The Tallest Lasagna and the Things I Left Behind

I got busy, and I'm sorry. For the first two weeks of April, most of my time was spent thinking about how to eat the lasagna left over from Easter. I used the Fine Cooking recipe, but I'm pretty sure you need a membership of some kind to access it so I'm not going to provide a link even though that's probably the polite thing to do. Oh fine you can find the recipe here. It's supposed to make three small lasagnas, but I only had one deep dish on hand, so I halved the recipe and made half a lasagna on top of the lasagna. The recipe assures that the pre-cooked lasagna can rise above the edge of the pan, because it settles quite a bit while cooking. I was apprehensive, but they have a picture with two whole noodle layers towering over the edge. 

But no. It still bubbled over, and it was still the tallest, deepest, heaviest lasagna. 

Other ways I altered the recipe: well... I used hot Italian sausage instead of mild. I also didn't have much spice on hand, but the seasoning from the sausages permeated through the lasagna very nicely. I just love the word lasagna, don't you? Lasagna, lasagna, lasagna. 

And: there was some packing up and moving back to Ontario to do. Some things to leave behind. Like my lovely little coffee plant, and a pennant from the magazine project (I was going to bring it with me until the E fell off, and then I figured by the time I got home it would probably just be a brown triangle. i.e. clutter).

And books! Most had to be left behind for weight considerations. I feel like there's a pro-Ebook argument to made here, but I wouldn't have been sentimental about these books in the first place if they'd been electronic. Aww, remember that one on the right? That's the book with nothing in it that I was so excited about. I feel guilty about every one of these books. Except maybe for the Editing Canadian English, which I have only used a) to ventilate my old laptop and keep it from overheating and b) as part of my Mennonite halloween costume because it looks the most like a bible out of all my books.

Fortunately, I sent a couple of things on ahead, like this Super Mutant Magic Academy poster that I just had to have.

In other news, I'm enjoying my mom's house (and company!) so much that I've decided to commute to Toronto for my internship. Or at least give it a try. If it drives me insane I'll find a place to live, but with the way I feel right now I really wouldn't mind having a few hours every day to sit and read or write or think or sleep or whatever. I was brought up on road trips, and 401 traffic has an oddly calming effect on me, as long as I'm not driving (but even then). Without homework to stay behind or rush home for, it feels like there are six more hours in the day.

The only problem now is GETTING the internship. What happened and why don't I have one yet? Oh I don't feel like getting into that. Just wish me luck.

Impulse Crafting

It occurred to me a few months ago that I can do cameos of more than just people, but I didn't have the time or motivation to go out and buy any materials. I figured I'd wait until I got back to my Ontario studio, and it turns out I didn't have to wait very long! I would have liked to maybe try a colour other than black, but that would mean going to the store when everything else was within reach.

So I made this today. 

I also notice that it's been nearly a month since my last interesting thing. That's not true, because everything's changed. Everything's overwhelmingly up the air, but without classes or homework, I guess I've got no excuse not to tell you about the lasagna I made last Easter. I'll get to it, don't worry.

Update: I have a confession about this cameo. You might notice that the antlers are looking a little shaky. This isn't because I've cut down my caffeine intake, but because I apparently never put the brushes away last time I cleaned them, and left them in the bathroom. Since I haven't lived here in the last eight months, obviously the brushes had to go somewhere that wasn't in the toothbrush holder, and so they went on my shelf in the hutch that fits over the toilet. So... when I was blearily looking for some allergy medication, I dropped my tiniest brush in the toilet and couldn't bring myself to do anything but throw it away. Thought I was careful enough not to need it. Guess not.

Easter Weekend

Hey look, I brought my camera to school on a NICE day. I don't know if I'm just spoiled, or if the mountains just don't look as impressive in pictures. 

The magazine project is coming together nicely. Well, stressfully.

My saturday is being spent researching the next bit. Stressfully. And yes, I'm multitasking and looking up recipes at the same time. I just noticed how few of my magazines actually HAVE inserts! 

In other news, I made scones for the first time in many months. They're pretty crumbly.

For Easter Monday brunch: Katie's bacon lasagna! It looks like a lot of bacon.

I did Lent again this year, or at least my version of it. I had a much more thought-out explanation last year, and fewer people to explain it to, so I feel like I was sheepish and lame about it. Something to do with making and honouring a commitment to myself, in practice for life or something. To know that, in a non-serious way, if the zombie apocalypse happens I can do without my favourite luxuries, and that, in a serious way, if things do fall apart I can hold fast to something that I'll always have. I can stand by statements that might make things unpleasant, and might not make sense. I know that I can keep the promises I make. I'm just strengthening my bond to myself rather than to a deity, and I choose to do this during Lent for the same reason that I give people gifts at Christmas (I dunno, 'tis the season?). Also, Easter is boring, and Lent makes me look forward to it much more.

So, I gave up pasta. And to be honest it's one of the few things that have held the last six weeks together. I know I can rely on myself, and that makes it all the more difficult to try and... well, if I may be vaguely specific, to give someone the opportunity to share the load, even when that may be the only way they can redeem themselves.

In short, the Easter pie is going to be late this year. If it happens. A promise I made to myself (that I know I can keep) is never to make it again, if I have to make it alone.