Taco Lasagna!

(1) 24 pc package of soft corn tortillas

2# ground meat, cooked and drained

1 pkg taco seasonings

2 cans refried beans

(2) pkg Spanish Rice, prepared according to package

big package shredded cheese (always go for the big package:)

 (2) large jars taco sauce




Smear bottom of large baking pan or lasagna pan with a little taco sauce.

Layer 8 tortillas to cover pan.

Combine cooked meat with taco spices according to spice package directions in same skillet used to cook meat. 

Stir in refried beans and spread in even layer over tortillas.

optional: diced onion, sliced olives




Cover with another layer of 8 tortillas



Spread even layer of cooked rice and sprinkle with most of the cheese.



Place final layer of 8 tortillas.


Cover with taco sauce.


Bake covered with foil at 375 for 1 hour.

Uncover, bake another 15 minutes.  Can add another sprinkle of cheese if desired.


Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips.



This can be made Gluten Free if you check the ingredients in the rice, refried beans, and taco seasonings.

What do you do with a spaghetti squash?

I avoided them for years because I had no idea how to cook one. After some advice from cookbooks and some experimentation, I have found it to be quite good!  It tastes mildly like summer squash.  It is a good gluten-free or carb-free alternative to pasta.


The key is to poke holes in the squash rind before baking. Cut the ends off first, then slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. (Seeds can be toasted like pumpkin seeds)  Put cut-side-down onto a baking sheet and poke holes with a fork.  This allows the squash to cook through and gives a consistent texture. 

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes - you can tell when it is done by gently squeezing; it should squish a little. If not, let it cook for another 5 minutes.  It is better to overcook than undercook - if not cooked enough the strands will not have the texture of pasta.

It can also be cooked on the grill, but still must be on a flat surface like a baking sheet to keep the moisture in so the insides can steam thoroughly.

The strands run side-to-side, so take a fork and scrape them out all the way down to the rind.

Drain the strands in a colander for a few minutes to get rid of excess water.  Serve just like spaghetti!

My test group preferred it with meatballs and red sauce. The tomato brings out the sweetness of the squash.  I also tried serving it with stir fry instead of rice; that was ok but not great. Since some asian recipes include winter squash, it seemed like the flavors would work; perhaps it was just that particular ginger stir-fry sauce.

Please comment with other suggestions!

Mmmmmmm.... Luscious Lemon Bars!

Some knowledge is just too powerful for humans to handle.  This recipe can be a problem for those of us who absolutely love lemon bars - it makes it just too easy to eat a ton of them! You have been warned...

Great recipe for summer baking - it doesn't take very long to cook, and is simple to prepare.



The key to good lemon bars is the dynamic between the rich buttery shortbread crust and the tart shock of the lemon. This recipe does both quite well!  The only hard part is leaving any for others :)

CRUST:  1 c. all purpose flour**
               1/8 tsp salt
               1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
               8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, melted but not hot

Heat oven to 325. Spray 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray. Line with foil, leaving an overhang on two ends. Spray foil well.

Mix dry crust ingredients, then stir in butter until it forms soft dough.  Press into pan firmly.  Bake 20 minutes until pale golden.  (If making a double batch - use a 13x9 pan and bake crust extra 10 minutes)

FILLING: 2 large eggs
                3/4 c. white sugar
                1 1/2 tbsp flour**
                6 tbsp juice, & zest from two lemons

Whisk filling ingredients together. Pour over crust within a few minutes of taking baked crust out of oven.  Bake 20 minutes until just set in center.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Pull out with foil handles, cool on wire rack to room temperature.  Chill in fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.  Can be made a day prior to serving - keep cold.

Cut into bars and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar to serve.  I recommend cutting with a pizza cutter.

**This recipe can be made gluten free by directly replacing the flour quantity with GF baking mix. I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose baking mix, which is supposed to be used with special additives but I didn't use them and it still came out great.  Nobody believes that they are GF!