Are You Hungry?

I am! Hungry that is. Always! I thought I'd share a couple of recipes I made this week for various things.

Before I do that I should let you know that this is my 3rd post today. The first two are artwork posts, so if your'e interested in that, scroll down.

The first is "Pink Salad." It's a fruit salad that I made to take to my Dad's birthday dinner this week. It is one of his favorites, is perfectly refreshing in the summertime, is easy to make, and is great if you're on a diet. OK, well 3 out of 4 isn't too bad, right?

Pink Salad (recipe given to me about 20 years ago from my SIL, Cindy)

1 - 8 oz. cool whip
1 - 8 oz cottage cheese (not low fat...it is too dry)
1 - small package strawberry jell0 (not sugar free. It does funny things)
Stir these together with a spoon or spatula until well blended.

Then add:
2 large bananas sliced lengthwise and then in round slices
1 - 20 oz. can of pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapple
1 - 8.4 oz. can of mandarin oranges

Fold in. Put into pretty serving bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate. Serve cold. Yummy!

Now on to my favorite Lasagna recipe. I made this for a board meeting this week for our church's women's organization. It's fast and easy (you don't even have to cook the lasagna noodles before they go in the pan!) and ooooh so yummy.

Lasagna (recipe given to me by my grandma's friend, Jean at my wedding shower 24 years ago). Makes a 9 x 13 pan.

Ingredients needed:

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 48 oz. marinara sauce (I use Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce)
• approx. 5 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 oz. cottage cheese
• Lasagna noodles

Brown hamburger and sausage together and drain. Add marinara sauce and bring to a boil (feel free to add canned mushrooms, sauteed onions, or whatever other little goodies you like in your lasagna to the sauce). While sauce is still very hot, layer the ingredients as follows in a greased 9 x 13 pan:

• 1 - 1/4" to 1/2" layer of sauce
• lasagna noodles (it's ok if the edges overlap a bit, but don't place on top of each other, just cover the marinara sauce layer)
• 1/2 of the cottage cheese
• 2 C. mozzarella cheese

Repeat the same layering process one more time. Top with dollops of remaining marinara sauce and then sprinkle remaining one cup of mozzarella cheese on top. Cover tightly with foil (this is important because it is the steam that is trapped inside while it's cooking that cooks the lasagna noodles).

Bake 350 for 1 hour. Let sit, still covered with foil for 20 minutes before serving.