Shopping

Hey all. Planning on taking my mom shopping today. I take her weekly for food and other essentials. It gives her a chance to get out as well. She no longer drives and I know that is hard on her. It is hard to no longer drive when you have for so many years. I am sure the elderly have a tough time giving up their independance.

Eggplant for dinner

Hey all. Here is a great recipe that I found on the Food Network site. I love their recipes. Easy to follow and so many to choose from. I know you will enjoy this one. Let me know what you think. Have fun with it.

Good olive oil, for frying
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm

Great recipe

Hey all. Here is a great recipe for you all to try out. My family really loves it and I am sure that yours will too.
It is a version of lasagna and who doesn't love lasagna right? It is a real family favorite also a great pot luck food. I hope that you give it a try and enjoy. Have fun with it.


Salt
1 package lasagna noodles
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cans tomato soup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups cottage cheese (small curd)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and arrange in casserole (see below).

While noodles are boiling, brown beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, adding chopped onion, garlic and oregano to meat as it cooks. When meat has browned, drain off fat and then add tomato soup and apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven for 350 degrees F.

Spray a medium casserole dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Lay noodles lengthwise across bottom of casserole dish. Spread a layer of cottage cheese over top of noodles. Add a layer of meat mixture, then cover with mozzarella cheese and repeat for a total of 3 layers. Finish with a layer of cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Easter Monday

Hey all. How are you all doing? I hope that you all had a nice Easter. We went to my mom's house for dinner. The whole gang was there. She made had and we brought along all the fixings. It tasted great. My daughter hung around as long as she could but then had to head back to college. My son and various other schools has school on Monday as they are all making up snow days in the area. It has been an snowy winter. I sure am glad that spring has arrived. I just wish it would get warmer. Oh well.

Easter coming

Hey all. Easter is just around the corner. We are planning on decorating our eggs on Saturday. How about you? The kids get so excited don't they? I am planning on hiding their baskets as they have requested I do so. At any age they love to find hidden baskets. I am planning on making a turkey breast for Easter dinner. Boy do I love to cook. How about you?

Dinner

Hey all. Time for another great Italian meal. These are a version of lasagna. I found it on the computer and it tastes great. It is a bit time consuming though. You will not be sorry if you make it though. Give it a try and tell me what you think. Any changes let me know too.
Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

IRS Tax Debt Settlement

Hey all. I was on the internet this morning and I came across an interesting site that I wanted to pass on to you all as well.
tax lien is a site that you will find very interesting, especially with the tax season right around the corner. If you face any difficulties with the IRS, who would not require IRStaxhelp . Through the assistance of this site, they will be there for your IRS problems and best yet, the resolution. There can be so many problems along the way that, lets face it, would be extremely hard to attempt it alone. You will not have to as this site will be there for you with all your tax questions. If you find yourself in a position like this, I suggest that you check out this site for assistance.
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