Lasagna Casserole

When I moved out on my own, my Mom passed along her lasagna recipe that I grew up with - and then I revised it just a little bit (almost doubling the cottage cheese).  And she's revised her version so our lasagnas, although similar, are not the same.  But sometimes when I go to make lasagna, I'm short on time or I'm out of lasagna noodles.  So I've come up with Lasagna Casserole - I switch out the lasagna noodles for either rotini, penne rigata  or bowtie pasta and do the layers just like lasagna.

My family loves it!  And I love that it's simple.

Lasagna Casserole

Printable Recipe

24 oz can/jar of Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Sauce (my preferred flavor)
16-24 oz cottage cheese  (I love to use the 24 oz but I use the size on sale)
1/4 c parmessan cheese
2 c. mozzarella and cheddar cheese  (I go heavy on mozzarella with a bit of cheddar)
1 box Rotini, Penne Rigata, or Bowtie pasta

Cook noodles according to package directions.

In 2 qt casserole dish, lightly cover bottom with spaghetti sauce. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese and parmessan cheese.

Then layer in the following order:
1/3 of noodles
1/2 of cheese mixture
1/3 of sauce
2/3 cup mozzarella and cheddar cheeses
1/3 of noodles
1/2 of cheese mixture
1/3 of sauce
2/3 cup mozzarella and cheddar cheeses
1/3 of noodles

remaining sauce - make sure all visible noodles have sauce on them to prevent them from getting hard
sprinkle with mozarella, cheddar and parmessan

Asian Pork Ribs

Inspired by this recipe from Pampered Chef, I have tweeked it just a little for my family.

Asian Pork Ribs

4 - 4 1/2 lbs pork country-style ribs
3/4 c apricot or peach preserves
3/4 c barbecue sauce
1/4 c light soy sauce
3/8 t garlic powder or granules
3/4 t ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Trim excess fat from ribs.  Place bone side down in 9x13 pan.  Cover with water.  Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Drain water.

Mix preserves, bbq sauce, and soy sauce.  Add garlic and giner.

Generously brush ribs with 1/2 of sauce.  Continue baking, uncovered for 30-45 minutes.  Brush with reminaing sauce after 15 minutes.

New Adventure - Shelf Reliance

Yes, two posts in one day!  I'm not going to promise regular posting to this blog but I'm going to try to do better.  But here's one reason that I've been absent lately (doesn't excuse 2011 but this is my excuse for 2012).... I have become a Shelf Reliance Independent Consultant.  I fell in love with Shelf Reliance's THRIVE Foods products last Fall and after a few months, decided to take that love and become an Independent Consultant.

As part of my business, I have launched a new blog that is highlighting how I am using Shelf Reliance in our home, particularly the freeze-dried foods.  I'd love to have you join me at the I'm THRIVing! blog as well as here.  This will continue to be where I post how I'm striving to be a Mother Who Knows and then there's the family blog which is almost as neglected as this one.  The I'm THRIVing blog will be my go to blog for recipes as I try to utilize my food storage in everyday ways.

For the month of May, I am hosting a Dreaming Big Giveaway on the I'm THRIVing blog to celebrate it's launch.  So head over and enter today!

If you're not familiar at all with Shelf Reliance, here's some basic information.  To help achieve their mission to help others become more self-reliant, Shelf Reliance has three main product lines:  

•  THRIVE Foods.  These are quality freeze dried and dehydrated foods, including meats and cheese.  Many of these products have a 1-2 yr shelf life once opened, and 25 year shelf life unopened - and yet they taste amazing!  My family has found many of the products to be delicious as a snack - and how can you complain when your kids are eating fruits, vegetables, and yogurt with no preservatives as their snack?  In addition to the products, Shelf Reliance offers a Food Storage Planner to let you identify what foods and how much you would need to store for anywhere from 3 months to 24 months.  You can place small individual orders, sign up for monthly shipments, or purchase everything you need/want in one large order.
• Food Rotation Systems.  This includes the Cansolidator Cupboard which is the prize for my Giveaway.  These systems help you by organzing the foods in your cupboard, pantry shelves or as standalone units.  They work on a first-in, first-out basis, allowing you to see what you have in your shelves.  This prevents you from buying food that you already have, and using up the oldest first before it expires.
• Emergency Kits and Supplies.  I live in tornado country and we often have to take shelter when the storms are on their way.  How nice it would be to grab a fully-stocked 72 hr kit and be able to provide for my family's needs during these disasters.  Whether you need a pre-assembled 72 hr kit, supplies to update your personal kit, or alternate heat and cooking sources, Shelf Reliance can help!  Like the Food Storage Planner, Shelf Reliance also offers an Emergency Kit Planner to help you identify what you need in your kit and you can specify the types of disasters you are wanting to be prepared for.

I have so many things I love about Shelf Reliance - their products, their mission, how they treat their Independent Consultants, and many more.  But the last thing I want to share with you that is a great help to me is the Q Club option.  My family set a goal to build up a home store in our home to help us be better prepared for the future (you can read our unemployment story here).  We had great intent but it was very sporadic and we didn't make much progress.  And then I discovered the Q program.  First you use the Food Storage Planner to identify what you want in your home store.  Second you sign up for the Q, which are monthly shipments of the items in your plan, and YOU set the budget.  The shipments can be automatic or you can adjust them each month to take advantage of what's on special.  In addition by being a Platinum Q Club member (free if you sign up for a $100+ monthly Q), you also can take advantage of a special Q-Pon.  May's special is Black Beans.

How Shall We Know Him?

Wow!  It's been almost a year since I posted to this blog.  It's not that I don't think about it - it just hasn't made it to the top of the To Do list.  Well this morning, during my scripture study, I read something that I felt I had to share.

3 Nephi 20:39  Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people shall know my name; yea, in that day they shall know that I am he that doth speak.

When I read this I was immediately struck with the question "How shall they know who it is?" and with the answer "They'll recognize my voice."  Do I recognize the voice of someone I don't know?  Can I pick their voice out of a crowd or over other distractions?  No, I can't.  But if my husband is talking in a crowd, I can often pick out his voice and tune in to what he is saying. 

This is how we need to be with Heavenly Father and the Savior, through the Spirit.  If we are in regular communication with Him through prayer, then we will come to recognize His voice.  This means pausing our "talking" during prayer to listen to His response and direction.  It can't be a one way communication, only hearing our own voice.  If we want to recognize his voice, we need to listen for it.  If we seek out and act upon the whisperings of the Spirit, we also come to recognize His voice. 

By practicing now, tuning our hearts to His voice, when "that day" comes, we'll have that experience to KNOW this is the Holy Spirit's voice, that this is the LORD speaking, I need to pay attention and follow Him.