Val’s Farm-ous Lasagna

When I think about my hours spent in the kitchen on the farm, my first instinct is to grab my lasagna pan. Whenever we work cattle, have a crew out to help or need to work together on a project, I know that I can never go wrong with the cheesy, meaty greatness that is my “Farm-ous Lasagna.”

So here it is…AND I have a crew to feed it to today!

This is what we’re doing:

This is corn that has been chopped and will be used this winter to feed our cattle. We have a crew of 7 here today to help us get our feed ready!

This is corn that has been chopped and will be used this winter to feed our cattle. We have a crew of 7 here today to help us get our feed ready!

And I’ll be sure to explain it more later.

But for now, here’s the recipe:

Val’s Farm-ous Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • ground beef, browned (I use 1 1/2 pounds of meat, but not everyone likes their lasagna THAT meaty, use your discretion.)
  • 1 can pasta sauce
  • 4 cups shredded cheese of your choosing (I prefer the pizza mix, because it melts so yummy!)
  • 1 22 oz. container cottage cheese (I use low-fat…which is almost laughable because of the amount of cheese in my lasagna, but I didn’t ask your opinion, now did I? ๐Ÿ™‚ )
  • lasagna noodles, about 12, depending on your pan size, cooked al dente’ and drained/rinsed

1) Add pasta sauce and browned hamburger together in a skillet. I make sure it’s all warmed together before layering my lasagna.

This is how I start my lasagna, with a layer of sauce.

This is how I start my lasagna, with a layer of sauce.

2) Layer your lasagna: I always start with a base of sauce/burger mixture at the bottom, then a layer of noodles, then a layer of sauce again, cottage cheese and shredded cheese. Continue layering, ending with shredded cheese that covers the whole pan. (I use one package of cheese in the layering, and one package just for the topping…I like cheese.) Like this:

3) Bake at 350* for about 30 minutes, or until you notice the sauce in the lasagna starts boiling.

Can we say, "YUM!"

Can we say, “YUM!”

4) Enjoy! And perhaps consider hitting the gym for a little extra time tonight. The beauty of this recipe? If possible, it tastes even better as leftovers. Unfortunately, it’s been a year or two since my boys left us any leftovers!

* I am participating in Indiana’s Family of Farmers Table Talk Series and received a gift in exchange for my participation.

Table Talk Contributor

These Boots were Made for Working

Not too long ago, the wonderful ladies over at The Real Farmwives of America asked if anyone would be willing to do a quick review on a pair of boots for “the man in our lives.” The funny thing is, that I had just talked to Boss Man about getting a different pair for him to work in…and so we jumped at the chance!

And boy, are they great!

Boss Man's new steel-toed Justin work boots...the verdict? A big win!

These happen to be steel-toed, yet they look so sharp!

Boss Man was working on the air seeder when his boots arrived...they went to work right away!

He loves how comfortable they are…and he keeps commenting how easily they are to get on and off. (His previous pair of work boots were lace-ups.)

Flexible and comfortable...two musts for a farm work boot!

Great grip, traction and still comfortable to wear.

Sometimes Boss Man is hard to veer from his routine…and lace-up work boots are definitely his routine. But I think even Boss Man was surprised by how much he liked his new boots. In fact, he liked them so much, he wore them out on Saturday night…and that’s something that never happens with his lace-ups. At least, not if he’s going out with ME! ๐Ÿ˜€

He loved how well they moved...even in some uncomfortable places.

No problems here, these boots were a home run!

And the best part of all? You can have a chance to win a pair! That’s right, thanks to the wonderful gals over at The Real Farmwives of America one lucky reader (or three!) will win their very own pair of workboots compliments of Tony Lama/Justin. Just head on over and enter now!

Although Boss Man was given a pair of boots, thanks to these great companies, the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Farm Like a Girl

I have been anxious to share this post with you for quite a few weeks now. And the funny thing is, I can’t wait to show off more once winter is actually here!

What am I talking about?

Well, thanks to my friends at The Real Farmwives of America, I was hooked up with some awesome Carhartt bibs. When I picked out my bibs, I felt like the luckiest woman alive. I’d been contemplating ordering a pair, because last winter I used a pair of my husband’s…and let me tell you what, they are NOT made the same!

My hubby’s coveralls were baggy on the bottom, tight across the top and difficult for me to move in. My new ones fit me like a glove, and the best part yet? They’re PURPLE! No more worrying about grabbing the wrong pair, one of the boys taking off with them, or Boss Man slipping them on because they’re handy! ๐Ÿ™‚ Yay!

This winter, I’ll be putting these bibs through their paces, checking cows during snow storms, like I did in this video:

But for now, I used them for a variety of tasks. Like:

1) Driving truck during silage cutting.

EJ was my silage truck partner. He had to wear his bibs too!

 

 

My 4-year-old photographer...didn't do too bad!

 

 

Dumping the chopped up corn (silage). It'll be packed down in a pile, covered, and used later this winter for feed for our cattle.

 

 

Sometimes the waiting during silage season can be a bit boring. Thankfully my phone kept me up-to-date on the progress being made and where I was needed.

 

 

2) My hubby’s idea of an early-morning, marital-relationship-building-exercise…AKA covering the silage pile.

My husband's comment when I asked him to take a picture of us working? "If I take the picture of you, won't they wonder why I'm not working too?"

 

 

The best part of this yearly routine was the beautiful sunrise I was able to take in:

Another beautiful fall morning.

 

 

3) And don’t forget, the ever-wonderful job of spraying out the horsetrailer after hauling the cows and calves home from weaning!

It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it!

 

 

These coveralls, bibs, whatever you want to call them, they will quickly become a staple in my wardrobe. They are warm, comfortable and easy to care for…all things that are a MUST in my house!

To win a pair of Carhartt Bib Overalls of your own please visit The Real Farmwives to sign upย for their giveaway. Seriously, do it. They are amazing. I will never buy another pair of men’s bibs again!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

Carhartt did provide me with this product to review but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.