Goodbye winter…

Seasons are my favorite…

I do however hate looking at the weather for the week and not seeing even one little yellow sphere.

I am still turning on the heat at night. I still have to wear a hat when I take Wynn out at night.

These days are numbered. I know the warm, sun filled days are coming… They always do.

Boston Cream Pie and Apples a la something or other…

A perfect date night with my husband.

I cut all my peas way down, they were so leggy. I hope this will give them a better start.

I feel so bad when I cut anything down. I have to keep telling myself, I’m simply giving them a manicure not chopping their legs off.

I will still get another planting in the fall if these guys have a short season.

I am learning…

Don’t you think speckled eggs are wonderful….

Summer clothes/winter clothes swap. Spring cleaning is the best!

I have no idea what I’m doing with these onions, they started to sprout in my kitchen so I’m planting them.

Aren’t they beautiful! I’m am very attracted to purple right now.

I went to an outdoor food market with a friend the other day (apparently it happens every Friday and Saturday). There was tons of fruit and vegetables, seafood, cheese… It was pouring the whole time. I had a blast!

I only wish the veggies were organic, cheap, but who knows where they came from.

I still can’t wait to go back. And so very close to my house.

I only make lasagna a couple times a year, I usually make two pans and freeze most of it.

I hate that little bitch! Why!!!!! I cut myself every time I use it, the only difference is how bad…

I used the bigger disposable pans this time, they were too big and aquard for what I needed.

I think I’m going to just buy another 9×13 pan. I’ll use it…

You will need: For one 9×13 size

2 cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1/4 c Italian seasoning (fresh or dried (more if dried))
salt and pepper to taste
1lb fresh mushrooms (sliced)
How ever crazy you want to go with garlic, I use at least 6 to 8 cloves
1 lg eggplant or 3 small
2 lg zucchini (you don’t have to use both zucchini and eggplant, just use more of the one you want)
Two heaping handfuls of raw spinach (1 cup cooked)
I small carton of ricotta cheese
1/2 lb sliced provolone cz
1/2 lb sliced or shredded mozzarella cz
2 cup shredded parmesan cz
1/8 c olive oil
1lb Italian sausage (your choice, go vegetarian if you want)

Combine the first six ingredients in a large pot and start cooking on medium heat .

In a separate frying pan heat a little less than half your oil and throw in minced garlic cook for around a minute. Pour 3/4 garlic into cooking tomato sauce then add mushrooms to the remaining garlic, saute them until brown, then dump into the red sauce.

Use the same frying pan and brown the sausage, add to the red sauce.

Cook spinach. In a medium bowl sir it into the ricotta cheese and set aside

I don’t know how long I cook the sauce:) It’s different every time depending how much liquid needs to be cooked out. I cook it until it gets fairly thick, like the consistency of thicker salsa. May take awhile, stir often.

While the sauce is cooking slice eggplant and zucchini. If you don’t have a mandoline slicer you may want to cut them into 1/4″ thick discs, it might be easier to keep a consistant thickness rather than trying to cut them lengthwise with a knife. If you are using a mandoline set it on the thickest setting.

When the sauce is done, turn off the heat and set aside.

Use remaining oil and lightly brown the zucchini and eggplant on each side (doesn’t take long, like 30 seconds each side)

Start layering… and preheat your oven to 375

Provolone

I put another layer of sauce on after this, depends on how much sauce you have, I had lots.

Mozzarella

Make sure your pan isn’t too full, it will boil over. If it is full put a pan under it to catch the mess.

Bake for a good 45 min to an hour.

This is why I make two. It is just as easy to make two as it is to make one. They freeze and reheat beautifully. If freezing cut the pan into two or more sections, freeze in the pan. When frozen take out of the freezer, set pan in warm water to loosen. Pop each section out (may need to re-cut a little with a knife) wrap individually with plastic wrap and put into gallon size freezer bag.

I made broth with all my scraps.

I am being over run with broth, I’m going to have to start giving it away to my Eastie friends.

This beer was heaven. It had a split second taste that reminded me of blueberry hubba bubba.

Oh my gosh they are so much better from scratch, Egg Rolls.

You need…

Small head cabbage
Three medium carrots
Small yellow onion
Three baby bok choy
1 medium ginger root (I am a ginger fan, you may want to use half)
3 celery spears
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tblsp soy sauce
two tblsp water or broth
1 tblsp garlic chili sauce (optional) makes it spicy!
1/2 tblsp canola or any cooking oil
16 oz package of sausage
1 package egg roll wraps

I julienned all veggies on my mandoline and then chopped them even finer with a knife. I figured smaller pieces would work better. Keep the onions, garlic and half the ginger separate.

In one frying pan cook sausage, when the pink is gone add garlic and ginger, continue to cook until brown.

In another larger pan warm oil and add onions, when the onions have cooked for about two minutes stir in the rest of the veggies, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce and water. Add sausage mixture. Stir for another two minutes or so. Depends on how small you diced your vegetables. Take off heat, continue to stir for another minute until mixture cools a bit and stops cooking.

I used an empanada maker this time, easy, but I think it wasted too much wrapper. I decided on the first one I tried to roll up like an egg roll, that was never going to work. Next time I will just fold them in half, simple is good.

I baked them in the oven on 400 for about 8 to ten minutes, watch the time, flip half way through if needed. I cook mine in the toaster oven so I’m sot 100 percent sure about the big oven.

This batch will make like 20 egg rolls. If you want to freeze the rest, lay a sheet of wax paper on a tray and lay the uncooked rolls on top (make sure they are not touching, they will stick together like glue). Put them in the freezer until frozen. Take them off the tray, put them in a freezer bag and put them back in the freezer.

My little yellow princess is growing like crazy. My other yellow tomatoes hate life. I think I fed them too soon.