Garden Lasagna and Garden Lasagna Round 2!

I am an experimental cooker...my mom rarely followed a recipe but just "followed the pantry". She would look at what she had and then just make something yummy (which I am glad I was taught to cook this way because it makes meals a lot cheaper!!). Ive been trying more and more to do that with the garden and make something from whatever I pick out of the garden that day...using as many "garden items" as possible in each dish. Well what is easier to do that with than a lasagna...but I will admit I am not a very good lasagna cook, I just haven't had that much experience in lasagnas...but Ill learn.

Gathered some Arugula, Basil, cherry tomatoes, squash and broccoli that day (no, i didn't use all that arugula, just about a quarter of that)

I made a roux (2tbl butter, 2tbl flour... sauteed with some diced onions and garlic and add 2 cups of milk) and poured this throughout the layers. (I didnt get a good picture of this, but will try to post one the next time I do a roux)

I started off by laying down some lasagna noodles and topping it with yellow squash, broccoli, and cheese.

Then I did another layer of noodles topped with tomatoes (which I wish I would have had more, but Henry and Addie kept eating them!), arugula, basil and cheese. (I topped one side with some diced chicken and extra cheese for Bryan)

Baked at 350 for about 30 minutes

We only ate about half of this lasagna...so ROUND 2 the next night :) I laid out the leftovers and cut it all up, then put it in a bowl with some extra spices (so no one would know it was the same dinner as last night) and topped it with some bread crumbs and herbs and baked it at 350 for about 10 minutes.

To serve I drizzled some olive oil ans fresh spices over the top along with some cut fresh tomatoes (the tomatoes really help get the kids to the table FAST!)

The bread crumbs and extra spices really help to make any casserole type dish a good Round 2 dinner :)

Quick Pizza using a Flour Tortilla

It was lunch time yesterday and I didnt have anything ready to go...oops. So I grabbed a tortilla shell out of the fridge and Addie helped me "decorate" it and we made a quick pizza with some veggies and herbs from the garden.
It turned out great and super easy!!

Addie putting the cheese on the flour tortillas

Cheese, Tomatoes, Basil and Arugula

Addies helping :)

Addie got a good picture of her feet...mostly these are the only kinds of pictures the kids take!

Addie wanted to take a picture of me and the "grubbies" ...this is one of about 20 pictures that Addie took and this is pretty much the only one that isnt completely blurry :)

Into the oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

They were crispy and yummy...a perfect lunch for me and the kids :)

I have quite a bit of arugula, basil and tomatoes and since the little Tortilla Pizzas turned out so good I thought Id just make a similar pizza for dinner...

Addie helps me get the pizza dough all ready (pizza dough recipe here)

Then we topped it with our toppings and baked it at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes and tada :)

Blossoms and Baby vegetables!

Jalapenos!

Squash!

Green Bean Blossoms

Eggplant Blossom

Our first pumpkin is just starting to form...its about the size of a dime and it is too cute :)

Pumpkin Blossoms

Watermelon blossoms

Cute little watermelon :)

Some of the carrots were too close together so we thinned them out and had a pretty good handful of baby carrots...Henry was SO excitted!! He helped plant these seeds and has been super excitted about the carrots the whole time so now he is finally holding them and just cant contain himself :)

And with all this wonderful success from the garden I have to show you an utter failure!! Spinach! I have no idea what happened...but this is definately NOT successful spinach!

I keep trying to get a picture of the tomatoes, but it is literally impossible to get a picture of the cute little cherry tomatoes...because they get eaten SO fast! Henry and Addie love running out to the garden and checking for all the red tomatoes...then they eat them! If I dont beat them out to the garden all the tomatoes are gone! It really doesnt bother me because I know it is all really good for them ... but eventually I would love to get a picture of a red tomato :)

Frozen Cookie Batter! Dont buy frozen cookie dough again!!

Next time you bake some cookies, double (or triple) the recipe and freeze some for later! It makes it really easy to have some last minute cookies...just pull the bag out of the freezer, cut the batter, place your cookies on your cookie sheet and bake! Its seriously that easy. . Every cookie recipe I have tried has worked great like this.

Dont forget to label and date your bag...as well as write the time and temperature for baking.