Anyone got some summer recipes?

It's the middle of May and our temperatures are hovering in the high-80s already. The humidity isn't as bad as August, but that hasn't made the heat less miserable for those of us without air-conditioning. Windows are open, fans fully ensconced, and still, we're struggling. Unfortunately, there are children in the house and neighbors not far off, so I'm limited in how far down I can strip to keep cool. I'm sure you can guess that the last thing we want to do in this heat is to fire up the stove. The grill hasn't worked for some time, and we're not really in a rush to replace it for the time being. All of this leaves us in a bind when it comes to dinner.

If we don't want to spend too long sweating over a hot stove, what do we make? I'm somewhat limited in that I dislike lettuce, so green salads just aren't much of an option for me. So when the dreaded question, "What's for dinner?" comes up, I have no real answer. Tonight, to avoid dealing with all of it, I bought a pre-roasted chicken from the grocery store, some raw veggies, and olive-oil and herb goat cheese. It was delicious, and we ate healthier than normal. But that's going to end up getting expensive, and I don't really want it every day all summer.

Help? Any suggestions on healthy, cheap recipes that require little to no cooking?

Make It From Scratch Day!

I started this event on the Facebook page with great results! So now, I'm going to add  it here, too. Here's the information:

This is a challenge! On this day, make your entire meal from scratch. No store-bought sauces, breads, spice mixes, frozen veggies, etc. Make your dinner just like they would have 100 years ago, but with modern utensils and equipment. Give it a shot and see how it goes. 

I promise that it's not nearly as hard as you might think, but it does require some pre-planning and a little bit of time. Feel free to post suggestions, problems, and recipes. We'll help you through this challenge. :)

This is going to be a recurring challenge for the last Sunday of every month. Make your family something completely healthy with fresh ingredients while you stretch your culinary skills!

 Post your menu here, as well as any problems or things that you've learned here. I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Ted & Liz's Spinach Lasagna

A long time ago, when I was in college, a couple of friends of mine taught me how to make the best spinach lasagna that I've ever had. Part of what made it so amazing was how simple and clean the flavors were, and how easy it was to make. Since then, I've made a few changes, but not many. Most of the time I make my own sauce rather than relying on store-bought (I don't like how sweet they usually are), and occasionally I'll mix browned ground pork into the sauce, too.

YIELD 8      ACTIVE TIME 20      TOTAL TIME 1:50

INGREDIENTS
1 box Lasagna noodles
1 lg jar Spaghetti sauce
1 lb spinach, fresh, cleaned and trimmed
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS
Coat the bottom of a deep 9" x 13" pan with 1/2 cup sauce. Layer uncooked lasagna noodles on bottom to cover, overlapping slightly. Pour 1/3 of remaining sauce over noodles. Layer half of spinach, half of mushrooms, 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 ricotta, and 1/3 Parmesan cheese, in that order. Top with another layer of noodles. Add 1/3 of sauce over noodles. Layer the rest of the spinach and mushrooms, 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 ricotta, and 1/3 Parmesan. Add another layer of noodles and remaining sauce and cheeses. Cover with foil and bake in a 350F oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake at 450F for another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before cutting into. Best served with a salad and garlic bread.

NOTES
A deep dish is essential, but if you only have a regular cake pan, be sure to place an old cookie sheet on the bottom of the oven to catch any sauce that bubbles over. Always use the freshest ingredients you can find.