NOT a Food Blogger!

I could NEVER be a food blogger.

I make fabulous meals. I cook very tasty food. My family devours most things I put on their plates. However, I do not follow a recipe.

I recently made my first ever homemade lasagna. In this instance, I had THREE recipes I was working with and random substitutions of vegetables. It was honestly one of the most delicious foods I have ever baked.

I shared a picture on Facebook and was met with requests for the recipe. Here is what my wonderfully patient and loving friends received:

*DISCLAIMER: I don’t follow recipes well. I don’t ever make the exact same dish twice, because I don’t write down what I did…This is the best I can do from memory.
I used a 9x13 glass pan.
I set the oven at 350.
Bottom of pan was just tomato sauce -- pureed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic pepper, and tomato paste. I used three fresh tomatoes, a can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste.
Then a layer of oven-ready lasagna noodles.

Veggie mix:
So separately, in a frying pan, I heated a capful of olive oil and sautéed a small onion (minced) and minced garlic plus liquid from the garlic jar. Once onions were clear, I added minced sweet orange pepper, white eggplant and a whole head of minced rainbow chard. (I minced all the veggies so they wouldn't really be so noticeable.) Then I added pureed tomatoes until the veggies actually looked like a spaghetti sauce - one can, two fresh and then a can of tomato paste and water.

I brought sauce to a boil then simmered while I made cheese sauce.

If you started with a spaghetti sauce you liked and just added minced veggies, the recipe might be easier. LOL I just had tomatoes I needed to use up. The original recipe called for squash and mushrooms and pepper, but I seem to have developed an allergy to squash and/or mushrooms, so I used veggies I had on hand (eggplant and chard). You could use spinach or broccoli or whatever. I think any veggie would suffice, because they are minced.

Cheese sauce:
1 tub (15 oz) of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup or so of parmesan (I used that green can stuff, but actually cheese would probably be better).
1 egg
Mix in bowl with fork until smooth.
Turn off veggies.

So, back to the lasagna making...

On top of the layer of noodles, I put a layer of cheese sauce and then sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. Then a layer of veggie mix. Then a made a layer of noodles. Then a layer of cheese, then sauce, then noodles. I topped with veggies that were left and baked for about 50 minutes.

I then doused with mozzarella cheese and baked until melted.

Remove pan from oven and let sit at least five minutes before cutting.

My kids each ate two bowls!!

Thanksgiving Tradition

I tried not to tell you, but I just can't help myself. I just have to list for you the groceries I bought for $75.12 this year. (That's only $6.89 more than I spent last year. I think I beat inflation!)

50 lbs of turkey
12 lbs of ham
2.5 lbs chicken legs
2 lbs of bacon
1.5 lbs of tilapia
6 bagels
1 bag mini marshmallows
16 biscuits
28 oz Folgers
1 lb butter
8 oz cream cheese
24 oz sour cream
1/2 gal orange juice
1 can yams
2 cans chicken broth
3 cans peas
3 cans corn
3 cans cranberries
4 lbs sugar
3 pkgs pasta
6 cereal bars
15 lbs potatoes
1 loaf wheat bread

And thanks to WIC, I also got:
1 gal and 1 quart milk
18 oz peanut butter
16 oz sharp cheddar cheese
1 dozen eggs
3.5 lbs yams
3 bunches green onion
2 lbs sweet potatoes
3 bunches celery
2.75 lbs onions
2 lbs green grapes
2 lbs red grapes
1 lb carrots
1 lb tomatoes
1 lb zucchini
2 lbs pears
2 lbs cantaloupe

I love grocery shopping :)

I also had a fabulous time Wednesday and Thursday cooking with my teenager. We made a plateful of dishes!

Clockwise from top: black eyed peas, turkey, stuffing, glazed carrots, green bean casserole, mashed topatoes, collard greens, sweet potato casserole and candied yams.

I am very thankful this year!

Thanksgiving Dinner is ON!

When I thought about Thanksgiving earlier this month, I was concerned that I might wake up Thanksgiving morning and just not have the energy to cook a turkey and all the fixings. Plus, knowing that my unemp benefits are coming to an end, I was a little worried about the idea of feeding many people for Thanksgiving.

Then, my husband said his co-workers were asking if I was going to cook. Well that just put a little spring in my kick ;) Last year, I so greatly enjoyed providing a meal for some sailors and friends that weren't going to see their families (or just wanted to hang out with us!). I'm really thankful that it impacted some peoples' lives :)

And then today, I opened the Sunday paper to see some AMAZING sales at Ralph's and at Fresh 'N' Easy.

I know this was never meant to be a blog about bargain shopping, but seriously, I am awesome at grocery shopping! I have previously posted evidence of this:

Superwoman
Bargain Shopping

With $68.23, I bought:
39 lbs of turkey
20 lbs of ham
5 lbs rump roast
2 cans evaporated milk
6 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
5 cans chicken broth
2 cans beef broth
3 cans vegetable broth
4 cans Hormel chili
4 boxes stove top
4 lbs butter
4 cans cranberries
1 box hot cocoa
3 cans soup

I think we've got Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and maybe even Easter covered :)

Seriously, Southern California is FULL of transplants! If you don't have family to visit on Thanksgiving, you are more than welcome at the Broussard house :)