I am feeling super sad about my lack of cooking and baking this summer.

I want to be doing way more of it.

I just don’t have time.

I know I can’t complain becuase it has been the most fun-filled summer of my entire life…

So I’ll stop complaining and promise you that the fall will be filled with lots of baking and cooking!

I also refuse to think about the fall and winter approaching…

So instead I will tell you about the fantastic weekend I had.

Mikey and I went to DePere Wisconsin for a pool party.

There were lots of friends, lots of food, lots of drinks and ridiculous amounts of laughter.

It was a rejuvenating time with old friends whom we miss and don’t get to see often enough.

It was so. Much. Fun.

We also were privileged to celebrate the engagement of two of our best friends, Matt and Kara.

They got engaged on Sunday by the lakefront and then we met them for drinks on the river.

We all knew the day would come, and were over the moon happy for them when Matt finally popped the question.

I had to hold back my tears when I saw them and can promise you I will be bawling at the wedding.

Thanks mom for passing on the overly-emotional reactions to all things wedding/baby/happy/sad/ridiculous.

Lastly, I don’t know if I told you about my staycation last week…but it was amazing.

I got to see friends, play with my kitten, go to lunch with the loves of my life, and most importantly…cook and bake.

So during my break I decided to make some things that Mikey would love.

Like something with mushrooms.

Mikey loves mushrooms.

I don’t love mushrooms.

But I love Mikey, so I made this lasagna (which I happened to throughly enjoy)

I had to use these super creepy dried mushrooms that smelled like straight up rotten woods/woodland creatures.

You add them to boiling water and plug your nose.

Norman (our kitten) started acting like a crazy person once he caught the scent of these soaking shrooms.

After you add the dried mushrooms to the boiling water you let them soak for 20 minutes and then drain them.

So there you have the drained Porchini mushrooms as well as some chopped Cremini mushrooms.

I hope this proves my love for Mikey.

There is a white sauce that gets layered onto the meat sauce.

You just melt and whisk until it thickens up to a gravy like substance.

Sautee some onions.

Then chop up some pancetta.

Add the pancetta to the ground chicken and onion mixture.

Then add some white wine and bring that to a boil.

Add a can of chopped tomatoes.

Let it all simmer for about 20 minutes.

Kitten or beast?

Add some basil.

Then layer the bottom of a dish with noodles (I use and HIGHLY recommend using Barilla no boil lasagna. Saves so much time and they taste the same. Use them.).

Spoon some meat sauce onto the noodles.

Then spoon on some white sauce.

(I know I need to invest in a proper lasagna dish)

Keep doing that in layers, finishing with the white sauce.

And top with Parmesan cheese

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is browned and melted on top.

Serve with some warm bread and try not to carb-overload.

Recipe: Chicken and Mushroom Lasagna. 

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, finely chopped

1 lb 2 oz fresh ground chicken (or turkey. Just don’t do it now…it’s being recalled for killing people).

3 1/2 oz smoked Pancetta, chopped

3 1/2 Cups Chopped cremini mushrooms

3 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms, soaked

2/3 cups dry white wine

14 oz canned, chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

9 sheets dried lasagna (Barilla no boil. You have to break a couple in half to make them fit in some pans. It works fine.

3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

Recipe: White Sauce 

2 1/2 cups milk

4 tbsp butter

scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 bay leaf

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the white sauce, heat the milk, butter, flour and bay leaf in a pan, whisking constantly, until smooth and thick.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and let stand.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sautee onions, stirring, for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chicken and pancetta and cook for 6-8 minutes.

Stir in both types of mushrooms and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the wine and bring to a boil.

Pour in the tomatoes, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the basil.

Arrange 3 of the lasagna sheets in a rectangular ovenproof dish.

Then spoon over a third of the meat sauce.

Remove and discard the bay leaf from the white sauce.

Spread a third of the sauce over the meat.

Repeat the layers twice more, finishing with a layer of the white sauce.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve and enjoy!!!!