Sundays with Jerome: Slow cooker Pesto, Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

What an amazing weekend! I have so much to say because so much was accomplished. This was my weekend to start getting rid of junk and cleaning up the yard to start making room for Averie. When I got home on Friday, the two Rent-A-Bins I ordered were eagerly awaiting to be filled. They were empty and it was difficult for me not to start working immediately.

Saturday morning came quickly and I originally had planned on getting up to run. Unfortunately it was drizzling heavily and I wasn't in the mood to go out and run, especially because I hadn't run in about 6 months. A few miles here and there but nothing serious. Jen and I decided to get coffee first and we hoped that by the time we got back that the drizzle would subside. Lucky for us, the drizzle had stopped and so it began. I started with the backyard ivy that had encompassed the neighbors fence and was creeping into my yard. I figured like it was going to be an easy task. Just a few snips here and there and I could take it right off. However, just like all the jobs I think that will be easy, the vines were all tangled and the thick branches/vines ended up going in between our wall and the neighbors fence. I knew I had to just tackle it so I just went for it.

Along with the ivy, the garden was overgrown too because I was hoping it would just die so I could begin to plant the winter crops. But from the rain and then the sun we have been having, the tomatoes and tomatillos, along with the zucchini and bell peppers, have all been thriving.

Much to my surprise, it only ended up taking about 2 hours and the finished look is not everything I had hoped for but it's so much cleaner and we can now see the animals that run across the fence.

The garden was cleaned out with a few survivors in order to plant next weekend.

After finishing the backyard it was now time to start the front. I figured the front big tree would be really simple because I just needed to trim a few key branches and it will begin to look thinned out. LIttle did I know, Each branch had like 4-5 more branches sprouting off of them and it was much more full then I imagined. I started with a ladder and began cutting branches as high as I could reach but soon realized that it wasn't very safe and I was going to have to climb up into the tree. For all of you that have heard of my past projects, you know that I always get hurt somehow. I myself even thought of this as I was taking my step onto the first branch. One thing led to another and I trimmed one side REALLY short. This wouldn't be a problem but I then dreaded the fact that I had to thin the other side just as much. I kind of screwed myself but I knew it would be great in the long run. The balancing of myself on the branches with shears in my hand must have been hysterical to see from the street but I was tired and kind of terrified. Never once did I feel like I was going to fall but I kept imaging a branch breaking and me falling on the shears or something snapping off and lodging itself in my eye. Well, let me tell you...the tip of the shears did break. I don't know where it shot off but luckily it wasn't in my eye. I soon put on eyewear right after that. 4 hours later I finished the tree and I was very happy.

Now being exhausted from a hard days work, we rushed off to our friend's moms 75th birthday. Gloria looked amazing as always and her mom, who is in her 90s was walking around and loving life as well. That family has amazing genes.

Sunday morning arrived and Lola got me up at about 715 because she had to eat. She knows she gets chicken in the morning so if it is after 630 she jumps and hops on the bed and comes over and sits on my neck. She cracks me up. Needless to say, it was early and I decided since I was up I might as well go for a run before church. I started my normal route and was only going to run a few miles. The weather was perfect. There were a few clouds and it was crisp out. I was feeling good so I decided to keep running. After all was said and done, i ran 6.5 miles with a pace of 8:58. I felt alive. It was what I needed. Unfortunately I missed the first service of church but God and I connected during my run and I felt refreshed. Jen and I did our ritual of coffee, errands and grocery shopping for the week and then laundry when we got home. It was the perfect Sunday.

For dinner, I slow cooked a Pesto, mushroom and Spinach lasagna out of cooking light magazine. The flavor was AMAZING! The noodles seemed a little overcooked but not too overcooked. I can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow. Here is the recipe:

No-boil lasagna noodles are perfect for this recipe, as they absorb all the juices that accumulate in the crockpot. Use 2 (10-ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach in place of fresh, if you prefer. Also, any mushroom will work.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups torn spinach
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup commercial pesto
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
• 1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 (25.5-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Preparation

Arrange the spinach in a vegetable steamer; steam, covered, 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain, squeeze dry, and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms, and pesto in a medium bowl, stirring to combine; set aside.

Combine mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and beaten egg in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, and set aside. Combine the pasta sauce and the tomato sauce in a medium bowl.

Spread 1 cup pasta sauce mixture in the bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce mixture; top with 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with spinach mixture. Arrange 3 noodles over spinach mixture; top with remaining 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup pasta sauce mixture. Place remaining 3 noodles over sauce mixture; spread remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with lid; cook on LOW 5 hours or until done.

I modified this recipe a little. I sauteed an onion with the mushroom and added that to the spinach and pesto mixture. I also added a can of diced tomatoes that were italian seasoned to the pasta sauce mixture. Don't know if I needed it but I thought it might enhance it. At the very end, I probably would have cooked the lasagna for 4 hours instead of 5 but I will definitely be making this again. Have a great week.