Nothin sez lovin like sunntin from the oven!

The Carters' main bathroom is currently demolished but when rebuilt it's going to be beautiful! In the meantime, they've been trying to make-do with their closet-like half-bath on the first floor that consists mostly of a toilet and a sink. So for about two weeks, they've been bringing the girls to our house for their every-other-night bathing and it's been fun! But this week has been particularly trying for Gayle...enough said about that...and much to our delight, Gayle offered to make Sunday dinner to say "thanx" for the use of our facilities and some babysitting services.

Gayle's life-long friend, Jess, gave her a recipe for spinach lasagna; the finished dish is too large for the Carters alone so that's what Gayle picked for us to share tonight. With a green salad and buttery garlic bread—Harvey added an asiago sausage with grilled onions—it was DELICIOUS!!

Since Gayle said it was easy to make, here's the girls' recipe, including the tweaks that Jess and Gayle have added after making the dish a couple of times.

Spinach Lasagna ala Jess

✔ 1 - box lasagna noodles
✔ 1 - large jar of (Mids) meatless pasta sauce
✔ 30 oz. ricotta cheese (low fat)
✔ up to 2 lbs. shredded mozzarella cheese
✔ 1 bag fresh baby spinach (pull off stems and rip or cut into pieces

Cook lasagna noodles 8-9 minutes and prepare the spinach. In a large baking dish (approx. 9"x13"), spread a thin amount of pasta sauce on the bottom (this keeps the noodles from sticking). In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, spinach, and the rest of the sauce.

Layer cooked noodles, cover with ricotta mix, sprinkle mozzarella...repeat... (you may end up with 4 layers). Top lasagna with more shredded mozzarella and bake @ 375° for 30 minutes or until it looks done.

Buon appetito!

Does this count for 3 days worth?

3 recipes/1 day...trying to make up for lost time.

Meghan and Kirk were trying low carb recipes and made these: "Almost Gyros with Cucumber Sauce" and "Addictive Salad." After trying them, we were immediately addicted. While I haven't made these two in tandem lately, I am now reminded and think we'll be having some this week. We made tiny adjustments in the prep of the gyros and, as always, I'm posting my changes along with these recipes.

Almost Gyros

Mix all:
✔ 1 lb. ground turkey (recipe calls for ground lamb)
✔ 2 oz. cream cheese
✔ 1 egg, beaten
✔ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
✔ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
✔ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
✔  salt and pepper to taste

The recipe says to broil or grill the above as patties. In our version, we brown the turkey in a skillet first, drain any liquid, and mix in the rest of the ingredients until heated all the way through, serving it with a large spoon over your choice of bread. The recipe says to serve the gyros on Atkins rolls; however, we really enjoy using flatbread instead--serving it open-face and topped with both the sauce and the salad in one big heaping pile! (NOTE: you may want to double this recipe if you are feeding four people and hope to have any leftovers--and definitely if you have big eaters!)

Cucumber Sauce

✔ 1 cup sour cream
✔ 1 cup diced+seeded cucumber
✔ 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
✔ 3/4 teaspoon salt
✔ 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Mix all as a topping for the gyros.

Addictive Salad

✔ 1/2 lemon
✔ 1/2 cup light olive oil
✔ 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
✔ 1/2 cup Feta cheese (recipe calls for blue cheese but I don't eat moldy stuff!)
✔ 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
✔ 1 bag of prepared Romaine lettuce (or 2 romaine stalks chopped into pieces)

Place minced garlic in olive oil. (The recipe says that you may strain out the garlic when you're ready to finish off the salad but really, why would you?) Add crumbled Feta cheese and half of the Parmesan to the olive oil mixture. Pour over lettuce, add fresh ground pepper to taste, remaining Parmesan, toss and enjoy with the gyros!

Buon appetito!

"RIPPED FROM THE PAGES..."

This one recipe a keeper and speaks to my daughters' claims that I am a hoarder. But my real or exaggerated character flaw is not without good reason. You may weigh in...

I pulled this recipe from a Better Homes & Gardens Magazine in April 1980. Yep...kept it all these years. There was something about the ingredients (after all, cinnamon AND garlic salt in a beef dish?!?) that made me want to try this as soon as I found it. Lucky for me--the girls loved it and so did I. Over the next 20 years, this was one of my "go to" casserole dishes--paired with a salad: *VOILA* dinner was served!

Then, there was about a 10 year dry spell where I just didn't even think about making it since I wasn't spending much time in the kitchen except for party prep...until last month when I ran across this yellowed page once again. And still, 30 years later, this recipe stands up to the test of time. Recently resurrected, and reprinted here for posterity, may I present (drum roll, please)...

CORN MOUSSAKA
(thanks to BH&G 5th prize winner, Jane Marasco of Hendersonville TN)

✔ 1 - 17 oz. can of whole kernel corn, drained (I use one bag of frozen corn, slightly defrosted)
✔ 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef (I have switched to ground turkey with little difference)
✔ 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
✔ 1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
✔ 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
✔ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
✔ 2 slightly beaten eggs
✔ 1-1/2 cups cream-style cottage cheese with chives, drained (I use small curd/no chives and rarely think to drain it!)
✔ 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
✔ 1 - 4 oz. package (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
✔ slivered almonds (optional--and I never add them)

Spread corn in an ungreased shallow 1-1/2 quart casserole or a 10x6x2-inch baking dish. In medium skilled brown ground beef/turkey; drain off excess fat. Add flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, garlic salt, and cinnamon; pour over corn in dish. Bake in 350° oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine eggs and cottage cheese; spread over meat mixture. Top with both cheeses; sprinkle nuts over if desired. Bake 10-15 minutes more (until top is "toasty"). Makes 6 servings.

Buon appetito!