Celebrate July 29

Today is July 29th and I can't wait to start Celebrating!  There are so many fun and unique excuses to celebrate today!!  Here they are;

• National Lasagna Day
• Cadillac - General Motors Anniversary 1909
• Chicken Wings Day 1979
• NASA's Birthday 1958
• National Lipstick Day
• Faroe Islands (Denmark) Independence Day

I'm so excited about today National Lipstick Day (I'm loving it! If there was only one type of makeup I could wear it would be lipstick), National Lasagna Day (yummy), Chicken Wings Day (again yummy),NASA is turning 52 years old, and my own personal reason to CELEBRATE today is my little niece Kora is turning 5.

To Celebrate National Lipstick Day I'm going to wear the most outrageous color of lipstick!  The brighter the better!  This is the one day (other than Halloween) we can all get away with going over the edge and out of control with our choice of lipstick color.  My daughter also is joining me in this Celebration!  She loves makeup and any excuse to put some on!

National Wing Day!  Yumbo!  Our favorite wings are from a restaurant called Wingers!  My kids LOVE the Amazing Sauce!!  I mean they DEVOUR anything that is touching this delicious sauce.  There are a lot of copy cat recipes online for the Wingers Amazing Sauce and this is the recipe I enjoy the most (I have tweeked it a little from its original form)

Wingers Amazing Sauce

For the sauce:
-Covers about 8 sticky fingers
3 Tbsp. Franks Hot Sauce (It has to be Franks Hot Sauce... no other sauce will taste as good)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. water

3 Tbsp Ranch Dressing (or to taste)
Heat up hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a saucepot until all the sugar dissolves ( I always double the recipe and it is the perfect amount for the chicken and for dipping).  add ranch and stir continuously until complete mixed in.

Thats it for the Sauce!  I know its way to simple to be true!  But, believe me it is true and it is so good!

This sauce goes great over chicken fingers, whole chicken breasts, add a little more ranch and use it as a salad dressing, and of course WINGS!!!!

To make Hot wings just by the pre-breaded wings from your local grocery store.  Fry them up according to package directions.  Then toss in this scrumptious sauce!!!!  Serve with a side of Ranch or Blue Cheese!!

Such a simple and fun way to Celebrate National Wing Day!!  This is what we are having for Lunch!  Come and Join us:)

In honor of General Motors and its Debut of the Cadillac the kids will be designing their very own cars!!  This activity is so much fun for my boys (my little girl is just kissing the paper with her lipstick.) My 3 boys LOVE cars and this activity really sparked their interest.  Some of the cars they designed had wings, others had secret compartments.  It was really fun watching their imaginations flow as they paid tribute to one of their favorite things, Cars.

Now on to Celebrating one of our families FAVORITE things LASAGNA!!!  We love Lasagna and I have been blessed to have been given a recipe for Lasagna (that is in my opinion, the BEST) from a very dear friend of mine.  Her Lasagna rocked my socks off!  It was so delicious and she graciously shared the recipe with me.  I like to tweek things when it comes to recipes so I have changed a few things to make it what has now turned into a family favorite!  Here is the most amazing Lasagna Recipe in the whole World and in Honor of the woman who gave me this recipe I will call it Dottie's Lasagna! 

Dottie's Lasagna

The Sauce

1 pound Italian Sausage                           *2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese sliced or shredded

4 Cloves of Garlic

1-2 Tbl Dried Basil

1 can Diced Tomato (Italian Style)

1 can Tomato Paste (Basil and Garlic)

1 can Tomato Paste (Basil and Garlic)

Fresh Mushrooms 

1 Onion chopped

I ALWAYS DOUBLE THE SAUCE!

Cheese Mixture

2 Eggs

1 Carton (15oz) Cottage Cheese aprox 2 cups

1/2 C. Parm. Cheese

2 Tbl. Parsley Flakes

American Beauty Lasagna Noodles you will need 3 noodles per layer so cook 8 noodles (2 extra just in case)

Saute' meet in frying pan with chopped onion and garlic.  When meet is no longer pink add mushrooms and all the tomatoes (sauce, paste, and diced) let cook on medium high heat for aprox 5 minutes.  Turn down to a simmer and add Basil.  At this point the sauce is done.  I like to allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes longer allowing all the flavors to combined and just turn into yummyness (yes I just said that)

Okay set your sauce aside and now it is time to work on the cheese mixture.  I'm going to let you in on my little secrets when it comes to making the PERFECT lasagna!  Pull out your blender, yes your blender and combined the egg, cottage cheese, parm cheese, and parsley flakes.  Mix in your blender until smooth!!  This will make a huge difference in the consistency of your Lasagna (you will love it!)

Cook your Lasagna Noodles according to the package directions!

Now take your 9x13 pan and spray the bottom of it with cooking spray.  Then layer 3 noodles (its okay if they are broken no one will ever know ;) Layer 1/2 of your cheese mixture, next layer 1/2 of Sauce, then top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Repeat this process then top the whole thing with more Mozzarella cheese and parsley for looks (really this is so yummy I'm drooling just thinking about it)

Then pop the whole thing in your oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes! This is what we are having for dinner, what are you having at yours?

Okay I have just shared with you two amazingly FANTASTIC recipes and I have given you so many excuses to Celebrate July 29th.  Go out and have the Best day ever Celebrating TODAY!