Sometimes the kitchen is therapeutic, and constructing and baking a lasagna is just what is needed for Mary Claire Skipper. Mary Claire is a wife, business owner, and mother and the kitchen is often a place she loves to unwind.
“There is nothing more satisfying to me than knowing I’ve prepared something my family loves to eat after a busy day,” she said.
Mary Claire and her husband, Nathan, have been together for ten years. Together they have two children – Mary Ryan (7) and John Thomas (2).
“My husband and I met when we were 19 and have done everything in life as a team, including our work,” Mary Claire said. “We have a State Farm Agency and work together there, going on six years now.”
Mary Claire describes her family as one that is always on the go. With work, Mary Ryan’s extracurricular activities, and chasing the toddler around, the days can go by really fast.
“During the school year, my daughter is very involved in sports, both soccer and basketball,” said Mary Claire. “I have coached her soccer and basketball teams at St. Ignatius, keeping us very busy during those seasons.”
Knee deep in the water somewhere is where you can find the Skipper family on the weekends through the summer.
“My husband’s family has a beach house in Orange Beach where we spend almost every weekend of the summer,” Mary Claire shared. “We love the beach. My kids have grown up on the water, in a boat, and with fishing poles in their hands. If you need us during the summer weekends, you’ll find us cruising, fishing, and catching all the sunsets.”
With their on-the-go schedule, the Skipper family often goes out to eat. So when the opportunity arises to cook for her tiny picky eaters, lasagna is an easy go-to for Mary Claire.
“Anything with red sauce and meat is a staple in our home and something my kids will devour,” she said. “Lasagna is a great make-ahead, freeze and prepare-when- ready dish.”
As busy as life seems for this family of four, Mary Claire says her favorite thing in this season is to slow down and have slow moments together.
“As busy as life seems right now with littles, I find most of my joy when we slow down. I enjoy a slow Saturday morning cooking breakfast, baking bread or sweets with my daughter, watching my kids play sports, hearing John Thomas laugh, or watching the sun go down on a sunset cruise,” Mary Claire longingly shared. “Experiencing life through my kids’ eyes at this stage in life is one of my favorites.”
Lasagna
Ingredients:
- One jar of Rao’s marinara sauce
- 1 packet of ground beef
- 1 box of lasagna noodles
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- 1 small container (15oz) Ricotta cheese
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt and a dash of olive oil to the water. Once boiling, add noodles and cook 15-20 minutes.
- Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to a pan and start browning your meat. I season my meat with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook over med-high heat. Once meat is browned and thoroughly cooked, I drain all excess oils/grease.
- Return meat to the pan, place your stove on low and add the entire jar of Rao’s. Let sit and warm for 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is warming, I drain my noodles and place them on a baking sheet. I coat them in some olive oil so the noodles don’t dry and stick.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grab your baking dish of choice and start the layering process.
- First, I layer the bottom with a thin layer of meat and sauce. Then, grab your noodles and make one layer of noodles on top of the sauce.
- Next, another layer of meat sauce. Then add a generous spoonful of Ricotta and mix into your meat sauce.
- Then, add all the cheeses. Sprinkle a handful of mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Follow all steps on repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles and your meat sauce is gone. Top with all the cheeses again. (I love to top my lasagna with fresh oregano from my garden.)
- Put lasagna in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling and cheeses are melted. Enjoy!
Gabriele has been married to her husband Daniel for 17 years. Together they have three incredible children – two boys, ages 16 and nine, and a sweet girl who will be two in August. Gabriele is a full-time Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. When she isn’t spending time with family or building her business, she supports her husband who is the Lead Pastor and Planter of Forward Church in Gulf Shores.
Author: Gabriele Jones
Gabriele has been married to her husband Daniel for 16 years. Together they have three incredible children - two boys, ages 15 and eight, and a sweet girl who joined the family last summer. She is a full time Pink Cadillac Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. When she isn’t spending time with family or building her business, she supports her husband who is the Lead Pastor and Planter of Forward Church in Foley.
