My two favorites.

In Oregon at least.






















My niece, Eva.
Also known as Evers and Goob.

And her dog Bowser.



Also known as Hippo Face, Deputy Derp and  Land Whale. I lurve him. Except when he thinks that he is an 80 pound lap dog.

After spending the day exploring the area around Eugene with Jeremy and tasting a lot of wine (four wineries worth!), it was nice to come home to those two faces.

Tonight's dinner was not that dissimilar from yesterdays post, a really easy to throw together meal that is tasty. It was originally called Skillet Lasagna, but Evers renamed it to Eva's Pizza Noodles because they are tomatoey and cheesy just like pizza. And she loved them! Great considering how picky she can be.

We had this with lean ground beef tonight, but you could easily substitute ground turkey. And while it cooks you can play one and a half rounds of Heroscape. Ask Eva, she kicked her uncle's butt at it. The dice gods were on her side tonight.

We had this with one of the wines picked up during our numerous tastings, King Estate's Next Red. It's a blend with a big taste, well suited with the heavier pasta.


Eva's Pizza Noodles



1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound uncooked mafalda (mini lasagna noodles)
28 oz. canned tomato sauce
14 oz canned, diced tomatoes
1-1/2 cups water
3/4 cup red wine
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmean cheese
3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese


In heavy skillet, brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Drain thoroughly. Add uncooked noodles, tomato sauce, tomatoes, wine and water to meat in skillet. Mix well and bring to a boil, then cover skillet, reduce heat and cook 15-17 minutes until noodles are tender, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, and oregano in a small bowl until blended.

Add 2 cups mozzerella cheese to pasta and stir to combine. Spoon the cheese mixture evenly over cooked mixture in skillet. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is melted and mixture is hot. Remove from heat and uncover. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.