So I found this awesome website that I just love!

http://www.mint.com

I've never used Quicken or MS Money -- I have this thing, I hate to pay for software if I don't have to (I think the only software besides video games I've purchased in the last 5 years has been internet security software). Mint.com will draw information from your banking accounts and credit cards and put it all into one place for you to see your spending habits. It's really neat, I quite thoroughly enjoy geeking around with it. Check it out!

I made this a few weekends ago -- butternut squash lasagna with crab meat & cream cheese filling. I was nervous that it might not turn out quite right, but it was so yummy! Here is my recipe below:

Butternut Crab Lasagna
(Makes 1 9x13 lasagna)

1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and grated
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 6 oz can crab meat (white or lump is fine)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pkg no-bake lasagna noodles
2 c. low-fat or fat free milk
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. freshly grated parmasan cheese
salt, pepper, and nutmeg to garnish

Melt the olive oil & butter together in a medium skillet or saucepan. Sautee the onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Stir flour into onion/garlic mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add milk, stirring vigorously, and cook on high until just bubbling. Turn down heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes (until mixture thickens a bit).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

While milk mixture is simmering, drain the juices from the canned crab. In a small mixing bowl, combine the crabmeat and the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.

Grease (with oil or butter) a 9x13 casserole dish. Pour enough milk mixture into the bottom to just coat the bottom of the pan, then begin assembling the lasagna. 1 layer of noodles, , 1/2 the crab/cream cheese1/2 the squash, 1/2 c. of parmasan cheese, 1/3 the remaining milk mixture. Repeat. Place the last layer of noodles, then pour the last of the milk mixture and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly on top. Salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

So here it is! My first loaf of (edible) bread. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but boy oh boy was it delicious!

We finally did it!

We paid off the last of our wedding loan! While we're far from debt free, mostly because we're sitting on a big pile of Ben's student loans, we've pretty much removed ourselves from all non-student debt (i.e. anything with a disgustingly high interest).

I'd write more about it, but really, there's not much else to say. ;-)

Whoa....2008?!? Happy New Year, and holy cow, I can't believe it's here already. Maybe I'll actually start updating and posting stuff regularly. I've started having some serious nesting syndromes with the onset of winter, so there's been a few massive cooking/baking operations that I've taken some pictures of. We'll see how this goes, but I'll add it to my list of New Year's resolutions (along with running all 6 of the 5k's I signed up for despite how cold it is).

Speaking of 5k's -- Ben and I ran one on New Year's Day in the bitter bitter cold (it was 4 degrees Fahrenheit with 20 mph winds, so -16 with the windchill) but very sunny day. This photo is of us right before the race.

Next one is February 16th!