Butternut Squash Lasagna

There's a restaurant in town that makes Butternut Squash Lasagna and it used to be Mark's favorite thing to eat. That is, until we discovered the Butternut Squash Ravioli at our favorite Italian restaurant. Delish. Every time I've eaten either one, I spend a good deal of time savoring each bite and trying to determine *exactly* what is in it and how I can replicate it at home. (Does anyone else do that?)

For years I have determined to come up with a butternut squash recipe that is at least similar to one of those two entrees.  I stumbled upon a recipe last week for Roasted Butternut and Sweet Potato Whole Wheat Lasagna and decided to try it.

It was amazing.

And if you try to tell me that you do not like squash, I.will.not.listen.  This was SO yummy and you must try it.

I made some changes to the recipe.  We didn't have whole wheat noodles, I used more mozzarella cheese, etc.  So the recipe below is how I made it, but it is adapted from this recipe from How Sweet It Is.


Butternut Squash Lasagna

12 cooked lasagna noodles

1/2 large roasted butternut squash (Slice it lengthwise, bake @ 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until it's soft when you poke a fork into it.)  I bake my squash face up on a cookie sheet, and brush squash with a little melted butter.)

2 medium sweet potatoes (Cut in half, lengthwise and stick these on the pan with the squash- they will likely be done before the squash, though- so watch them.)

16 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (Trader Joes has this)

3 T butter

1-2 shallots, thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

a bunch of fresh sage leaves, chopped


When the squash and sweet potatoes are cooked, scoop out the insides and puree or blend or mash somehow- whichever method you'd prefer.  (You can do this step earlier in the day or the night before, too.)

Saute shallots and garlic in the butter for a few minutes.  When cooled, add mascarpone cheese, sage and half of the parmesan.

Layer lasagna in a 9x13 pan.  First mashed squash/sweet potato mix, then noodles, then cheese.  Repeat until you run out of ingredients.  (When I got to the cheese layers, I spread the mascarpone blend and then sprinkled a bit of mozzarella and parm.  Make sure to save some to top it all off.)

Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.

{this moment}

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Eight: a happy birthday

Dear Isaac,

Early yesterday morning you bounced into our room and said, "I'm eight years old!"  Never have I seen anyone so happy about a birthday.  All day long you were positively wiggly with excitement over turning eight.  :)

You opened presents shortly after that trip to our room-- some LEGO mini figures, a model, a LEGO set, a game, a book, some treats chosen by your sisters~ and then you were off to play with it all.

You chose homemade doughnuts* for breakfast.  You had seen a picture on the cover of a magazine I had lying around and decided- months ago- that that's what you wanted for your birthday meal.  (Later, I baked your other request: chocolate cake with lime frosting.  ;))

You stood next to the back door so that we could mark your height, and you were so smiley about the fact that you are taller than Ella was at the same age. 

You are growing, my boy.  So often when I look at you now I am struck by how tall you are, and how my little boy just isn't so little anymore.

You still like building LEGO creations- and you're a really inventive builder, daddy says- but many days the LEGO bins stand untouched because you're on the couch with a book in hand.  Your favorite books are The Narnia series.  Daddy read those aloud a couple of years ago, but you read them on your own in just a few weeks.  You love to ride your bike, too.  It's one of your favorite things. You like to climb (trees! on top of the swingset!) and find bugs (not spiders) and explore.  You love the woods: there's so much to see and find and so many things to climb.  :)

You are silly and imaginative and are always ready with a "What if...?" question.  You smile often.  You laugh just as often.  You are a kind older brother.  Audra has learned to ask you if she needs help making something or finding something: you are always happy to drop what you're doing and help.  You are thoughtful and willing to play things the little girls might like to play, even if you're not very interested in it yourself.

You ask me- several times a day, always in the kitchen- "Mommy, what can I do to be your helper?"  You know that mealtimes can be a busy time for me- getting everything ready and on the table- and you are always there, waiting for me to tell you what you can do.  You offer to take groceries in for me all the time and you *always* take the biggest load- even when I try to talk you out of it.  ;)

You love Bible time- and especially the Old Testament stories.  You are truly captivated by what God can do and how big He is and how He chooses to work.  I love how much you love that.  As I prayed for you today, I asked God that with each new year, you would love Him ever more than you did the previous year.  That is my heart's desire.   You think eight is good?  I can't wait to see what God has for you in the years to come!

You are so loved, my sweetest budders.  You are truly a gift, and I am so thankful God made you!

Love,
Mommy


*Doughnut recipe here.

Playdough!

One day last week I woke up with a really bad sinus headache.  So... we skipped school for the day.  I spent 20 minutes in the kitchen that morning making playdough and it provided the kids with a good hour and fifteen minutes of fun (and respite for mama). :)

Three batches of playdough

= happy kids.

If you haven't made playdough, it's super easy and fun!

Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water w/ food coloring of your choice
1 T oil
2 tsp cream of tarter

Combine all ingredients in a pan and stir.  Cook on med-low heat.  The mixture will form into a ball after about 3-5 min.  Cool and store in a sealed container or a ziploc bag.

Blessed

I took the kids to the vegetable store today- at 5:00pm- to get some celery that I needed for the cornbread stuffing I was making for dinner.  Once there, I couldn't resist those happy orange pumpkins, so I told the kids they could each choose a small sugar pumpkin.  They were delighted.

Each pumpkin cost me a little more than a dollar and the kids were over the moon about them.  

Isaias, in awe: "I've never gotten to choose my own pumpkin before!"  In fact, he has.  He just doesn't remember.  And usually we have pumpkins growing in our garden, so we don't always buy them.  But not this year. 

Shortly after I took this picture, I handed out Sharpie markers and they drew faces (and scribbles) on their pumpkins. 

I look at this picture and I feel so, so blessed to be mother to these five.  I love them so much and I truly just delight in who they are and who they are becoming.  I see God's faithful hand leading me as their mama and I am so thankful for His provision and for the ways He answers prayers in my life and in theirs.

I think about how Isaias prayed tonight at the table: "God, I thank You that daddy and mommy know about Jesus so that they can teach me about Jesus" and his earlier comment about how he's glad we adopted him so that he didn't have to stay in the orphanage and so that he could have the joy of playing with Adelia and Audra and be trained and taught about Jesus. 

I think about how when Mark came home from work, the kids all shrieked and ran over to him to tell him about their pumpkins and that when he came in, Audra clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

I think about how Ella has posted a song sheet by the washer and dryer- so that when she does her laundry chore she can sing songs of praise.  I heard her today, joyfully singing as she worked.

I think of my hard-working husband who comes home each night to us.

I think about how we all remained at the table after dinner for family worship and then we prayed together and how much I love that.   

I think of all these little moments that string together to make our days and how each one is a gift from God, and I am so thankful.

{Thank you, Lord!}

Octobers

"Oh, Marilla," Anne exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill-- several thrills? I'm going to decorate my room with them."

* * *

{Things I like in October}

-apples, especially honeycrisp

-clean, brisk air

-huge maple leaves

-crunchy leaves to step on while walking

-pumpkin-y candles

-chex mix

-living in a neighborhood with trees all around us

-the colors of the trees: reds, yellows, oranges, browns, and fading greens

-leaves falling into our yard

-the return of socks and slippers

-knitting

-lotion

-boots

-cozy hats

-blustery days

-butternut squash

-pumpkins on porches

-wearing these shoes again

-sweaters

-soup

-homemade bread (which I have yet to make, but I have every intention to do so, and soon.)

-snickerdoodles

-pumpkin-y baked goodness (breads, cookies, scones, cakes)

-chestnuts

-scarves
-how pretty the grass looks with the colored leaves on it
-1000-piece puzzles

(#'s 1679- 1705, One Thousand Gifts)

What would make your list?

{this moment}

linking this week's moment to Soule Mama