Recipes for meals for the week

It's cooking day!  I thought I’d share the recipes I used for the meals I made for this week.

   1)      Potatoes 

a.      Substitutes: I used russet potatoes, canola oil, and dried parsley (1 tsp dried to 1 TBS fresh).
b.      Don’t forget to line the pan with foil and grease the foil.  It makes things much easier at the end!

   2)      Pasta bake

a.      I leave out the mushrooms.
b.      For the spaghetti sauce, I use my pizza sauce recipe.
c.     I used Penne whole grain pasta.  Shh...don't tell Matthew that it's whole grain!

   3)      Chicken “things”, as Matthew calls them.

a.      I use two chicken breasts and cut into bite size pieces.  I leave other ingredients and amounts the same.

   4)      BBQ Chicken

a.      I used 2 chicken breasts and baked at 375 for 20 minutes.
b.      Sauce was a little too liquid.  First time making this…I think I’ll change it up a little next time.

Happy cooking!

Celebrating My Baptismal Day

Today I celebrate my Baptismal day.  I will never forget a homily I heard at Mass when I was in high school.  The priest said that we should celebrate our Baptismal day, as it is just as important, if not more important than our Birthday.  It is the day I became a part of God’s family; the day I became an adopted daughter of Christ.  This should change the way I live and who I live for.

I am very thankful for the home I was brought up in.  As I continue to “grow up,” I see more and more the blessings of having such wonderful parents and the way they raised me.  They brought me up in the Church, and by God’s grace, I have seen how important it is to keep that faith.

You see, I have learned a lot about suffering since 2005.  I was diagnosed with a digestive disease in September 2005 and life hasn’t exactly been easy since then.  Dealing with it day in and day out can be hard.  I have learned, though, that I have been given the gift of persistence, so I am able to keep on keeping on.  The Lord has given me the strength and grace to be able to graduate with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, get my CPA license, get married, work full time and be promoted, move to Arizona, buy a house, and those are just the big things.  He gives me grace each day to do the little things in life.

Through the suffering, I believe I am becoming a more compassionate and empathetic person.  I have also become a lot better cook (at least I think so =))!  God can use suffering if we allow him to.  It is a process in learning how to give this suffering to him and I’m still learning!  I say all of this to say that without faith, it would be very hard to see value in this suffering.  I’m so thankful for this gift of faith, which all started on May 4, 1986, the day I was baptized. 

Pope Francis' namesake and showing mercy

I felt a tug on my heart to share a few things that I heard at Mass today.

First, the new pope choosing the name Francis, coming from St. Francis of Assisi, reminds us of how much we are in need of more peace and love in this world.  I’m sure many of you have heard this prayer of St. Francis before, but may these words sink into our hearts today just a little bit more so that we may live them:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Tying into the St. Francis prayer where it talks about forgiveness and understanding, I also wanted to share what we heard on the story in the Gospel of John about throwing the first stone (John 8:1-11).  This story is not really about the woman who committed adultery, but about how we are to carry on Jesus’ mission.  The scribes and Pharisees were testing Jesus to see what he said should be done to this woman because of her sinning.  Jesus responds by saying “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Jesus is trying to show the scribes and Pharisees (and us) that the way we should minister to others and treat them is by showing love and mercy.  That long after Jesus died, the way they were to continue Jesus’ ministry is by treating others not with condemnation, but with love, mercy, dignity, and respect.  The church’s mission is not to point the finger, but to show mercy and forgiveness.  May we all strive to live this way each day.

Strength for the Journey

We sang this song at Mass today.  It is so encouraging to know that God is right by our side, every step of the way on this journey called life.  I have posted the lyrics below...hope they are as encouraging to you as they are to me.

Strength for the Journey by Michael Poirier

I will be, I will be,
I will be strength for the journey.
I will be, I will be,
I will be strength for the journey.

There is a road meant for you to travel.
Narrow and steep is the shepherd’s way,
and as you say, "Yes,"
letting me guide you,
I will be strength for the journey.

There is a cross meant for you to carry.
There is a cross meant for you alone,
and as you bow down
in humble surrender,
I will be strength for the journey.

How many times have you doubted my word?
How many times must I call your name?
And as you say, "Yes,"
letting me love you,
I will be strength for the journey.

Taking a stand for life

Matthew and I were blessed to be able to participate in Tucson's March for Life this weekend.  The dignity of each human is something that has always been important to both of us.  It was interesting to reflect on how this March differed compared to the one we participated in last year in Dallas, and where we were in life just a year ago...with Matthew applying at different schools, us giving a pro-life testimony prior to the Dallas March to the youth group, and living in Dallas.  Here we are in Tucson, just a year later...having experienced many things since then...and looking forward to what God has in store for our future.  See below for pics.  We continue to pray for an end to abortion and seek ways in which we can do our share to make that happen.

Before the March.

The Cathedral where the March started.

The March.

The Rose memorial for the victims of abortion. We marched four miles from the Cathedral to the Cemetery where this is located.

The Bishop speaking.

The Knights of Columbus.

For each year that abortion has been legal, a person (representing the year they were born) carried a rose and placed it on this memorial representing all of the lives that have been lost due to abortion.  I believe this little boy represented 2006.

It is hard to see from this view, but the two adults in this picture have a 1 year old and a newborn (being carried) , representing 2011 and 2012.

At the end, they let out a flock of doves.  This was very neat to watch, as they symbolize the hope that one day abortion will end, as minds and hearts are changed.

Pasta-less lasagna

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground beef

1 t salt

1 t dried oregano

1 t dried basil

1 spaghetti squash, peeled, seeded, and shredded

1 ½ c homemade tomato sauce

1 ½ c grated cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with onion, garlic, salt, oregano, and basil.  Cook spaghetti squash in oven at 375 for 40-60 min, depending on size, and shred.  Grease bottom of casserole dish and spread out half of the spaghetti squash.  Pour half of the tomato sauce over the squash.  Next, add a layer of the ground beef over the sauce.  Sprinkle half of the cheese over the beef.  Repeat the process again, using up the remaining squash, sauce, beef, and cheese, ending with a layer of cheese.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Homemade tomato sauce

6 roma tomatoes

1 clove garlic

¼ c water

1 T basil

¼ t parsley

½ t salt

¼ t black papper

Peel, core, and dice tomatoes.  (To peel the tomatoes ,immerse them in boiling water for 20-30 seconds and then dip them in cool water.  The peels will slip off.)  In a large saucepan, add tomatoes, garlic, water, basil, parsley, salt, and papper.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the hat, simmering uncovered for 45 minutes and stirring occasionally to make sure the tomatoes are well mixed.  Makes 1 ½ cups.

Thanks to the book Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad for these recipes (modified slightly)!

Homemade Lara Bars

1/3 c. almonds

1/4 c. chopped dates
1/8 c. dried cranberries

1/8 c. raisins
2 T. peanut butter
1/8 t. cinnamon

Handful of M&Ms

Chop almonds in food processor.  Add all other ingredients except M&Ms and process until everything starts to stick together.  Place 1/3 of mixture in plastic wrap and form into bar.  Place a few M&Ms on top and finish covering bar in plastic wrap.  Repeat for other two bars.  Refrigerate for a couple hours.  Makes three bars.   See here for more ideas.