I'm a Chicagoaaaan 'til Chicago eeeends...

Chicago, ILLINOIS that is. Yeah well, I love Chicago and even if I don't want to claim ALL of Chicago :ahem: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS where the KKK roams free (pregnant pause), Illinois is still a pretty dope area so I wanna give love to...

KERRY VITALI for creating Practically Necessary, hailing fromOak Park, Illinois, Vitali creates these limited-edition apron jump-offs along with custom ones made from your own personal collectibles, can you say AWESOME?! I can. The only reason K.V. is getting love from me is NOT only because of the pretty colors and patterns but because yours truly MELISSA T. is trying to learn how to cook and I like to look good as often as possible so why not in the KITCHEN as well? You can check out Vitali's collection at practiallynecessary .com

And after you order yours, here's a recipe for you to use so you can de-virginize your apron:

SPINACH LASAGNA

PREP TIME
35 Min
COOK TIME
1 Hr
READY IN
1 Hr 50 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS
20 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups fresh spinach
3 cups ricotta cheese
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender. Drain excess liquid and cool. Boil spinach for 5 minutes. Drain, then squeeze out excess liquid. Chop spinach.
Combine ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Lay 5 lasagna noodles in bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread one third of the cheese/spinach mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese on top. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over cheese. Repeat layering 2 times.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Happy eating! :-D

Melissa T.