I try to be as healthy as possible at all times.  This recipe isn't exactly that, but it's the perfect way to pack lots of veggies into your kiddo's without them really noticing. 

So, if you've hopped off the meat eating train for a bit, but still don't mind dairy, this veggie lasagna recipe I've concocted is going to rock your world. 

You might be thinking, "Ewe!", because honestly, at first, I did too, but then I made it, I ate it, and I'm never turning back.  I've been subbing vegetables everywhere that I would normally put meat, and come to find out, everything still tastes almost exactly the same, so meat isn't all it's cracked up to be as far as making the flavor of a dish. 

​I get anxiety making lasagna in big dishes because I know it will go to waste and I hate throwing food away, so this portion size is perfect to feed a family of 4-5 for one evening (we actually fed 6-7 people with it) and still have leftovers for lunch the next day.  If you'd like to make this dish in a standard 13x9 pan, just double the recipe.

​What you'll need:
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-8x8 pan
-7 strips of lasagna noodles (if you can find whole grain or whole wheat noodles, you'll make this lasagna healthier.)
-1 handful frozen broccoli
-1 handful frozen green beans
-1 handful frozen, crinkle cut carrots (or sliced carrots)
-1 15 oz. ricotta cheese (you'll use about half)
-1 8 oz. bag of mozzarella cheese
-1 24 oz. jar of marinara sauce (I use Newman's Own because they are an ethical company & donate 100% of their profits to charity).

​(You can use whatever vegetables you want.  When my kids won't be sharing with me, I'm going to try some green pepper and onion next time.)

​Below is what your first layer will look like:

​

Pre-heat your oven at 375 degrees.

Apply a thin layer of marinara to the bottom of an 8X8 pan so noodles don't stick.

Boil your noodles for about 10-12 minutes (add salt or oil to prevent sticking). Stir occasionally.

While your noodles are boiling, put all your veggies in a pot & steam them. (I use frozen vegetables because they preserve nutrients). This takes place of the time you'd normally prep meat for a meat lasagna.

Once noodles are done, drain them. Let them cool enough to touch and layer 3 rows of noodles in your pan.

One end of your noodles will lap over your pan - don't cut them off.  Let them hang over.

​Apply a layer of ricotta over top of the noodles, then a layer of shredded mozzarella, then a layer of your steamed veggies.

​Apply another layer of noodles over top of your veggies, but let the noodle ends drape off the opposite side of your pan than the bottom layer, then repeat layering your marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, and veggies.  Fold over your noodles that lapped and apply your 7th noodle straight down the middle that is uncovered and apply a generous layer of marinara and mozzarella cheese.

​Bake on 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Make sure your cheese is fully melted.

​Let stand for 5 minutes & serve.

​Your final product will look like this:




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Have you tried this recipe?  Tell us what you thought of it in the comments below!  Find more recipes HERE.

Whether you are a stay at home mom or a work at home mom, I'm sure you've already heard a time or 20 how lucky you are to be able to stay at home all day and that you must basically do like, nothing, right?  Like, you couldn't possibly do as much as all those mom's that have to go to work everyday. 

​I. Don't. Think. So.

​You see, I've been both, and let me tell you, being the working mom was easier.  Maybe it wasn't as rewarding, necessarily, but it was easier.  I could go to work and focus on the task at hand while someone else cared for my child.  That's not a knock to the working mom, either.  It's honestly just what my experience was.

​Now, though it may be more difficult, I wouldn't trade being a work at home mom for anything, but imagine my surprise when I received these text messages from my significant other with quite the colorful choice of words (hehe)!

​Good ole auto correct corrected my "nothing" to boring, so I attempted to fix it just for you (haha), but you get the drift.  Before you get too mad at my dude - he was uber stressed at that particular moment, and none of us are perfect, so let's forgive him and move on.

But just to clear things up for everyone that loves to be up in my business:  ​I am how everyone's laundry gets done, I am how people have towels to dry off with when they get out of the shower,

 ​I'm the one who wipes people's pee off the toilet seat, I'm the one who picks up various articles of clothing on a daily basis and gets them to the laundry room, I am the one who puts food on the table (and not your run of the mill mac n' cheese or frozen pizza - I make healthy shit for my family), like my, "Make you poop Chili", Veggie Pot Pie (like chicken, but better, and vegan friendly), and my Baked Spaghetti (where I hide garlic, peppers, and other healthy stuff that the kids don't know about) which you can find in my recipes section sometime next week.

​I am the one who drops off and picks up from school, I am the one who makes sure there are groceries in the house,

​I am the one who makes sure kids have gifts for birthday parties and that they get there, I am almost always the one who gets the children to their sporting activities, I clean up the house at least 3 times a day ( after the toddler destroys it in the morning, after he destroys it in the afternoon, and one final time before I go to bed.)

Then, some where in between all that, I have to find time to run my business so I can pay a car payment, pay for cell phones, put lunch money in bank accounts, pay for insurance, Netflix, Internet, vehicle repairs ($2,500 was my most recent) & maintenance, clothing (even thought I shop mostly second hand or support other small shop's) and provide somewhat of a tiny cushion in the bank in case one of us is ever out of work or falls ill.  Below is an example of a typical "I do nothing" type of day (haha!).

​I run an Instagram account, Facebook business account & group, Pinterest account, Tumblr account, & Twitter account for my Etsy shop and my company website, LivAndCo.com , where I design and manufacture adorable clothing and accessories for your babies and children and occasionally come up with some fab adult tee's as well. 

​I would challenge anyone that has a problem to walk a day in my shoes. You'll die after my morning workout, I promise ;)  (visit my Facebook page Live Better With Liv .  It's my hobby page.), but me, that's just my warm up for getting prepared to rockstar through my day.

While my significant other (who does work his tail off to help support our brood) gets to come home as his break on a weekly basis, I do not have that luxury.  Weekends mean virtually nothing to me.  I'm still rocking the mom boss gig 24/7/365, and if I'm lucky, I may get a tiny vacation or 2 a year (but even then I bring my work with me because I can't afford to take off and I also cannot afford the mental stress of getting backed up on orders).

I have ZERO margin for error. When an emergency comes up, it throws everything off whack, because I literally chew up every moment of my day MOVING and getting stuff done.

So to all the mom bosses - those that are stay at home mom's, work at home mom's, or mom's that hold down that 9-5 and still come home to bathe the kids and put dinner on the table, but get told you must not do much - this one is for you!

I have to go now because I really don't even have enough time to write this post (haha).  No really, I have to go give my son a bath...

We get it - shopping for little boy's isn't as easy as shopping for little girl's, and it's often not as fun! Not to mention, scouring the internet for hours in search of a fabulous birthday shirt for your boy's special day can be overwhelming! So, we went ahead and did the leg work for you and found you some of the best birthday boy shirts on the internet!

This crown boy's birthday shirt went viral on Pinterest. In fact, this whole ensemble is just the cutest, many times when people purchase it they recreate this look! What's even better - it is available in all ages {see the "two" below}! Grab yours HERE.

We love the simplicity of this Birth Day Dude tee + it can be used for any age, and we're guessing everyone else does, too. It is an Etsy best-seller, it ships free in the United States, and it's in 19 people's carts right now! Get yours HERE.

Has turning two years old ever looked so cute? We don't think so! There really isn't a better 2nd birthday shirt to celebrate your little guy turning two years old than this personalized 2 Little Man mustache shirt! It is so hard to find cute, customized boy shirts, but then we stumbled upon this little gem! This one is also available for all ages {see 1st birthday below}. Grab yours HERE.

The "Time Flies" theme has become really popular over the years, because it's SO true. This little airplane Time Flies 1st Birthday outfit is simply adorable. Check it out HERE.

Take me out to the ballgame! Over here obsessing over this TWO baseball themed raglan! Personalize your child's name on the back! Shop it HERE.

What better way to say, "I'm two!" than with a shirt that not only holds up 2 finger's to say so, but also coincidentally is the peace symbol!  Not only is this available on this amazing raglan, but it is also available on solid color tee's as well.  Grab the raglan HERE.

The perfect 1st birthday outfit for a farmers daughter or son! I mean, you don't have to be a farmer's daughter or son, but is this not the cutest?! Ages 1-6 can be made. Personalize yours HERE.

The Wild One theme is super popular, so we wanted to give you a few options, here's another fave. Get it HERE.

This Wild One personalized birthday shirt combines all the trendiest themes to make one perfect birthday shirt. Wild One + buffalo plaid + personalized= must have. Check this adorable shirt out HERE.

Here's another cutie where any age can be done. This is perfect for all of your construction themed birthday parties. Get it HERE.

Rawr! Another trending birthday theme: dinosaurs! Personalize this awesome boys 1st birthday shirt HERE.

This sweet little woodland theme is a timeless classic. Who couldn't love this? Personalize this shirt in all ages from 1-6 HERE.

This soccer 1st birthday shirt is perfect for your little kicker! Age 2 is also available HERE.

How old is your little guy turning and what theme are you going with? Tell us in the comments below!

Not in the market for a birthday shirt quite yet? Pin to Pinterest and share to Facebook for later! Head HERE to shop the most  unique, handmade boys t shirt apparel.

Love what you see in this blog post? Subscribe to our emails to make sure you never miss a post HERE.
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Full disclosure: We blog about an array of topics from recipes and our favorite products to small business advice and tutorials. We may receive a small commission from links in our posts to keep this blog running, however, we do not represent any companies or products that we do not absolutely love and stand by 110% because that's not how we roll. The  opinions expressed are our own. Our blog is for informational purposes only and any information found on this site is not substitute for professional advice.
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​Visit  Liv & Co. to shop our baby and toddler apparel and accessories and Blue November for our adult collection of apparel and accessories.

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