(Really) Homemade Lasagna

Yeah, the camera is still missing. This looked like lasagna.

It did take a good couple hours of my Sunday. Sundays are a great time for getting something in the fridge for leftovers all week. This turned into dinner on Tuesday when I came home sick, and lunch for both of us Wednesday through Friday. What else would I have done with that Sunday? We used to have a busy social calendar that ate up time and money, but we've cut back on that. I could have watched TV, but this lasagna tasted better than Real Housewives of Orange County, and it was better for me. A little football in the background, a lotta cooking in the kitchen, and plenty of snack breaks is just about my ideal weekend.

I started with Joy to get an idea of the layers - last time I didn't use enough pasta - but lasagna is one of those things that doesn't need much recipe.

Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
  
• garlic to taste, minced
• 1 large can peeled tomatoes
• 1 large can tomato puree (optional, keep reading)
• salt, pepper, and herbs (oregano, parsley, basil, whatever you like) to taste

Directions
I browned the ground beef in a large shallow skillet, then softened the onion and garlic in the fat. I pureed the tomatoes in the food processor - Not Michael Landon isn't a fan of chewing cooked tomatoes - and added them to the pan. Top off with the seasonings, cover, and simmer as long as you have, stirring occasionally. The longer the simmer the better, but until you're done with the rest of the dish is just fine.

Just make sure you keep an eye on the heat, especially if it's going a good while with all the rest there is to do. You wouldn't want to burn it, and have to add another can of tomato puree to thin it out, while trying to avoid scraping up the burned bits on the bottom into the sauce. But if that did happen, it wouldn't ruin anything. As long as the burned bits aren't in big clumps, the sweetness hides it well. Prairie food is about salvaging now and then. But I wouldn't know, 'cause I kept a good eye on my sauce.

Pasta
Here's where the really homemade begins. I would have used my home canned tomatoes for the sauce, but it still feels too early (hopefully that changes before next tomato season). I made the pasta fresh like I have before. I cut it all into lasagna noodles, just by hand. Each 1/4 batch into six noodles - once in half width wise and then into thirds longways. I used about 3/4 of the pasta for this dish, and dried the rest of it. It's all curled up, so I'll need to boil them when I use them, but I didn't boil the fresh pasta. While I let the pasta rest, before rolling it out, I made the cheese.

Ricotta
To keep the homemade goin', I made my own ricotta. I've made my own mozzarella before, but it is more work and more difficult, and the results aren't as polished, so I stuck to store bought this time. Ricotta is really insanely easy. This recipe is adapted from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, where I got my citric acid and dairy thermometer. The stages are fairly easy to recognize even without a thermometer. I didn't chill it at all, I just let it drain for a half hour while I was rolling the pasta, and then used it right away. I only used 1/2 gallon of milk, but I should have used double that. I'm not a giant ricotta fan, so I didn't mind, but this is yummy enough to turn me.

Ingredients

• 1 gal whole milk
• 2 tsp citric acid (there's also recipes with vinegar or buttermilk out there)

Directions

1. Use whole milk. The fresher the better. I get mine these days from Straus Family Creamery; it comes in bottles, which is so cute it makes it taste better.
   
2. Add 2 tsp of citric acid per gallon of liquid (dissolved in 1 cup cool water). Add 1/2 of this Citric Acid solution to the milk (save the rest of the citric acid). Stir briskly for 5-10 seconds.
3. Add 1 tsp salt.
4. Heat the milk slowly on low to med stirring well to prevent scorching.
5. At 165-170F watch for small flakes forming in the milk and the separation of small curds.
   If after a few minutes you do not see the flakes forming, add more of the Citric acid until they form (do this in small 1 Tbsp increments to avoid over acid milk). I didn't need to add anything here.
   
6. Continue heating to 190-195F then turn the heat off.
7. As the curds rise, use a perforated ladle to gently move them from the sides to the center of the pot. These clumps of curd will begin to consolidate floating on top of the liquid.
   Let the curds rest for 10-15 min.
   *** This is very important because this is the point where the final Ricotta quality is assured
8. Ladle the curds gently into draining forms (No cheese cloth should be needed if you were patient in the previous step). As a "draining form" I used cheese cloth over a mesh strainer. Let the curds drain for 15 min up to several hours.
   For a fresh light ricotta, drain it for a short while (until the free whey drainage slows) and chill to below 50F. For a rich, dense and buttery texture allow it to drain for an extended period of time (several hours). before chilling overnight
   Move to a refrigerator or cold room. Consume within 10 days.

Assembly

1. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish.
   
2. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan.
   
3. Top with pasta, slighly overlapping the pieces, then ricotta, shredded mozarella cheese (freeze it for at least 15 minutes to make grating easier), and sauce. Repeat these layers twice more.
   
4. Top with more sauce and plenty of mozzarella cheese. Add some parmesan too if you're feeling fancy.
   
5. At this point I covered the dish with foil and stuck it in the fridge. Bake within the next couple days at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until bubbly. Then take off the foil for another 10-15 minutes until the top is nice and golden. After dinner when the plate is cool, stick it back in the fridge for leftovers. It's even better the next day.
   

I've been tagged!

Two posts in a day, I know, your head is spinning. But I have to do this before all the blogs on my reader are tagged :)

7 weird facts about myself. There are lots of weird things about me. I'm kind of weird. But in a loveable way.

1. When I was a kid, I thought there was a witch that lived in my closet. I was terrified that she would come and eat me up while I was sleeping, so I would hide myself under the covers until just my fingers were poking out. Then I would imagine that she had come out of the closet and was making a stew in a cauldron at the foot of my bed, and planning on adding my fingertips. This was silly enough to calm my fears enough to sleep.

2. My family dresses up for Easter like Halloween. We have a different theme every year. Because ham and pretty dresses are boring.

3. I cannot sleep with socks on. My feet don't sweat - it's a lovely and strong genetic trait my grandfather passed along. If I happen to get into bed with socks on, I will take them off with my toes, which Not Michael Landon finds endlessly odd.

4. I hate fans. I don't like the blowing. It dries out my contacts and just feels icky. I'll often sit on the couch in the middle of the summer with a blanket over my head so I can't feel the fan.

5. I'm kind of OCD about numbers and counting. I have to have things in even numbers or multiples of five, especially TV volume and deodorant swipes. Not Michael Landon also finds this entertaining, and finds ways to screw with me all the time.

6. I demanded my mother teach me to read at age 3. I walked into the bathroom while she was taking a bubble bath with my favorite book in hand (something about a weird fuzzy creature in a dungeon) and demanded she teach me. Right. Now.

7. I love Disneyland like a small child. I know I'm not supposed to, but it makes me happy deep inside. The image of me jumping up and down at the Disneyland entrance has been burned into my in-laws memory. They're being nice, but I think they're a little weirded out by it.

And now, the following can consider themselves tagged. A couple bloggers I "know" have already been tagged, so a couple of you probably don't have a clue who I am. Hi, I read your blog. I'm so glad I get to introduce myself by telling you how weird I am.

Cocina de doyle
Fashion Victims Unit at Iced Coco
Renee at Kitchen Table Scraps
The Judge at Martha Stewart Baking at Home
Ms MoneyPenny
Terri at T-rated
Dig Your Own Hole

Granola Bars

Confession: my camera has gone MIA. The picture I took with my iPhone was not blog worthy, but if you click on the recipe link below, mine look almost that good. The edges are more crumbly, but you get the idea. The last pictures I remember taking were in my house, so please send me good juju that I will find it soon.

Not Michael Landon is kind of obsessed with snacks, and they must have "substanance" (yes, spell check, I know this is not a word). This is very foreign to me, as someone who has been trying to loose weight since about seventh grade. Snacks are for curbing hunger, not providing energy. But what do I know.

These are yummy, and pretty easy. It's basically rice krispie treats, only with oat granola instead of rice krispies. They're also pretty big. I would recommend spreading it out in two pans if you've got them. They crumble a bit at the edges when cut.

First, we need granola.

Homemade Granola: modified from Martha, makes 8 cups. Her receipe makes 6 1/2, but the bars call for 8, which is why the quantities are screwy. If you like granola cereal, just ignore the +s and make a double batch.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp toasted wheat germ
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds (Not Michael Landon hates almonds, so I used some cashews I had lurking in the pantry; I didn't quite have enough, so I added some more sunflower seeds and this next ingredient)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp flax seed (my addition, it's good for you to boot - you're getting the idea this isn't like a baking recipe where everything has to be all precise, right?)
  
• 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon + a pinch ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon + a smaller pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp honey
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (golden) raisins

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spread shredded coconut on top. Bake until toasted. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. (My wheat germ was untoasted, so I toasted that here too, on the same sheet. Watch carefully, neither takes long.)
2. Decrease oven temperature to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In a large bowl, toss together oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, stir together honey and butter; pour over oat mixture. Stir well. Spread onto sheets. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Break up granola; sprinkle with raisins and toasted coconut. Store in airtight container.

Now onto the bars. The granola is all gummy when it comes out of the oven, so wait for it to cool first. You probably don't need to break it up too much by hand, the dumping in and stirring will take care of some of it.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars: again, adapted from Martha, makes 16 sizeable squares

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 10 1/2 ounces mini-marshmallows
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 8 cups Homemade Granola

Directions

1. Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan; set aside (I lined it with parchment paper instead). In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows; stir until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in peanut butter and granola until well combined (I stirred the peanut butter in first on its own; felt like it would mix throughout better that way). Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Dampen your hands, and press mixture into prepared pan, distributing mixture evenly. Set aside to cool. Invert pan, releasing bars. Cut into sixteen squares. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

I'm no food safety expert, but I always store stuff longer than directed, especially if it's not refrigerated or anything. I've had cookies that tasted fine weeks (months?) later, and I've never gotten sick. Well, only once, but I'm not certain that was my fault - I blame packaged lettuce.

Merry Christmas!

I love love love love Christmas. It's my favorite time of year by far. But when I said in my first post that I tend to take on too much - well, that kinda explodes at Christmas. I bake cookies, make a Christmas craft for 20, make my own Christmas cards, and make my own wrapping paper. On top of shopping for gifts, decorating my house to make it vomit Christmas, and attending five parties at a bare minimum (not including Christmas and Christmas Eve). Oh and I do still have to work during the month of December, which usually happens to be the busiest time of year. Also, I mostly do it all on my own, since Not Michael Landon usually has final exams late in December.

This year, we're hoping not to be in a little apartment anymore sometime soon, which could make it as crazy as the year I decided to get married in January.

The easiest way to tackle all this would be to do less. But I really like it all. So my first strategy is an attitude adjustment. I simply do not let myself get frustrated and worn out doing it all. I'm not doing it for anyone other than me, so if I'm not having a good time, there's no point. Usually a firm reminder that I'm doing this for fun does the trick, but theoretically I could stop. (I can stop anytime I want to... right?)

My second strategy is to start early. Which is the catalyst for such an annoying post title on November 18th. My Christmas card supplies are purchased and photos chosen, and almost all my Christmas cookie dough is in the freezer (one more half batch to go). I've gone through all my addresses and identified the ones I need to update. My goal is to be well on my way to done with the crafty stuff by Thanksgiving.

This kinda ties into my third strategy - planning. I have a memo booklet with lists for cards, cookies, crafts, gifts, and addresses for all, as well as what I've done the last several years to keep from repeating. I'm supposed to stick this in my purse so I can work on it whenever I have a chance, but I need to move it to my iPhone, probably via my Zenbe lists ap. I also drew up a week by week schedule for now through the holiday. It isn't set in stone or excessively detailed, but it lets me plan out when I need to start things, when I need to finish, and avoid having too much going on at once.

The weather is still so nice here it's hard to get into the mood, but it's all worth it in the end.

Here are the cookies I have sitting in my freezer, all courtesy Martha Stewart:

Gingerbread Snowflakes

These are so yummy and spicy and not overly sweet. There's something that just says Christmas about a cut-out cookie that you decorate, but I got kinda tired of plain old sugar. Martha wants you to make these giant snowflakes, but I just used the cutters I have - trees, snowflakes, and stockings. I cut them out, froze on a cookie sheet with parchment, and then transferred them to a plastic freezer bag.

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• Royal Icing
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/4-inch thick. Cut into snowflakes with a 7- inch snowflake-shape cookie cutter. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
5. Put icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #7). Pipe designs on snowflakes; immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let stand 5 minutes; tap off excess sugar. Let icing set completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. Store cookies between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Chocolate Crackles

We've made these in my family forever, although we call them crinkles. I think this recipe is a little better, but don't tell my mom. I rolled the dough into balls and froze on a cookie sheet and transferred to a plastic freezer bag. I'll roll them in the sugar before I bake them off. Cross your fingers the sugar sticks.

Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
3. On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Pine Nut Cookies
These are new for me, but the dough was pretty yummy and really simple even though I had to cut the egg in half to make it in two batches since I only have a small food processor. I couldn't get the pine nuts to stick very well, so I froze them w/o since they would just come off in the bag. Wish me luck that they stick better when I bake them off.

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen

• 2 cups pine nuts
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup almond paste
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process 3/4 cup pine nuts, the sugar, almond paste, and vanilla in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add egg; pulse to combine. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; process just until dough comes together.
2. Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining 11/4 cups pine nuts, gently pressing to coat. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
3. Bake until cookies begin to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.