At any rate, most people who bother to read this blog know this already - but John and I are expecting our first baby in January, and being the cautious private types that we are, we didn't want to make it public news until after the first trimester. However, now those of you who read this and didn't know previously know...a little KPH or JH is on the way :)
There are two ways this has affected my blogging directly - actually, maybe three or more. One, I've had a fair amount of morning sickness, and about the only foods that have really appealed to me in the past three months are whole wheat saltines, Teddy Grahams, and ginger ale. To be honest, ginger ale has sort of lost its appeal, and although ginger candies often made me feel better, the thought of eating one now makes me feel pretty green. I feel that I could write an epic on morning sickness. For the sake of you readers, I'll refrain.
At any rate, it's hard to try new recipes, bake them, and share them, when the smell and taste of so many things I've previously loved (mushrooms, garlic, onions, chicken, the list goes on) have become undeniably offensive. It seems, though, that the worst has passed, and at the end of this blog I'll go ahead and throw my newest recipe out there. It's not exactly original, but I made it based off of what I think tastes good, not using any recipe, and so therefore, it's all mine :)
Two, I don't run anymore - at least not for the next 5.5 to 6 months. Although I'm a good long distance runner - meaning I can run a half marathon straight through (sans walking) and feel great afterwards, even though I would never be mistaken for "fast" - my heart rate simply doesn't stay within a safe range for the baby. I appreciate and admire the runners out there who can run 10 miles with a heart rate of 135 and a sweat-free brow - I'm simply not one of them. Yes, I could run much, much slower and attempt to keep my heart rate in a safe range, but for the pain of running that slow, I am much better off swimming, doing elliptical, lifting weights, or walking inclines with weights. For those of you that enjoy the running part of this blog, I'd love to still talk to you about your training and keep up with your races...I just won't be joining you for awhile.
This is also sad for me because it's the third time I've entered the Marine Corps Marathon and once again been unable to run it. The first two times I was unable to run it were due to personal reasons (my father's illness and subsequent passing away) - you can only defer once, and this year, I'll be deferring again. However, as long as I have my doctor's OK, I'm still planning on cheering on my running buddies in DC! (As it falls on Halloween, I'm also brainstorming some hilarious preggo costumes, some which are not necessarily appropriate for public consumption).
Side note to that - with all of the swimming I've started to do, I'm seriously thinking a triathlon might be in order for the springtime. I really wasn't a fan of my first triathlon experience because, well, I didn't prepare the way I should have for the swim. Now, however, I'm certainly setting myself up for success. If I don't freak out in the open water again. You'd think that with 18 years under my belt of SCUBA diving, 27 years under my belt of practically living part-time in the ocean, I'd be fine with a little lake swim. You would think wrong.
(Pregnancy brain is a wonderful thing. I can barely remember what the purpose of this blog has been. Hence all of the tangents.)
Anyway, there was a third thing, oh yeah - I remember now - John was TDY for just over a month, and as he is currently my prime guinea pig for new recipes, I also wasn't motivated to cook. Now that he's back - and now that I'm feeling more human - cooking has once again become a priority.
So without further ado, here's the recipe. Sorry for the lack of precise amounts and measurements - it was a classic case of eyeballing the entire thing.
Lasagna with Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage
1 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons or so of tomato paste
Several minced garlic cloves
1/2 jar of any premade spaghetti sauce you like (how Sandra Lee of me, I know)
1 package of hot Italian turkey sausage
10 ounces of fresh mozzarella
2 cups of shredded mozzarella
1 package of low-fat ricotta
1 egg
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan
Healthy dash of salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll also need a 13x9 baking dish, a large skillet, a pot to boil your noodles, and a strainer.
First things first, set a large pot of water boiling for the lasagna noodles, and add a healthy amount of salt to the water. Once boiling, cook lasagna according to package directions, strain, and set aside.
Secondly, spray your skillet with cooking spray (or use oil if you so wish). Set on medium to medium-high heat.
Remove the casings from your sausage and add to the heated pan. You'll want to crumble and cook the sausage until there's no longer any pink showing. Right before the sausage is cooked through, I add my minced garlic in to release the flavor and have it mix in.
Add your tomatoes, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauce to the cooked sausage. If you like, you can refrain from using the extra spaghetti sauce and just make your own - unfortunately, I didn't have tomato sauce on hand and it just was easier to use what I had. Once the mixture is boiling, turn the heat down and stir for about 10 minutes or so to allow it to thicken a bit. The longer you can let it thicken, the better - it helps prevent a watery sauce.
As that is simmering, mix together your ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl. At this time, you should also slice your mozzarella into thin rounds (I used the fresh mozzarella that comes in a large ball - you can probably find it pre-sliced if you so desire).
Now to start building the lasagna. First, put down just a teeny bit of sauce in your baking dish coated with cooking spray. Then put down your first layer of noodles - I use four. Add about 1/3 of your sauce, topped with half of the ricotta mixture, and a healthy sprinkling of your shredded (not the fresh) mozzarella. For the record, if you want to use fresh all the way through, feel free. I just mixed it up a bit.
Add another layer of noodles, and repeat. For the last layer, place your noodles on top, add the last of your sauce, and top with the rounds of fresh sliced mozzarella. Cover gently with foil - I tent it a bit so it won't stick to my cheese - and cook for about 30 minutes, until it's bubbling on top and heated through. You can take the foil off and cook a bit longer if you like a more browned cheese on top.
And that's it! It is even better the second day, I might add. Bon appetit!
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