Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna has always been a staple in my recipe repertoire. I do not fancy myself a cook, so the easier the recipe, the better! This is one of my favorite alternatives to classic lasagna. If I can do it, you can do it!

Here is what you’ll need for the lasagna:

3 large shallots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 lbs. of zucchini, sliced

-You can also include 1 1/2 cup mushrooms

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

3/4 tsp. black pepper, divided

2 pints of cherry tomatoes

1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped

2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced

1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Here is what you’ll need for the sauce:

3 1/2  fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

5 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1/4 c. heaving whipping cream

1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 large egg lightly beaten

9 no-bake lasagna noodles

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 c. grated Fontina cheese

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°

Place small metal roasting pan in preheated oven.

Combine shallots and squash; drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of each salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables in preheated pan and roast for 30 minutes, stirring once.

Preheat broiler to high. Place tomatoes in a roasting pan and broil 10 minutes or until blistered.

Combine squash mixture, tomatoes, 1/4 c. basil, chives and garlic; toss gently.

Reduce oven temp. to 350°

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining oil. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in cream, mustard, 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 4 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Return sauce to pan.

Spread 1/2 c. sauce over bottom of 13×9 broiler-safe, greased baking dish.

Place 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce; spread half of the squash mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with half of the parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Pour remaining sauce over noodles.

Sprinkle with Fontina cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Broil for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with basil.

Let stand 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Distressed Wood Clipboard Tray Picture ‘Frames’

We have been watching a lot of #fixerupper, and @themagnoliamom has inspired us to make some distressed wood decorations. We decided to go simple, and make Distressed Wood Clipboard Tray Picture ‘Frames’.

Here is what you’ll need:

-black acrylic paint-$3.33

-white acrylic paint-$3.33

-clipboard clips (I bought idea-ology clips at Michael’s)-$4.59 X 2 (Two clips per package and I made four)

-small wooden trays (yep, trays!)- $4.29 X 4

-medium grade sandpaper-$3.39

-hot glue gun and glue-$2.99/$3.99

-a paintbrush to apply the paint-$1.00

As it turns out we also needed:

-1/2″ nails – $4.69 for 1000 nails on Amazon

-hammer – $10.03

Steps: 

1. Lightly sand your wooden trays. We decided to use small trays because I liked the dimension it provided once they are hung on the walls.

2. Paint each tray black or a dark grey. You can choose a different base color, but whatever color you choose will show once you begin to distress the wood.

3. We decided to paint my base coat black with some dark grey accents. Here is how the first layer looked:

4. Allow the base layer to dry. It will make applying the next layer easier.

5. Once the  first layer is dry, apply a thin coat (the thinner the layer, the easier sanding will be) of white paint.

6. After, allow the white layer to dry (this project may test your patience).

7. Once the paint is dry and the first layer is covered, begin sanding different areas on the tray. This will expose the dark paint underneath and give the trays a distressed look.  This is the step where you can customize each tray. Depending on how thick the top coat of paint is, the more elbow grease you need to get the desired look. Here are the trays after this step:

8. The original intention was to use a glue gun, but we found out very quickly that wouldn’t fasten the clip to the board well enough. So, the next step is to nail the clipboard clips onto the boards. We used two short nails for each clip. Ensure they’re short, because you don’t want the nails to extend past the back of the tray.

9. Now you’re ready to choose a picture, and hang your final product on the wall!

And here is a picture showing the dimension it adds by using the trays:

Project grand total = $60.29. This seems like a high number when you think about only creating four picture ‘frames’. Much of the materials you may already have around your house and wouldn’t necessarily need to buy in order to complete this project. 

Let us know what you think!

Bathroom Vanity Facelift

Our first DIY project of 2016 was to upgrade the tasteless and generic honey oak bathroom vanities. Upon purchasing our house, the first project that was decided was to update the generic cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchen. We decided the easiest place to start would be our spare bathroom. The stain chosen for our cabinets was a warm, dark chocolate color. The best part about this project was it was quick, simple and only took about 20 minutes a day!

Remember, our goal is to complete each DIY project for under $150.

What You’ll Need:

-general finishes java gel stain (I ordered a pint)-$20.36

-general finishes high performance satin seal (I ordered a pint)-$29.99

-Clorox wipes-$4.63

-latex gloves-$2.15

-masking tape (or painter’s tape. I used masking tape because it was cheaper)-$2.44

-Craft paper (or newspaper/drop cloth-anything that will protect your floors)-$4.57

– a sanding block (I used a ‘fine’ sanding block.)-$3.97

– a foam brush-$0.68

-a screwdriver to remove the doors-$7.97

-a plastic bag or plastic container to store screws and hinges-$1.00

– a towel-$1.00

A few tips before you get started:

-Tape, tape, tape! The more time you spend covering your floor, countertop and walls the easier the cleanup will be. I know this is tedious, but it is well worth it.

–less is more. Applying thin layers of stain will give you the best results.

-Try not to over apply the stain.  The first two layers will look uneven and will have streaks. I found that this particular type of stain dries quickly and it was tempting to go over areas where the stain looked uneven. If you attempt to add more stain over these areas, you will end up removing the already applied stain.  

-Allow for adequate dry time in between each layer of stain.

-Don’t panic! This project is fairly simple and adds so much character to your otherwise generic bathroom.

Here is our vanity before I started:

Steps:

1. Lay down the craft paper (newspaper or drop cloth) and tape the wall around the vanity. I also taped the underside of the countertop.
2. Remove the doors and place the screws and hinges in a plastic bag or container.

3. Wipe down the doors and vanity with a Clorox wipe. This will remove any dirt, dust or any other kind of buildup. You want the wood to be clean before you begin applying the stain.
4. Lightly sand the doors and vanity. You don’t want to spend too much time sanding. The goal of this step is to remove any uneven areas on the wood and to smooth out any imperfections.
5. Use the towel to remove the dust created by sanding.
6. You are ready to apply your first layer of stain! There are many methods to use when applying stain. A few of the most popular methods are: using a foam brush, a paintbrush or a sock (yep, a sock).  I applied the first layer of stain using a foam brush but found I was having difficulty applying an even coat using the brush. Believe it or not, I used my hand (seriously!). I wore three layers of gloves and used my hand. It was the easiest and fastest way to apply a thin, even layer of stain.

Ok, you’ve applied your first layer of stain and are more than likely experiencing heart palpitations because the first layer looks horrible. If you need to, pour yourself a glass of wine and trust that it will look better with each layer you apply.

Here is the first layer of stain I applied to the doors:

Here is the first layer of stain I applied to the vanity:

Both look streaky and like the stain didn’t cover very well. That’s ok-I promise you did not make a mistake by tackling this project.

7. Dry. Dry. Dry. Dry. After applying each layer of stain, allow 24 hours for the layer to dry. The longer the dry time, the better the next layer will look. If you are anything like me, you want to projects to be quick and finished in one day. Trust me, allowing for adequate dry time will give you the best result.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have applied 3-4 layers of stain depending on your preference. I applied four stains because there were a few spots that appeared lighter than other areas. I applied the same number of coats to the doors as I did to the vanity.
9. After you have applied the stain, make sure there are no streaks in the stain before you apply the satin seal.
10. Apply the first layer of the satin seal.
11. Allow the seal to dry for 24 hours.
12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 until you have applied 2 layers of seal to both the vanity and the doors.
13.  Attach the doors back to the vanity and you are finished!

Project grand total: $78.76! We stayed well within budget and the results are fabulous. 

Here is the finished product:

Did you try this project? Let us know how it went and share your before/after photos!

Our DIY Mission

One of our lifetime goals is to own a realty/home renovation business (any HGTV fanatics?).  At this point in our lives, I am finishing my Master’s degree in Speech Pathology and my husband works for the government. The more financially responsible side of us knows we need to save some money before making that leap into entrepreneurship.

Our compromise was to search for a house that needed some work. We decided this would satisfy the urge to buy every house in our town and tackle every DIY project under the sun. As I finish school and my husband forges ahead in his new job, we are undergoing DIY and home renovation projects on the weekends and in our spare time.

Clearly, two twenty-three year olds are not made of money and we are on a limited budget. Our DIY mission is to complete each project for under $150! We live in Maryland where it seems nothing is found cheap. As we select our projects, we will overturn many used furniture stores and bargain shops. A beautiful, renovated house shouldn’t have to cost you your life savings.

We hope you join us on our renovation journey and watch our Design In Progress.

 

Apple and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

If you are looking for a quick, simple and easy recipe, you’ve found it! This apple and sausage stuff acorn squash is delicious and only takes about 1 hour to make. This is a recipe I adapted from one I found online. I love to make this dish because it requires very little skill (which is perfect for me). Here is the recipe:

You will need:

2 small acorn squash

1 chopped onion

2 chopped stalks of celery

1 chopped red bell pepper

1/2 medium zucchini

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. rosemary

3 chopped cloves of garlic

1/2-pound sweet Italian sausage

2 chopped apples

1/2-cup breadcrumbs

1/2-cup Parmesan cheese

A roasting pan

A large frying pan

(I didn’t add a zucchini this time and did not have a better substitute).

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Cut off the top and bottom of each acorn squash to create a flat base.
3. Scrape out the seeds to create a bowl for stuffing.Be careful when you remove the top and bottom. I usually delegate this job to my husband (it will require a tiny amount of elbow grease).
4. Drizzle each squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 40-50 minutes.
5. While the squash is roasting, in a large frying pan over medium heat, heat oil, onion, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook until the onions become translucent.
6. Add garlic and sausage and cook until the sausage is browned.
7. Add the apples and cook until slightly softened.
8. Mix in breadcrumbs and cheese.
9. Remove squash from the oven and stuff the squash with the sausage mixture.
10. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes.
11. Enjoy!

My personal opinion is that it tastes better with wine! I hope you found this helpful and let me know how you liked the recipe!