Today’s question is: Why does combining loves always create something spectacular?


Background: I love sweet potatoes and quinoa.  I love lasagna.  There is nothing in my mind better than mixing things I love into a new dish. Here is something I made up especially for Meatless Monday. Enjoy.


Sweet Potato and Quinoa Lasagna

4-5 sweet potatoes sliced
1Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground cumin, ground coriander, and paprika; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, quinoa, and coarse salt; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 16 minutes.


While the quinoa is cooking melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy sauce pan over medium heat, add flour and blend well with a whisk.  Gradually whisk in the milk and then the wine, stirring as you go.  Bring to a low boil, turn down the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens.  Add 1/4 cup of Fontina cheese, blend well.  Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.


In a medium sized bowl combine the cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese and parsley, mix well.


Oil a 9×13 pan and layer the noodles first.  Add half the cottage cheese mixture on top of the noodles.  Next add half the roasted sweet potatoes.  Top the sweet potatoes with half the quinoa.  Now pour half the sauce over the quinoa and add half the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat all layers.


Bake in oven (350F) for 1 hour.  Let sit to cool slightly before serving.  Serves 8.

Today’s question is:  Why are tweens so emotional?

Background:  This is a rhetorical question.  I know why, hormones.  But seriously, did you know that I am  the worst mom ever?  I’m serious, THE WORST.

I have singlehandedly caused my lovely daughter to tell me that she “hates her life”.  Why?, why do you think she hates her life exactly?  Well, it’s because 1. I asked (ok I told) her to clean her room and 2. I made her practice her piano, which, for the record, she claimed she didn’t remember and then played perfectly for 10 minutes straight.  Go figure.

Ahh the life of the tween.  Mean mom, checking her email and making her clean her room and practice her piano.  I just need to remind myself that “this too shall pass”.

I have found that whenever I let her yell and scream and slam her door and tell me what a horrible mother I am, she takes some time to herself, calms down and always comes down to apologize.  I know it’s all part of growing up.  Somedays it is just harder than others.

Today’s question is:  Who throws a birthday party, takes the kids to a movie they didn’t tell the parents they were taking them to and then leaves them at the movie to go out to dinner with their spouse?

Background: A crazy parent?  A friend of mine with a 5th grader told me this story.

This party was a sleepover and the parent of the child having the party never mentioned they might be going to a movie, a pg-13 movie.  But nevertheless, off to the movies the family and the birthday party went.  They got the kids all situated (4 birthday friends and 4 boys in the family ranging in age from about 4 years until 13 or 14 years) and then the parents said, “hey we’re going to to get dinner, we’ll be back for you once the movie is over”, and off they went.

No joke.

Who does that?

So my other question is, did they have a drink or two while enjoying their dinner?  This whole birthday party makes me wonder about how some people think.  Am I the only one who is completely blow away by this situation?