bits of this and that

WARNING: DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON YOUR  HANDS AND/OR CARE PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.

First of all, we're hoping you and yours had a wonderful Easter. Yes I KNOW it was a month ago. Humor me. Here is a picture from our PRE-Easter Dinner, the weekend before. I will post some actual Easter photos as soon as I take them... confused? you see, Easter in Dallas was a stormy blustery mess of a day, the sun not lending itself to adorable pics of my son in his brand new easter outfit. It was the CUTEST! My mom made it for him and he got tons of compliments at church and the Easter lunch that followed. I plan to dress him up soon and take some pictures in the sunshine where the outfit (and his fat little smile) will look their best! Do check back soon-- I'm telling you, this boy has one talented grandmother.

Also, I saw this recipe on a friend's blog and though I've yet to try it, I've made her recipes before and I'm sure this one won't fail me.

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1 jar (15 to 17 oz) roasted garlic Parmesan or Alfredo pasta sauce
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)
1 package (4 oz) crumbled herb-and-garlic feta cheese (1 cup)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in broth and rosemary. Heat to boiling. Stir in artichokes and spinach; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.
3. Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in bottom of baking dish; top with 3 noodles. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Spread with remaining artichoke mixture; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
4. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until noodles are tender and lasagna is bubbly. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

In other food news: Have you tried this stuff? Bluebell Banana Pudding Ice Cream. Go... dare I say RUN to your nearest store and buy some. I don't even eat ice cream and it MIGHT just convert me over to the dark side. Could it get any better? Slice up and throw in some real bananas and IT JUST DID!! Thanks Becky, I won't tell Dr. Brown.

Speaking of Bananas... Cohen is now an official solid food eater. Bananas and rice cereal were the first hit...

Then came pears which also really agreed with the little guy.

Avocado the next week... NOT SO MUCH

But sweet potatoes are the all-time winner thus far.

And just because I thought you might enjoy them... try Arm & Hammer Essentials dryer sheets in Lavender and White Linen scent. I used to use the Downy Lavender and Vanilla version but my was I excited when I tried to save a little money and went for the cheaper product. Cheap, yes but they smell like heaven. I wish they made a perfume. Maybe they do... I should go to Sephora and ask.