Meatless Mondays? Oops. . .

GOOD MORNING!!!!  Hope your day is off to a roaring start!  :-)

Generally, I try to go with the label of meatless Mondays.  Don't always remember, but that is often what I try to go with as I think about my menus for the week.

Yesterday was one of those days where the day got away from me (working hard on getting the kitchen finished - of course pictures will follow hopefully later this week) but even during the weekend a recipe for Quick and Easy Calzones was sitting on the back burner of my brain. So, since it was already 5:00 and the kitchen was still in disarray with black grout EVERYWHERE!, I remembered my calzone recipe but forgot about meatless Monday. 

I grabbed the recipe from my binder, looked at it and decided it was indeed a quick make for Monday.  And it was a keeper!!!  It called for chopped cooked meat so I decided to quickly boil up 2 chicken breasts and shred them. (QUICK TIP:  Boil chicken breasts for about 10 minutes until cooked through.  Cut into 4 or 5 small pieces and put them in your Kitchen Aid Mixer.  With the paddle inserted, "whip" them for 2 or 3 minutes on medium speed and VOILA - perfectly shredded chicken!!!)  You could use any meat that you had on hand or even cut up pieces of pepperoni would work I am sure. The recipe makes 6 but they are quite large so I am sure you could reduce the size of the dough and make 8 instead.

FAST AND EASY CALZONES

Here is the recipe.  Quick and easy and OH SO YUMMY!!!!

Fast and Easy Calzones

Ingredients

    1 Tbsp honey

    1 Tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

    1 cup warm water

    1 Tbsp yeast

    ½ tsp garlic salt

    3 cups flour

    1 cup ricotta cheese

    1 cup mozzarella cheese

    1 cup of cooked meat

    fresh or died herbs to taste (I mixed in some fresh basil)

    cornmeal

    4 Tbsp Olive Oil

    6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

    marinara or pizza sauce to serve with

Instructions

    Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

    In a bowl, combine the honey, oil, water, yeast, and garlic salt together. Then mix in the flour. Once mixed knead the dough for a minute or two.

    Divide dough into 6 easy pieces. Roll each ball out into an 8 inch circle using extra flour if needed.

    In a bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, meat, and herbs.

    Take ½ cup of filling and place on half of each rolled out 8 inch round of dough.

    Fold other half of dough over each round and seal seams.

    Dust cookie sheet with corn meal and place calzones on cookie sheet.

    Brush tops of calzones with olive oil and sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp of the Parmesan cheese.

    Bake at 475 for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with marinara or pizza sauce for dipping. Serves 6.

Serving Size

One of my new blogs that I have started enjoying is the blog Power of Moms.  (http://powerofmoms.com/register/)  What a wonderful little space.  A space written by mothers, for mothers.  A space written by mothers who are searching/scrambling/struggling to make each day the best for their families.  I have loved their down to earth, I'm-no-better-than-you-because-I-write-a-blog attitude because so often they write about the very things I struggle with.

Recently one of the ladies wrote about the thought of How Big is Your Plate?  What a good question.  So often we hear about people feeling like their plate is overflowing.  Or you hear about people and we think "They sure have their plate full". 

But this blog made me think about plate size.  Our serving size.  And it made me think about meals. And the size of plates we use to eat vs. the size of plate we use to serve!  And I got to thinking about the fact that we don't always use the same size of plate for everything.  Imagine a dessert plate.  TINY.  and very often I'd like to use a serving plate to eat my dessert with - but it is small.  At lunch we use a luncheon sized plate and at supper, a dinner plate.  NOT EVERY PLATE IS THE SAME SIZE.

So why do I think after having struggled the last few months that my plate should be the same size as it was a year ago?  Perhaps God is telling me to use a dessert plate.  Put on my dessert plate what I can fit today, and if tomorrow it feels like a luncheon plate kind of day, just do a luncheon sized job!  I think I have created this idea of what I am SUPPOSED to be able to handle, SUPPOSED to be able to accomplish because "she" can do it, or I used to be able to do it all, but God hasn't called me to do that.  He has called me to take today and to go at it with HIS strength.  And maybe all I can handle today is a dessert plate.  But HE has given me the dessert plate and he will give me the strength to take care of that dessert plate.  Next year He may be giving me a supper plate, but regardless He will give me the strength to take on the supper plate.

So today, I am going to try to be thankful for the dessert plate.  To NOT be down on myself for not having/using the dinner plate.  But to take on my dessert plate and make sure I take care of it in a God honouring fashion.

Maybe some day I'll be able to take on the serving platter that I made at Crockadoodle last summer.

Blessings. . . .

Serving Platter I made at CrockaDoodle last summer.

Two

I sit here struggling how to put down into words what my heart has been feeling recently.

TWO weeks since my last post.  TOO difficult to bring myself to the computer and write down words in my heart.

I struggle with depression and anxiety.  TWO major things that I'm realizing MANY women struggle with.  It can be a constant battle, or it can be one that suddenly rears it's ugly head and controls my day.  Someone recently told me "you always have TWO choices.  Give in to the struggle or live above it."  I'd asked if she had ever struggled with regular depression or if she'd ever experienced an anxiety attack, and admittedly she had not.  TWO choices are NOT always available to me.  Sometimes there ARE no choices.  Sometimes, it's all I can do to get up and send the kids off to school.  Sometimes, I just have to turn the car around and go back home because there are no TWO choices.  I can only give it to the anxiety.

TWO children who look to me for guidance.  TWO children who I fail every day.  TWO adults who are muddling through life/marriage trying to keep our heads above water. TOO many times I give in to the selfish nature that I struggle with over and over again. 

But ONE God. . . who hears me even when I don't have the words to cry to Him.  ONE God who knows that in the deepest part of my heart, I truly want to serve Him.  ONE God that that has promised me, that even when the walls and world around me feel like they are falling down. . . HE IS ALWAYS THERE. 

MISSING: Motivation

For some reason, this week has been painfully long.  Not sure.  Started out Monday with having to go into my dermatologist and finding out I have 4 more skin cancer spots that need to be removed.  I thought that I'd get another 6 month all clear, but alas such is not the case.  I AM thankful that I have such a great doctor who is SO careful to check each mark out and takes great care in removing each one before it turns into all out melanoma!! 

So since then, I've been blah.  Just unmotivated, tired, slow and just blah.  (Yes, I DO think that should be a word in the dictionary!)  Efforts to pick myself up and go just are not working.  The kitchen is hardly progressing (well, PAINFULLY slow!) and along with feeling like spring is never gonna get here, I just feel like sitting here and doing nothing.

Ever get that feeling?  What do YOU do to pull yourself out of it?

So here's what I'll share with you today. 

Our pastor at EEFC is Terry Kaufman and both Keith and I really enjoy his speaking.  He shared some really great things on Sunday that I quickly jotted down during the service.  While TODAY I'm not struggling with doubt, there are definitely times when I am.  On a variety of levels.   So I'll share what he said:

"Doubts do not equal:  1. us rejecting God 2.  God rejecting us 3. us rejecting each other"

"Jesus is waiting to meet you RIGHT NOW just where you are - not after you've figured it out "

So when in doubt, go to God!

Have a great day and hopefully I'll find my motivation today!  :-)

New Menu

Today was one of those days that I struggled with ambition.  So what better way to get motivated than to come up with something new to make.  After some searching, I decided on

Spinach Bacon Alfredo French Bread Pizza

Before baking

Ready to eat!

and

No Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie

and was it ever yummy!!!  Definitely keepers and definitely will be making these again.  Two big thumbs up from each of us!

Here are the recipes:

Spinach Bacon Alfredo French Bread Pizza

1/2 loaf French Bread

1 cup Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1/3 cup sliced mushrooms, optional

1 cup cooked, chopped bacon

1 large cooked and chopped/sliced chicken breast (to make it extra quick I used canned chicken)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut bread in half lengthwise. Lay each one on a cookie sheet. Spread Alfredo sauce evenly over the top of each half. Use as much or as little sauce as you would like. Then layer spinach, sliced mushrooms, bacon, and chicken until it reaches your desired amount.

2. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over the pizzas and bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove, let cool slightly, slice and serve. Enjoy!

(I made my own alfredo sauce:  1/2 C of butter, 1 C whipping cream 1/2 C Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.  You may thicken with flour if desired)

No Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

•  1 1/4 Cups chocolate Oreo crumbs.
• 1/3 cup margerine
• 6 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• 2 tablespoons strawberry flavored ice cream topping
• 1 tablespoon raspberry ice cream topping
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound small strawberries, hulled and cut in half

Preparation

1.    Melt margarine.  Mix together with chocolate crumbs and press into pie plate. Place in freezer 15 minutes or until set.

2.    Place cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Carefully spread over bottom of crust. Mix together strawberry and raspberry topping and lemon juice; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add berry halves; toss to combine. Arrange berry halves over pie. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

 

Melancholy Monday

Monday. . . . The first day after a weekend. . . the first day after Spring break. 

As I sat at my desk contemplating the day ahead, I felt blah.  Depressed. Yuck.  Everyone else is back to work or school and here I sat all by myself.  What's a girl to do?  Don't get me wrong.  My to do list COULD be a mile long.  But "anticipating" the day, I sat down with dread of being by myself.  Of being alone.  Because the cat and dog just don't cut it.

So I sat down to read my devotions and hopefully get a pick me upper.  Nothing.  I was waiting for my "magic potion" to bring me out of the dumps.  So I tried the next blog.  The next book.  Nothing.  So finally I decided to read.  One of my reading schedules brought up the verse I Thessalonians 5:17.  Ouuuu  Scripture.  That's got to have something good in it.  As I scrolled down Bible Gateway, there it was.  Two words!!!  TWO WORDS!!!  My verse of the day was TWO WORDS!?!?!?!  My heart sank.  I couldn't believe it.  I was waiting for some big uplifting scripture verse that would lift my spirits and take me soaring through the day and week.  But there were two words.

However, once I got to thinking about those two words, my attitude definitely changed.  Here are the two words:

Pray continually.

Pray continually.  Not just asking for something but continually.  As some of you may know, this year I have really been prompted to pray.  Well here was my verse.  Pray continually.  As if I were having a conversation with God through out the day.  I don't have to be down in the dumps because the kids and Keith are gone today.  I have GOD right there with me.  I am NOT alone.  He's there.  And He asks me to talk to Him continually.  So what better way to start my day.  My week.  My new month.  Than by talking to Him continually.  And when I am struggling - talk to Him.  When I am grocery shopping talk to Him.  When I am enjoying a moment - talk to Him.

So that's my challenge to you. To me. PRAY CONTINUALLY!  It's a challenge I am going to take up today.  Spend my day, not only in deep powerful prayer, but to spend my day conversing with God.  Because when I do this, it is a reminder of who I serve and how I need to act.  I serve a risen Saviour and He is with me EVERY moment.  So why would I just ignore Him?

Pray continually!  Pray with out ceasing. Pray all the time.  Pray perseveringly.  Any way you read it, be in communication with God.  He's waiting for you. . . and for me!

Thursday Thoughts

I've actually never heard of Maundy Thursday before.  But this week, I have been able to focus a little more intently on what this week must have felt like for Jesus - knowing what He was in for.

I think of times when I have something not so great to look forward to.  Something that might make me nervous, stressed, scared.  Something like the dentist.  A dreaded doctor's appointment.  A job evaluation.

None of that can compare to the dread that Jesus must have felt leading up to this Friday.  I think about Him heading into the last supper.  KNOWING that Judas would be there. . . ready to betray Him.  Sitting beside Peter - who He knew would deny Him three times.  Sharing the passover meal with His disciples - men with whom He had spent most nearly every day with.  But men who had no idea what was to befall Him just later that week.  Men who knew He was the Messiah.  Men who walked with Him day and night.  Men who saw Him do miracles.  But men who really didn't KNOW who He was. 

I imagine Jesus at that last supper.  Sitting there with those men.  His brothers.  Knowing that in less than 24 hours He would be paying the penalty for all their sins.  For MY sins.  What dread.  And we see it in His prayer at Gethsemane.  It's not like Jesus didn't know what was ahead.  HE DID!  He went to the garden to pray.  To BEG God to make it any other way. I cannot begin to imagine the agony He must have felt.  And then to turn around and find His disciples sleeping.  I cannot imagine the hurt.  The disappointment.  Knowing. . . . what lay ahead. . .

And He did this all for me.

Below is a video that reminded me of all Jesus did. . . . FOR ME!!!!


We are the Reason video (Avalon)

M M M M M M Monday

Yup, Monday's moving a bit slow today.  Can hardly let the day roll off my lips because it's so tough to get going.

BUT WHY NOT????  It's spring break!!!  Keith and the kids are home, and there is a whole day head of me. 

This weekend I planted some of my seeds for my pots this summer.  I have some seeds for the girls from the preschool as well, and they are growing wild.  They planted carrots, radishes and onions for the kids to see "Roots" so it motivated me to get sowing as well = even though there is still 3 feet of snow or more outside.

So I planted petunias.  Lots of petunias  96 to be exact!!!  They are all in egg cartons under my grow light.  These specific petunias I planted have the seed laying on top.  Not covered with any soil just laying bare out on the soil. I have to mist them every day, and they have to stay fairly warm, and it looks like it could take a bit of serious care to make sure they germinate and then to actually get them to grow and eventually bloom could be another task!

As I was spraying them this morning, I was thinking about how much care these little guys are gonna take to provide me with some beautiful flowers.  They are just the size of a mustard seed, and of course my mind wandered to the Bible verse.  I was thinking about the amount of care I was going to have to pour into these tiny little seeds and got to thinking about how much care God is pouring into me.  Obviously tons more than what I am doing for these seeds.  But it made me wonder:  with all His perfect care - His perfect waterings, His perfect soil, His constant watchful eye over me, feeding me when I wilt, propping me back up when the breeze gets too strong, what sort of flowers am I going to yield for Him?  Am I going to make His garden beautiful? 

Today is another day.  Another day to please my Lord.  Another day to show those around me what it means to be a child of the King.  My prayer for you and me today is that we will allow his gentle care to grow us into the beautiful image of Himself!!!!