Lazy Lasagna

I seem to be lacking in motivation this week. Perhaps the proof of this is that I made last week's lasagna recipe extra early (on Wednesday, in fact), and I am just now bothering to post about it. Still, it's a good thing that my usual drive didn't decide to go on hiatus last week, because when one has a multi-stepped lasagna to make, a healthy dose of motivation is key.

My title to this post is actually rather misleading. Rather than referring to the recipe itself, it refers completely to my recent inability to write about or create artwork for lasagna. There is actually nothing about the making of this lasagna that's lazy. While not the most complicated recipe I have ever encountered, it did have a decent number of steps, steps that I was able to complete only because the babe decided that lasagna-making day was also good-nap-taking day. And this, my friends, is also key when trying to make a successful lasagna. Lasagna doesn't like to be rushed.

In any case, I had motivation, I had time, and I also had friends who deserved a homemade meal. This recipe came from a book called "The Good Neighbor Cookbook," a collection of recipes designed to provide meals as a way of extending friendship, love, and hospitality. Quite simply, I liked the idea. The fact that we actually had friends who fit one of the book's target food recipients (new parents) made it even more perfect. And, when said couple invited us to join them for the meal that we were making, the entire situation became blog-worthy. Now I could try out the new book while also taste-testing the recipe myself, therein giving me the ability to provide a gift of sustenance and friendship and blog about a new recipe at the same time. As if lasagna weren't already great enough, it suddenly became even better.

If I were the lasagna-rating type, I think I'd give this little dish a 9 out of 10. Meat-lovers might find it a bit lacking, but I love veggie-lasagnas, so the absence of meat wasn't an issue for me. Perhaps the cheese mixture could have used an extra spike of additional cheese or salt. But, overall, the flavor was really great. And where the lasagna lost a point for those little, piddly things, I think it made up for it in the pure idea of sharing meals with friends. Friends, conversation over food, celebrating new babies. I'd say that these are all pretty fabulous reasons to make yourself a lasagna.