Just Wondering

Right now--


I am making the sauce and filling for tonight's lasagna dinner. It smells delicious!! 


I am wondering why I ALWAYS burn my sausage and WHY does my tomato sauce always bubble so much it spits at me? Perplexing I tell ya. 


I am listening to  The River. 


I like The River, but I am sort of wondering why they always play the same songs over and over? Don't get me wrong...I like most of the songs, but some variety might be nice. 


I am waiting for my dryer to finish so I can match socks. Blah...not my favorite chore. 


I am wondering why my dog likes to eat our socks so much?  I have to buy new socks once a month because she rips them to shreds on a daily basis. I have NO IDEA how she gets to them either. They are in the laundry room behind a closed door. 


I am staring at Asher's half finished, badly mangled Pinewood derby car. It's really pathetic:( 


It's left me wondering why we always seem to wait for the last minute? Pinewood derby is this Saturday. Which leads me to wonder how Asher's special share presentation is going at school today. Again, something we did at the last minute. Poor kid. It must stink being the youngest:)


I am staring at the cluttered main level of our home. 


I am wondering why, with so many kid dedicated spaces in our house, my kids insist on playing on the main level? They have a family room, bedrooms and a large, fancy playroom, but they choose to leave all their stuff laying around MY space:) Crazy kids!!


I am reading a text from my friend Julie. 


I am wondering if I should go to a women's retreat with her this weekend? I should probably go. The topic is relevant to my life right now. But, if I go it will mean missing Maia's basketball game and Asher's Pinewood Derby. I never miss the kids events. Plus, it will mean leaving Andy to do it all on his own. Hardly seems fair. But, I could potentially make some new friends. Hmm...what to do...what to do?


In case you were wondering, here's my lasagna recipe:) It's a tried and true winner!! Taken from the book Mad Hungry-- Feeding Men and Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn. I picked this cookbook up from the library a few years ago and instantly fell in love! Andy fell in love too, with all the yummy food I was making. The next Christmas the cookbook showed up under our tree. I asked him if it was my gift or a gift he bought for himself?


1 pd lasagna noodles or packaged precooked noodles
Coarse salt. 
5 links sweet Italian sausage, or a mixture of hot and sweet, pierced with a fork. (I use bulk Italian sausage--like Bob Evans brand)
1 large egg
1pd ricotta cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, plus more for serving.
5 cups, basic italian tomato sauce--I use the accompanying recipe from the same book
1 pd fresh or prepackaged mozzarella cheese. Cut crosswise into 3/4 inch thick slices
extra virgin olive oil,  for drizzling


1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and a generous pinch of salt and cook for half as long as the package suggests. Drain and float in cold water. Skip this step if noodles are precooked:)


2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, fry the sausage links until cooked through, about 10 minutes. (I just crumble my bulk sausage and skip the next steps). With kitchen scissors, cut the sausage into disks into the pan and continue to fry over low heat until the cut surfaces are crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain off the fat. 


3) In a medium bowl stir together egg, ricotta and 1/2 cup of the pecorino. 


4) To assemble the lasagna, Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Drain and pat dry the noodles. Overlap 1/3 of the noodles atop the sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread all the cooked sausage over the noodles and spoon over another cup of sauce. Lay down the second third of noodles. Evenly dollop all of the ricotta mixture on to the noodles and flatten with a spoon to make an even layer. Top with the remaining noodles to completely cover the cheese. Pour over 1&1/2-2 cups sauce to completely cover. Evenly layer all the mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle around the remaining 1/4 cup pecorino and drizzle with olive oil. 


5) Bake uncovered (I keep mine covered because my peeps don't like crispy noodles) for 40 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling all over and lightly golden on top. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with grated cheese and warm extra sauce. 


It's delicious!! Trust me:)