Friday Fast & Easy Meals- Italian

I love pasta every now and then but the old me liked it all the time. Now I just crave it every once in a while. I make a completely legit lasagna. It's one of the few things that I always feel confident in making but in its original form it is not the healthiest for a weeknight dinner. This recipe could still be lightened up some but this is a pretty big change from the original and it had a great and hit the spot for my craving. I also love it because it still leaves a lot of room for your own spin on it. You can add any veggies you want in the sauce from spinach to squash to mushrooms to onions. Seriously tons of room to personalize. 

EASY VEGGIE LASAGNA

1- jar any kind of sauce ( this can be homemade or store bought)

1 lb 93 % lean ground turkey

2 large zucchini

Italian seasoning ( any kind you have on hand. I like to keep a small jar of ricatoni's bread dip seasoning on hand and use that)

1 small container part skim ricotta

1 small container parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups of part skim shredded mozzarella

Cook the turkey until browned. Add in sauce. While meat is cooking mix the ricotta and the Parmesan in a bowl and add a teaspoon of any kind of Italian seasoning. Mix well. When the sauce is ready take half and put on the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of medium sliced zucchini sliced long ways like a big lasagna noodle. You'll need 5 or so to cover the sauce. Then add half the ricotta mix spread out over the zucchini. Then add the rest of the sauce and repeat the process one more time. Add enough mozzarella to cover the top of the lasagna which is about the amount listed. Bake at 350 for about 35-40 min until bubbly. Serve with a chopped kale salad as a side! 

Friday Fast & Easy Meals- Snacks

I am not sure what category to put this in but we have started to make our own peanut butter. A few things about this...it's so easy as in you don't have to do anything to it other than press blend and let it go for about 5 min. Second of all we have only made it one time so I am sure there is more tweaking to be done and I can update if something dramatic changes. I will attach the recipe below from Pinch of Yum and also give you some of my notes on the process:

1.) It may take longer than 5 min. If it does do not panic. You want it to go until it is smooth however long that takes probably depends on your quality of food processor. There will be a point where you think this is a joke and it is not going to work. Hang in there. BE patient.
2.) I bought 2 canisters of great value brand unsalted peanuts. It needed some salt so I added about a teaspoon in the mix and the end and mixed for another 30 sec or so. Next time I will do half and half as in get half unsalted and half salted.
3.) I added 2 tablespoons of honey per the recipe and have stored it in the fridge. It is not AS creamy as traditional peanut butter but it is good and it is still plenty spreadable. If you wan it to be a tad more creamy you could add some oil but we have personally been happy with no extra oil added.

We have 3 out of 4 people who drink smoothies any given day of the week so we go through a lot of peanut butter. It is a big help to us and its a more natural way to go. Once you get used to the more stripped down taste nothing is better. I love the more natural taste of it and it feels good knowing I am feeding something great to my kids who are slowly getting used to it. Enjoy!!

Homemade Peanut Butter

Remembering...it's a good thing

Life is not the mountain tops its the walking in between----Ben Rector ( I like You)

I like to listen to pandora when I do the dishes. For some reason it makes the task more bearable and for occasions like that I need light and fun music. We heard a guy named Ben Rector open at a concert we attended a few years ago and his music kind of stuck with me. It's goofy and catchy. He has a song called I Like You and it played a few days ago while doing housework and there was this line that just stuck out to me. I went back and replayed it and was like yes. I love that. This time of the year I am always more deeply pondering things and doing a gut check. I don't want the fact that I went through a hard thing to make me bitter or sad. I want it to change me...for the better and more than that I want it to keep changing me . I want to honor my mom and all those that have stood by us with the way that I think, act and love because she would not love it if it was still all about her or me for that matter. But because I am human those things are all easier said than done. Therefore a good ole fashioned gut check comes in handy when I need to remember what is most important.

That line from the song rolled around in my head and heart for a few days till it hit me as to why it made such an impact. Before I lost my mom my faith walk was pretty unencumbered and on the easier side I would say. My faith was still a more immature faith. I hate to say that but looking back that's the way it was and honestly that is OK. We all start somewhere and grow at different paces on our journey. It's not a bad thing. I lived a lot more for the mountain top moments at that time in my life. I banked a lot of my worth or others on the ability to have those moments like they were all we really needed. I wanted to move from peak to peak and drift the rest of the time. I don't think I even knew at the time what it meant to walk in the in between. However, when I went through this trial in my life one of the biggest things I learned is that when the lights dim and the big moments subside is where we are really found. It's what and how we choose to pick up and walk in those moments that get to the nitty gritty of who we are. It shows how bright HIS light is in you. And for the record if it's not as bright as you had hoped HE can remedy that and he WILL because you will need HIM and he will be THERE. I know I certainly needed God in a big way.

The past four years really but especially the last year God has pulled us away from some familiar things and familiar people and pushed me WAY out of my comfort zone in several areas. Some days I am still not sure what to do with all of it but I guess that is really the point of this whole thing called life. Who does know what to do with it. I've just gently felt led by the spirit to keep walking. One foot in front of the other like it's been since the beginning of time. As long as we live this won't be the last hard thing for me or for you or those we love.

It's hard to put everything that has happened the last 4 years into words but the main idea is to just continue to encourage anyone else and myself to continue to be the kind of person who embraces and dare I say loves the walking in between which sometimes or a lot of the times involves uncertainty and just some very tough stuff for all of us. The walking in-between is the every day chance we have to get stuff done if we are willing to risk it and let go of holding out for those once coveted mountain top moments. I just felt like the idea of walking in between was a beautiful thought at this time reflecting back on the past 4 years as a tribute to our mom. This time has taught me what it looks like to be a better friend, wife, mother and follower of Jesus. Not wasting days waiting on big moments but walking forward with purpose and in deed and full of heart. Making the most of the days we have here in this world. No longer reserving parts of myself or faith for the biggest moments but arguably for the smallest ones and the every day ones. Not wondering IF we all have something to offer to the situations going on in the world to day but knowing that we absolutely DO have something to offer even if that something is a hug or encouraging word. Its so amazingly simple yet so powerful. That's where we have a real chance to speak into lives, love really well, serve without abandon. It looks different for us all but those are the moments that will be remembered. There is no right or wrong way to walk in the in between as long as you are walking and not waiting. So here's to me and you walking fearlessly and with an extra dose of compassion and understanding as we could all use a little bit more of that these days.

This is my personal evolvement and I know I don't speak for everyone going through a hurt or recovering from a hurt. It looks different on everyone but these words were just on my heart heading into tomorrow. Thanks for loving us through the past four years if you have had a hand in that. We are forever grateful and still remember every act of kindness that has been done for our family. I still miss her a lot. So do a lot of other people. What a beautiful thing it is to be able to remember her and how great she was. Not because she was perfect but because she was ours and we loved her so.

Looking for Lovely-Week 1-Day 1

This is a new study out by Annie Downs who is an author out of Nashville. I love her stories and personal touches laced throughout this study which if you buy the study guide you will get a feel for. It makes it so real. Like she is not only writing about looking for lovely but she is actively doing this in her life. Week 1 is rooted in the book of Romans and it where we will camp and come back to periodically. Go ahead and turn in your bible to

Romans 5: 3-5. Once you get there it will be familiar to you and if it is not then after this week it will be familiar to you. Either way that's a great thing! 

In this week the author seeks to really bring some life to the scripture in Romans and put a little more oomph behind it and dig in a little deeper. But the quick version for you to hide in your heart is below.

Suffering----Perseverance-----Character-----Hope

Do not roll your eyes at me if you were about to because you do not want to hear that suffering can bring about goodness. I know it is a stinky thing to think about but it is really true. I do not say that as a person that hasn't had struggles. Some of the hardest days in my life have birthed some of the best moments, memories and characteristics that I have today. And the thing is that as long as I live each season I go through that tests me will bring about more of the same. 

Back to the main purpose of the title of this book though is that these little moments we collect as we are suffering or in the midst of a tough season can be the smallest of things that produce the biggest amount of hope. They can be the things that shift our eyes from the seen (obvious) to the unseen        ( things that are there we just weren't looking in the right place). These little moments (of lovely) can shift our perspective. Once we can shift our perspective we have a chance at this whole suffering thing and not only getting through it but thriving. 

Week 1-Day 1-Peace

She talks about in this first day how to move into the perseverance part of this equation and mainly it boils down to one simple word. PEACE. And her explanation of what looking for lovely has to do with perseverance is perfect.

"Whats the role of beauty in perseverance? Spoiler alert:its a big one. If you are going to finish the brave/challenging/hard thing that God has called you to do , you have to look for the lovely moments. But you also have to decide that persevering and finishing are worth it. Your belief that persevering matters. That is you finish versus quit you will be glad you did."

What does perseverance mean to you?

Why does it matter?

What is a current situation you are in that is requiring you to persevere?

Look Up James 1:4 to see what the benefit is of letting perseverance "finish its work" in your life?

Open to Romans 5:1-5 (think about YOUR answer to these questions)

What is the first thing that Paul says we have after faith?

Why is it important? 

"Without peace we cannot persevere. We will run out of energy and stamina and the ability to look for lovely."

Looking for lovely is not about just the beauty of something although that does help it is about looking for God. Looking for and at all the glorious things that he has done and taking a moment to really grasp and hold onto that long enough to see that beauty up close. 

She has a great explanation of peace I think that I will detail below:

"The peace mentioned in verse 1 , is the peace that comes from salvation through Jesus Christ. It's like the baseline peace we can carry with us at all times-because of Jesus, we have peace with God, and we can have peace in God, too. But this peace means two different things. Peace WITH God is a gift given to us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He died so we may be righteous before God. We can be with God because we are forgiven. That is peace WITH God. Peace IN God is a choice we make again and again--something we choose to grab onto. We need both. Peace with God gives us permission to ask and pursue peace in God.." 

Think of a time you have felt peace before?

What would it look like for you to have peace in your life every day. 

To find peace you must stop for a moment and slow down. Maybe a few minutes of deep breathing or meditation or just putting our lives on hold ( all of it) for 5 minutes a few times a day. We have to be able to take a step back and ask God into our day to give us the peace we are seeking. 

Open to John 14:27 and read that verse and highlight it in your bible and maybe even make it a note card you put up where you will see it most. It is important. 

Peace fights against trouble and fear. Is there a situation today that is both troubling and fear filled for you? IT is OK if it is. Maybe you are here in this spot reading this post for a reason today. Put a name to what is troubling you and making you afraid. Once you name it then you can begin to get more of a grip on what is keeping you from this peace. This comes down to your heart. Are you in a spot where you can fully trust God in the good and the bad but especially if things are falling apart around you. Can you lean into his word and his promises and feel his peace wash over you? If not start defining what is getting in your way and start to pray specifically that those barriers would be removed so that you can be on the road to a more trusting relationship with our heavenly Father to open the door of that peace to be able to start to wash over you. 

******Anything copied directly from the book is in quotations. There is so much information in each day that it seems like a lot to throw out there all at once. We are on no timeline so I want to do 1 day at a time each week and work through it separate. I want to soak up as much of this study as I can and hope you do too. 

Friday Fast & Easy Meals-Breakfast

All about the smoothie!!!! For a long time now I have wanted to be able to do smoothies for breakfast. For a lot of reasons....but mainly because it is easy! When you are fixing breakfast for kids, filling everyone's lunch boxes and trying to get ready to tackle the day it is super easy to just put breakfast for yourself on the back burner. However, if you are trying to lose weight it is not the best decision. You will get hungry and when that happens to me I just binge. I snack and eat more than I would have eaten had I just had a good balanced breakfast. I have not liked every one I have made but I have tried different things. For me I like things with chocolate and peanut butter more than fruity ones so this is the favorite that I make right now. 

1 tablespoon peanut butter ( I use Jif Natural smooth)

3 tablespoon rolled oats ( I just buy wal mart brand)

1 cup baby spinach leaves (I buy a bag and freeze and pull out as needed because it is easier to crush up)

1 banana

6-7 large size dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup milk ( I use 1% but use any kind)

1/4 cup water or as much as you need to add

Add the oatmeal first and grind up so it is not super grainy but it packs some punch as far as keeping you full. Then add the other ingredients and grind up. At the end I like to add some ice and grind up a bit more. I like it really really cold and I like to drink it with a straw. 

Friday Fast & Easy Friday Meals- Chicken

I love BBQ chicken but the pre made sauces are full of more sugar than I would like so I have been looking for a cleaner version just to further prove to myself that food that is healthy can be and is good!!! This sauce is wonderful. I tried to put it together and then put straight in the crock pot instead of cooking it like directions stated and while the taste was still the same the thickness was lacking. MY suggestions for this recipe are to cook according to directions and THEN once it cools put chicken breast in the cock pot and cover with sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. It is not necessary to add anything extra in. 

****I added half tsp of red pepper instead of a whole. Just keep in mind the level of spicy your family likes or does not like. The link is below to the full BBQ recipe. 

Clean Eating BBQ Sauce

Friday Fast & Easy Meals- Pork

One thing I love is BBQ type anything but when you get it at a BBQ place and go to heat it up the next day I always feel like it is greasy and sometimes fatty. This is a great solution and if you like spicy this is for you as is. If you do not then cut the amount of adobo peppers in half until you get a feel for how spicy it will be then you can adjust from there. ALSO, please note that I use either 2 Diet Cokes or 2 Coke Zeros depending on what I have on hand.

I have made this recipe several times and there are many things I love about it. Just to name a few is you can make this and serve it tons of different ways, you can stretch it out over several meals or feed a crowd super easily AND the most importantly you can put this in the crock pot and leave it and the only thing you have to do at the end is take off any fat IF there was any on the pork shoulder to begin with and shred it. I use my stand mixer to shred all meat these days and it has simplified life so very much.

Some of the ways you can serve this pork:

-Over a sweet potato with some green onion, dab of plain greek yogurt and anything else you like on a loaded potato.
-On a whole wheat bun served up with baked sweet potato chips or roasted sweet potato chunks and broccoli.
-In a quesadilla with some pepper jack or cheddar jack cheese and green onion and top with some greek yogurt to replace sour cream.
-In a taco with anything you like on it.
-Over a salad. A big plate of mixed greens with some BBQ on top.

That being said all you have left to do is click the link below give it a try. I promise you will like it!!!!!!!!


Crock Pot Pork