Who knew that lasagna noodles needn't be cooked before baking the lasagna? Here are two oh-so-easy lasagna recipes, one for a 'personal pan lasagna' perfect for cooking for one or two, another for lasagna made in the crockpot. “I never cook anymore, now that it’s just me,” say women, especially, once their families are grown and their husbands gone. Often, it’s just easier to rely on frozen meals. That means no cooking, no waste and no clean-up – but to my mind, no pleasure, either. So I’ve been working on recipes especially suited for cooking for one or two, ones which I hope perfectly blend convenience and freshness, flavor and pleasure. SPINACH DIP The lasagna’s spinach mixture double-duties as spinach dip, too, perfect for spreading on crackers or tucking into an omelet or packing into the slit of a thick pork chop. Use the same ingredients, just sauté the onion in a little water or oil before combining with the spinach, ricotta and seasonings. CRO

Perfect for Pancake Tuesday (that's Shrove Tuesday on the Christian calendar) or Sunday breakfast or Pancake Night , this is my mother's recipe for light and fluffy pancakes, either buttermilk pancakes or sweet-milk pancakes. Especially for new cooks, the recipe includes lots of pancake tips and tricks. ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ COMPLIMENTS! "Awesome recipe! ... So nice and fluffy!" ~ Anonymous BEST RECIPES! Mom's Pancakes Made the List! Best Recipes of 2009 Pancakes for Supper, An Annual Tradition On Mardi Gras calendars, the Tuesday before Lent is "Fat Tuesday". On Christian calendars, that same Tuesday is "Shrove Tuesday," the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, the day that we plant Lenten Grass . But on culinary calendars, that Tuesday is "Pancake Night" – the one night a year when tradition moves pancakes from the breakfast nook to the supper table. A Weekly Opportunity? W

An easy weeknight supper recipe, served straight from the pot on the table. A healthy stew, packed with cooked beans and root vegetables. Lighter than many stews so a great choice during a winter-to-spring "transition". ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ COMPLIMENTS! "The chicken with white beans was delicious." ~ Joan "... making [it] again tomorrow." ~ Karen Life-Changing Vinaigrette A decade ago, my food life was forever changed – for the better – by one simple recipe. St. Louis food writer Ann Lemons wrote a piece for the local paper’s Sunday magazine. She roughed out the concept for making a simple vinaigrette, a rub of garlic, a dollop of mustard, a scratch of good salt, a splash of vinegar and a glug of olive oil. Sound familiar? It’s My Favorite Salad Dressing . I make it nearly every day, some times twice a day, right in the salad bowl. It’s that simple. Ever since, I never buy salad dressing. It’s too expensive, too fil