Quinoa and Asperagus Chicken

It's official--Pinterest has taken over my life. I resisted for so long, convinced that I'd find myself pinning for hours and accomplishing nothing. While the former part of that statement is totally true, I've actually found some incredible recipe resources through Pinterest.

I rarely follow a recipe to a T, I'm always able to find solid inspiriation in the posts from other Pinners. It's always a great chance for me to try lots of different adaptations and find stuff that works. Plus, finding quick and easy recipes has been a godsend during this busy school year.

This recipe, for creamy quinoa, chicken and asperagus has become a weekly rotation on our dinner menu. It's easy, delicious AND you can make it ahead of time.

Quinoa and Asperagus Chicken

• 4-6 chicken breasts, depending on size
• 1 bunch of asperagus, trimmed
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, diced
• 1/4 milk
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the cooked quinoa on the bottom of the dish.

2. Make a layer of asperagus on top of the quinoa.

3. Wisk together soup, milk and vegetables. Pour of half of the mixture over the asperagus.

4. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and place them on top of the asperagus.

5. Pour the rest of the soup mixture on top.

6. Sprinkle with cheese.

7. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

It's not uncommon that people ask me where I learned to cook and bake. And when I try to think back, to my earliest memories in the kitchen, there isn't a distinct moment that stands out as the, "oh, I've got this..." point in time.

When I was a kid, I always LIKED to bake... mostly because I liked to eat. I remember getting a cookie cook book and a stand mixer for Christmas one year. It was a Mrs. Field's cookie book, filled with a variety of recipes for drop cookies, bars and fancy treats. I was eager to try them all, but it wasn't about the process of learning to bake--I just wanted to eat cookies.

In terms of cooking, I always watched my dad in the kitchen. He never followed recipes. He never really seemed like he had a plan. He just threw things together and they were good--most of the time. The left over Chinese food omelet was not good. I remember that. Perhaps it was because most of his meals consisted of a big slab of meat that there wasn't much to them. But I learned to trust my instincts and try things from watching him in the kitchen.

We have a top secret recipe for Chex mix that we make every year at Christmas. While the ingredients are scrawled on a faded notecard, they are more of a guide than an actual recipe for success. My dad maintains that you know the sauce is done when you take a big whiff and you choke on the aroma.

I also have vague memories of baking with both my grandma's. I remember being fascinated by my Grandma Doris's chocolate chip cookie recipe--which she had memorized. As a kid, this always shocked me. Her cookies were unlike any others, too. They were chunky and lumpy and full of chocolate chips and nuts. And they were delicious. They weren't the cookies I would have picked out myself, but I had no problem devouring them.

I have even earlier memories of sitting at the kitchen counter (usually with a coloring book or dolls) and watching my Grandma Dorothy scoot around the kitchen. I don't remember specific things she used to make, but I remember watching her confidence and being impressed that she seemed to know exactly what she was doing, even without a recipe or a box to follow.

One of the first things I remember cooking on my own was Tuna Helper. I remember carefully following the directions on the box, standing on a rickety watermelon painted stool in our avocado green kitchen. I remember carefully plunking each of the ingredients into a pan that was way too big and stirring everything together and crossing my fingers it was edible. But let's be real--I was a fat kid and very little in my world was actually INedible. But Tuna/Hamburger/Chicken Helper became my specialty. I was a pro at dinner from a box.

As I've grown up, I've pooled these experiences and let them shape my kitchen practices. Sure, I use recipes. And yes, I taste things along the way and don't necessarily believe that choking on aromas is a good barometer for flavor. I've gotten to the point where I know a flavor I want to experience and I can gauge the ingredients I need to make that happen.

So, to recreate my first foray into the kitchen, I have concocted my own version of Tuna Helper. It's like a grown up, healthier and tastier version, made from things you probably have in your kitchen anyway.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 can tuna, in water, drained
• 8 oz. elbow pasta, cooked
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 diced onions
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1/4 cup green beans
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 T italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 10-15 Ritz crackers, crushed

1. Cook the pasta until al dente, set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a round casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the tuna, soups, milk and spices.
4. In a large pan, cook the onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots until softened (but not mushy).
5. Add the cooked vegetables and remaining ingredients and 1/4 cup cheese to the soup mixture.
6. Stir the pasta into the mixture.
7. Transfer to the baking dish.
8. Sprinkle the top with the crushed crackers. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
9. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, covered with foil.
10. Remove the foil and cook for 10 more minutes.

Kitchen Pantry Enchiladas

Every where I go, I inevitably make a home for myself. Growing up in a small town gave me a need to connect with my surroundings and find friendly faces in any crowd. While I found this smothering when I was in high school, my move to San Diego for college suddenly left me craving the familiarity of my tiny hick town.

So, naturally, I became a part of the Residential Education program (working in the "dorms," for those of you who don't speak ResEd). I started out as a Desk Assistant and eventually applied to be a Resident Adviser... Before I knew it, I had recreated my small community, more than 1,000 miles away from home. Again I had the friendly faces in the crowd, the constantly available resources and the support system that I didn't know I would miss so much.

When I finished college, I was at a loss. No longer was I living in the residence halls, surrounded by other students who relied on me and needed my assistance. I hadn't anticipated that graduation would leave me feeling lonely and abandoned (again) and I quickly resorted to my old ways to try and recreate my community. I became a property manager for graduate student housing, keeping my connection to SDSU alive and working adjacent to all my friends in the Residential Education office. I stayed active in the halls, working as an assistant to Hall Coordinators and I was never far from my old ResEd friends. Additionally, starting my credential program (along with another ResEd graduate and vet) exposed me to a whole new community to connect with. While I didn't form as many bonds in my teaching credential program as I had during my days as an RA, I became fast friends with a small group of fellow teacher candidates in my cohort. I also found a family of my own within the school communities I started working in.

I learned quickly during my time student teaching that the connections you create with your colleagues can have a huge impact on the quality of your teaching experience. Sure, the kids are a part of the equation, too, but having other teachers to vent to, laugh with, talk smack about the students with, etc. is an important outlet as well. I was very lucky to be in two different schools that had create cooperative working environments among the staff. The Matador Pride program at Mount Miguel demonstrated an entertaining, good cop/bad cop, tough love approach to team teaching. My cooperating teacher team taught at-risk students in English and Social Science. When I was at La Presa Middle School, the grade level teams that the school modeled showed me how great of a resource other teachers could be, outside of the classroom. I loved the banter between my cooperating teacher and her peers during "Lunch Bunch," and I had so much fun being a part of the ladies circle that was actually our official "prep" period--even thought it was often a group of four or five english teachers gabbing while grading.

When I completed my student teaching, finding a school with an outstanding faculty community wasn't exactly at the top of my list. At the time, I just wanted a job. Any job. And what would I know about camaraderie among the staff based on a job posting or interview?

But it didn't take me long after being hired at Orange Glen to begin to build my own family. First and foremost, I found myself an on-campus mommy. My department chair, and coincidentally one of the people on my hiring panel, took me under her wing early on and made sure that I felt supported and had resources whenever I needed them. From day one, she's been on of the people that I know has my back, believes in me and is proud of what I have been able to accomplish at OG. As such, we've become more than just work friends.

Sitting and typing this now, I am snuggled up between her two lab puppies, while she treks across the world on a European adventure. I'll be calling Rainbow home for the next several days, as I house sit and dog sit while my on-campus mommy gets to have a much-needed vacation. And while I'm here, I'm making sure my biggest supporter is taken care of. My plan for the next four days? Prep meals that are easy to freeze and reheat and leave a freezer full of delicious dinners when I go!

The first on the list are "Throw in whatever I find in the pantry" enchiladas---and they were a hit! They are exactly what they sound like. I opened the fridge, saw some tortillas, an avocado and cheese. I stuck my head in the pantry and spied some enchilada sauce and chiles and black beans and I instantly knew what was on the menu. I'd venture a guess that the items I included are found in MOST pantries... So, you don't think you know what to make for dinner? Think again.

Kitchen Pantry Enchiladas

Inspired by  Mo's Kitchen Pantry

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 6-8 corn tortillas
• 1 T taco seasoning
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can green chiles
• 1 can corn
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook the chicken, seasoning with the taco seasoning (or a mixture of cumin, chili powder and garlic salt). Once it cools, shred the chicken into small pieces.
2. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
3. Pour about 1/3 of the can of enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl.
4. Drain all of the canned ingredients (except the enchilada sauce).
5. Transfer the drained ingredients into a bowl. Add the avocado and onion.
6. Take one tortilla, coat both sides with enchilada sauce (by dipping in the bowl).
7. Spoon about two tablespoons of the mixture down the center of the tortilla. Add about a table spoon of chicken. Top with cheese.
8. Roll the tortilla tightly and place it seam side down in the baking dish.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 until all the tortillas are filled and the dish is tightly packed.
10. Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
11. Sprinkle any left over ingredients over the top of the enchiladas.
12. Top with cheese.
13. Cover with foil.
14. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, removing the foil with 15 minutes remaining.
15. Enjoy!

Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

It's been way too long since my last post. There are many reasons why my postings came to a halt, but there is no need to waste the time or energy explaining them now. The short version is that life happened and I had to prioritize my time commitments in order to survive. Bad news for a blogging hobby that, while fun, isn't necessary for survival or sanity.

The good news, though, is that I am back. And it's summer. And I've got daylight and energy to burn.

So let's get right to it, shall we?

There are certain things that I am literally obsessed with. One of those things is artichoke hearts. I remember, as a kid, sitting at the counter in our kitchen, while my dad made artichokes in the pressure cooker. He'd scoop the veggies out (are the vegetables? Flowers? I don't really know.) and place them in front of my sister and me, with a bowl of melted butter and a bowl of mayo. And we would go to town, scraping our teeth along the leathery leaves and pulling the meat off of the fronds into our mouths. I'm not sure we even came up for air before we made it to the hearts, which we would wait for our dad to cut out of the base for us, so we could eat them with our fingers, again, dunking them in butter and mayo. I am sure that you are --sooooo-- shocked to hear that I had a weight problem growing up, right? (Somehow, though, my sister has always been svelte and petite... Clearly, I got the short end of the stick when it came to the metabolism genes.)

These days, you won't find me dousing anything in butter and the thought of mayo makes my skin crawl and the back of my throat itch. My eating habits have definitely changed (for the better) over the last several years and I have learned how to incorporate things I have always loved in much, much healthier ways.

If you're a fan of spinach-artichoke dip, then you absolutely MUST try this recipe. The flavors are spot on, rich and delicious, but the recipe significantly reduces all of the calories by leaving out fatty ingredients like cream cheese and mayo. I made this for dinner the other night and had to seriously restrain myself from having a second helping--I wasn't hungry anymore, but it was THAT GOOD.

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

recipe adapted from EmilyBites.com

A lightened up version of something everyone loves!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (plain)
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
• 5 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and place them in the baking dish (it's fine if they overlap some).
4. Place the breasts in the oven and bake them for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
5. In a large bowl, mix together all the other ingredients, except for the mozzarella cheese.
6. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the oven. Drain any liquid that may have accumulated while baking.
7. Top the breasts with the spinach and artichoke mixture. Spread the topping evenly over the dish.
8. Sprinkle the mozzarella across the top of the dish.
9. Bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Based on the original recipe (which I have eliminated cream cheese and mayo from), this was roughly 250 calories per breast serving.

Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese

There is something about an afternoon spent in the kitchen that relaxes me like nothing else. That feeling of, like, almost serenity, doesn't compare to the high I get from running, the relaxation from a good massage or even the euphoria from the perfect bite of cupcake. Whirling around my kitchen like a spinning top, splattering surfaces with remnants of whatever is on my spatula, stuffing spoonfuls into my boyfriend's mouth for "tastes" (which is just code for validation), puts me at ease. Sure, I make a huge mess, I wear myself out and I end up with a sink full of dishes... But I also feel accomplished. Satisfied. Inspired. And full.

One of the things I love to do is simply open my fridge and my cupboards and see what speaks to me. Lately, my garden has been driving my kitchen activities. I have a butternut squash plant that has been going nuts, so all things squash have been coming out of my kitchen. This recipe is one that I adapted from a much heavier Rachel Ray version... And it didn't last more than 2 days before it was gone.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1lb penne or elbow macaroni

• 4 tbsp butter

• ½ medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 4 tbsp flour

• 2½ cups milk

• 10 ounces (2½ cups) shredded cheddar cheese, or a combination of cheddar and gruyere

• 1 cup cooked, pureed butternut squash, from ½ medium squash

• ⅛ tsp nutmeg

• ⅛ tsp pepper

• salt, to taste

For topping:

• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko

• 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)

• 1 tsp lemon zest, optional

• 2 tbsp melted butter

• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente (for elbow macaroni, that’s about 7 minutes, for penne, more like 10). Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, a bit at a time.
4. Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
5. Add shredded cheese, whisking until smooth. Whisk in butternut squash puree, nutmeg, pepper, and salt to taste. Add pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly coat. Transfer pasta to a buttered 2 quart baking dish.
6. In a medium bowl, combine all topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over pasta. Transfer dish to oven and bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling at edges, about 20 minutes.

Chicken Taco Soup

After being gone for about ten days, and knowing that I only had a few precious days at home before my next stint of traveling, I had an overwhelming urge, from the minute I walked in my front door (at 11 PM, mind you) to BAKE ALL THE THINGS. COOK ALL THE THINGS. I just wanted to revel in the glory that was my kitchen, food readily available and of my choosing. Not a hotel catering service. Not a dining hall. Not Easy Mac, stirred with a car key and eaten with a dorm swipe card. 

Before I left, I had embarked on a breakfast adventure--treating my boyfriend to delicious, boozy cinnamon rolls, baked from scratch and topped with a gooey, cream cheese and bourbon frosting. I'd even had the foresight to freeze half the batch and leave him baking instructions, so he could make them on his own without me (obviously, this was a ploy to keep him from getting upset about me taking off for nearly two weeks). This confectionary masterpiece became dubbed as "special breakfast," and it precluded my desire to COOK ALL THE THINGS. You don't get the recipe for that... But it's an important part of this story. That's why I'm telling you. That, and I'm a little bit of a tease.

In another attempt to keep my boyfriend from hating me, my job, my commitments to camps around the country and my inability to say no to a teaching offer, I left presents. Presents and notes. For each day I was gone. Yes, its nauseatingly adorable and you're throwing up in your mouth a little. It's ok.  I would be making gagging faces at myself right now, if I weren't so head over heels in love with this boy. There is some adage that says something about having to have survived the worst to be able to appreciate the best. I've written off my past as an experience I needed to have. A painful, challenging, horrendous learning experience. And now? Now I know that I have something good--someone who cares about me, appreciates my ambition, supports my decisions and balances me. Proof:

Special breakfast was reciprocated. After being gone for what felt like forever, my first morning back home consisted of french toast (from REAL french bread), mimosas and absolutely no work on my part. Watching my boyfriend feverishly stir cinnamon into cold milk, visibly frustrated that it wouldn't dissolve, scrolling through his recipe on his iPad... I melted a little. He was willing to step in to my realm, try his hand at something that I love doing, just to make me feel special. And while I have known for some time that this boy was special, there was definite confirmation that morning.  I felt lucky. Content. Happy. And it was ok that, other than a quick trip to the store, we spent the entire day doing nothing. It's not my MO, but it felt good. I could revel in a day of laziness, because I wasn't going to have to pick up the slack later by myself. 

I have gotten used to taking care of myself. I have needed to know that I can fix things, do things, manage things on my own. But in the past few months, I've slowly gotten comfortable NOT having to do them on my own. My boyfriend may not be an expert on fixing sprinklers, but we figured it out together. He may not be super jazzed to mount my TV or fix a loose hinge, but he'll do it. He may not love to cook, but he'll get up and make me breakfast because he knows I'm exhausted and worn out from traveling. He'll do things not because he wants to, not because he gets anything out of it, not because he has some ulterior motive... He just wants to make me happy. And that makes me the luckiest girl in the whole world (insert gagging noises here). 

And in return, I want to do everything, be everything, bake, cook and clean everything, embody everything that perfect should be. I know what it feels like to be unappreciated, and I want to make sure that I never make another person feel that way. I can't help but have some guilt about my summer spent jumping around from one camp in one city to the next. Being gone for a total of almost an entire month doesn't seem like a thing you do for someone you really care about. So naturally, when I am home, I want to DO ALL THE THINGS that I can to demonstrate my appreciation. 

I've always considered my kitchen abilities to be something of a gift. I just have a knack for throwing things together that work. Which is surprising, because I don't understand any of the science behind it and I often screw up the math. But it still works (further proof that math and science are unnecessary). And as someone with an overwhelming need to help others (hence for years as an RA), putting my gift to work and feeding people is a natural outlet for me. So when we started talking about dinner ideas, after Special Breakfast #2, I knew that this recipe would be a winner. First, it has beer in it. I mean, who doesn't want beer with their dinner? Second, it all goes in a slow cooker... So I could spend the whole day finishing our two bottles of champagne and orange juice, while dinner cooked itself.

Chicken Taco Soup

• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 (16 oz) can chili beans, drained
• 1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained
• 1 (16 oz) can corn, drained
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 oz) bottle of beer
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 t cayenne
• 1 t garlic salt
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup cilantro

1. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, except for the chicken. Stir well.

2. Submerge the chicken breasts in the other ingredients (make sure they are covered).

3. Set slow cooker for low heat and cook for 5 hours.

4. Remove chicken breasts about four hours in. Shred. Return to soup for one more hour.

5. Serve with sliced avocado, crushed tortilla chips and queso fresco.

Black Bean & Rice Enchiladas

Taking care of people is just what I do. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to help other people feel good. I wanted to be able to contribute, positively, to the world around me in ways that made other people smile.

When I was younger, I volunteered at a local zoo. I spent my summer days working with animals and educating the public about animal conservation. I am probably in millions of family photos, holding some sort of exotic animal, grinning like an idiot with a total stranger's kids. I've also been peed on, bitten by and shat on by more endangered species that you can name.

When I got into high school, I started coaching kids' volleyball. My best friend and I took two teams under our wings, with mixed results. One undefeated season, and one lack luster. But we have scores of girls (who are now graduating from high school!!!!) that we helped fall in love with a game that we were passionate about. We even hosted a sleepover--complete with makeovers!

When I went away to college, I got involved as a resident adviser and I helped coach a local speech and debate team. I never really realized it, but I was constantly looking for ways to make other people feel important, special, needed, at home and valued. I loved cooking for my residents. I reveled in the rousing conversations I would have with my speech team, about everything from college to fights with their friends and parents. I was as excited as they were when they won awards for their performances.

Despite all this, my maternal instincts, over all, are lacking. Babies give me the heebie jeebies. Small children make me really nervous. The thought of changing diapers, buying baby clothes... being responsible for another life... Terrify me. And all of my friends seem to be launching into this stage in their lives (or they've been there for a while and facebook has just recently let me know this).

I feel like everyone around me is getting married, having babies and growing up. And I'm not going to lie, it's freaking me out just a little. I am SO not at that place in my life yet. But you know what? I'm ok with it. Just don't ask me to babysit.

But you know what I CAN do? Make delicious, easy to freeze, meals for you when you've got a bun in the oven. One of my colleagues just had a baby (like, this morning! Happy birthday, Matthew James!), and last week I took the time to prepare some dinners for her family so that feeding her husband, her two year old and herself didn't send her over the edge.

Black Bean & Rice Enchiladas

• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 
• 1 small can green chiles
• 1/4 cup green enchilada sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (I cooked this in my rice cooker with 1/4 of enchilada sauce/water)
• 8 flour tortillas, warmed
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 sliced avocado

1. In a large skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through and mixture thickens. Add rice; cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through. 
2. Lightly spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Spoon the mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides over filling and roll up. Place in the coated dish. Spoon salsa and any left over rice mixture over each tortilla. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 
4. Top with sliced avocado and serve! 
5. Or, you can cover with foil and freeze. Simply add about 45 minutes to your cooking time if you are cooking them from frozen.

Famous Chicken Lasagna

In the last few weeks, my life has revolved around kids, camp, dorm food and mini vans.

Unlike many teachers, my summers aren't much of a break. I load up the school mini van with yearbook and newspaper kids and spend days at a time in warped world of copy, picas, pictures and deadlines. And I love every minute of it. Seeing students get excited about things that I fell in love with myself as a high school kid is amazing. Hearing their ideas, talking about the upcoming year and watching their leadership skills develop is so exciting.

Of course, there are things that I don't love about camp, too. For one, the food usually leaves something to be desired. The first two camps of this summer were a mundane drone of dining hall drab, without a lot of options or variety. The accommodations aren't always the most comfortable either. My days in a twin double long are kind of a thing of the past. Showering in flip flops is definitely not my favorite. Listening to kids fight over who gets the "bucket seat" or "shotgun" in the minivan for a five minute car ride makes me want to pull my hair out. The long hours are tireless, too. They are jam-packed with fun and activities, but by 11 PM on the fourth day, I can barely keep my eyes open. I think my age is catching up with me.

But newspaper camp is different. We stay at an apartment-style hotel. We cook our own food. We have down time. We sleep. There is time to go to the gym. It's kind of outstanding.

One of the best things about newspaper camp is the bonding that happens. I get to know my students on a different level. I watch them start to build relationships with each other. We all hang out together and relax. I cook dinner. I cook really, really big dinners.

Food brings people together. And this lasagna may be the new official food of my newspaper staff. I think almost every kid had a second helping and/or took it for lunch the next day. And long before it was famous with high school kids, my friends loved, craved and worshiped this dish.

The Famous Chicken Lasagna

photo by Jessica Y.

This creamy chicken lasagna had my students coming back for second 

and third helpings. And they took it for lunch the next day.

9 uncooked lasagna noodles (I use the no-bake kind)
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly coat a 9x13x2 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, combine chicken soup, mushroom soup, onion, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk and spices.
4. Smooth a small layer of the soup mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. Then, layer 1/3 of the noodles, soup mixture, chicken and cheese; repeat 3 times, ending with cheese. 
5. Cover with foil.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil.
7. Return lasagna to the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese begins to brown.