Dinner with Friends and a Recipe!

We had this crazy, fun couple over at our house for dinner, about a week ago! This is Alisha and her husband Erick. Alisha is my best best friend! We've been friends since our junior year of high school and moved up to Oregon together, right after we graduated! We've been trying to find a time to have just the two them over since we've been married and finally found the night to do it!

Alisha and I always have something to talk about and Mackenzie and Erick are becoming closer friends. So,we had such a great time!

The funny thing is, I actually met Mackenzie through Erick. They grew up a town apart and knew each other from Campus Life events. Anyway, Erick was coming home from a study abroad program in Spain. We through a welcome home party for him, and Mackenzie showed up! I remember he stayed pretty late and we talked about politics with everyone...funny, huh?

So, I made dinner for the four of us, Alisha brought dessert and we talked and played monopoly! That game really goes on forever... We really enjoy having our friends over at our place. I enjoy the fellowship and even the preparations for dinner...I love to cook and bake!

Here's Mackenzie cutting the dessert. He was getting pretty annoyed with me taking so many pictures so, to get back at me, he acted silly in every picture! Man our husbands deal with a lot of pictures for the blog, don't they?

I wanted to share one of the recipes that I made for the dinner with you!

On the menu, Italian Sausage Lasagna, Ceasar Salad, and Rolls.

Here's the recipe for the yummy Lasagna!

Italian Sausage Lasagna – serves 8

1	pound bulk Italian sausage (hot)
1	medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1	garlic clove, crushed
3	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1	tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1	teaspoon sugar
2	cups Progresso® diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
1	can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
12	uncooked lasagna noodles (12 ounces)
1	container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese or small curd creamed cottage cheese (2 cups)
1/4	cup grated Parmesan cheese
1	tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2	cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1/4	cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.	Cook sausage, onion and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
2.	Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, sugar, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered about 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.
3.	Heat oven to 350ºF. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
4.	Mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and the oregano.
5.	Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Top with 4 noodles. Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture over noodles; spread with 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 4 noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, 1 cup of the sauce mixture and 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
6.	Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Now, typically, you would cook the lasagna in a 9x13 pan. However, since it was just the four of us. I decided to divide the recipe into two pans. I bought a square foil pan and put half of the ingredients into it. Then, I froze it for a quick and easy meal down the road!

Have a great Friday! I'm working today and going to relax with my hubby tonight. Maybe we'll watch a movie! Tomorrow, I have worship practice at the church and later, Sharon and I will be going to a jewelry party for one of her co-workers! It should be fun! Praise and Worship Sunday is coming up! I hope you'll join me this week!

By the way, thank you all so much for your input and sweet words about the photo shoot pictures! Also, thanks for all the suggestions on ways to cook the fish! I'll let you know what we try and what we like! :)