Quick Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna

Another great recipe shared by my dear friend, Natalie.  She actually got this one from Bon Appetit... and it is G-O-O-D!

I wish I could share a picture of the goodness with you, but unfortunately my brain wasn't working properly... FAIL.

Anyway, here is the scoop:

If possible, use flat no-cook lasagna noodles: They look and taste more like homemade than the curly kind.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 8-ounce packages sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning blend

1 pound hot or mild Italian sausages, casings removed

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 cup dry red wine

4 2/3 cups marinara sauce (from two 26-ounce jars) I used Lucini Marinara and vodka sauce

1 9-ounce package no-cook lasagna noodles

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

30 slices mozzarella

Grates parmesan

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and seasoning blend; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add sausage and sauté until brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add wine; cook until almost all liquid evaporates, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes.   Add marinara sauce and let cook for a few minutes.

Spread 1.5 cups sauce over bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan.   Place noodles over sauce, forming 1 layer (noodles may overlap slightly). Top with 1/2 of ricotta, then mozzarella slices.   Spoon 1.5 cups sauce over cheese and cover with grated parmesan.  Repeat layering starting with lasagna noodles and ending with sauce topped with parmesan.  Spread with remaining sauce, top with rest of mozzarella and parmesan.

Cover with foil, tenting  to prevent cheese from touching foil. Bake lasagna 45 minutes; remove foil. Bake until bubbling at edges and cheese is browned, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes.

nutritional information Per serving: 603.28 calories (kcal), 48.9 % calories from Fat, 32.78 g fat, 15.96 g saturated Fat, 79.12 mg cholesterol, 34.96 g carbohydrates, 4.61 g dietary fiber, 10.57 g total sugars, 30.35 g net carbohydrates, 35.08 g protein.

*** I cut this recipe in half and with two people, I still had TONS of leftovers!  I served it with Caesar salad and garlic bread.  Blake said it was his favorite recipe yet!

Enjoy!

It's Only WEDNESDAY?!!

So, this week hasn't been the easiest week for me.

It actually started off bad late Saturday when the Sooners lost to Texas Tech.  I knew we might have a tough road to the championship, but I definitely didn't think it would be them that knocked us off.  Plus, now I have to think of a new idea for Blake's birthday present (he was going to get tickets).  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.  : )

Then, Sunday came along.  I had a busy day of running errands, as I was starting work on Monday and wanted to be all prepared.  I woke up a bit sad because my sweet nieces were having a joint birthday party on Sunday.  Since I didn't get back from California until late Saturday, I wasn't able to make the drive down to go... I wasn't a happy camper.  I have NEVER missed anything for either of my nieces and I couldn't believe I wasn't going to get to go to their birthday party.  I mean, how could you not want to see cute moments like this:

I survived Sunday with just a few tears and tried to keep myself busy by getting ready for my first week of work in the new city.

I got to work on Monday (I was actually early, which NEVER happens in the morning- ha) and walked into my office to find out that my computer still hadn't been moved to my office and hooked up.  A few hours later, I finally had a computer, then was on the phone with our IT department for about three hours: first I couldn't get logged in, then my voicemail wasn't working properly, then all my emails had disappeared out of my email folders... they were doing update after update so I couldn't use my computer.  It's kinda hard to work without a computer these days.  : )  I finally went home and was so excited to see that maintenance had finally hooked up my dryer (the vent was messed up)  so I could do laundry for the first time in 2.5 weeks (I thought it would be smart to wait until I moved to do laundry).  So, I threw some laundry in the washer and went into the living room to do some computer work from home.  About 30 minutes later, I decided I wanted to make some cookies and walked into the kitchen to see this:

My washer wasn't hooked up properly... and I had to clean it all up.  And I couldn't call my dad, brother, one of my friend's husbands to help me get it fixed (Blake is AWESOME at a lot of thinks, but being "handy" isn't his specialty).  After the day I had, I lost it and just started bawling on the couch like a baby.

If you know me, I'm not a big cryer... this move has changed that- ha!

Well, Tuesday went much better than Monday... I had a great day of meetings at work, then Blake and I went to shop for me a new table.  It's pretty hard to buy furniture when you're living in an apartment... you don't want to buy furniture specifically for an apartment... you want to buy it for your future house that you have no idea what it will look like.  Anyway, after shopping at about five stores, I found this and fell in love:

Isn't it cute?  I thought it would be great and very versatile... hopefully I think the same thing when I get a house!!!

I went to Blake's house and made dinner (an AWESOME lasagna recipe from, of course, Natalie) that I'll have to blog about later... although I forgot to take a picture of the awesome-ness and did FOUR loads of laundry- that's a lot for one person!!!

So, back to my "fun" week: I woke up this morning to some REALLY itchy eyes.  I looked in the mirror and my bottom eyelids were completely swollen up and bright red.... both of them.  I looked like a freak.  I promptly sent a text to my eye doctor (who happens to be one of my best friend's husband) in Tulsa (I haven't looked into doctors here yet) who told me to wear my glasses for a few days... FAIL.  I decided make-up probably wouldn't be the best either, not to mention it wouldn't cover up ANYTHING.    So, I made the executive decision to work from home today.  I couldn't go in the office looking like this on my third day... I'd scare people!!!  So, Blake told me he was going to watch the World Series with the guys.  I thought I would call some girls and get a happy hour together and have a Girl's Night (I LOVE those)... then it hit me: I'm not in Tulsa anymore... I have no friends in Dallas.  OUCH.  Blake knew something was wrong and kept asking me (unfortunately, I don't hide things well).  I kept saying I was just tired and my eyes hurt (they did).  I didn't want to talk to him about it for a few reasons:
1.  I don't want him to think he can't go have fun with his friends just because I'm new here.  He has every right to have guy's nights (I for one, love my girl time!!) and I want him to have fun with his friends.
2.  I knew I wouldn't be able to express that I missed my friends and family tremendously without crying (did I mention I'm not normally a cryer??)
3.  I know I'm stronger than how I'm acting.

Anyway, after a sad morning, I forced myself to get out of the house and run some errands.  I also received some great advice tonight... that the "enemy" is doing this to make me question my decision and bring me down.  Trial after trial might happen, but I just have to stay strong and fight the battle.

Between you and me: I'm ready for the "battle" to be over.  : )

Going, Going, Going to Cali, Cali, Cali!

I had the awesome opportunity to attend a mortgage/ sales conference in Desert Palm, California called "Sales Mastery".  I went back and forth about going since I would only be in Dallas for 3 days before having to leave again.  I am so glad I decided to.  I stayed at this beautiful resort:

However, I didn't have much time to enjoy it because I had 30 hours of sales training in 2.5 days!!!  It was awesome!!  I was fortunate enough not only to meet/ hangout with/ learn from some of the best mortgage originators in the world (people came from Canada and Australia for this!), but also some of the best sales people in the world.

I completely dorked out and acted like a tourist, carrying my camera with me everywhere I went.  : )  I was able to snag some great pictures though!

Todd Duncan is the man who put the seminar together- it used to be a yearly thing, but with the "Mortgage Meltdown", it was decided that "Sales Mastery" would be put on hiatus.  He also found out his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and only given three months to live.  She unfortunately lost her battle and passed away about two years ago.  He spoke about the lessons learned from her legacy.  Here are some that struck me:
1.  Always give 100% in your relationships and never expect anything in return.  This will cause you to have amazing relationships.
2.  "Making Money" vs. "Making Memories"- Never say "no" to a memory making moment because it will never present itself again.  You never know how long you have with those people and if there will be an opportunity to make the memory later.  Make sure to take pictures of all the memories, as those will last a lifetime (I'm really trying to get better with the camera!).

Those are just a couple, but his speeches have changed me forever.  You can read Sheryl's personal blog here.

Here's Todd and me (Documented Dork Moment #1):

I also got to see Tim Sanders speak- what a stud.  He is a former Yahoo! executive and has three best-selling books- one of my favorites is "Love is the Killer App".  His time speaking brought the room to tears, as he is on a mission to make every person think about their purpose and what they're bringing not only to their work, but to the world.  I got some autographed books and snagged a picture with him (Documented Dork Moment #2):

I also got to see my business coach, Bill Hart in person... he is a stud.  I was able to meet him about two years ago in person, where I hired him as a coach shortly after.  I speak with him every other week and he holds me accountable for not only my work goals, but also my life goals.  It's funny someone can know every aspect of your life and you never get to see them!

Bill is a huge supporter of The Boot Campaign.  Here's a bit about the charity: The Boot Campaign is a grassroots initiative started by five women from Texas known as the Boot Girls. The campaign provides an easy and tangible way for Americans to show appreciation for troops (both past and present), raise awareness of the challenges they face upon return and donate funds to charities supporting their transition home. Proceeds from boot sales are donated to partner charities, who assist returning veterans and active troops dealing with emotional, mental and physical issues. 


He had his boots on!

After all the training, I got to head back to Dallas Saturday night- one thing I am already LOVING about Dallas is the whole direct-flight thing... it's great!


I returned to my apartment to see this:

Blake got me the most beautiful flowers, as well as a gift certificate for a cooking class here in Dallas... sweetest boyfriend ever!  Guess he already knew he should be giving 100%.  ; )


I have some great meals planned this week, starting at my new job AND I'm hosting the Halloween pre-party at my house Saturday night... it's going to be a busy week (I'll find a time to get my apartment finished sometime in there since I'll have a house-full of people coming to see it).  Have a great week!!!

Tortellini Soup... yum!

I am kinda moved into my apartment... yay!  I was here a whole three days before I left for California for a mortgage convention (more about that in the next post).  As soon as I have it decorated, I'll post pictures.  I'm just not quite ready to show it off yet.  : )

I did get to make my first meal at my new place, which I was super excited about.  It's so nice to have someone to cook for... it's no fun cooking just for me.  

Anyway, the first night Blake cooked me dinner... I was pretty impressed with his salad and he cooked the chicken perfectly!

Doesn't it look like he got it at a restaurant??  If I didn't see him doing it, I would have thought he was trying to pull a fast one on me.  : )

Anyway, I decided to go with the Feta Dip for starters... I've had this a few times now and it is so easy and never disappoints!

You can find the recipe here.  Enjoy!

I then decided to make the best Tortellini Soup ever... My friend Natalie gave me this recipe and it will change your life!  

It's not the best picture, but it will give you an idea.  : )  Here's what you need:

- 1 pound Italian Sausage

- 1 cup chopped onion

- 2 large garlic cloves, sliced 

- 5 cups of beef broth (I always add a bit extra)

- 2 cans diced tomatoes

- 8 ounce can of tomato sauce

- 1 large zucchini, sliced

- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced

- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced

- 1/2 cup dry red wine

- 2 teaspoons dried basil

- 2 teaspoons dried oregano

- 8-10 ounces cheese tortellini

- freshly grated parmesan

Saute Italian Sausage in Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through, then transfer to a large bowl.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon from Dutch oven.  Add onions and garlic, saute.  Return sausage to Dutch oven.  Add stock, tomatoes, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, wine, basil, oregano.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.  Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.  Season the soup with salt and pepper and throw on grated parmesan on top.  ENJOY!!

Oh, I got new prep bowls from Anthropology... aren't they adorable??

 

Hurry and make the soup... your man will LOVE you for it!  : )

Moving Day!!!

I am not a morning person.... period.  This morning I had to wake up at 6 to meet my brother at the UHaul store so I wouldn't have to drive it myself (you're welcome, Tulsa).

I don't think the move has still completely set in, although this made it a bit more real:

Then, this made it way more real:

I hired movers to pack me up here in Tulsa- thank goodness because I don't think we could have made everything fit if we did it ourselves... it was like a really hard game of Tetris.

I ran back to drop some stuff off at my brother and sister-in-laws and got to witness this:

I'm not going to miss them, I'm not going to miss them, I'm not going to miss them.... maybe if I say it enough times, I'll start believing it?!

My dad came over afterwards to help me move a few more things... he also drove the UHaul over to my brother's (again, you're welcome, Tulsa) so that we all can get up and leave first thing in the morning (when you live in Oklahoma, you have to plan your move around football kick-off times).  We did decide to take a bit of a break so my dad could give Paige and me a quick golf lesson (this will probably be the last one he gives us):

In case you didn't know, golf is way harder than it looks.

It was a great last day in Tulsa and so far, the move has gone pretty smoothly (thank you, movers).  Can't believe I will be a Texan tomorrow!  I'll post pics of my new apartment as soon as I get it set up.  : )

All I do is PIN, PIN, PIN

If you haven't heard of Pinterest, you've been living in a hole.  This is the most amazing, most addicting website in the world.  My friends and I are such leaders, we were pinning before pinning was cool.  My friend, Sarah, came up with the amazing idea that we should have "Pinterest Parties"... BEST IDEA EVER.  For the last few months, we have a host who has the party at their house (and they choose the theme) and is in charge of the main dish, then the rest of us make appetizers, sides, etc... all our recipes are found on pinterest.com.  The husbands/ boyfriends love it as well, as they get to enjoy all the fun food we make!

Tonight was my last Pinterest before the big move.  : (  I came in to see this cute sign:

Then, it was dinner time!!!  We enjoyed all these fun dishes:

Amy thought she cooked her rolls a bit too long so was a bit sad:

They were still so good, despite them being a bit brown.

Actually, everything was soooo good!  I was the slacker tonight and didn't bring anything, as my kitchen was already completely packed and ready for the big move.



I also got to see these two cute girls (Emily and Allison's sweet babies):

They are the funniest little kids and always make me laugh... Cate looks just like her father and acts just like her mother, and Finley looks just like her mother and acts just like her father... they love to put on a show!

We took our last group Pinterest picture (actually, I'll be on the computer "skyped" in for the next ones):

Then, they got me the sweetest going away gift:

It's so crazy how you can get so close to a group of girls in such a short time.  Over the past year and a half, these girls have become some of my best friends.  I am going to miss them more than they know.  Girls: Thank you all for loving me and making me smile when times were tough.  I love you and can't wait for you all to make the trip down to Dallas so we can show that town what FUN is all about!!!

Date Time with Valerie!

One of the many things I absolutely love about my job:  random holidays off!  For example, today I was able to celebrate Columbus Day with one of my sweet nieces.  Not only was it great to have an extra day to recover from OU/ texas weekend, but it was even better to have some one-on-one time before I make the big move.

I went and met up with Valerie (my almost-5 year old niece), Paige (my sis-in-law) and Tori (my almost-2 year old niece) at The Brook for some mac and cheese.

After we ate our hearts out, we ran by to see my dad (her Papa) to say hi since we had a little time to spare before seeing The Lion King in 3D.  My dad was still babysitting Rylee from the weekend, so Valerie helped Rylee get a little energy out before we left.

We then jumped in the car and headed out to the movie.  I think this was the most fun I've ever had watching a movie, just because Val's commentary was HILARIOUS!

I can't believe this little baby will be 5 this month... it really seems like just yesterday I rushed out of work to meet her at the hospital for the first time.  Her little personality has developed so much (hence the picture above).

I'm so grateful that we got to spend the day together and have some quality time.

Of course, I had to see this sweet thing when our Date Day was over:

Best Columbus Day EVER!!!  : )

My Last Month In Tulsa

With my move to Dallas less than a week away, I have been spending as much time as possible with my family and friends (and trying to take as many pictures as possible while doing so).  Here's a little picture documentation of what I've been up to:

My family and I headed down to Norman to cheer on the Sooners for the game against Tulsa.  It was the first time my whole family has been there and a complete BLAST!!!  We definitely must make this a yearly tradition!

The next week, my awesome co-workers pictured above (Kyle and Mickey) threw me a going away party.  Over the past few years, I have gotten so close to these two, not to mention a handful of others at the bank.  Kyle, Mickey and I refer to ourselves as the "3 Best Friends that Anyone Has Ever Had" and find ourselves having too much fun a little too often.  : )  I am going to miss them so much!!

Chris (pictured above) has been with me since I started my career as a mortgage lender- she's truly become one of my greatest friends and been so helpful to me while growing my business.  She is actually going to be taking over my book of business here in Tulsa while I move on to build it again in Dallas.  I'm so excited to see how well she does!

The next night was Teresa and Kelli's 30th Birthday celebration... 80's style.  It was a complete blast!!!  I don't know what it is, but something about looking like an idiot makes you have so much more fun!

My family came with me to church on the following Sunday so I could give my preacher, Charlie a big hug before I hit the road.  Over the past six months, my life has COMPLETELY changed directions and I don't know if I could have gotten through everything without Charlie.  He has stood beside me, given me great support and helped me feel confident in all the big decisions I've had to make over the past few months.  Of course, I had to grab a picture with my sweet nieces... aren't they the cutest?!!

Then, it was time for my favorite weekend of the year: OU/ texas!!!

Blake and his friends throw the annual OU/texas eve party every year... it's always such a fun time and so great to see old friends and make some new ones.  Tawna and Bobby came down too, so it was great to have some Tulsa peeps there as well!

We all got up super early to meet everyone for breakfast, then head for some fair action before the game.

I then met up with Christina (one of my only Tulsa Sooners) and had a blast at the game cheering on our Sooners for a HUGE victory over Texas.  It was one of the most fun games I've ever witnessed!

After taking a quick nap, we went to dinner at Todd and Stephanie's and I got to meet their new little baby Macy.  We then headed out to meet some of Blake's friends even though we were exhausted (and I was apparently sunburned from the game- ha!).

Confession: I might possibly be the worst dancer in the entire world, but for some reason, you give me a cocktail or two, and I think I am a professional.  The only thing that could possibly make my skill somewhat acceptable is that I am dating someone who has the same problem.  We decided to put on a bit of a show for the crowd... complete with spinning, dipping, and Blake doing some random knee slapping and pelvic thrusts... I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time (but probably not as hard as the people watching this train wreck).

All in all, the past month has been a complete blast!  Now I'm getting ready for a week full of closing down my Tulsa business, quite a bit of packing, and a lot of goodbyes.  : (