Popovers

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 even pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a popover pan, then preheat pan in oven for about 2 minutes.

Mix the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter for about 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream.

Place 1 small piece of butter in each cup and place the pan back in the oven until the butter is bubbly (about 1 minute).

Fill each cup half full with batter. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer.

Lasagna

Here's a pretty easy and very tasty recipe for some good old-fashioned comfort food. With plenty of cheese and plenty of meat, this lasagna is sure to be a hit. Check out the tip at the bottom about preparing an extra lasagna for the freezer!

Ingredients:

- 8 oz lasagna noodles (9 or 10 noodles)
- 2 lb ground beef
- two 24-26-oz jars of spaghetti sauce
- 1 egg, beaten
- 12-15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain.

Remove the cooked beef from heat and stir in the spaghetti sauce.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, 2 1/4 cups of mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Drain the lasagna noodles.

Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer three noodles over the meat sauce. Spread 1 cup cheese mixture, then 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over the noodles. Repeat the layering, ending with 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 1/2 cups meat sauce spread over the last 3 or 4 noodles.

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese (3/4 cup) and the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

*The recipe can be doubled, and the second lasagna covered and frozen prior to cooking. To prepare, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 375 for 60-70 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Granola Bars

Looking for a healthy homemade snack? Look no further than these Granola Bars. With oats, rice krispies, and whole wheat flour, you can add in whatever nuts and fruit you like. Here are some of my suggestions: (1) chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts; (2) butterscotch chips, chopped dried apricots, and chopped dried pecans; or (3) chocolate and peanut butter chips, peanuts, and raisins.

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

- 2 cups oats
- 1 1/2 cups rice krispies
- 1/3 cup chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips
- 1/4 cup chopped dried fruit (e.g. cranberries, raisins, apricots)
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Separately, combine the next 4 ingredients, then add them to the first mixture.

Stir in the remaining 5 ingredients.

Press into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a rack then cut and store in an airtight container.