Monday Recipe---3 Cheese Baked Ziti

Good morning. I know, I have been MIA for most of the past week. Things have just been so crazy. But I'm here now and I've got this recipe for 3 Cheese Baked Ziti. This sounds good and it sounds like something that you could put together the night before to put in the fridge and throw it into the oven when you get home from work.

Three Cheese Baked Ziti
1 Pkg.(15 oz.) part-skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package (16 oz.) ziti pasta, cooked & drained
1 28 oz. jar pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, and parmesan cheese; set aside. In another bowl, thoroughly combine hot pasta and pasta sauce. In 13x9-inch baking dish, spoon in 1/2 of the pasta mixture; evenly top with ricotta cheese mixture, then remaining pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until heated through.

This past week was just too crazy for me and I couldn't seem to find the time (nor the inclination) to get on here and make any post's. Tuesday Ray ended up coming home from work and insisting that I go to the ER. It appears, that in my old age, I am developing some rather odd allergies. The ER doctor said that I had an acute allergic dermatitis. To what? We're not really sure as I didn't try anything new over the weekend. No new soaps, detergents, etc. The only thing I had, that I had never had before, was one teeny tiny sip of my nieces blue raspberry soda. All we can think is that maybe I was allergic to the blue coloring or flavoring.

They gave an IV (major ouch! that nurse was so bad and spilled my blood all over the place) with meds that seemed to help a lot. By the next morning the swelling and all had gone almost completely away. Within a few days I was able to put my ring on again.

Thursday I took my mother in law back to the hospital for another day of physical therapy. I grabbed a book on my way out of the door. I figured I would enjoy my hour of peace and quiet to the max. I haven't been able to sit down and just read since last summer. Maybe next time I'll take one of my counted-cross stitch projects. I haven't worked on any of that since I was pregnant with Rylie. Of course, my eye sight has changed so much in the past 5 years, I'm not even sure I'll be able to see the thread. lol

I really need to get in and get my eyes examined. I know my prescription has changed...a lot. But the exams are just so fippin' expensive. There is always something else we need to spend the sixty dollars on. Like electricity or heat or groceries. LOL I keep saying, one day, one day...we'll see.

Saturday Ray, Rylie and I went to Winterfield Academy for a meeting and tour of the school. Rylie starts kindergarten next year and there is just no way I can send her to Toledo Public Schools. We really liked what we heard and plan on submitting and application and I am hoping, beyond hope, that Rylie will get into this school. Their school is based on four "philosophies":
1. Academics-They will do everything to make sure your child is learning what they need. They test throughout the year and if your child is weak in certain areas, they will re-teach if needed. If your child is extremely bright and bored, then they will set up new things to challenge your child.
2. "Morals"- At the beginning of the month they have an assembly and introduce a new "moral characteristic" like courage or wisdom. They then continue the use of the word in the classroom during that month. It has nothing to do with religion, it's about teaching the kids how to be a good person. I really like this aspect of their teaching philosophy.
3. Student Responsibility-They want the kids to learn to become responsible for their own actions . Or lack thereof. If your child keeps forgetting to bring in their homework, they don't want you to pick up the slack and bring it in. They want the children to learn to be responsible for themselves and take the consequences for themselves. I think this is a good thing to teach. How many young people today think that the world owes them something? That they should just "get" just because? You have to work for what you want and that means being responsible. Yes, it does sound a little strict or disciplined...but that is what I think so many kids today are missing in their life. Discipline and structure.
4. Parental Involvement- Every child's family is required to volunteer 10 hours at the school. I think that this is so important. How can our children realize how important their education is if we aren't involved in it? That works fine for me, especially since I don't think I will go any farther away from that school than the parking lot for the first week. LOL

Another selling point for us on the school was their level of security. You cannot enter the school without going through the Main Office. Once you arrive in the office, your drivers license will be swiped. If anything comes up on the license, they will know about it and you may not be allowed to enter the school. I love the fact that they take the safety of the children so seriously. If they screen the parents and visitors so closely, can you imagine the screenings of the teachers and workers at the school?

So I've got Rylie's application all filled out and I am hoping, hoping, hoping that she is accepted and will be going to school there this fall. If she is accepted, then she will spend a partial day there in May so she can experience a school setting. Then they will have some days during the summer when the kids (kindergarten) can come in and spend some more time there and become adjusted to the new environment.

They also gave us a list of things that they like the children to know when starting kindergarten. Rylie knows most of it, so it will give us some things to work on here at home this spring and summer. She is starting to get real excited and loves to talk about her new school. She is being extremely helpful around the house too. Showing us how she is a "big girl" and ready for school now. It is too cute.

Sunday we had "Sunday Dinner" and we had a lot of fun. We are going to try to have all the kids and grandbabies over every other Sunday for dinner. Just a day to catch up with everyone, have dinner and play some games. It was a real good day, even if all the kids couldn't make it. I want to look for a new game we can play the next time. So if ya'll know of a good board game or card game for group, please make a suggestion. This time we played Apples to Apples and it was a lot of fun.

Well, I better get off of here and get started with laundry. Ya'll have a wonderful day and I'll see ya later.
Hugs!
Jill Marie