I made a pan of lasagna a few days ago and it turned out fantastic. It’s only the second time I’ve made lasagna and the first time I’ve used “no-cook” noodles. Some of the recipes I found said instead of adding water per the box directions that you can soak the noodles in hot water for a few minutes to soften them up. That’s how I did it and it turned out very well.

I used Taste of the Hill sauce and added Gardein “beef” crumbles and some mushrooms. Then I added peppers and onions in the middle layer with the sauce. I ended up with quite a bit and that’s a good thing.

Yesterday I had a houseful of daughters and granddaughters. It was pretty awesome to have everyone here together again. It’s the first time in quite a while we’d all been together and that it wasn’t for a funeral for once was a welcome change. It was so nice to be together. It has been way too long and I hope we can do that more often.

This morning I saw 5-6 squirrels having a big time scurrying on the shed, up and down the trees, and leaping from treetop to treetop. It’s been cold and windy the last few days. At least yesterday the sun came out. It’s been nice and toasty inside with a fire going!

I made a trip to town today but came back empty-handed. I want to replace my Levi 501s, but I will have to figure out the best place to find them. I haven’t bought any in a long time and I was absolutely shocked at the prices. There’s simply no other jeans that have “that fit” or look, but I saw them averaging $55-80 for a pair. I just found a western store that has them for $50 and that is about the cheapest I can find. That’s still crazy, but I have not bought jeans for several years so they were bound to go nowhere but up.

That’s how I usually buy my clothes; I buy several of whatever clothes I need and they last me a few years. I am not really into shopping. I know what I want/need, and don’t dick around in stores much; I go in to find what I am looking for, get it, and bolt for the door (after paying, of course).

So, it’s looking like a trip to KC at some point to get some Levis. Luckily it is not really far away and as always I try to make the most out of a trip whenever I go anywhere. I do the errands I need to take care of, find a place to get some food for a splurge day, and maybe do a little sightseeing. I found a place to eat at in The Pitch (the local independent paper with the latest news, music, food, etc.) that I have never been to and I am really excited to give it a try.

Kansas City is really stepping up the food game from the newspaper articles I have been reading. There are a few long-time staples like Rosedale BBQ, Ponak’s, Manny’s, Town Topic, Bo Ling’s, Spanish Gardens, Westport Flea Market and more. But in The Pitch I have seen so many interesting places to try…some new and some established for some time. I will probably be making a point to go try more of these places and going a little more often.

That’s all for today.