Wow there are so many wonderful things about a great hotel room. I've been all about that Airbnb life recently when traveling. They're perfect (when you find a good one) in that I-can't-hear-strangers-through-the-walls way.

Buuut every once in a while you get out of town for work and get a good deal on a fancy hotel room. I spent the weekend SPLAYED out on various surfaces, from a king sized bed to a poolside lounge chair. I was in Sacramento where there are palm trees outside the window and Bravo TV shows a twinge closer to home. It was actually 100 degrees, but the virgin piña coladas and vodka/tonics with lime (sup I'm officially my mom) kept us cool as did the occasional dip of a toe into the pool. I stupidly forgot a suit.

I don't care where you're going: always, always pack a bathing suit and a raincoat.

Oh! Important! I also had my first In N Out meal. I went with few expectations cause sometimes food things are way overhyped, such as Shake Shack (custard is great, fries suck, burgers are fine/I'd rather have a Whopper). In N Out though is worth all of the love, though. Best burger ever, wow. California, you done goood to this girl.

I'm back in a rainy New York now. It cooled off a lil and so the oven went ON. I put together this veggie-packed lasagna with a thick bechamel while listening to some "Timeless Love Songs" station on Apple Music. I've said it before (though I am not going to dig up that post since it'll be embarrassing, I'm sure), but there's nothing like cooking and doing chores to singalong 60s doo-wop playlists with the occasional "Endless Love" or "The Way We Were" tossed in.

K, back to the dinner: I way prefer making veggie lasagna this way. Tomato sauce just smothers and masks all of the tasty veggie flavors while the bechamel coats them in a creamy goop that reminds me of my mom's casseroles. The pancetta adds a super nice, salty bite. Make the lasagna a few days ahead of time and do the final bake whenever. Especially if you have a drawer of browning vegetables from the farmer's market run/CSA pickup. This will give them the fate they deserved.

Summer Vegetable Lasagna

Recipe by Hillary Reeves

1 bunch rainbow chard
1 bunch asparagus
10 oz pancetta
1 cup peas
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1tsp black pepper
8 oz lasagna, cooked
3 oz parmagiano reggiano
4 oz fresh mozzarella

Cooking Directions

Clean and chop chard (including stems) and asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until fat is rendered and it starts to brown in spots, at least 10 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Add asparagus to rendered pancetta fat and cook for a couple minutes. Then add chard and peas. Cook until all are softened.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and then add and whisk in flour. Toast for a minute and then begin adding in milk, little by little, all the while whisking vigorously to create a stiff bechamel sauce. When sauce is thick enough to spread, turn off heat and mix in black pepper.
Spread a heaping spoonful of bechamel into a baking dish no larger than 8x8". Add in a layer of lasagna, a single layer of veggies, a handful of pancetta, and then spread with more bechamel. Repeat layers until all used up!
Grate parmagiano and slice mozzarella. Place mozzarella slices over top layer of lasagna and then sprinkle liberally with grated pamagiano.
Bake for 45 minutes uncovered, or until cheese on top is bubbling and toasty. Let cool slightly, slice and serve.