Written while sleep-deprived and watching TopGear

Let the title serve as a warning, if past posts haven't -- this might be slightly incoherent, poorly edited, and maybe even pointless, but that's ok! Because at least we're posting something , right? Right.

First things first -- the update on our lives.

Darren:

They (doctors) still aren't quite sure what's been plaguing him for the past 6 months, but they think it might be migraine-related. The anti-migraine meds he's been taking have been helping, so that's a good sign. He's doing PT and what he calls "dizzy therapy" (I think it's called balance rehab, officially) and both seem to help, as well. Yay for progress!

He'll be starting back to school during the Spring term - end of April to mid-June -- taking an accounting class. Then it's back to school full-time in the fall to get back into the swing of things with his Information Systems major!

Michelle:

I received my graduation announcements in the mail last week, and I'm sending them out this week! You know what that means? I'm almost done with school! That's absolutely crazy, by the way. I've been in school since I was 4 and a half years old, and I still haven't quite been able to wrap my head around the fact that as of April 19, 2012, I will be officially done with school. (Hooray!) Scary and exciting and weird and baffling all at the same time.

But that doesn't mean I'll be done with learning -- oh, no. I plan on taking some fun local classes (such as the Wilton cake decorating classes!) and setting a bunch of projects ahead of myself, mostly having to do with food.

Speaking of food -- you didn't think I'd skip a recipe, did you? We made these awesome lasagna rolls a week or so ago, and they were great! The prep work took a little while, but the end result was delicious and inexpensive and perfectly serving-sized. My brain is pretty fried right now from a hectic day, so I'll just post the recipe and link here, and you can follow through to find the pictures and such on the original site. Enjoy!

Lasagna Rolls

(originally posted here)

1 lb. lasagna noodles

15 oz. ricotta

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 lg. egg

10 oz. frozen spinach

2.5 cups marinara sauce

to taste salt and pepper

as needed non-stick spray

STEP 1: Get a large pot of water boiling with a dash of salt. When it comes to a full boil, add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente (soft but not soggy... about 12-15 minutes). When they are finished cooking, drain in a colander.

STEP 2: While the noodles are boiling, prepare the filling. Thaw the package of frozen spinach in the microwave and then squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Combine the spinach in a bowl with the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, freshly grated pepper and about 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix until well combined.

STEP 3: When the noodles and filling are ready to go, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a glass casserole dish by spraying with non-stick spray.

STEP 4: On a clean surface, lay out a few noodles at a time. Place a few tablespoons of filling on each noodle and spread to cover from edge to edge. The filling does not need to be thick because once the noodle is rolled up, it will be compounded. Make sure to spread it all the way to the edges of the noodles.

STEP 5: Roll the noodles up and place in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat until all of your filling is gone (there may be some noodles left over, these are "back ups" in case any of the others rip during assembly). Pour the marinara sauce over the rolled noodles making sure to cover all surfaces. The sauce will keep the noodles hydrated and soft while baking.

STEP 6: Cover the dish in foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or divide into individual portions and refrigerate.