Not Enough Hours in the Day!

All summer, you gazed wishfully upon your untidy abode, reminding yourself that soon, school will start, and you'll have more time to get things done. For now, you told yourself, I'll just enjoy my children and ignore what can be ignored.

Then, school started, and you found yourself wondering where all of that free time you were promised had gone. PTO meetings, soccer practice, driving kids to cross country meets, attending parent-teacher conferences, baking cupcakes to share with the class for your child's birthday, meeting new parents, shopping, driving.... Oh! So that's where the time went!

What? Is it only me? I swear that I should have more free time in my days! I envisioned myself completing a present I'm working on for a friend who's expecting (and I'm running out of time!), finishing my braided rug, going to the gym... There's simply no time!

So, I look to my kitchen to provide shortcuts where I can. One reliable way to cut time in the kitchen is by using my slow cookers. Here's what's for dinner at my house tonight. I'll upload the final product later (after school, play date, homework, cross country practice, study time, laundry, and cleaning).

Slow Cooker Lasagna
makes a 5 quart crock full

What You Need:

• 1 box uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 2 cups water
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• salt & pepper to taste

How it's Done:

• Grease the inside of your slow cooker's crock.
• Combine cooked beef and pasta sauce. Separately, combine ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella, and the Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper this mixture to taste.
• Layer in the crock in this order:

First, lay down a small amount of meat & sauce.

Break two noodles in half and press them into the meat sauce.

Dot with some cheese mixture.

Repeat until you run out of noodles.

Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.

Pour two cups of water over the top.

• 
  
  Cover and cook on HIGH one hour, then LOW six hours or until dinner, whichever is later.