Intimidated by Lasagna

I often thought about making lasagna, but was intimidated by the amount of time it could take to make! I've made frozen lasagna.... but that doesn't really count. Recently, I discovered a recipe that would make the creation of a good lasagna so much easier and it turns out, it's delicious!
(Here's the ironic part - the recipe is my MOM'S!! I found it in my old school's cookbook - should've known it would be the best.)

What makes this lasagna less intimidating? You don't cook the noodles first. I don't know why taking that simple step out of it makes it so much easier, but it does for me!

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground beef (we use ground turkey)
8-10 wide lasagna noodles
1 (16 oz.) carton of small curd cottage cheese (we use ricotta)
1 large (16-18 oz) jar of marinara sauce
1 large (16-18 oz) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 lb grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown and drain hamburger. Add sauces and cottage (or ricotta) cheese. Mix well by hand. Grease 9x13 dish. Layer with uncooked noodles. Add a layer of sauce mixture; top with cheese. Repeat these layers. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cover with foil towards end if cheese is getting dark.


While you're at it, you might as well make an extra to put in the freezer!

Laundry: DONE!

Okay, so this might seem like a silly thing to be excited about, but I actually started and finished all my loads of laundry in one day! Why overwhelm myself by trying to get it all done on Monday (my unofficial laundry day), you might ask? Because now I won't worry about laundry for an entire week! Some folks like to work on doing a load or two a day. But tell me, then: when does laundry ever end?! For me, it is less overwhelming when I start my day and I know that there is no laundry hanging over my head... so to speak. (I will admit, it usually takes me 2 or 3 days to finish and we only have 4 of us in our family. So kudos to those of you with big families for even staying on top of the laundry throughout the week!)

I've learned many lessons doing laundry. Some good, some not:

Good: get the kids involved, let them think it's a game to sort laundry! (By the way, my kids don't like putting their laundry away, but they love putting my husband's and my laundry away!)
Bad: don't put the red rags in with white dishtowels, especially when they haven't had their first wash yet. And probably not even after that. Red - never a safe color in laundry.
Good: It is truly a blessing when I can't find enough hangers for all my clothing. God has been so good to our family when it comes to keeping us clothed. (Please keep in mind when you see my daughter, she picks out her own outfits - not a true reflection of what is in her closet.)
Bad: Be careful when sniffing children's clothing to see if it is truly dirty or only been worn for 20 minutes. Sometimes it TRULY is dirty...and stinky... and just gross.
Good: There is money to be made in doing laundry! Do you know how many pennies I've found in the bottom of the washing machine?
Bad: Static electricity makes my socks stick to my husband's underwear making for interesting surprises when he gets dressed! (Sorry, honey!)

For more good, check out this guest post from my sister-in-law. I loved it! You'll view socks in a whole new light!

Bringing Out the Creativity

My niece and I decided to work collaboratively on a couple of projects. We started out at Michael's to get some ideas and came up with headbands, duct tape, sunglasses, and gems. Along with a few items from my supply, we brought out my niece's creativity, of which she says she has none. The following is just a sampling of the wonderful creations that she made:

I think she was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out! Just wait till you see the bejeweled sunglasses!

(All of Kaitlin's creations are currently $7)