Hearty Veggie Lasagna

This is a new favorite dish in our house!  I don't think I'll ever make a lasagna with beef again!  I'm trying to get better at taking pictures...unfortunately I didn't take a picture of this one though.

3 carrots-peeled & chopped
1 broccoli crown, chopped
1/2 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium onion-finely chopped
1 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper
2 jars spaghetti sauce
8 whole wheat lasagna noodles
16 oz container of cottage cheese (I added a couple sprinkles of Italian seasoning to mine)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Cook noodles according to package
-Combine veggies & sauce (I sent all my veggies through the food chopper for a couple spins)
-In bottom of casserole dish, spread about a cup of the sauce.  Layer 4 noodles, then sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parm.  Add a 2nd layer. 
-Bake for 15-20 mins or until cheese is melted and bubbly :)
-Serve with a green salad & whole wheat bread sticks! 

YUM!!! 

Strawberry-Pretzel Salad

I always get nervous when someone asks me to bring something to a gathering.  Especially something I have never made before!  My mother in law asked me to bring a jello salad, or pretzel salad to a BBQ on Labor Day.  I had never made a jello salad in my life!  So I turned to Google the night before and found this recipe!  Everyone really liked it! (the picture doesn't do it justice)

-2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 TBS sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping
1 (6 oz) pkg Strawberry Jello
2 cups boiling water
1 (16 oz) container strawberries

--Preheat oven to 400 degrees
--For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter and 3 TBS of sugar.  Press this mixture into a 9x13-inch pan and bake for 7 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool.
--In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, and 3/4 cup sugar. Fold in the whipped topping and spread over the cooled crust.  Refrigerate until well chilled. (this is a very important step, let the creamed mixture set until firm)
--In a small bowl dissolve the jello in the boiling water and allow it to cool slightly.  Add the strawberries (I chopped mine up in little pieces) and pour over the cream mixture. Garnish with whipped topping and strawberries.  Refrigerate until serving! 

(The recipe I found also called for pineapple, but I didn't use it.  I stuck with just strawberries and it was really good!  Next time I'll add the pineapple.)