DIY and Recipe Rehab

Curse you Dish Network!  Free DIY.. just when my HGTV jones was going away.  We spent the whole rainy weekend (and the past week's sick days) watching the "free" (remember that $20 access fee?) DIY network.  While I think I've just about had my fill of yard/home/bath Crashers, what I can't get enough of is the Rehab Addict show.  It has everything I like.  Old homes, restored/updated while keeping the original feel of the history of the house, someone who puts in the hard work to do the work right (no crazy, cheap design choices and questionable work a la Flipper shows) plus it's all in MN/Minneapolis.  I love getting little bits of recognition of where they are.  All while dreaming of the life/house we might have had.. had we stayed in MN.

It's not that I regret moving to CA. Not at all.  The show just feeds that side of the brain that wonders what our old life might have looked like.  (shoveling snow and all) Plus to see those big, cool, old houses .. for those little prices!!!  DAMMIT.  You'd never find that here.

DIY is teasing me with this next season.. I know I'll never see the finished houses.  GAHHH


Recipe tried this weekend.

Sausage, Chard, and Lemon Lasagna (I used Kale in place of Chard)
Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 1 hour 

A layer of refreshing lemon slices brightens every bite of this lasagna made of sweet Italian sausage and Swiss chard. Instead of tomato sauce, the dish is made with a creamy and cheesy white sauce. Ingredients Serves 4. 

 * 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 cups whole milk
* 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
 * 5 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
* 1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
* 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
* 6 no-boil lasagna noodles, preferably Barilla Directions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in flour; cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in 3/4 cup cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in chard.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage in a skillet over high heat, breaking up pieces, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
3. Cover lemon slices with cold water by 3 inches in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.
4. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in an 8-inch square nonreactive baking dish. Top with 2 noodles, half the sausage, and 1 cup sauce. Repeat. Top with a layer of lemons, 2 noodles, then remaining sauce and lemons. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, for 27 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Heat broiler. Uncover lasagna; top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Broil until bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

Verdict:

Maybe make again. I liked it.  It was different  and easy enough that it would be good for a dinner party. Not sure if it is one of those recipes that I will think about a lot and keep going back to.  

For some reason I had it in my head that the recipe called for kale not chard.  I think besides a slight texture difference, it wouldn't be much different with the chard.  The lemon added a nice "bright" flavor.  I cut them super thin and they sort of fell apart, but I'm not sure if I would have liked getting bigger chunks of lemon.  I think I'd keep them thin like that.. with maybe a couple thicker slices on top if I wanted to make it look nice. 

The Science of (Lack of) Sleep

Month 9- The kid is on a new kick of waking up at least once in the night, crying almost inconsolably until Jen comes in and nurses him. We're sure it's a combo of his new teeth coming in plus the fact that he's decided that drinking from a bottle is B.S.

Where is the quiet little lump that used to fall asleep fuss free at 7:30 and sleep straight through till at least 6 am? It's actually not TOO bad, but man, as a guy who's accustomed to a nice night's sleep, it's a little rough. I never understood movies where the hero or heroine would go off on a full night adventure, never once feeling the effects of sleep deprivation. If it was me, the world would be doomed because I would try and catch a nap on the park bench while the villain read the Necronomicon down the block.