Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

·         2 (12-ounce) packages frozen butternut or winter squash puree (about 3 cups), thawed

·         2 cups (490 grams) part-skim ricotta cheese cottage cheese

·         3/4 cup (185 grams) reduced-fat 2% milk

·         1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·         1 (10-ounce or 285-gram) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

·         1 1/2 cups (170 grams) shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese Monterrey jack

·         1/2 cup (55 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·         9 no-boil lasagna noodles

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

·         Combine squash, 1 cup cottage cheese, milk, sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

·         Combine spinach, remaining 1 cup cottage cheese 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterrey jack, and 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese in another medium bowl.

·         Spread 1 1/2 cups squash mixture in bottom of baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce (noodles will appear small but will increase in size as they cook and absorb liquid). Top with 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat 2 more times with 1 1/4 cups squash mixture, 3 noodles, and 1 cup spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Monterrey jack and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheeses.

·         Cover loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until lasagna is bubbly and cheese browns. Let cool  5 minutes. Cut into 8 portions.

It was DELICIOUS. I will make this recipe again but with a little more salt and pepper.

Here is the nutritional value just in case you're interested.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 8 |  Serving Size: 1 slice (4.5 inch-by-3.25 inch or 228 grams)

Per serving: Calories: 309; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 38mg; Sodium: 513mg; Carbohydrate: 33g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 20g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 489mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 221%; Vitamin C: 21%; Calcium: 47%

END

Purple Dress Update

I saw this purple dress in a second hand store. The short sleeves were cuffed, the waist elasticized with a silver treatment in front. I tried it on but, the hem was a little short for my taste.

I decided I'd buy it anyway, go to a fabric store and see if I could find a purple fabric as close to the color of the dress as possible.

I was able to find a purple,soft faux suede that I felt blended well.
Here are the results.

END***

Pinson Christmas Parade 2015

 "I love a Parade." comes to mind when I think of parades. Saturday I attended the annual Christmas parade held in Pinson. It's not a huge parade but just enough to whet the holiday appetite. I'm not much of a holiday person but I try to keep from going full blown SCROOGE.

The beginning of the parade
One side of highway 75 was blocked off so that regular traffic could pass.

I'm assuming these are cheerleaders since they have pom poms.
The weather was perfect for them. It was about 60 degrees.

The mayor and others passing out candy.

Flag girls and others

Pinson Valley High School band

Olaf

Dazzling Diamond Dancers dance team

Zamora Shrine Temple as hillbillies

Hilldale Baptist Church

Solid Rock Church

Two little cuties pulling up the rear.

Participants and crowd serving hot chocolate and cookies at Triangle Park
after the parade. You could also have your picture taken with Santa inside
Santa's Workshop.

END   

PILLOW TALK

Did the title get your attention?

We Can Always Find Something To Be Thankful For

I enjoy doing arts and crafts that serve a purpose. I'd done a little of the Farmer's Market selling, art show, and general selling. I liked it but mainly I was selling so that I'd replenish the coffers to make more STUFF. I wasn't doing it for profit, just as a hobby and sharing with other liked minded people.

 Somewhere along the way I decided to open an Etsy shop.I sold one item during the 3 years I was there. It's a very competitive market. I didn't promote my wares anywhere. If someone asked me to do a showing, I'd do it but really didn't have a business plan. So, "No give, no take."  Since that time, I have closed the shop. I gave away all of the recycled jewelry to someone who says she plans to open her own shop.


I decided to keep the door pillows I made and I give them out as gifts from time to time. Here are some past and present.

I Love Bingo

The Only Place SUCCESS Comes Before WORK Is In The Dictionary.

 My favorite since I'm a coffee drinker; There's Nothing Like a Cup of Vitamin C in the Morning. 

Back

 

 

 One's Destination Is Never A Place But A New Way Of Seeing Things-Henry Miller

Front

Back

Lobsters, Wineries & Foods of New England...continued Part 2

Numerous delicious meals we were fed. Three meals a day plus snacks. That's not including the food and beverage tastings, at the different stops. One person described it as "food coma."

VERMONT

Cold Hollow Cider Mill

Apple mash being placed on cheese cloth to have juice
 pressed as demonstrated by the lasagna style layers.

Brandon Inn

It's a tradition to decorate the various posts around the town with scarecrows during the fall of the year. Here are just a few.

Vermont Country Store

Charles' Chips and Cookies, Evening In Paris Perfume, Garlic Shampoo
and Conditioner

Unsure as to what's in The Little Golden Book. Lifebuoy soap, White Shoulders perfume.

Ben and Jerry's Factory Tour

Ticket to the factory. View of the factory and tanks.

 No photos were allowed inside the factory.

It makes the cows jealous

We actually had a flavor called cotton candy.

 The Ben and Jerry Flavor Graveyard has monuments of flavors that are no longer in existence. It also shows its beginning and ending year.

Mourning the loss of the first B and J flavor I had, Wavy Gravy.

 There

 was once a Tuskegee Chunk.

The flavor I had that I haven't seen in stores is Hazed & Confused. It hazelnuts and lots of other good stuff. Delish.

MASSACHUSETTS

 I'll show you Massachusetts once I learn how to edit a video.