Stop to smell the flowers: Turkey Lasagna

One of our favorite springtime rituals is a trip to The Flower Fields. This is the first year we've been able to bring Thatbaby with us and we were sure he would enjoy it.

We were right.

I'm not quite sure he was as enthralled by the beauty of the rows upon rows of colorful blooms, but he sure liked crawling up the dirt hills to sit on.  And throwing the dirt.

He loved running up and down the rows of flowers.

He loved smelling the blooms.

And goofing around with his parents.

 

He enjoyed the sweet pea maze, even if we did get lost and he got tired and wanted to be carried.

So all in all, I would say it was a successful trip for all involved.

I love going to The Flower Fields and I know Thatboy feels the same way.  I'm hoping our love has already started to be instilled in Thatbaby, but I guess only time will tell.  Flowers are interesting in that they're so beautiful, but temporal.  The ranunculus featured at the Fields are only there from March to May.  Being there reminds you to take the opportunity to appreciate the fleeting beauty all around us.

Food is similar to flowers.  Because when you make something, you put your time and love into the dish, and its beauty is also gone shortly after.  Take this lasagna, layer upon layer, gone in a single meal. But really, can you blame anyone for devouring it?  Like flowers, you just need to enjoy it while you can, taking time to appreciate its beauty.

Turkey Lasagna

•  2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch spinach
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 16 oz fresh ricotta
• 1 egg
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 package lasagna noodles

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat.  Add spinach and cook until wilted.  Remove from pan.
2. Brown turkey in same pan as the spinach.
3. Combine the egg, ricotta cheese, 1/4 of the mozzarella, salt and pepper in a bowl.
4. Pour the juice from one of the cans of tomatoes in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.
5. Place one layer of noodles over the tomato juice.
6. Spread half the cheese mixture over the noodle.  
7. Add half the turkey and spinach over the cheese.
8. Add one of the cans of tomatoes and half of the remaining mozzarella.
9. Add another layer of noodles, cheese, turkey spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella.
10. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
11. Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes.