Welcome!

I felt like I needed a nice quiet little spot in the world where I could share my hobbies with my friends.

As those of you who know me well know, this is my third blog...I have one for my personal day to day thoughts, feelings & activities. My second blog came about from a desire to share our travels with friends & family while we were away. Now, I want to have a place that we can share the things that make us come alive and get out of bed in the morning.

My hobbies today include reading, blogging obviously, crochet, cross stitch, needlepoint, quilting, cooking, baking, soon to include canning, walking, bike riding and whatever else I find that makes me feel like humming when I do it.

Pull up a chair & enjoy with me the things that make my soul sing!

To start us off, I can hardly wait for the weather to cool just a little because I am finding all kinds of soups and fall dishes that I simply couldn't face at 80 degrees. This is one I am simply dying to make:

Pumpkin Lasagna (from Taste of Home)


Prep: 25 min. Bake: 55 min. + standing

1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
Dash pepper
9 no-cook lasagna noodles
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a small skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt in oil until tender; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, sage, pepper and remaining salt.

Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Top with three noodles (noodles will overlap slightly).

Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce to edges of noodles.

Top with half of mushroom mixture, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce.

Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 310 calories, 12 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 36 mg cholesterol, 497 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 17 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fat, 1 lean meat.