I’m exhausted and it’s Sunday night, but I really want to write a blog post. I can’t stand that I’ve had to set aside my blog for this long! So much for my goal of posting once a week. That flew out the window in February, which is typically one of my busiest months of the year. And I will tell you, February certainly did not end up how I thought it would.
I’m not going to dwell on that tonight, though. Instead I’m going to show you some photos from the nine-year-old’s First Communion at Zion Lutheran Church today, which was a big success. (Thanks to two of Joe’s godparents – my brother and sister-in-law – along with my niece and nephew for joining us for this special occasion!)
This is also a good excuse to share the BEST turkey lasagna recipe that I served for lunch after church. Seriously – this is good stuff. I’ve come across a few turkey lasagna recipes in my day, but this is an outstanding recipe. And my mom – a former home economics teacher and gourmet cook in her own right – agrees with me. I might be 44 but I still know when I should listen to my mom.
The recipe comes courtesy of the Meschke family, turkey farmers in the Little Falls, MN area. You can find out more about their farm by “liking” Meschke Poultry on Facebook.
So there you have it … a short and sweet blog post on this Sunday evening. I feel better now. 🙂
Joe – looking handsome!
Hanging with 2 of his cousins – love that big smile!
A bookmark made by Grandma Marilyn and a 100+ year old New Testament Bible that belonged to Joe’s great grandmother’s family – pretty special!
Wouldn’t be a family photo without Earl the Pug!
Cheesy turkey deliciousness!
Marie Meschke’s Turkey Lasagna
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Pound ground turkey
½ Cup onion, chopped
¼ Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Teaspoon salt
¼ Teaspoon pepper
1 Teaspoon oregano
1 Can (28-ounce) diced tomatoes,
reserve liquid
1 Can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
8 Lasagna noodles
8 Ounces Ricotta cheese
8 Ounces low-fat cottage cheese
12 Ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9” x 13” pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In olive oil, lightly brown ground turkey with onion and garlic powder until turkey is no longer pink.
3. Add salt, pepper, oregano, tomatoes and liquid, tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Assemble lasagna: begin with a layer of 1/3 meat sauce, top with 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit), half of the Ricotta cheese, half of the cottage cheese, half of the Mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Repeat, ending with meat sauce and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 45 minutes.
Servings: 8
Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 400; Total Fat 22g; Sat. Fat 11; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 95mg; Sodium 1,090mg; Total Carbohydrate 20g; Protein 31g
Note: You can also view the recipe here.
My Other More Exciting Self 
Beautiful photos and congratulations to Joe! What a nice tribute to my mother-in-law as well. She is my cooking idol hands down! She showed me how to cook a turkey when we first moved to the farm 🙂 Wonderful memories your article brought to me! Loved it!
LikeLike
Thanks Lynn! I can imagine what a wonderful hostess and cook your mother-in-law is! But the same could be said for you, too! 🙂 Thanks to you and Marie for sharing some wonderful recipes through the years.
LikeLike