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My diet program doesn’t leave much space for noodly goodness, so I’ve been a lasagne slacker for the past year and some. But this past weekend I finally got off the couch and made 6 lasagnes. Each (except the vegetarian one, #5 below) got a pound of sausage in the meat layer. Each (except the no-onion one, #6 below) got a share of the 9 sautéed leeks and 2 red ginormous onions. All got some pesto (note to self, buy more pesto next time, you can’t have too much) and most got mushrooms. The bottom ricotta layer was the same for each; a share of the 4 lbs ricotta with 2 oz goat cheese and 3 oz thinly sliced garlic. The meat lasagnes also got a sprinkle of fried salami. I made three pots of sauce, one with extra onions, one with extra dried mushrooms, and one with no onions and extra garlic (for a friend who hates onions with a surprising passion). I didn't get fancy with the cheeses this time, because I wanted to see what the different sausages would be like.
#1, Whole grain noodles, hot Italian sausages from Draeger’s, fresh brown mushrooms.
#2, Whole grain noodles, hot Italian sausages from Dittmer’s, fresh brown mushrooms, 1 lb smoked cheese, fresh basil and parsley.
#3, No-boil noodles, mild Italian sausages from Draeger’s, 2 cups of mushroom duxelles from the freezer, extra-mushroom sauce (we ate this one for dinner).
#4, No-boil noodles, hot Italian sausages from safeway, fresh brown mushrooms.
#5, No-boil noodles, porcini and brown mushrooms, fresh basil and parsley, extra olives, extra-mushroom sauce.
#6, No-boil noodles, sweet Italian sausages from Trader Joe’s, porcini and brown mushrooms, fresh basil and parsley, no-onion sauce.

Click the lasagne tag below if you are wondering about other lasagnes, or look here for general instructions.

I haven't posted all month, mostly because work has been insane. Really. I think one of my technical editors actually had kittens.
Other than that, I made 3 lasagnas (sadly I’m failing to remember enough details to list them here), one excellent cheese soufflé (thanks to mom who grated cheese and GM who whipped egg whites; I think part of getting soufflé to work is having all the ingredients ready at the same movement), my father's favorite Thanksgiving dinner and more waffles than usual. My father in law has been here all week, and he's very fond of waffles.
Mom brought me some Death of Snails, hopefully they’re finding a good home and 24x7 buffet in my herb garden. She also brought me a bunch of Hens And Chicks, which we planted along the fence outside the kitchen window. She promises me they don't need much care or water, so hopefully they will survive.
GM and I had a great anniversary dinner at The Kitchen Table in Mountain View. The “Koshuterie Plate” alone is worth the trip, and the duck two ways was fabulous. Madbaker had told me about the lamb bacon in such glowing terms I didn't believe him, but G-d as my witness, it really was better than pork.
:Q My dad can fix anything better than your dad. While here on vacation, he fixed my sink, the wall-heater in the back hall, and the kitchen light. He pulled out bamboo volunteers from the front yard, and installed a fan in the dining room. My dad's the best!