Lazy Lasagna

Well little Miss Been There Done That is still in the game. I am still making my kids' lunches in Mason Jars. Astounding, isn't it? I usually try new things and only last a very short time at it because I get bored easily, but this time the habit seems to be sticking and no one is complaining. So now everything I cook up or bake up goes in Mason Jars for easy packing in the morning. Today they set off to school with 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Cake baked up in 8 ounce wide-mouth Masons along with Taco Mac from my friend Michelle. The Taco Mac was a hit and the only change I made to her recipe was that I used salsa in place of the tomatoes since it was what I had on hand, and I decreased the taco seasoning to 1 T. They also go to school with fresh fruit or veggies with their main lunch and treats, so don't pick on me for the treats, ok?


Let's talk Lazy Lasagna because that is why we are really here. My Auntie Josie has made this one popular on my Italian side of the family. Josie is famous for throwing food together and it coming out amazing. I am not lying when I say she literally throws the food. My Ma, Josie's kitchen floor, and I can confess to that! This was created one time when she did not want to boil lasagna noodles and layer up a proper lasagna, resulting in a dish just about the same as a layered lasagna- delicious. This recipe is perfect for 8 ounce wide-mouth Masons (the jars, not the dudes.)

Lazy Lasagna- this is a loosey goosey recipe, do as you like!
12 ounce wide egg noodles

1 pound ricotta
1 egg
1 hand full Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups mozzarella cheese

3 cups favorite marinara sauce
12 (8 ounce) wide-mouth mason jars or 1 9x13 inch baking dish

Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and add back to the pot. Mix in 2 cups of sauce. In a bowl mix together ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese, salt, and mozzarella. Fold cheese mixture gently into the noodles, do not over stir. Place in greased jars or baking dish and top with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Note- This is also good with cooked ground beef or sausage thrown in, or even some veggies. Oh and the throwing is a must.

Starting this Saturday, Oct. 1 I will be joining Sandy of Reluctant Entertainer and a bunch of other bloggers for "31 days of." Each blogger has a different theme and we will link up so you can join along with what may interest you. Although my theme is about Fat Dreams, there will still be plenty of food, because what is a party without food?

Robin Sue

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Buckeye Bark

I did not bake Himself a Birthday Cake this year, he prefers candy anyway. He loves Buckeyes but I did not feel like rolling balls and dipping them in chocolate- too fussy. I am not saying Himself is not worth the fuss, I am saying it is not my talent to get perfectly shaped Buckeyes- plus I kind of like the rustic charm of this bark. This makes a big batch and the entire process took less than 30 minutes. Now a big bucket of this stuff lurks in our freezer and I am wondering how long it will last. My guess? Not very.


Buckeye Bark
2.5 pounds favorite chocolate candy coating*- white, dark, or milk
1 pound all natural creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter melted
1 tsp vanilla

Melt 1.25 pounds chocolate according to package directions and spread over parchment paper or a silpat lined cookie sheet. Spread to a large rectangle but not too thin, maybe 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Place in freezer. In a large bowl whip together the remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy. Spread over first chocolate layer. While it sits in the freezer, melt the remaining chocolate and spread over peanut butter layer. Freeze until set. Break up into small pieces using a butcher knife- hacking away! Serves a crowd. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.

*I used Ghirardelli Chocolate Candy Coating. I think I will try this again with real chocolate and I bet white chocolate would be great around Christmastime.

Stay Tuned In...
I am joining Sandy of Reluctant Entertainer for "31 Days of". Not only will I continue to share some nifty recipes and ideas, I will tell you about some things that happen behind the scenes over here in BRK, especially in the department of Life Planning and living out our dreams. If you don't want to miss a day, subscribe to my RSS feeds.

Robin Sue

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We Fahrted in Germany

Fahrt. It evoked great giggles with our children anytime they saw the word Fahrt, meaning Journey or Ride in German. But alas, it could not be avoided for all over the roadsides were signs for Einfahrt, Ausfarht, and all other forms of Fahrting, making for more eruptions of laughter, and long minutes of Himself and I trying to calm their back seat laughter only to begin again as soon as someone spotted another Fahrt.

Talk about Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. We covered just about every mode of transportation on our great Summer 2011 Adventure.

The second I got into our little Opal Combi, I knew I was in trouble. It was a 6 speed manual with reverse where our first is, and 6th gear where our reverse is located. Menacing. I can drive a stick and am pretty good at it, but having to get up to speeds of 120-140 mph in a merge lane only 100 meters long into traffic travelling 200mph, did not tickle my fancy. Himself on the other hand was in his fast-car-loving-glory to the point I was pretty sure he imagined himself in a Porche, and not a family sized combi. While I prayed and pressed my invisible emergency brake yelling, "I'm scurred" causing that little muscle in the side of his head to twitch, I must relent and say he drove like a pro.


We did have to stop often, at least every 90 minutes, as the driving was hard, or someone had a bloody nose, or barfed, or our sweet little baby girl had to tinkle- we nicknamed those moments as FRITZ HAS TO SPRITZ. We spent more Euros on that little girl's "donations." Yes you do have to pay to "go" in Germany.


Jet lag blessings. Silence in the back.

Zuzu on the back of Jürgen's motorcycle. More praying on my part. Oh those ridiculous speeds!

We boated on the Königssee.


We trained across Germany. Twice.


And bussed Berlin.


But mostly walked. And walked. Mile after mile etched into our memories forever.

Life is a Journey, not a Destination. Gute Fahrt!

Robin Sue

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Neapolitan Milk

Daily my children bring a Klean Kanteen of water to school to drink with their lunch, and throughout their day. Now that I have gone with this jar idea for packing lunches, I have decided to send some milk with them every once in a while for a treat. In the winter it will be hot cocoa that they can heat in their classroom microwaves. After touring all over Germany and Austria a few weeks ago, and seeing so many beautiful desserts, I was inspired to bring that creativity to the lunch box. This is fun milk with pretty layers that defrosts into a decadent, frosty "chocolate-covered-strawberry-sensation."


Neapolitan Milk
2 ounces semi sweet baking chocolate, chopped
2 ounces organic whole milk
1 1/2- 2 T. sugar

Heat milk in microwave for about one minute or until almost hot.* Stir in chocolate and sugar until smooth. Add to blender and add more milk to equal 12 ounces. Blend. Pour in six 8 ounce jars. Freeze until solid.

4 frozen strawberries
1 1/2 - 2 T. sugar
enough organic whole milk to equal 12 ounces

Place strawberries and sugar in the blender and add enough milk to equal 12 ounces. Blend strawberry mixture until smooth. Pour evenly into the jars over the frozen chocolate layer. Freeze until solid. Top off with white milk, cover, and freeze.

*If you have a vitamix like I, no need to heat or chop the chocolate. Throw the chocolate, sugar, and milk in the vitamix and blend a few minutes on high.

Note- We use organic whole milk in our house. Use whatever milk you like, but this recipe was made with the whole stuff, so results may vary.

Also- If you do not have time for layers, you can simply mix it all together and freeze it that way, but then where is the fun in that?


More of my ideas...
Hot Cocoa Mix
Hot Chocolate Pods

Robin Sue

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Moroccan Chicken Stew with Lemon "Couscous" Pilaf

I know, I know, it's Monday and you would rather see something scrumptious like a big fat chocolate cake dripping with dark chocolate ganache than a healthy plate of chicken stew. I know this because my google analytics tell me so. It has been a while since I cooked, I mean really cooked. You know, the kind of cooking where you saute, chop, dice, sear, adjust seasonings, and simmer. Yeah, that kind of cooking, the kind where at the end you add more layers of flavor by stirring in the lemon juice and zest, along with some fresh cilantro, then plate it beautifully only to hear your precious offspring gag, "oh gross, I'm not eating that." And I wake up to the reality that I am cooking for kids. Yuck. But wait a minute, once I got THIS stew down their little picky gullets, I heard a few mmm's, and found they were helping themselves to seconds. Triumph!


Why did it go down so well? While I served mine over the "couscous", I served theirs over spaghetti with a small helping of the couscous on the side to try. I will health them up, little by little, and if it takes a refined carb here or there to do it, then so be it. They will eventually like all the vegetables I cook. Eventually.

The Couscous is actually finely chopped cauliflower cooked in pilaf fashion that tastes very nutty, and proved to be a perfect companion to this stew. As well as Palio Friendly.

Moroccan Chicken Stew with Lemon "Couscous" Pilaf
3 T. olive oil
2 medium Vidalia onions diced fine
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or red pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 T. olive oil- I used bacon grease

1 t. ground ginger
2 t. cumin
1 T. smoked paprika
1 t. coriander
1/2 t. turmeric
1 t. cinnamon
1/4-1/2 t. cayenne pepper

sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup packed, loosely chopped cilantro
juice of one lemon

In a Dutch oven over medium heat saute onions and peppers in the oil. Meanwhile, in another skillet over medium high heat, saute chicken in olive oil until golden on each side. Set aside. Once the onions are translucent add the garlic and cook another minute. Add in the spices- ginger through cayenne and let cook another minute then add the tomatoes and chicken. Cover and cook on the lowest setting for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Serve with the Pilaf. About 50 minutes before the stew is done prepare the Lemon "Couscous" Pilaf...

1 stick butter
2 heads cauliflower, cored and chopped, then blended in small batches to resemble couscous
1 Vidalia onion diced fine
sea salt
Zest of one lemon

In a very large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter. Add cauliflower and onions, and cook uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until the entire batch is golden and nutty. Salt to taste and just before serving stir in the lemon zest. Serves 8.

Note- You can also serve this stew over rice of choice, pasta, real couscous, or quinoa.

Another great stew? Steak and Guinness Pie.

Robin Sue

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Tippy Top Peanut Butter Pies for the Lunch Box

May I suggest that everyone go 6 time zones east the weeks leading up to school because getting the kids up for the first day was a breeze. We were all up and ready to go by 7 am, a first for sure! If you have been hanging with me for a while, you will know that I am a lunch packing machine. Love it or hate it, we have to pack our lunches each and every day for the 180 day school year and this year I went with Mason jars and a double wine carrier as my kiddos' lunch boxes. See? Wacko. Prior to leaving for Europe I "put up" a few jars in the freezer containing Teeny Tiny Baby Cinnamon Rolls and some stuffed to the brim with homemade mac and cheese just to give me a few free days until I could get some more lunches put up. Now that we are back I wanted to create a special treat for my children's lunch boxes... Peanut Butter Pies.


Thumbelina helped me put these pies together. I would call these bit by bit pies.

You make the crust and let it cool, then you make the filling, and while that is mixing you make the ganache, and while it's cooling, you do some laundry, read a book, or yack on the phone. Bit by delicious bit it gets done, and oh so worth it.


Look at that ganache! Filled all the way to the tippy top of each teeny tiny jar. That's good enough reason to lick the lids right there. Worth the tongue cuts.

And it's all for them. My adorables.


There's Zuzu sporting his bright RED double wine bag. Yes I am warped, thanks for asking.

Tippy Top Peanut Butter Pies
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
4 T. brown sugar
3/4 cup melted butter

Mix well and divided evenly among one dozen 4 ounce mason jars, patting the crust down using the end of a thick wooden spoon. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely before filling with peanut butter filling.

1 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs
1/2 cup creamy all natural peanut butter

In a stand mixer, mix the above ingredients for 10 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Divided evenly over pretzel crusts.

3/4 cup heavy cream
2 T. butter
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat cream and butter in a microwave safe bowl for one minute on high. Pour in chips and let set one minute then stir until the chips are melted and the ganache is smooth. Top each pie with the ganache to just the top of the jar. You will have about 1/3 cup left of the ganache for another use. Screw lids on jars and store in the refrigerator. Makes 12 mini pies or one big 9 inch pie.

Note- The crust is very thick and the first spoonful is hard to crack through but once you do...yum!

Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs sent me several coupons to try their eggs for free so that I could make the creamiest peanut butter pie ever without fear!

I made up this recipe based on the filling in my Banana Split Pie- another great pie.

Don't forget my Smucker's Ice Cream Basket Giveaway- only one day left.

Happy First Week Back to School! What are you packing?

Robin Sue

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Smucker's Ice Cream Basket Giveaway

Contest ended 9/10/11 at 2100 EST. Congratulations to Stacie. Thanks you!

And what a trip it was! We just got back from our dream vacation, eleven years in the making. We left Europe in 2000 after living there for three years in the small and quaint village of Hockenheim, Germany. Every year we said, "this is the year to go back!" Then each and every year passed with our savings being spent in other ways, sometimes ways we did not choose. So this was the year we finally made it, bringing Doots back to the land he played as a toddler, and the place where Zuzu was born. We visited wonderful friends, hung out at our old haunts, and ate tons of ice cream!


So many flavors to choose!


So many unique options.


Sure, I'll have a glass of Prosecco with my Sundae.


You can even eat some on the train.


And learn new ideas too.



With only a few weeks of Summer left I have joined up with Smucker's for this one last way to hold on to the warm weather before donning sweaters and sipping hot cocoa.

Smucker's is giving away ONE gift basket, valued at $125, to one of my readers! The basket includes...

1. Set of four premium ice cream dishes
2. Smucker’s ice cream scoop
3. New Smucker’s ice cream toppings varieties including spoonable Blueberry Topping, Microwavable Hot Caramel Topping, and our classic Microwavable Hot Fudge Topping
4. $75.00 gift certificate to Cooking.com to purchase whatever additional ingredients you need
5. Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk- to make a super fast ice cream!
6. Recipe booklet full of ideas and coupons

To enter...
1. Leave a comment stating your favorite ice cream topping.
2. You must have a US address.
3. Leave your email address or link to your site so that I may contact you if you win.

Contest ends 9 pm EST Saturday 9/10/11. Winner will be determined by the random number generator.

I received the same lovely gift basket from Smucker's for running this contest.

For more fun ice cream recipe ideas, go to smuckers.com.

Congratulations to Stacie!

Robin Sue

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