Potato Lasagna

Someone posted this on FB and to me it looked so yummy and easy, so of course I had to make it.  It's so simple and yet so delicious.  The only thing I changed *seems I never really follow a recipe to a T have to always change something* ...so with that said I added steamed aldente broccoli.  Need a vegetable in the dish.

Potato Lasagna
Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS
5 potatoes, peeled
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
8-10 slices ham
7-8 slices mozzarella cheese
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
¼ cup parsley, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
Slice the peeled potatoes into ½ centimeter slices.
Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, tossing them to make sure they’re coated evenly.
Press a layer of potatoes evenly into the bottom of a greased, square baking pan.
Place half of the ham slices evenly on top of the potatoes, followed by half of the sliced cheese.
Follow with another layer of potatoes, then the remaining ham and sliced cheese.
Sprinkle the bacon and parsley evenly on top of the sliced cheese, and place one final layer of potatoes on top.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the potatoes, then press it into an even layer.
In a small bowl, mix the heavy cream and eggs. Pour on top of the shredded cheese.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until the cheese is a deep golden brown.
Cool slightly, slice, then serve!

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

2 Cards

Been working on Christmas and Birthday cards.  I've been using my eclipse the past couple of
days trying to find some good fonts to make card front titles.  I found this font "back to black" on Dafont web site, almost all of their fonts are free and there are sooooooooooooo many to choose from.  The little trees in the "christmas Cheer" is from the font "christmas Time"

The Christmas card is very plain, I just wanted to get it on something so I could tell if I wanted to make more.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.
Donna

Challah *quick*

A friend posted this on FB and I thought I'd see if it really is quick...Yup sure is and so simple.  Made in a big so there's no mess to clean up  How great is that and the added bonus is that it tastes as good as it looks.
Give it a try you won't be sorry.

INGREDIENTS (1 challah)
1 tbsp. yeast
1 cup warm water
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tbsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup
1 egg for basting (optional for vegan challah, substitute olive oil)
Sesame seeds for topping
PREPARATION
1. In a 1 gallon plastic ziplock bag, add the yeast, water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of flour.
2. Give the bag a little shake. Don’t work too hard- remember, it’s a lazy challah!
3. Place the bag in a bowl of warm water for 30 mins. The dough should be very wet. It will start to bubble and self-knead. WHOA.
4. Add the 1/4 cup flour and give the bag another shake.
5. Leave the bag for 1 hour to rise. This step can vary depending on the temperature in your house, so let the dough rise until it looks kneaded. It should still be a wet dough. You can flip the bag over every 20 mins to help it along.
6. Preheat oven to 300F/150C
7. On a floured surface, separate the dough and stretch out 3 strands. Braid.
8. Baste with egg and sprinkle sesame seeds (optional for vegan challah, substitute olive oil). Leave to rise for 15 mins (optional but recommended).
9.  Bake on a non stick tray for 40 mins or until golden on top.

I served this with the stuffed shells which will be coming soon.
Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things YOU L♥ve/
Donna

White Chocolate Christmas Bark

I made this to add to my goodies that I give out at Christmas.  Was a big hit, but personally I think it would have been better with Dark Chocolate....love Dark Chocolate.
Super easy Christmas Bark

8 oz good white chocolate
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 pistachios

Melt chocolate in microwave (30 seconds at at time) stir til smooth.  Save some nuts and cranberries for the top.  when the chocolate is melted stir in the fruit and nuts, spread on a parchment  lined cookie, sprinkle a few nuts and fruit on the top.  Let set up then cut into pieces

Thanks for stopping by, have a Wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year but Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the Things You L♥ve.
Donna

Lemon Muffins

Moist and fluffy homemade lemon muffins with a crunchy streusel topping and sweet lemon glaze. A perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients:

crumb topping:

• 1/4C unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4C all purpose flour
• 2Tb granulated sugar
• 2Tb light brown sugar

batter:

• 1/4C unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2C granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2Tb lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1C all purpose flour
• 1/2C sour cream

glaze:

• 6Tb powdered sugar
• 1Tb lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 7 paper liners. 
2. Prepare crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, melt butter. Slowly add dry ingredients to melted butter. Use a fork to blend together until only small pieces remain. Transfer crumb topping to a small rimmed baking sheet or large plate. Set aside. 
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, mixing until fully combined, followed by vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Continue mixing. Scrape bowl as needed. Add salt, baking powder and flour, mixing until fully combined. Finally, add sour cream, mixing until no streaks remain. Use a large cookie scoop to divide batter between prepared baking cups. 
4. Generously coat each portion of batter with prepared crumb topping.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes or until easy to handle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
6. When muffins are cool, prepare glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Use a small spoon or whisk to drizzle glaze over cooled muffins. 
7. Store in an airtight container for up to several days. 

Thanks for stopping by,  have a great week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the thing YOU L♥ve.

Donna

Ricotta, Chicken and Broccoli Stuff Manicotti

This was the other dish I made for my sister in laws Birthday Dinner.  Both of the dishes were really good, guess it depends on you taste buds and if you prefer Alfredo Sauce or Marinara.   Making these are alot of work but then again I love cooking but it sure wears me out.

Ingredients:
I box Manicotti shells
1 8 oz container Ricotta Cheese
1/2- 3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 egg
2 TBL parsley
1/2 TBL oregano or italian seasoning
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper
2-3 large boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
olive oil

In a large pot cook Manicotti until Aldente, drain and set aside.
In a bowl combine Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese egg and spices and mix well. Set aside.
In a large skillet add olive oil and cook some diced onion, add chicken pieces and cook until done, add the garlic and finish cooking.  When room temperature add it to the Ricotta mixture.  Fill Manicotti shells and place in a 9x11 baking dish with marinara sauce covering the bottom, line the filled shells up then sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top and then top with more marinara sauce.  Bake for about 25 minutes covered and until heated fully through.  You can take the foil off when you have about 10 minutes left to cook.

Serve with a nice salad and home made bread.  Enjoy!!
Thanks for stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the Things You L♥ve.
Donna

chicken and spinach stuffed shells

I made this back in October for my sister in laws birthday dinner.  I also made stuffed Manicotti which was delicious too.  They were both very good.  I just love Alfredo anything and this was a nice change.  I made the Manicotti with ricotta which was also very good.

adapted from here

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells Serves: 8-10 servings

Serves: about 40 shells

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1⅔ cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Cook shells according to package directions. Be careful not to overcook them or they will tear easily when trying to fill them. Drain and set shells out individually on a cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease two 9x13 baking dishes.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. *Tip: For easier filling, fill a gallon ziplock baggie with the filling and snip a quarter size hole off the corner of the bag. Then you can just pipe the filling into the shells.
4. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. If you are freezing one of the 9x13 prepared pans, freeze it after this step. Include a baggy of the remaining mozzarella for when you cook it.
5. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
6. Makes 8-10 servings.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna