family dinner

...last week almost my whole family was here for supper! this is a rare happening. even Grammy was here! the only one missing was Jesse :(
  i made zucchini lasagna! i found the recipe on my cousin, Bec's, blog What's for Meat? i was having such a good time with my family at dinner and completely forgot to take photos of the food! to see what this fabulous dish looked like (everyone loved it!) go to the link above, where the recipe is also posted. another fun fact about this dish is that it is gluten free as it uses thin zucchini slices as a substitute for the noodles! i loved this variation of  the "traditional" lasagna. on the side i served parmesan rice (i've posted this before on my blog; go here for the recipe) and fudgy brownies for dessert! the recipe is from cooking light and it is super easy to make and so worth trying! it really only takes a few minutes longer than the traditional box mix, and i personally think it tastes better. 
  growing up, my dad and mom were always big on eating supper together as a family. (they still are.) as a kid i always took it for granted. now that half of my family is grown up and moved out, it's usually just my dad, mom, sister and me. i've realized how much i miss those old days when all my family members were seated at the dining room table in "their" spots. it makes me so much more grateful for when most of us are together again, like last week.

Fudgy Brownies
TIME: 25 minutes YIELD: 16 squares

Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter
2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. 1% low-fat milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Directions:
[1] Preheat oven to 350.
[2] Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a wisk.
[3] Place butter and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir until smooth, and set aside. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup of sugar, milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, egg yolks, and egg; stir with a wisk to combine. Add butter until combined.
[4] Pour batter into an 8-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. [the key here is almost, don't over bake]