First Time Auntie Chef Duties

On July 12, 2013 at 15:41 on a humid and stormy afternoon, Baby Chase Ronald came into the world. He’s my first blood nephew, my parent’s first grand child and it’s such an honor that they chose to give him our father’s first name as his middle. 

 

From the moment I held him, I was in love. Hopelessly and completely. Unfortunately the little buddy and his momma had a rough landing and he ended up being transported to the Children’s National Medical Center NICU later that night. 

 

 

Fortunately he has been in the best of care and is doing extremely well. To keep spirits high and bellies full (and healthy- mostly), I hit the kitchen hard Sunday morning. It’s super important to keep Mom and Dad well fed and healthy so they can continue to be there and care for Chase.

 

 

On the delivery menu: Lasagna packed with spicy sausage and lots of veggies, and a side of cucumber (from our garden!) and tomato salad for Mom and Dad’s dinner. Of course I couldn’t resist treats and snacks, so I made a batch of these amazing Zucchini Carrot Muffins for breakfast or snacks, and Banana Pudding Cookies (with White Chocolate Chips) that are to die for. 

 

I tried to squeeze in extra nutrition to everything I made when the convenience of a bag of chips happens.

 

I added a 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and about 1/2 a cup or so golden raisins to the muffins which gave them a little more richness and sweetness. The muffins have no butter or oil, by the way. Score! I intended to make a double batch of muffins and grated extra zucchini from this monster my cousin gave me last weekend, and carrots but ended up not having enough yogurt. You’ll see how I dealt with those later…

 

For the Banana Pudding Cookies I had a single container of unsweetened apple sauce which was a bit more than the recipe called for, and a single serving container of nonfat greek yogurt which was a tad under the recipe requirements, so I called it a wash and charged forward. Also, I was fresh outta Nilla Wafers, so went without instead of trekking to the grocery story. They came out perfect. 

 

It’s equally important for Chase’s NICU nurses to be happy and not hungry, so I packed up extra muffins and most of the cookies for their break room. 

 

Chase’s Sunday NICU RN said “These might be the best cookies I’ve ever had”. Thank you, Two Peas in Their Pod!

 

On to dinner. Nothing says comfort and home cooking like a big pan of cheesy, rich and savory lasagna. I have fond memories of lasagna growing up and knew my brother and SIL would, too. So here’s my “recipe”.

 

 

1 package Lasagna noodles (I prefer the Barilla no bake)

2 jars marinara sauce (your favorite brand or homemade!)

1 bag mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

1 large container part skim Ricotta cheese

2 eggs

Parmesan Cheese

1 – 2 lbs hot Italian sausage

Spinach

Sliced mushrooms

Zucchini

Carrots

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Italian Seasoning (or separate herbs – Oregano, Basil, Bay, etc)

Salt and Pepper

 

To start, brown the sausage. If you have it in casings, cut them open first. Cook thoroughly and set aside. 

 

Mix your marinara sauce with a tablespoon or so Italian Seasoning and Red Pepper Flakes to taste. Mince 4 – 5 cloves fresh garlic and stir well to mix. 

 

Make up the Ricotta mixture to bind the lasagna. I used 3/4 of the larger container and added 2 eggs, 3 cloves fresh minced garlic, 2 tsp salt and a little pepper. 

 

I always start by spreading just a little sauce on the bottom of the pan to keep the first layer of pasta noodles from sticking. 

 

Now you assemble, like so: 

 

A little sauce

Noodles

Spinach and Mushrooms

Sauce

Noodles

Ricotta mixture and a thin layer of cheese

Sauce

Noodles

Grated Zucchini and Carrots

Cooked Hot Italian Sausage

Sauce

Noodles

Sauce

The rest of the cheese.

 

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and finish baking for another 10 minutes or so to get the golden crust. I don’t actually time it, I just stick my head in the oven and look for bubbles on the side as my gauge. 

 

I mean, really. This is amazing and it probably weighs more than the baby. 

 

 

The hardest part was waiting for this bad boy to cool and pack up individual servings for the family. I should note, there is a special serving in here for my pal Jaime who is also supporting her brother who had an accident the other week.  {{prayers, positive vibes and healthy lasagna being sent up north}}

 

So fortunately everyone is doing better, but there’s still a little way to go. 

 

In the meantime, I’ll keep feeding people as best I can and devising plans to spoil my nephew rotten, once we remind him what a diva he was upon arrival 😉