fresh –n– crispy

First, a little business: I have permission to post this strip on my blog for 60 days. I can’t figure any way to do that except to delete it and repost it. I’d love an assist from any Blogger buddies who can help me get it in the banner for the next few weeks. ;)

This morning we walked to the bus stop and felt something we hadn’t felt most of the holiday break … crisp winter air in our lungs. It was refreshing after a few days of relatively cool temperatures and a lot of rain. St. Louis can have a soupy quality, much more tolerable these days than it is, say, in August. Fifty-five and humid vs. 105 and humid. All take the past few days, thanks.

But there’s something to be said for seeing your breath on a January morning. That fresh smell of cold penetrates your nose and crisps your lungs. It’s oddly invigorating.

Everywhere I turn I find people truly energized by the coming of this New Year. They’re posting new calendars, waiting for the freshly unwrapped pages to flatten out against the wall. Moving their hands across the crisp, clean blocks that wait to be filled with the daily happenings of 2007 … Lucky ’07. Some are trying again at familiar resolutions. Others are hoping to keep up what they successfully started in 2006. Some are saving money to build a house. Some are clearing clutter to make changes to their current homes. Some are helping their high-school seniors finalize college decisions. They’re all planning ahead, which seems like a good theme for this month. It’s key to getting into the family meal habit. And working ahead is a multi-faceted strategy, from menu to shopping to cooking, so we’ll turn this gem all around and catch as much light as we can with it. Starting with a date. Pick one from among the blank squares left this month or next and mark down “Family Meal.” They say making an appointment with yourself is a good way to build in a little “me-time.” Make an appointment with the people you share a home with and the next plan will make will be a menu.

As for me, I’m trying to stretch my list of regularly reccuring meals, looking for fresh, crisp, recipes. But fresh and crisp don’t usually describe January comfort foods, so it’s back to the Crock-Pot this karate night, thanks to this oldie-but-goodie from my mom.

Lazy Lasagna
1½ lbs. Italian Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 8-oz. package pepperoni
1 4-oz. can mushroom pieces and stems
1 14-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 14-oz. jar pizza sauce
1 12-oz. package kluski or egg noodles, cooked and drained
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Remove sausage from casing. Brown with onion over medium heat. Drain off grease. Add spaghetti and pizza sauces and simmer about 5 minutes. Layer in Crock-Pot as follows: meat mixture, noodles, cheeses, pepperoni and mushrooms. Pot should be full. Cook on low heat until the cheeses melt, about 1½ hours.