Sweet Dreams Under the Stars

If you were to ask me, there is no better night’s sleep than a night spent under the stars. Although, at my age, I’d want a soft bed to sleep in under those stars.

This year for Hubby’s birthday, we did something we’ve never done before. We booked a cabin in the woods. Not in a campground with Glamping or like Randy Creek Ranch in Wyoming. This was someone’s vacation home that they rent out. I guess they call them AirBnBs. AirBnB is actually a brand name, like Kleenex is to tissue.

In 2007 a group of roommates came up with the idea of putting an air mattress in their San Francisco living room and turning it into a bed and breakfast. It was meant as a short-term living quarters complete with breakfast for those who were unable to book a hotel in a saturated market such as San Francisco. Today it’s a short-term house rental – a few nights or a week. All the comforts of home, just not your home. Friends rave about this type of vacation lodging, so we thought we’d give it a try.

Kiddo has always been a stargazer. When he was younger, we would drive up to Mount Charleston, Nevada every August to watch the meteor showers away from the city lights. Drive out into the desert and the night sky is amazing! He invested in a nice telescope that thus far he hasn’t been able to use. When we took it with us to Yellowstone, it was in the spring, so there were a number of storms blowing through. Taking it on the cruise just didn’t make sense.

Camping would be the best use of his telescope. Like I said, at our age we like a bed. So renting a nice cabin in the woods away from city lights seemed perfect. We could celebrate Hubby’s birthday – drive to a nearby lake, take a stroll in the mountains, explore a part of California we’ve never spent much time in and have a home away from home. Best of all, there’s that home cooking goodness I love so much for my family. Now this is what I call a night under the stars!

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Cheese Ravioli Lasagna Bake
2 Garlic Cloves
1 lb Italian Sausage
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 (28 oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried Basil
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
25 oz package frozen Cheese Ravioli
2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease casserole dish. Peel garlic, set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, brown sausage. Crumble meat as it cooks.

While the meat is cooking, heat olive oil in a saucepan. Press garlic into the oil, sauté for about a minute. Add crushed tomatoes, basil and black pepper. Bring sauce to a low simmer, then remove from heat.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer about a third of the frozen ravioli over the sauce as you would Lasagna noodles. Cover with a third of the meat, then 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, topped with about a cup of sauce. Repeat with a second and third layer, ending again with the sauce. For the final layer, end with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Place in the heated oven to bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest for about 5 minutes or so before serving.

Delicious some warm bread, a nice salad and maybe a glass of wine.

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The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.