Holy Cauliflower Batman!!

When you think of cauliflower, one usually thinks of the white broccoli looking vegetable as pictured below.

Up until a little while ago, I thought the same.

When my husband and I went grocery shopping the other other day and he said he wanted to buy cauliflower, I panicked a little. I've never cooked cauliflower before, never even eaten it before either. I had no idea what to do with it. Then he proceeds to tell me that you can mash it up like potatoes. Ahh! You have my attention (I'm Irish, I love me some potatoes).

So, I look up recipes for mashed cauliflower and I find this one --> Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes <-- and it is DELICIOUS!! I cooked some meat and brown gravy to go with them and I'm telling you. From someone who has never had cauliflower in her life and a potato lover, I would have never guessed that it wasn't potatoes.

If you are looking to cut some carbs out of your diet, but can't bare to leave behind your precious potatoes, try this recipe. It could even be a good way to get your kids to eat more veggies.

Pizza Addict

I had a revelation this morning as I tried to figure out what to make for breakfast. I have a pizza addiction. I pulled out the open jar of spaghetti sauce from the fridge, the shredded cheese and tortilla shells then made what I call a pizza quesadilla. I've had these for breakfast and lunch the last couple days. I have discovered that I can make pizza out of any type bread product I may have on hand, be it biscuits, croissants, English muffins or even just sandwich bread. As long as I have sauce and cheese, I can, and most likely will, make pizza.  

Tortilla Pizza before cooked in microwave for about 2 minutes (until cheese is melted).
Can cook in oven if you like a crispier crust

Hollie's Slow Cooker Lasagna

One of my favorite ways to cook is my slow cooker. My favorite thing to cook in my slow cooker, LASAGNA!


I can hear you now... "Lasagna? In a slow cooker? Really?" YES, REALLY!!


Considering I don't have a oven, finding this recipe made me and my husband very happy.


This is the actually ingredient list from the original recipe I found.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 (29 oz.) can of tomato sauce
• 1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (12 oz) package of lasagna noodles
• 12 oz. cottage cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Now for my version of the recipe.


Lets start with the meat. I like ground chuck, but what ever meat you like to use brown your meat , seasoning it with your favorite herbs. I like the fresh chopped onion and garlic cooked with my meat to get the nice flavors.

Once you have your meat browned, you can add your sauce. You can either use pre-made canned or jarred pasta sauce, make your own, or just used seasoned tomato sauce. I usually use one large can of pasta sauce and add 2 cans of garlic seasoned fire roasted tomatoes.  Let your sauce and meat simmer for a little while to heat it through.


Now on to the cheese filling. Some people use cottage cheese, some use ricotta. I am a ricotta person. This can be where some people have their secret seasonings and ingredients. My secret isn't going to be a secret...  Feta cheese! I use ricotta, feta, mozzarella, parmesan and a large egg for my filling. My husband and I are feta junkies. Soups, salads, pasta... add feta!

Once your meat sauce is hot and your cheese filling is mixed, it's time to start assembling your lasagna in your slow cooker. I prefer an oval shaped slow cooker only because it makes more servings. I've made it in both a round and oval slow cooker, I just like the oval better. Round slow cooker seems to make it a thicker with more layers.

Put a layer of meat sauce in first, covering the bottom. Next layer will be noodles, 2 layers, break them up to fit around the rounded edges. Then you are going to spread the cheese mixture on top of the noodles, just enough to cover the surface of the noodles. Its not the easiest thing to do, especially with the broken up pieces. Repeat the layering until all the ingredients are used.


Now, cover and cook on low for about 4-5 hours, or  on high for about 3. Keep in mind this isn't really a fix it and forget it type meal, you may need to keep an eye on it, especially if you are cooking it on high.

Enjoy!