This Rainy Friday

It's an overcast, drizzly, sometimes rainy, Friday.  Supposed to be this way all weekend.

Just gray and damp.

I'm so glad that mom was here last week/weekend when the weather couldn't have been more perfect.


It's a stay-in-doors-and-putter-around-the-house kind of day.  The music is playing and I have eight, lazily content, sleeping dogs scattered about; some on the couch using the arm rests as a pillow, some curled up on area rugs, and a couple have positioned themselves loyally at my feet. 

By 10 AM, I had dinner prepared and ready to throw in the oven when hubby gets home.  It's THAT kind of day. 

I had some ingredients to use up from when mom was here... lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese (but not enough for another lasagna), some diced chicken breast, broccoli, mushrooms... 

I decided to concoct some sort of lasagna-alfredo roll-up thing.  Here's how it went:

1-ish cup (+/-) of ricotta cheese
1 cup of cooked, diced chicken breast
1/2 cup (5 or 6, depending on size) sauteed mushrooms
1/2 cup relatively finely chopped broccoli florets
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
few shakes of grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg

Combine those ingredients and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook 6 lasagna noodles that you have (carefully) broken in half, so you have a dozen pieces.  When cooked to al dente, drain and rinse in cool water to make them easy to handle.  Lay the pieces flat and roll up a heaping spoonful of the cheese/chicken mixture in each one.  Place in a 8 or 9 inch square pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

As you see... I have to find another way to use up the chicken, broccoli and mushrooms... I still have some left!



Pour about a cup of your favorite alfredo sauce over the top.  I don't typically use jarred sauce, so I made some...  butter, cream, garlic and Parmesan cheese.

Top it with a handful of mozzarella and a few sprinkles of Parmesan and, as in my case, cover and refrigerate until you're ready to bake.

I'll probably bake it at about 350 for 30-40 minutes, and I might cover it with foil if it looks like the cheese is going to brown too quickly.

Mmmm, it sounds tasty to me (of course it does, because it's fattening).  We'll see.  I'll let you know.


Now, I'd love to just sit here and edit pictures and start writing posts about mom's visit, but I still feel like I want to be productive.  So, I'm first going to go clean out dresser drawers.  I have too many clothes and the drawers are busting with them.  I'm going to sort and see what I can give away.

Happy Rainy Productive Friday to you!

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Mmmmmm!  That was awesome!! 

This is 20 minutes foil on, 20 minutes foil off, at 350.

As it was baking and I told Joe what was in it, he scrunched his face and said he didn't think ricotta and alfredo went together.  He had decided he didn't like it so, natually, he didn't.... at first.  It grew on him.

By the end of it, he said it was good (just being polite???), "but it would be good with red sauce, too."

If you're adventurous (in that ricotta doesn't have to just be paired with red sauce), then give this a try.  It's yummy!

But it's calorie-ridden and not very heart-friendly, so don't do it often!