Crock Pot Lasagna

     As you can tell by many of my other recipes, I love my crock pot!  I love that I can set it and forget it.  It's perfect for busy weekdays and for lazy weekends.  It's also great for crowds.  One recipe that I love to eat but hate to make is classic red sauce lasagna.  Traditional lasagna requires boiling huge noodles then carefully layering.  Once (or if) you have the casserole filled with lasagna, it bakes then cools for a hundred hours.  By the time it's actually ready, I'm already ordering delivery!
     Ok...maybe that's a little over-exaggerated!  There's just something about lasagna making that I just don't like.  If you love all of the steps, then more power to you!  One twist on a traditional lasagna are my Lasagna Rolls.  This recipe still involves boiling noodles then carefully rolling the hot pasta.  Most of the time, I break a few and get really frustrated with it all.  Don't get me wrong, it's a delicious meal and occasionally finds its way to my menu, but it's not a favorite.
     My newest lasagna recipe is the complete opposite!  You don't have to boil noodles, you don't have to wait for hours, you really don't have to do a whole lot of anything...just the way I like it.  :)  The beauty of the crock pot is truly showcased here.  You literally layer and let go.  As with any lasagna recipe, you can make it different every time by adding meats and/or veggies or nothing at all. Be lazy one day night this week and enjoy!

Crock Pot Lasagna
Ingredients:
16 oz. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
9 lasagna noodles (uncooked!!!)
1 and 1/2 jars of red sauce (add your sauteed veggies and/or browned meat here)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
cooking spray

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan, and seasoning.  Be careful if you're a taster (like me).  This mixture contains raw egg.

Spray the inside of your Crock Pot with cooking spray.  This will help the lasagna come out easily.

Begin layering with sauce (just enough to cover the bottom or about 1/3 of the total).  Then, break three noodles to fit.  Next, gently spread half of the ricotta mixture.  Lastly, sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the top.  Continue these steps one more time.  Sauce - three noodles - the rest of the ricotta - the rest of the mozzarella.  Finally, add the last three noodles and the rest of the sauce.

Cover your Crock Pot and cook on low for five to six hours.  30 minutes before serving, take the inside of the slow cooker out and let it cool.  This step really helps the cutting and serving process.  You'll get a perfect square every time.  So yummy!

***Picture coming soon!  I couldn't snap one fast enough :)

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

     In 2012, a great movie titled "Life of Pi" came out in theaters.  I went and saw the film and was immediately blown away with the story, theme, and imagery caught on camera.  I had heard of the classic novel but never had a chance to read.  After seeing the movie, many conversations comparing and contrasting the film and book left me wondering.  Should I read the book now, after seeing the movie?  Should I chalk this novel up to "already been watched?"  I decided to try it out.  If I couldn't get into after the first few chapters, I could at least say I gave the effort.  Therefore, I went into this book a little skeptical.  Don't get me wrong, the movie was amazing and I will watch it again and again.  But the book....after being [ruined] by the movie?  I wasn't so sure....
   As soon as I brought this book home from the library, I started reading.  From the very first chapter, I was hooked!  As always, book-made-movies can never fully portray what the original author has written.  Luckily, Life of Pi (in my opinion) came pretty darn close!  The novel's imagery made it very easy to get lost in this story.  I felt like I was shipwrecked with Pi!
     I also loved the narrative structure of Yann Martel's fantasy adventure.  Throughout the novel, Pi (as the main character) and Yann Martel himself (as a visiting author years later) tell this amazing story with alternating points of view.  This really brings the plot to life and creates a realistic versus fantasy juxtaposition.  I could not put it down!
     With these two narrators, I was really curious how the author would bring the novel to a close.  A lot of times, great books fall apart towards the end.  With such an intricate story line, the closing was either going to be outstanding or completely underwhelming.  The end is just perfect!  The reader is left to decide whether or not to believe Pi's whimsical story.
     If you have not read this book (even if you have seen the movie), it is a must-read!  You will not be disappointed.

Quick No Fail Pancakes

   It has been a loooong while since I've posted to my blog, but life has been super busy!  I hope everyone had a great holiday season (New Year's being my favorite).  With the new year comes many new and exciting things in our house.  We are now well into the "married club."  That means that it's time to look for a house and think about kids....exciting, busy, scary, nerve-wracking.   I'm sure I'll be posting plenty of things on those subjects as the time goes on!  For today, I'm sticking with ol' faithful...the kitchen.
     For today's "in the kitchen..." post, I'll be sharing a recipe for something that honestly terrified me when I first starting cooking for myself and my husband.  Pancakes!  Yes, I said pancakes!  Maybe they're not as scary to you, but for me, these little disks of batter were the bane of my existence.  My husband (then boyfriend) would always request pancakes for Saturday morning breakfast.  I would always make them with false confidence, not wanting to seem incompetent, and fail.  They would either burn to a crisp or come out dough and inedible.
     Well, the good news is, I have conquered the pancake!  I have actually already posted my Pumpkin Pancakes but this is the standard pancake batter that comes out perfectly every time!  Of course, you can add blueberries, chocolate chips, or really anything you like in a pancake.  Many times, I make the plain pancakes then top them with whipped cream and a variety of fruit.  So yummy!

Quick No Fail Pancakes
Ingredients:
margarine (for buttering the skillet)
cooking spray (for the skillet also)
2 cups plus 2 heaping tablespoons of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 and 1/5 tablespoons baking powder
1 egg
1 and 3/4 cups of fat free milk
3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Directions:
Make the batter first so that it can sit a minute before cooking.  In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.  Whisk these together so that they are thoroughly combined.  You could also sift the dry together if you're worried.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk completely.  Some lumps are okay but you don't want huge balls of flour in the batter.  Let the batter sit while you prepare the cooking surface.  This will help everything come together for the perfect pancake.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  You don't want it to get too hot, then the pancakes with become burnt and crispy.  I use cooking spray and margarine just to ensure a clean flip.  I do spray about every two pancakes, but butter under each pancake.

After the skillet is hot and buttered, use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to dollop the batter in the center.  If you're using blueberries or chocolate chips, now is the time to sprinkle those on top.  When the edges of the batter begin to form bubbles, gently flip your pancake.  Allow a couple of minutes to cook on the other side.  Remove this pancake and begin the next with the same procedure.  If you have a griddle, you can do more than one at a time.  Enjoy!