Not So Bad Lasagna

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, . Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg,  and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Firecloud Update

Sarasota, Florida

The weather here has turned cold. It won't be more than 69 F today, with wind and rain tomorrow and a high of only 74 F. We've been taking in the movies (Hateful Eight and The Revenant...both interesting).

We did make it up North to spend Christmas with the seven grandchildren. Always a delight.

I had another surgery for my head and neck cancer today. Have a big stupid looking bandage on the left side of my head. No tennis, walking or swimming for awhile. I've been doing almost daily seven-mile walks and a half hour swimming with my clunky ancient fins every day in the new indoor pool.

For convenience, I number the grandchildren #1 though #7 in order of birth.A couple of years ago we took #1 and #2 on a driving tour of England, Ireland and Scotland.This year we are taking #3 and #4 to Barcelona for a week and then on a cruise around the Mediterranean. Grandchild #4 is a soccer enthusiast. He's excited about the tickets I have for a Sunday game with the Barcelona team.

I've booked private tours of Rome, Pisa and Florence with our own Mercedes,driver and guide. The cost is a fifth of what the cruise line wants to load us on a cattle bus. I need to buy advance tickets for the Vatican and Colosseum to keep from standing in line. Still planning, but maybe a bullet train day trip to Madrid and certainly Easter in Palma de Mallorca.

Need to get back to work taking pictures and writing blogs...my public grows restless.

This Land Is Your Land

Words by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land This land is my land

From California to the New York island;

From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters

This land was made for you and Me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I saw below me that golden valley:
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.