I’ve never tried making lasagne before and had an urge to try it out. I didn’t realize just how long it takes to make, so I was very thankful it turned out to be delicious!

I don’t really like to follow recipes in every detail, so I just winged it.

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of diced tomatoes (700-800ml)
• lasagne pasta (I used 9)
• 500g minced chicken
• 2 eggs
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 6 large white button mushrooms (large chunks)
• 1.5 cups spinach (cut into large slices)
• 2-3 cups shredded marble cheese (it’s all we had at home)
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Hot pepper flakes
• Dried Oregano and Basil
• White wine (optional)

Procedure:

1. Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onions then garlic. Cook until onions are translucent.
2. Add minced chicken, herbs and spices with a bit of white wine into the pot and stir until cooked through.
3. Add the vegetables and canned tomatoes.
4. Reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Cook pasta for approximately 6-8 minutes, making sure it’s al dente. Drain and set aside.
6. Once the sauce is finished simmering, add a layer to the bottom of the baking dish.
7. Add a layer of the pasta.
8. Add a layer of meat/vegetable sauce.
9. Add a layer of cheese.
10. Another layer of pasta….and continue until you’ve run out of space.
11. Finish off the top with a layer of shredded cheese and whisked egg to seal everything nicely.
12. Bake at 350°F for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden colour.

This is the end result for me:

I hope you can enjoy a yummy lasagne dish as well!

I’m sure there are many people like me who drink endless amounts of water and need a good water bottle to carry around for everyday use. I have always hated plastic bottles, but even more so when I start tasting plastic flavoured water.  I spent a long time searching for a water bottle that was….

1 – not made with plastic

2 – not made in China

Although the first point wasn’t too difficult to find, the second point certainly was.  I though stainless steel would be the best choice for me since it doesn’t transfer flavours into liquids but then I thought they wouldn’t work well while biking during hot days.  I then decided to try and find a glass water bottle that wasn’t made in China and one that would have a protective out layer to absorb bumps.

I found several beautiful designs by TAKEYA (click below to see their products)

http://www.mihosuzuki.com/takeya-product-list

I really wanted the lovely powder blue water bottle, I never got around to buying it

During our holiday in DC, we went into a Whole Foods for the first time and like many others, I fell in love with the place. I also found a very pretty glass water bottle that has a silicon protective shell, which was exactly what I was looking for!

This one was made by LifeFactory

(see their products here: http://www.mihosuzuki.com/lifefactory-product-list)

and I absolutely love it. It has little markings for both ounces and millilitres, so I know exactly how much I’m drinking and helps for mixing drinks.  I’m hoping this one works well when it’s warmer for bike rides!

As for our home, we plan a fun day out and quiet night in. So that our fish doesn’t feel left out, we made a simple kirigami heart. He seems to like it *^_^*

To make your own Valentine’s Day kirigami, check out my post for a kirigami heart mobile.

Since he’s pretty much a symbol of hockey and Canada, I was curious to find this:

When it comes to Canadians, I think David Suzuki would make more sense on a green tea package, especially if it’s organic and the package is made of all recycled materials…….and before anyone asks, no, we are not related.

I love feeding the birds since many of them are very brave to come close up. The goose on the left even stole half a plain bagel from my hand (!)

We try to be covert with our feeding, or else the seagull reconnaissance team will give us away and this will happen:

This is one I made with mango and pineapple.

It’s important to make a couple of changes with the original recipe, or else the batter will not work well.

1 – Leave out the milk (or else it will curdle).

2 – Reduce the amount of sugar, since both fruits are very sweet.

3 – Use one small pineapple and 2-3 ripe mangoes, because anything more than that may make the batter too watery.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Will keep you updated in case you plan to visit one day!