Goal 101-- 8/12 COOK A NEW DISH EVERY MONTH

The other day Ian says something along the lines "Hey, what happened to...weren't you going to make lasagna last week!?" and I replied "I was, but then it was too hot so we had sandwiches" "oh yeah" "I was also missing some ingredients"

Last week's lasagna was spurred by the unopened container of ricotta cheese that had been hanging out in the fridge. Two weeks ago I picked it up and found the expiration date "I've still got til September!" The ricotta was originally purchased for a no-bake lasagna I saw in Martha's Everyday Food mini-magazine. Ian teased that the no-bake lasagna seemed like more prep and work than traditional lasagna. I couldn't say either way. I can't remember ever having made lasagna before! Can you believe it? Everyone's made lasagna right? It's like the easiest thing in the world. Also, I'm not 100% sure that I haven't aided and abetted at least one lasagna.Yet, since I have zero recollection, I'm calling it a new dish.

I had forgotten the mozzarella and extra sauce the first week lasagna was on the menu.

The back of the box has a convenient recipe for a basic meaty lasagna. I made a vegetarian version using spinach and mushrooms instead.

All my Food Network favorites are right! Frozen spinach is so awesome.

I cooked the frozen spinach and made sure to drain it really well. I didn't want any soupy spinach juice mucking up my lasagna. I like the convenience of frozen spinach, but every time I'm pressing all the extra water out I also feel like I'm watching all the good nutrients go down the drain. 

creminis!

A quick text to/from Ian confirmed my suspicions that it was okay to put the mushrooms in the lasagna without having to cook them first. I like the close up of the mushrooms sans stems. I might turn it into a drawing.

I had to read the same directions over and over again after I put any one layer down. "What comes after the sauce..."

This picture reminds me of one of my favorite childhood boardgames. 

I LOVED this game! Not really fun as an adult. I'm hanging on to a nostalgia copy anyhow.

It was all pretty good timing, the lasagna went in the oven just as Ian was getting home. Once it had its 50 minutes covered, it was supposed to have 15 uncovered. Ian likes things well done and I am never sure if something is finished so for increments of 5 minutes he got little rachel saying "Is it done yet? What do you think? Will you take a look at it? I'm not sure if it's done yet"

The lasag-na in the oven.

yum!

Ian and I ate a little less than a quarter for dinner. He took the rest to work for him and Clinton to have lunch on Sunday. Well actually, I took it to work for him with his change of clothes after we rode up Mt. Tabor again Sunday morning (read about my first trip here). That's 3 times so far!