Apricity: an Old English word for winter sunshine – the warmth of the sun on a winter’s day
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
We have been experiencing some of the coldest days of the year lately, with temperatures in the subzero category. While I don’t love the bitter cold, I do love the clear winter sunshine that accompanies the coldest days… the low angle that brings out brilliant colors and makes it seem like it must be warmer than 16 degrees below zero when you look outside! Apricity seems like a word made for me… winter sunshine makes me smile. Our grandson is smiling above because he just got his driver’s license and in celebration Papa John gave him a replica of his first car… a 1967 Ford Mustang… what Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
I have never been a big fan of lasagne… too heavy, the pasta too thick and slimy and cooking the noodles first is hard to manage and time-consuming to make. But it’s been cold and I had a craving for it as I walked through the grocery store last weekend. I saw BARILLA Oven-Ready Lasagne and decided to try it… just bought ingredients for the recipe printed on the box. For the sauce I bought Bertolli traditional Marinara sauce. I used a 1 1/3 pound package of Costco organic ground beef, Bel Gioso grated Parmesan and Organic Valley ricotta cheese. Surprise result was both John and I really liked it!! The pasta wasn’t so heavy, and the sauce also was lighter than many I have made in the past. So… I took a quick photo and am publishing this so I can find it when I want to make lasagne again!!
OVEN-READY LASAGNE
- 1 box Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne
- 2 jars Bertolli Traditional Marinara Sauce
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 1 1/3 pound organic ground beef, browned
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 15 ounce organic Ricotta cheese
- 4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Bel Gioso Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown meat, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Combine 2 cups Mozzarella, Ricotta and Parmesan in a bowl, keeping it lightly separated.
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and spread one cup of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place 3 lasagne sheets side by side, then layer a scant cup sauce, 1/3 cup cheese mixture, 1/4 cup Mozzarella and 1/2 cup meat… continue to layer, using all the lasagne sheets and meat, ending with a layer of lasagne. Top with the rest of sauce, cheese mixture and the last of the Mozzarella. Make sure all lasagne corners and edges are covered with sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.