This one is every other week and we only started out at $20.  I don't think you would want to account for all your fruits and vegetables this way since there are certain things you want for certain recipes but it accounts for a good amount.  There were 9 other people that contributed and they buy in bulk.  They send out a list a few days before ordering and you tell them what your likes/wants or dislikes are.  I think we will do $30. next time but were really happy with what we got. One person picks up all the produce from the trucks then divides it up.  Then you pick it up from them.  People take turns sorting and you get a credit for doing so. This time we got Green Beans, Grapes, Green Squash, Yellow Squash, Oranges, a bag of Apples, Lettuce, Tomatoes, half a Watermelon, Starfruit & Bananas.  If you have the option in your area to get into one I highly recommend it!!!

We've been spending a lot of time outside lately. The other day Stella and I took a walk at a local park to look for pine cones.  The humidity is pretty much gone and it is one of my favorite times of the year.  It never used to be growing up in Seattle.   I hated Fall, living in Seattle it meant Summer was over.  I love Summer.  It's different in Florida.  It warms up to about 80 during the days and 50's to 60's in the evenings.  You can turn your AC off and don't need the heat yet.  I've been putting on jeans and a long sleeve in the morning but by 10 or 11ish I'm sweating. October also means the holidays are just around the corner.  The holidays are better after you have your own kids.  It's so fun to see it all again through a child's eyes.  Show her all the little things I looked forward to about the holidays and make memories that she will want to share with her kids someday. 

Around our house it certainly feels like Fall though.  I got all of our Halloween/Fall decorations out last week and decorated.  Lot's of the color Orange and pumpkins around here!  I stocked up on my scented candles...warm apple pie, pumpkin, evergreen, mulled cider & cinnamon roll. It feels so cozy in the evenings and smells so good in here. I may even bust out an actual Apple Pie with our apples from the co-op!

Yesterday Mario went into Stella's room where she was playing. She had an Easter basket from her closet and was putting things in it.  When he walked in she held it up and said "Trick or Treat Daddy".  Neither of us have taught her that so I think she picked it up from one of her Halloween books we've been reading. It was so cute.

Next week we are taking one last Summer beach trip.  Instead of Panama we are going to Daytona Beach.  We are so ready for a few days of pool, beach, rest & relaxation. 

Bye bye Summer, see ya next year! :)

Best. Stew. EVER!

I have had a subscription to Cooking Light off and on for years now.  Not necessarily for the Light part but because of their somewhat simple, mostly healthy, delicious recipes over the years and their reasonable subscription price.  I have made so many of their recipes and they are always amazing.  The Pumpkin Torte recipe I posted recently was out of the magazine from last fall.  I think I made 4 of the recipes out of their Thanksgiving issue last year.  So this year when it came time to renew our subscription I thought I would try something different. Why? Not quite sure but BIG mistake.  We got a subscription to Bon Appetit instead.  Nothing wrong with the magazine BUT I have yet to see anything in the 4 issues I've received so far that I even want to attempt to make.  A lot of their recipes are extensive with ingredients you have to send out a search party to even find. Which works for some people, not me. I want simple ingredients, easy and YUMMY! So if something is working why mess with it.  I know, I know...duh. 

I made this recipe one chilly Fall weekend when I lived in Nashville.  I have made it a few times since and it is my favorite stew recipe ever.  It is a little heavy on the ingredient side BUT I found it was worth it!  A lot of time I will do one of those throw everything in the pot Sunday stews but if you want to go get all the ingredients and spend the time to make it IT IS WORTH IT!!!  So so good. 

Time to pull out the Halloween decorations, rake the leaves, throw on the sweats and hoodies, bake some goodies and cook a yummy soup or stew! Fall is here!

Well not yet for us in Florida, it's still in the 80's but I can feel Fall coming! Today has been the first cool morning!

http://www.cookinglight.com/

They have good recipe resources online also...now on to the stew.

Hearty Beef & Tomato Stew

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

2 Lbs Sirloin Steak, cubed

1 Cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

11/2 cups fat free less sodium beef broth

4 cups (11/2 Lbs) cubed Red Potato

2 cups slices carrots

3/4 cup pinot noir or spicy dry red wine

2 Teaspoons chopped fresh Thyme

1 (16 oz) package frozen pearl onions

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomato's, undrained

1 Rosemary sprig

1 Bay leaf

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp Pepper

1/2 cup chopped Parsley

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add beef, cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.  Remove beef from pan, reserving 1 Tablespoon of drippings in pan.  Add onion and garlic to pan, saute 2 minutes or until onion begins to brown.  Add tomato paste, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add broth, bring to a boil.  Return meat to pan.  Add potato and next 7 ingredients (through Bay Leaf) bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook 1 hour 15 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.  Discard Rosemary and Bay leaf.  Stir in Salt and Pepper.  Top with Parsley!

Enjoy!!!

Ride Em' Cowboy!

Giddy Up!!!

 Stella & her buddy Zach.

Feeding the chickens!

Follow me Stella...

She could have chased them all day. The poor girl was sweating like a pig herself.   

Stella's new friend, Dakota.

 Pulling Dakota into the ring.  Good helpers.

She was smiling and laughing the whole time.  No scaredy cats here!

  Thanks Zach, that was FUN!  Can we do it again sometime??? You busy tomorrow?

 We had a play date with some friends from Stella's library group on Friday.  They just happen to have 14 horses, 14 chickens, 2 dogs and 2 cats.  Stella was in heaven.  I think she would prefer we move to a farm.  She ran around and got absolutely FILTHY! Seriously, they were covered from head to toe in dirt.  She had gotten her hands dirty then wiped her face at some point, there was sand all in her hair and just dirt everywhere. I had to put her in the bath and rinse her down when we got home. I bet if you asked her though it was so worth it! They played outside, then we walked down to the barn and fed the chickens. I think this was her favorite part.  She could have chased them around for hours.  She was screaming with laughter and followed them right into the bushes.  I had her in leggings thinking it would protect her legs but the poor girl was sweating from running around like a crazy woman! They each rode Dakota around the ring for a bit and Stella got right up with no hesitation whatsoever.  She was grinning from ear to ear! They take the Pony Dakota to birthday parties and festivals and stuff so he is around kids and people all the time. He's so mellow.  We had such a great time and she has been talking about it since!  I'll post some video to follow.



Free Leap Frog/Leap Frog Jr Book



I came across this link for a free Leap Frog Tag or Tag Junior book.  They only give you one option on the book, you can't choose.  Also after you register it says it will be shipped in 6-8 weeks but hey it's free and I'll probably forget I even filled it out and it will arrive just in time for another Xmas gift! :) Less shopping + Free. Right on! It's asks you which products of theirs you own and we just happened to already own a few so I used those but I don't think it makes a difference.  You just have to register for their site and the link takes you through all the steps, it's super easy.  It's through the actual Leap Frog site and it gives you a confirmation so we'll see in 6-8 weeks! :)

Stella is getting Tag Jr for her upcoming birthday but shhhhhh don't tell!!!

We had actually bought this book already so it's going back and I can trade it for a different one! Sweet! Oh, sometimes it's the little things....

If you own or plan on buying one of these soon get your own free book here:

http://www.leapfrog.com/content/leapfrog/en/site/freetagbook/form.html#utm_content=lw9MynSeamY?utm_source=LinkShare&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=Default&utm_content=TnL5HPStwNw&siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-QR17An_Y5J.6OevhxKVnJg