My first attempt at this classic Italian dish turned out fine. I have a few special twists in mind for the next time I make it, though.
Ingredients
Lasagna noodles (one box, 12-15 depending on the size of your cassarole dish)
One jar of spaghetti sauce or marinara
One container of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
One box, frozen spinach (thawed and drained very well)
Garlic, minced
Salt, pepper, basil and oregano
1 egg
Romano and/or parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
Mozzarella cheese
Mushrooms, tomatoes
Sausage, cooked
Steps
I dipped the noodles in boiling water for a minute or two to soften them up, then placed them on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil - otherwise they'll stick! I saw on Giada's Everyday Italian that you can boil the noodles al dente and roll them up with filling in side - that is what I want to do next time.
In a large bowl, whisk one egg, then add the ricotta, the thawed spinach, the garlic (to taste) the salt, pepper and spices (I did about a teaspoon of each, with more to taste), and parm cheese. Combine (I used my pastry blender - a potato masher could work too).
Spray the bottom of a 8x11 or 9x13 baking dish with olive oil.
Make a layer of sauce, about 2/3 cup.
Make a layer of the noodles, overlapping the edges slightly.
Add a layer of the cheese mixture.
Add a layer of sliced mushrooms, or tomatoes - or any other veggies. Zucchini would work nicely.
Add a layer of sauce, about another 2/3 cup.
Another layer of noodles.
Another layer of cheese.
More sauce.
More noodles.
More cheese.
Sprinkle the top with mozz cheese, if you wish.
Bake in a preheated oven (400 degrees) for 50 minutes; cover with foil for the first 35 minutes; remove the foil and keep checking it - any exposed noodles will become dry and crunchy.
Serve with extra sauce; I'd recommend a light salad as a side dish. This meal has so much cheese my arteries were crying out in pain when I ate it.

Drawball is like a massive, awesome version of wannaspell , but with a paintbrush instead of letters.
The tricks to get into the drawing part:
- click "disagree" instead of "agree."
- you need to connect the dots in a certain order - start at one bottom corner, and make your way to the other. It may take you a few times, but you can get it.

The amount of "ink" is limited, use it wisely. Wikipedia says to let your ink levels accrue over a few days.
I wrote "IMPEACH" near the center. Can you find it? I wonder if it will stay there.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day (and an upcoming trip to Ireland), here is my twist on that most Irish-American of sandwiches: The Reuben.

Ingredients
Focaccia bread
Corned Beef - freshly cooked or sliced from the deli
Thousand Island dressing
Colby-jack cheese (or any type of cheddar)
Marinated artichokes
Steps
Slice focaccia into squares; slice these squares lengthwise to open it up into two sandwich slices.
Pile one side of the sandwich with corned beef slices, a few pieces of artichoke, and a layer of cheese.
Bake in the oven on a cookie sheet until the cheese is melted nicely.
Serve with thousand island dressing.

It's that simple. I cooked up a hunk of (WIKIPEDIA - corned beef) last night, and wanted to have a snack of it before I freeze the rest. This is a sandwich inspired by the delicious panini at Panera Bread. The artichokes, a useful substitute for the traditional sauerkraut, gave an appropriate amount of crunch and flavor. I like the Co-jack cheese more than Swiss, anyway, so that's what I used.

I have a pile of stuff to do for the Ronald McDonald House
I have a pile of information for a certain special project.
I have a pile of wedding magazines, lists and related materials.
I have a pile of information for a (sigh) name change. At least I'll keep my initials, but it is an absolute mess to change my name.
I have a pile of shirts to decorate for a certain floor hockey team.
I have multiple piles of clothes to put away.
I have a pile of clothes to hang, and a pile of spring/summer clothes to sort through.
I have a pile of things to go to goodwill.
I have a pile of older wedding magazines (any takers? I'll deliver to north buffalo/amherst).
I have a pile of socks that may or may not have mates.
I have a pile of papers to file.
I have a pile of winter accessories that have, mercifully, been put in a closet until winter comes again.
And I have a puppy whose sole purpose this evening has been to step on, in or near every pile, knocking them over when she can.

Now that most of the snow has melted from our yard, I finally had the chance to do one of my most dreaded, most hated, most feared chores: dog poo duty.
I have a sturdy, easy-to-use scooper, which came in handy while picking up at least 15 pounds of the stuff. Note to self: next year, do this while the ambient outside air is still below freezing. Frozen bits are easier to deal with than mushy bits.
That being said, the temperature felt much higher than 52 degrees, and I was happy to be outside for - gosh, I think it took me twenty minutes.
So if you happened to drive on my street today, I was the girl in the pink jacket, muttering disgustedly to myself and talking to my muddy dog. If she had the capability, I swear she would have been laughing at me.