{ Cooking Thursday - Bread Lasagna }

 Lasanha de Pao is your typical lasagna but using bread slices instead of lasagna noodles.  The slices are nestled between spoonfuls of delicious meat sauce and homemade bechamel sauce.

Lasanha de Pao - Bread Lasagna

I love a good lasagna and I learned how to make it the traditional way, which is using lasagna noodles.  I'm not saying that I don't still do that, but when I have leftover bread that has gone stale and needs to be used, the last thing I want to do is be wasteful.

This is a great way to make a much loved family favorite, but also use what you have on hand.  The rest of the recipe remains the same, use your favorite meat sauce, use white sauce or ricotta or whatever you wish, but I'm going to show you how I make mine by kicking it up just a little notch.

Other lasagna recipes you may enjoy:

Zucchini and Bacon 3 Cheese Lasagna
Skillet Lasagna
Hot and Spicy Lasagna
Meat Lovers Lasagna

I'm not going to show you all the steps to this lasagna because there are so many different ways, and people have their favorite meat sauces or fillings.  I'll just basically show you how I made mine.  I make my own meat sauce from scratch, as well as the white bechamel sauce, and you can find the steps to those in my previous lasagna recipes above. 

Lasanha de Pao - Bread Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 and half pound meat sauce (use your favorite, homemade or store bought, your choice)
White Bechamel Sauce
Sliced Ham
Sliced Cheese
Sliced Bread (I used my homemade bread)
Shredded Cheese


In a baking dish, add a little of the meat sauce to the bottom of the dish.  Cover with bread slices, then spoon half of the leftover meat sauce, half of the white sauce, cover with sliced ham, sliced cheese and add another layer of bread slices.

Top with the remaining meat, remaining white sauce and cover with shredded cheese.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted and brown.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

{ Wordless Wednesday }

 

{ Musical Throwback Tuesday }

This is one that takes me back. I remember hearing this song so many times on the radio, it's always been one of my favorites. Love will keep us together - Captain & Tennille 

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 03/03/2025 }

 

 

 

Good morning ladies, welcome back.  Today is March 3rd, so our very first Happy Homemaker Monday post for this new month.  How are we already in the third month of 2025?  The older I get the more I want time to slow down.

 

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend, and I wish you a very blessed week ahead.  

Now let's see how our homes are faring, shall we?

 

The weather in my neck of the woods:::

I don't want to jink anything, but we've gone past the super cold days, and have been enjoying warm weather, with temperatures in the 70s.  I am thrilled for it.  

Monday - Cloudy, 78

Tuesday - Partly cloudy, 64

Wednesday - Sunny, 62

Thursday - Cloudy, 72

Friday - Sunny, 72

Saturday - Showers, 51

Sunday - Sunny, 70

As I look outside my window:::
It is cloudy and rainy.  We had rain yesterday and are supposed to have a little more this morning.  Everything looks wet out there, but I love this kind of weather.  

   

Right now I am:::
Sitting in bed, working on this post and watching a video on YouTube. 

 

 

Something fun to share (a blog, a video, a tip):::

I really enjoyed watching this.  We step back in time to the 1930s with a look at what an apartment would have been like in those days.  

 

 

 

Thinking and pondering:::
We started our garden, well, the indoor greenhouse and our berries, fruit trees and veggies.

 

I am thinking about the outside garden and where it will go this year, what needs to be done, the beds I need to put together and all that stuff.  I love planning the garden, this year, along with the usual veggies, I want a flower garden and an herb garden too.  So that will take some thinking and planning.     

 

On my bedside table:::
A water bottle, some kleened, my Nivea cream and the tv remote.  Also, I almost forgot, but my current book that I'm reading, which is Edenbrooke.     

On my tv:::
Last night's When Calls the Heart
Homemaking vlogs

Book vlogs

House of David on Amazon Prime

Listening to:::

Television in the background. 

The filter in the turtle tank.

The clacking of the keyboard keys as I type. 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - Layered Eggplant with Ground Beef, Salad
Tuesday - Tilapia roasted with tomato and onion, Garlic Couscous, Tomato and Cucumber Salad  

Wednesday - Chicken Marsala, Rice, Greek Salad
Thursday - Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, Garlic Bread, Steamed Broccoli

Friday - Moroccan Meatball Tagine, Mashed Potatoes, Bean Salad
Saturday - Fend for yourself or leftovers

Sunday - Pizza (Cauliflower pizza for me)

On my to do list:::
Change Bed linens

Water plant

Daily Bible reading and daily decree

 

 
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Nordic Afghan

Reading nook

Garden planning

My simple pleasure:::
The smell of olive oil, garlic and onion cooking on the stove.    

Lesson learned the past week:::
That the closer I get to menopause, the more my brain seems to be malfunctioning Hahaha

I swear, the forgetful brain thing IS a thing, my doctor told me about it, I read about it but now that I'm in it it is driving me nuts.

 

I feel scatterbrained at times.  I forget stupid things, like grocery list items, or I do dumb things, like reach for the pan in the oven without my oven gloves.  Goodness!        

Looking around the house:::
The house is very quiet at the moment, which makes me happy.  I love the look and sound of an early morning house, where the sun is just starting to rise, and slowly waking up the sleepy home.  It's like watching everything come to life before your eyes.

 

 
From the camera:::
Homemaking and the joy it brings me.  Something simple as tidying the dining table, makes me happy.    

 

 

Prayer List:::
My stepmom.

Bible verse, Devotional::: 

 Matthew 7:13-14

 

{ Spend the weekend with me }

The sun streams through the windows and the softest of breezes plays amongst the sheer curtains.

 

After a much needed cup of coffee, I get myself ready for the day and start tackling the homemaking chores that await me.  I go into these with a smile on my face, knowing that it's not just about cleaning, or doing laundry, it's about putting my love and my joy into every task at hand.  It's about looking at them through rose colored glasses, not because I hate doing what needs to be done, but because over the years I have come to love every single aspect of being a homemaker.

 

 

♥ Dishes ♥

 

One of the tasks that seems to be never ending.  Is there such a thing as an empty clean sink, for longer than 5 minutes?  If there is, I have yet to come across this elusive thing. 

♥ Laundry ♥  

 

I have come to really enjoy laundry.  I don't know why, but the whole process from sorting the clothes, washing and folding, brings me peace.  

 

Putting them away is another story, I will say that I'm still working on embracing that part of the process, and not looking upon it with such disdain.  Why is this part of the task so annoying?  I don't know, I have never been able to figure that out.  Maybe one day I will look upon it with fresh eyes and a grateful heart, but for now, it will remain the last part of the laundry work, that makes me want to throw my hands up.

♥ Cooking and Baking ♥

 

I don't think I need to say how much this part of homemaking, makes me happy.  I love cooking and baking.  I never used to enjoy the baking part as much, if truth be told.  It took me years for me to even want to do it, especially break making, but I've since found a love for it too.  

 

It's still something that I push myself to excel in, and I still have my flops, but not as many as I used to back in the day.

 

I made some two ingredient bread rolls, which were a huge hit.  I also made a fresh batch of beans for our dinner and for the freezer.  I like having cooked chickpeas, lentils and an assortment of beans, always in the freezer, always on hand for a quick meal or lunch. 

Also made Islak Burgers, which are a Turkish specialty and they were not only a huge hit, but have been requested to go on our favorites list.  Such an easy recipe but so yummy.

 

I will be adding these to my poorly neglected food blog.  I know, I know, it's been left to it's own demise for a while, but I'm hoping to remedy that soon.

 

♥ Setting the house to order ♥  

 

I move slowly around the house, from room to room, picking up things that have been misplaced, replacing things that have gone missing, folding blankets, fluffing up pillows, picking up after the furry babies and things of that sort.

 

There is always something to pick up, tidy or clean up.

♥ Spending time with the Lord ♥ 

 

I'm still doing my daily Bible reading, and usually during the week I get it done early in the morning, but weekends throw that schedule off a bit, because everyone is home and I am usually busy with Curt, we're running errands or working on the yard, or a project indoors.

 

I still make sure to get my daily reading in, but sometimes it doesn't happen until right before bed.  I will say that is not my favorite time to do it, because I'm tired and ready to fall asleep on my feet, but I push through and give that moment to God, after all He deserves it.

 

♥ Random bits and bobs ♥  

 

There are things that I need to do every day, some homemaking tasks are daily, meaning, even if you take a day off to rest, they still need to be done for the home to function effectively.

 

And then there are those that are ever changing, never the same daily, it's just whatever shows up to be tackled is what I do.  Below are just a few pictures of those random bits and bobs around the house, the random things I do mingled in with the must be dones.

I hope you enjoyed spending the weekend with me and seeing a bit of what I do around here.  Not shown are the gym trips, the start of our indoor greenhouse, veggies and flowers, the trip to Walmart, the trip to the game store downtown to exchange a game that wasn't working, the time I took a little nap, the reading I did, and the random games of Wii as a family.

 

It is all part of life and part of my day, even if I don't show it all.

 

I hope you've had a blessed, restful weekend, and I'll see you back in the morning, for the first Happy Homemaking Monday of March 2025.

{ Friday's Letters }

 

 

 

Dear Wind....I love everything that God creates and I know everything has a purpose, but for you, I have only found the purpose of throwing my hair in a million directions, and kicking up my allergies something fierce.  So, could you maybe just wind it down a little?  Like a little or even leave altogether?    

 
Dear Hunger....You are something fierce to deal with when it's that time of the month.  Where do you even get off making me eat everything in sight, like I'm starved?  For goodness sakes, calm down! 

 
Dear Gym....I used to dislike you and could never understand why people flocked to you daily, or even a couple times a week.  The seemed to happy to go there.  Now I get it.  I understand, I feel what they do and I look forward to you every Saturday and Sunday.  I love you, I love working out, I love being amongst people who feel the way I do, and I love how you push me physically and mentally.  You are awesome!      

Dear Spring....Please hurry up!  I have a few vegetables started already and I'm just itching to get everything planted and my garden sorted out.  I know I may seem impatient, but I guess I just can't wait for you to come around.  

 
Dear Christian Fiction Books....You make me so happy.  I love your good family centered, sweet stories.  They make it easy for me to read and in a way, help me become a better reader.  Thank you!       

{ Cooking Thursday - Cream Cheese Pound Cake }

 My son's favorite cake, he even requests it for his birthday.  It rises beautifully, is soft and airy and not too sweet, just makes the perfect cake for a gathering, or even to have with a hot cup of coffee.

 

 

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Source:  A Spicy Perspective

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

 

 

Directions:

 

• Set out the butter, eggs, and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Move one oven rack to the center of the oven and remove any racks above it.
• Pull out a standard 12-cup capacity bundt pan. Grease the bundt pan with extra butter or shortening, then scoop 1/4 cup sugar into the pan and shake it around until the fat is well coated in sugar. Dump out any excess sugar. Set aside.
• Place the softened butter and cream cheese in the bowl on an electric. Beat on high until the mixture is totally smooth. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining 2 3/4 cups sugar. Beat on high again for 3-5 minutes to cream the ingredients until very light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl again.
• Turn the mixer on low and beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Then slowly add the flour a little at a time, until fully combined. Once the batter is smooth, turn off the mixer, as to not overmix the batter.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack for 80-90 minutes. After 80 minutes, test the cake by inserting a toothpick deep into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, take the pound cake out of the oven.
• Let the cream cheese pound cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Then carefully flip the cake onto a platter or baking rack.

 

{ Wordless Wednesday }

 

{ Tackle it Tuesday }

This kitchen drawer holds all my foil, parchment paper, wax paper and ziploc bags, but it used to drive me insane.  I could never fit all the boxes and would sometimes have to remove the bags and leave them in the drawer, which would just cause a whole other issue.

 

Imagine you're looking for a freezer bag and it's mixed with hundreds of other bags of all different sizes.

 

I decided this weekend that I had enough and needed to change it up, make it better and organize it.  So I found this organizer on Shein and ordered it.  It came within 2 days, which is super fast.

 

I am in love with it.  It brings the stickers for all different sizes, you can use whichever you need and there are quite a few leftover.

It was quite inexpensive too.   So if you're looking for something like this, give Shein a quick look.

Bamboo Ziploc Plastic Bag Organizer

 

And no, I don't get a kickback and am not sponsored for this at all.  Just love sharing a good tip and a good buy.