Another Busy Day at 2 little Boys

Yesteraday was a busy but fun day here at 2 little Boys.  The kitchen was bustling and hot all day long.  We of course were doing laundry which is located in our kitchen, we made our final Christmas cookies, and I made dinner for my beautiful niece and her boyfriend.  Can you say multi-tasking????

Top of my list was to make the cookie dough for the shortbread cookies that my MoG and Davey would make into cute little Christmas shapes (using the Pampered Chef cookie press gun of course).  We do two different versions of the shortbread cookie, regular with food coloring in it and chocolate.

Regular Shortbread Cookie Recipe:
2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all purpose flower
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
(Optional, add food coloring of your choice to the dough)

1.  Combine all ingredients
2.  Press into ungreased pans OR roll out to about 1/2 inch on floured board and cut into shapes (Or use a cookie press)
3.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookie Recipe
2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 oz. chocolate, melted in double boiler
2 cups flour

1.  Cream butter and sugar until smooth
2.  Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate
3.  Stir in flour
4.  Press into ungreased pans OR roll out to about 1/2 inch on floured board and cut into shapes (Or use a cookie press)
5.  Bake at 300 for 40 to 45 minutes

While the boys were busy shaping cookies I was in the kitchen making my famous lasagna.  I am known in the family for making a White Lasagna.  I came up with a white lasagna and a white pizza recipe because of my reflux and not wanting to give up two of my favorite foods.  The last time Cassi and her boyfriend Luther were over for family card night, we had made my white pizza and of course my MoG's famous HUGE meat pizza (totally another post).  So I am going to share my much coveted White Lasagna and you can throw roses at me later, HA!

White Lasagna Recipe
1 jar of your favorite Alfredo sauce
1 large container of Small Curd Cottage Cheese
1 can of mushrooms finely chopped (optional)
1-2 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 lb. of ground beef (OR 1/2 lb of ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground turkey)
Lasagna Noodles (BOILED)
Mozzarella cheese, grated

1.  Brown the ground beef and ground turkey until no longer pink, drain and put in a large bowl

2.  In a large bowl combine the browned meat, alfredo sauce, cottage cheese, mushrooms, and garlic
3.  Boil 8-12 noodles depending on how deep your lasanga pan is (I use a 13 x 9 glass pyrex casserole dish)
4.  Run cold water over noodles until you can safely put your hands into the pot of water  with the noodles
5.  Spoon some sauce into the bottom of greezed casserole dish and spread out, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce, layer on 3 noodles side by side.  Sauce, Cheese, Noodles, repeat.  You should be able to get a minimum of 3 noodle layers, topping with a final layer of sauce and cheese.

6.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I also made a Red Lasagna and served them with garlic bread,  and salad.  We had such a good time together and we watched Alvin and the Chipmunks after dinner.  Of course I almost went to sleep on the sofa because the day had been so busy (Luther did fall asleep because he had stuffed himself sampling both lasanga's, Good For Him!).

That is the end of my Chrismtas baking for this season.  My next big culinary event will be out Family Christmas SoupBowl on the 26th.  To add some adventrue to our celebrations this year, we are having each adult couple make a soup and then we will judge them to see which one is the best.  So come back later next week for the recipe to the soup I choose to enter.  FUN FUN!