Problem:  Winter.  Boredom.  Hunger.

Solution:  Two hours spent puttering in the kitchen, which totally counts as a workout.  A mess of of dirty dishes to wash.  Lasagna in the oven.  Naps.

I love lasagna of any sort, and this one is rich and full of wintery vegetable flavor. Not using tomatoes just seemed right this time, but I've got nothing against them. Basically, I wanted the flavor of kale to be featured, so I gave tomatoes the boot till next time.

I used freshly made Italian sausage from my favorite corner store of all time, Terranova's.  If you don't have any in the house and you're snowed in, though, no big deal.  Lasagna is basically a layering of pasta, some sort of sauce/stew, and cheese.  So for the stew, I can see a melange of onions, garlic, carrots, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms--basically any good veggies you have in the fridge, or even in cans.  Use any kind of cheese.  If you don't have lasagna noodles, cook any shape of pasta and use a third of it to make the pasta layer...or use rice, polenta, or bread.  You really can't go wrong.
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Several folks have been asking about where to eat on Thanksgiving day in New Orleans, and I've found a great place to get the lowdown: visit Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Menu site and click on "Thanksgiving."  You'll get a list of 50 restaurants serving on the holiday, plus some awesome recipes for your own spread.

Last year, Paul and I went to Commander's Palace for Thanksgiving with his folks.  They offer a wonderful traditional meal, complete with gumbo and bread pudding or other seasonal desserts, but you can also choose from non-turkey entrees.  Plus, you'll never find a friendlier staff.  In fact, they were so friendly last year that they let us into the kitchen, where Paul snapped some awesome shots:

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