Easy Crockpot Lasagna--4 Ways

In the cookbook, Fix It and Forget It New Cookbook, I've found my new favorite crockpot recipe.  I love it so much that I have been working on different variations of the same recipe!


Original recipe:

The Best Slow-Cooker Lasagna

1 lb. ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

24-oz. spaghetti sauce

3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown the ground turkey and onion. Stir in spaghetti sauce.

Combine 3 cups of  mozzarella cheese, parmesan and cottage cheese.

Spray the inside of your crockpot before starting to layer.

Put 1/4 of sauce mixture on bottom of crockpot, then three noodles, breaking them to fit.

Spoon 1/3 of cheese mixture on top of noodles.  

Repeat layers two more times.

Put remainder of sauce mixture on top and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella.

Cover and cook on low 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the noodles are tender and the edges are bubbly.

Variation #2:
Alfredo Chicken Lasagna

1 lb.frozen chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

24-oz. alfredo sauce

3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked

Cook the chicken with green peppers and onion. Shred.  Stir in alfredo sauce.

Combine 3 cups of  mozzarella cheese, parmesan and cottage cheese.

Spray the inside of your crockpot before starting to layer.

Put 1/4 of sauce mixture on bottom of crockpot, then three noodles, breaking them to fit.

Spoon 1/3 of cheese mixture on top of noodles.  

Repeat layers two more times.

Put remainder of sauce mixture on top and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella.

Cover and cook on low 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the noodles are tender and the edges are bubbly.

Variation #3:
Vegetarian Lasagna 

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped 
2-3 cups chopped spinach (or other veggies of your choice)
24-oz.spaghetti sauce
3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked

Combine chopped veggies with spaghetti sauce

Combine 3 cups of  mozzarella cheese, parmesan and cottage cheese.
Spray the inside of your crockpot before starting to layer.
Put 1/4 of sauce mixture on bottom of crockpot, then three noodles, breaking them to fit.
Spoon 1/3 of cheese mixture on top of noodles.  
Repeat layers two more times.
Put remainder of sauce mixture on top and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella.
Cover and cook on low 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the noodles are tender and the edges are bubbly.

Variation #4:
Italian Sausage Lasagna

1 lb. of Italian sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

24-oz.spaghetti sauce

3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown Italian sausage in a pan with onions and yellow pepper.  Combine with spaghetti sauce

Combine 3 cups of  mozzarella cheese, parmesan and cottage cheese.

Spray the inside of your crockpot before starting to layer.

Put 1/4 of sauce mixture on bottom of crockpot, then three noodles, breaking them to fit.

Spoon 1/3 of cheese mixture on top of noodles.  

Repeat layers two more times.

Put remainder of sauce mixture on top and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella.

Cover and cook on low 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the noodles are tender and the edges are bubbly.

I think variations of this recipe will be on our weekly menu rotation throughout the summer! 

Spring Formal 2016

One big concern people have for homeschoolers sounds something like this:  "What about prom?  Won't they miss out on going to prom?"  Well, we are part of a fairly big homeschool support group in our area that hosts their own "prom" or spring formal.  Tera was asked to go this year and had a really wonderful time!  

She did her own hair and makeup.  She was (is) so beautiful!  

The "pinning of the corsage"  

Dinner with a group before the spring formal

Frankly, the spring formal was not really on our radar for this year, but Tera had a marvelous evening.  I'm glad we let her make her own decision to attend.  They had such a lovely time and her date was a true gentleman!  

A whirlwind called April

Earlier in the month, JP and I went out on a real date!  We out to dinner at our new favorite German place, Roland's Bistro, before attending a concert featuring the folk band Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem.    Can't remember when I've had such a wonderful evening filled with good food and great folk music that left you wanting more! 

 

It's been a music-filled month.  Tera has had two choir concerts.  Daniel accompanied one of those songs with a penny whistle solo.   Michael had a couple of recorder lessons.  Since, we are finishing up school for the year, we will revisit recorder lessons next school year. 

Daniel's flute ensemble, Silver Winds performed last Sunday night at a church in Oak Ridge.  Daniel has a couple of more rehearsals and performances between now and the middle of May.

Michael and his Lego challenges...

So many other things have happened in just a few weeks, but these were the actual things I've taken pictures of. 

This mother's heart

Wasn't it just last week that I said, "No, we don't do spring formals (proms).  That's not our thing."? Then, one question and one answer later we are looking for a dress.  

Wasn't it just last week that I was washing a little boy's face that is now showing definite signs of manhood?

Wasn't it just last week that I was holding my youngest while he cut in his baby teeth that have now fallen out leaving that gap that says I'm no longer a baby anymore?

This week has been filled with  lots of things for this momma's heart to hold.  

My daughter was asked to go to the spring formal with a friend and their group of friends.  We discussed it together and left the decision up to her.  She thought and prayed; then decided she wanted to go.  I was cool with that until I started thinking that this is the beginning.  The beginning of her spreading her wings to fly away someday.  Really, it's just an event and not really that big of a deal.  But to this mother's heart--this moment in time, it feels like so much more.

  

Today was the last checkup I'll take my son to.  I'm handing that responsibility over to his dad.  He's a young man now and needs that privacy.  So many checkups over the years and now my part is over.  Officially, taller than me and growing facial hair.  His booming voice sometimes makes me think his dad is home, but it's just him.  My second baby that's not a baby anymore.  And this mother's heart is on the verge of tears. 

My youngest with his permanent teeth coming in and that big gap in the front.  He's growing up, too.  This mother's heart thinks too much about how he'll only be in 4th grade when his sister graduates.  In 5th, one year later when it happens again with his brother.  

I know all mom's feel this way at times.  Things creep up on us.  We overthink and dwell on the sadness of change, instead of the joy of growth.   I don't live in this melancholy for long, but just some days it piles up in this mother's heart.  

But God always sends just the perfect words for this mother's heart at just the right time...

"May the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and Redeemer."  Psalm 19:14

"Oh God, You will keep us in perfect peace because our mind is steadfastly on you, we trust in You.  Oh Lord, we trust in You forever, You are our Lord, our Rock eternal.  We thank you in the name of our Savior, Jesus."  

I'll focus the meditation of my heart on His promises and trust Him to guide us and these ones He has entrusted into our care.  Then, this mother's heart can be at peace with the joy of growth.  

Nothing is Wasted

"Nothing is wasted...nothing is wasted...in the hands of our Redeemer...nothing is wasted."


I been hearing those words singing their way around my brain.   It's a new song on the radio, but not really a new idea.  It's almost like a chant I need to say to myself again and again.  A great big, comforting, hopeful thought.  

I had someone ask me once, "If you could go back and live your life different, would you change anything?"  I thought a while on that thought.  As much as I would love to say:  "YES!!"  I hesitate.   Everything we've been through shapes who we are...some good, some bad.  To change things would change who we are.

Now granted, I would love to get rid of some major hang-ups I have, but the same things that I struggle with are the same things that remind me of my reliance on God.  They remind me that "I am weak, but He is strong."

Every struggle we have, every heartache, grief and trial will not be wasted. I'm finding that when things come up, I start thinking,  hopefully anticipating how God can redeem this thing in my life.   Dread and anxiety are replaced with reminders of thankfulness for things to come.

God has the way of taking our brokenness and grief and using it for His eternal good.  If you are struggling in your family, your home school or just life in general...don't lose hope...nothing is wasted! 


"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that outweighs them all!"  2 Corinthians 4:17 

Random school stuff

I have been doing  Easy Peasy with Michael and we have re-discovered lapbooking.  I really wanted to do more of this with Tera and Daniel, but I think by the time I discovered it they were not interested.  We did a few, but then moved on.  Michael's enthusiasm was incredible.  He did this one in less than a week.  We found the whole file for free through Easy Peasy.  I'm not one to make up my own, so I love the convenience of this type of lapbook. 

Tera and Daniel have been writing poetry as part of our writing curriculum.  Sometimes, I am so amazed at the writing my children produce.  I am convinced that next year, we need to work on editing.  Commas, punctuation, that kind of thing.  The substance is there, it definitely just needs proofreading.  My son, also loves LOTR, if you couldn't tell. 

Tera's sonnet-like poem:

Daniel's examples:

Gollum

miserable depressed

sneaking, lurking, stinking

fate entangled with the ring

Gollum 

Hobbit hole-dwellers

Their courage surprising most

seekers of all peace

Gollum

miserable depressed

sneaking, lurking, stinking

death, doom; light, hope

comfort-seeking, hoping, daring

Hobbit hole-dweller

Bilbo

We only have a few weeks of school left and usually by now, we are brain dead.  This year, on the other hand, we are hanging in there.  The older ones and I have started reading out loud Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.  Everyone reading a part with me doing commentary (using Sparknotes for help) is our approach.  Let me tell you, Act 1 Scene 1 was quite long, but more enjoyable than I thought. 

Fencing is the only sport Tera and Daniel have really gotten into.  JP takes them every week and they love it about as much as chess, as you can see...

 

Thursday, we had a celebration party at our house for the chess team.  Foods that teens like and of course, cake.   The kids played games while the adults enjoyed conversation and Andy Griffith trivia.  It was a very nice evening. 

Michael met a new friend at the last library chess tournament.  The mom did origami with Michael in between his chess rounds (which were very short).  We found that our families were very similar at first glance in regards to personality, parenting choices, etc.  The mother invited us over for a play date.  It was a time of peacefulness in our lately hectic routine.  Since they are a bi-cultural home, we chatted over differences while we made window stars.  I'm looking forward to  getting to know this family a whole lot better.   

 

In the midst of the busy-ness of the season, I've been thinking a lot.  I posted this last night on facebook and I truly mean it:

"I was thinking this morning:
I've never traveled abroad, never won prestigious awards, or had any kind of fame and fortune, but I've had faith and a God that has seen me through "deep waters", the love of one man, three beautiful children, family and friends...a quiet, steady life. I'll never regret not having the other."

Easter 2016

Easter Sunday came the day after the state chess tournament.  We were all so tired that it was really hard for me to get good pictures out of anyone.  We attended a local church for their morning service.  After a late bedtime, a sunrise service was out of the question.  

After church pictures 

It has happened!  My two older ones didn't want to do an egg hunt this year and voiced it.  :(  But they humored me anyway and Michael's enthusiasm was helpful.  They definitely didn't mind getting what was in the eggs and opening Easter baskets.  But their baskets definitely reminded me they aren't little kids anymore.  As if, being the shorter than the both of them doesn't remind of that daily.  

We were reminded last week and every day that He is Risen and He is living and moving in our lives everyday.  

Chess...again

Tera and Daniel qualified for the state team chess tournament with two other students in our local homeschool support group.  These tournaments are held at Tennessee Tech University, which is at least 1.5 hours away from our home.  There is a time change going there and back.  It's great going, but sure makes for a longer day when it's added back in on the way home.  

Our team did a great job!  I won't give a play by play, because really I cannot.  I do know that Daniel and our team captain won against a couple of players from a very prestigious academy with ratings far higher than theirs.  I overheard a comment that basically said, they did not expect this academy to lose to a home schooler.  I guess they were surprised. 

In the end, our team placed 5th overall in the high school section.  At least three of their four rounds were played against the top placing teams, so all the victories and losses were hard fought.   I love that my children LOVE chess, but I'm glad that OUR scholastic season is over.  Yes, there are more tournaments and chess club, but no more high stress qualifying tournaments that take up so much study time and travel.  For that I am truly thankful.