Oven Ready Lasagne Noodles?!

Such a thing exists?! Actually I knew it did but had completely forgotten until I saw them at Target this week. I hate making lasagne, absolutely hate it. I hate getting out my huge pot that takes 60 years for the water to boil, then waiting for all the noodles to get soft enough to start falling into the pot and boil, then waiting for them to cool so I can touch them...the whole process is very frustrating to me. I know, I'm making it a big deal. But it's enough for me to never make it...and I don't. UNTIL TODAY!

All I had to do was brown my ground beef, add sauce, mix the ricotta cheese with eggs, mozzarella and parmesan and set up the assembly line! It was a cinch and ready in an hour. I served it with a pre-packaged Caesar salad and got out a baguette I had in the freezer, cut it up into slices, drizzled olive oil over it and stuck it in the oven on broil. When it was nice and browned, I scraped a clove of garlic over each slice. The result=delicious home made garlic bread the cheap way! Woot!

So, even though Barilla isn't paying me to say this (although I wish they were....free pasta?! AMAZING!)....go get yourself a box of Oven Ready Lasagne!!

Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

Here is a great summer salad. The strawberries are cheap and super juicy and delicious right now so take advantage and make this! This recipe comes from my friend Ashley Carlson! She was kind enough to share this recipe with me after she made it for our friend Sarah's baby shower. We all loved it and I knew I had to share it with you all!

This salad is sweet but not overbearing. The almonds and the brie cheese really balance it all out. You have got to try this. Make it a meal by adding some grilled chicken or shrimp. Yum!!

Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

2 heads romaine lettuce
– chopped 2 qts. strawberries, sliced
1 Brie cheese – cubed and peeled
1 cp. toasted slivered almonds (sauté almonds in butter and sugar – to caramelize)

Poppy Seed Dressing:
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp salt
½ cup white vinegar
1 ½ tbsp. grated onion
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tbsp. poppy seeds

Make the dressing the night before. Mix in a blender then pour into a jar so it can be shaken just prior to pouring over the salad.