Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies and Chicken

A New Favorite! (inspired by Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian on Food Network, see link for original recipe)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Chop vegetables into bite size pieces:
1 red pepper (she uses 2)
2 zucchini
2 summer squash
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (she uses 4 cremini mushrooms)
1 leek (she uses a yellow onion)

Place on baking sheet (I use large stoneware bar pan from Pampered Chef) with:
2 Tbsp. olive oil (she uses 1/4 c. olive oil)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
(she uses 1 Tbsp. dried Italian herb mix or herb de Provence; I think the salt and pepper and veggie flavor is enough)

Toss vegetables in oil gently and bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes (or until tender).

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta for 6-7 minutes (needs to still be hard on the inside; it will finish cooking in the oven):
1# whole wheat penne pasta (she uses regular penne instead of whole wheat)

In a large bowl, mix:
1 large jar of Ragu Organic Original Marinara Sauce (she uses 3 c. homemade marinara sauce)
1 c. ricotta cheese (she uses 1 c. grated fontina cheese)
8 oz. shredded part skim mozzarella (she uses 1/2 c. grated smoked mozzarella)
1 1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
3 c. pre-cooked, cubed chicken (she does not add chicken to hers, as hers is a vegetarian dish)

Drain pasta and add to cheese/sauce mixture. Add roasted veggies. Toss gently and pour into greased 9x13 pan or large casserole dish.

Top with:
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (she uses an additional 1/3 c. on top and mixes the 1/4 into the pasta; I only used the 1/4 c. on top since I used extra mozzarella)
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces (placed on top of Parmesan to make a nice crispy topping)

Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.

She says it serves 6. I swear it serves 12. Could also be used as a side dish for a large party.

It is SO yummy!

My Favorite Protein Shake

So, I've finally figured out my perfect protein shake. Here's the recipe:

1 frozen banana (peel before freezing)
3 Tbsp. Protein Powder
1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp. Honey
2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
8 oz. Low-fat Milk

Blend and enjoy as one of your 5-6 light meals per day!

Fall Update

So, it's a little past "quarterly," but it'll have to work.

Not too much to update on. We started exercising together and did 1 full month of P90X program before heading off to vacation in Colorado. We will pick back up on it soon.

Speaking of vacation, Bryan and I were able to go to Denver for a week and a half in October. It was an extremely refreshing time and the Denver area is gorgeous! We got to spend a good bit of time with Todd & Carissa Davis (&Brode) and Ryan & Danielle Fisher. We helped Todd & Carissa unpack a bit and hung out, getting to know them and their vision for Brighton and ministry philosophies. If the Lord allows it, I think we'd both move there in a heartbeat. It will probably be a couple years still though. We still have a few house renovations to finish before we would be able to sell it and make a decent profit. We also got to meet up with Bryan's second cousin Cory and his girlfriend Jen. We fell into easy conversation and really enjoyed the time we got to spend with them.

Bryan got to ski with Cory while I shopped with Danielle. This was his second time skiing. The first time, he took me with him. As I had NEVER been skiing, I spent as much time on the ground as my skis did. They didn't have any bunny trails open and their green trails are like the East's blues, so it was quite difficult. I started the day by falling (or jumping, depending on your point of view) off the ski lift. And "it was all down hill from there," as they say. I still had a fun time and the snow was gorgeous! And I was thrilled to see Bryan SO excited to do something he loves.

We took lots of pictures, saw bison and mountain sheep, and overall just had a good time. Our favorite restaurant was Old Chicago Pizza. Ted's Montana Grill was pretty good too.

We got home to a new Tempurpedic mattress. Our last few days of vacation were spent hanging crown molding in our bedroom and chilling.

I highly recommend a two-week vacation for anyone who feels like they need more rest! Rest is a gift from God...one I'm learning to appreciate and enjoy!

Quarterly Update

Yes, it seems my attempt to do a weekly blog entry is futile. Looks like the last entry was four months ago, so maybe I should call it quarterly updates. ;) Anyway...

You might ask what's been going on with us. Well, we have removed all wallpaper except for one room in the new house! Yeah! The last room to remove wallpaper is the kitchen, but that's going to have to be a long weekend process, since we actually like to cook at home often. We painted the half bath downstairs a pale green and accented with white accessories (round mirror, cabinet, trim) and silver standing toilet paper holder and towel holder. I really like it. We painted the office a Canyon Sunset (kind of a tera cotta orange) with a gray/brown trim. Still waiting on furniture in there. The guest room has been painted Birdbath Grey (kind of a very pale blue grey) and decorated with antique items. We even found a print of an Andrew Wyeth painting called "Master Bedroom." (I know it's the guest room, but it's this old dog lying on a bed with an old white bedspread. It fits perfectly.) We also painted the guest bathroom Classical Violet (I know, do you believe I painted a room in my house purple...so unlike me, but it actually works) with pale yellow stripes at the top for a border and painted the cabinet yellow to match (still needs another coat). We picked the paint for the Master Bed and Bath. It's a pale green (Lynd-something Jade) with cream trim and Bryan wants to install crown molding in the bedroom. It's going to look so good!

Bryan's travelled a little more recently. At least a few nights every other month for business. I'm trying to use the time to get projects done and hang out with my girl friends that I don't see as much. I'm thankful for the experience he's gaining. We just found out that he was Top Auditor in April...99% score! I was very excited for him. I'm sure that was an encouragement. Of course we both dream of owning our own businesses in the future (photography for Bryan and event coordinating for Melissa--along with floral design and custom accessories). But for now, we're thankful that we both have good jobs.

May was a busy month with family visits. My parents stayed with us for a few nights while they helped my brother pack up all his earthly possessions and move them to their basement in TN. (He got laid off a couple of months ago and is working on creating a documentary film on the journey of unemployment with the goal of landing his dream job. The first part of this journey was five or six weeks in Boston/New York area, looking for a job, to no avail, followed by living with Bryan and me for two and a half weeks and us helping him clean out his old apartment.)

Meanwhile, my aunt, uncle, and cousins stayed with us for Anna's graduation from BJU. It was an enjoyable visit, concluding with a trip to the Biltmore (check out my cousin Ryan's senior portraits at the Biltmore on Bryan's website - www.shadowlight.smugmug.com).

The next week, Bryan traveled for 2 nights. Then we had our anniversary (3 years, can you believe it?!). Then Bryan's brother Tony and his family and grandma came up for Memorial Day weekend. We spent the entire long weekend with them (the guys were helping Dad McKinnon put the roof on his pavilion -- what we call it, even though he calls it a gazebo; the thing is huge!). We took one extra vacation day the Tuesday after Memorial Day and the two of us just hung out in G'ville. Then my uncle was back in town for a long layover between flights and spent one more night with us. Then, the last weekend in May, Bryan's other brother Chad and his family came into town and stayed with us for a friend's wedding.

The church's new fellowship hall is finally complete, so we have regular Sunday School classes, instead of the every third Sunday rotation we've been doing for a while now. It's so nice to see everyone every week again!

So, that's about all that's going on with us, except, oh, I've lost 16.5 lbs. since January! I started with www.SparkPeople.com, eating only 1200-1550 calories/day and exercising 3-4x/week. Now I'm graduating on to eating the minimum requirements of the food pyramid and exercising 5-6x/week, including my weekly Pilates class at Reform Bode, across the street from my office (www.ReformBode.com). It's so cool! And I'm actually enjoying the whole exercise thing. I also started the Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD and Fat Burning Yoga DVD. I love them! A huge thanks to my friend Leigh for being my accountability partner through this whole process and to Bryan for being such a supporting encouragement to me! I still have 15-20 more lbs. to go, but I'm doing it the healthy way and enjoying the journey. I've also dropped about 5% body fat. I'd like to be down to 19% body fat, ultimately.

Well, see you again the next time our lives slow down for a moment. Have a great summer and give us call. We're not too busy to catch up over coffee or dinner. :) TTFN.

Holidays Come and Gone

Well, the last two months have been a bit of a whirlwind. My last post talked about our trip to collect family history. And now we know that it was one of the most special memories we may ever have. About 3 weeks before Christmas, my grandpa on my mom's side appeared to be having another stroke. Upon further investigation, they found blood clots on his brain. After several unsuccessful surgeries, Grandpa went home to be with His Savior on the Sunday before Christmas. The funeral was on Christmas Eve morning and was the most beautiful and God-honoring funeral I think I've ever been a part of. Michelle and Jordan and I and my cousins Anna and Ryan were able to sing at the funeral. They also did a testimony time, where people could share what Grandpa meant to them. His life was full of Christ.

Due to the above-mentioned funeral, Bryan and I made an unexpected trip to Ohio. It was wonderful to see family again. We missed seeing much of my dad's side of the family, which was very sad to me, but we were able to spend much time with Grandma in her time of sorrow. We found out some really neat stories and shared some precious moments together. Grandma's doing well now, though still lonely, as you can imagine.

Mom and Dad have graciously stepped in and been an arm to lean on for both grandmothers. And it's so special that my grandmothers are very close friends. I've learned so much from my grandparents and partly hate this season of life when they all slowly leave us. But in a way, I'm happy for them because they're beating me to Heaven. And I know I shall join them someday.

We spent Christmas with Mom's side of the family, and then drove back down to SC to spend a few days with Bryan's side of the family. We had everyone over to our house the weekend after Christmas. Bryan's brother and his family were able to stay with us for a week. It was so good to see them and catch up! Little Isaac is the newest addition to the family and he's at the cute stage of smiling back at you. 

New Years came and went with us trying to catch up from the time away from work and home.

Bryan started traveling this past fall. Both of us had colds that lasted over two weeks (fortunately, not at the same time).

We are finally getting back to the swing of things. We were thankful to be back in church this past Sunday after two weeks out for sickness. God is so gracious to us to surround us by family and Christian brothers and sisters in Christ. We look forward to see what He has for us this year.

I never did get around to sending out Christmas cards. The last month of the year was truly hectic, but God was faithful. I had plans of writing a New Years' letter instead, but that has come and gone. Maybe I'll get around to it by "Christmas in July." 

The Search for Ancestry

So, it's been a while since I wrote. I guess I still have a few weeks before New Years' Resolutions hit, right. Maybe I'll write once a week then...

Anyway, Bryan and I were able to go to Ohio for Thanksgiving for a few days. It was a great time with family! We arrived the afternoon before Thanksgiving and spent some time with my parents. On Thursday, we had our traditional Thanksgiving feast at my parents' house with my mom's parents joining us. My dad's mom joined later in the afternoon for coffee and conversation. This was all wonderful, but Friday was my favorite part.

Bryan and I spent the whole day (12 hours!) with my grandparents, listening to stories, collecting histories, looking at pictures and old documents and family Bibles. It was one of the neatest experiences I've had in a long time. See, Grandpa Gons died when I was 12 of a heart attack. This past year, Grandma Gons had a heart attack, Grandma Thompson had a brain aneurysm and Grandpa Thompson has seen some effects from a stroke he had a couple of years ago. All of them are currently doing well, but you can see why I felt the urgency to start collecting stories. 

I've actually heard a lot of the stories all growing up. But this time, I wrote them down on more than my brain. I wrote them on paper so I can read them over and over and write them on my heart and mind to share with my children some day (no, this is not an announcement). We found great-grandpa Gons' Army enlistment papers and all kinds of neat photographs that Grandma didn't even know she still had. We found a Bible with details about Martha Washington hand-written in the front pages. We found history on my mom's side dating back to the Civil War! We traced ancestry into Poland, England, Germany, Holland, and possibly Russia. I'm so intrigued, I can't stop researching.

If you don't know your story, start asking. It opened my eyes and heart to a bigger world than me and my immediate family. Everyone's connected. In fact, you're only 6 people away from knowing anyone, so start talking and building relationships. You never know whose name your descendants might find written in the front of your family Bible...and, oh, the stories. Write them down. Family's important. Let's make it a goal to keep it that way!

News from our little corner of the world..

We've picked a studio name...ShadowLight. Our first webpage is in the works at ShadowLight.SmugMug.com. And our first album can be previewed at Blurb.com, by looking under Purchase Books, and searching for "bryanandmel." It only shows the first 15 pages of the album, but it gives a good idea of our work. This is a step in the right direction. 

We're excited to enter this journey and to see where God will lead us in this. Meanwhile, we're taking steps slowly...being cautious.

As for national/world news, it was a rough day for Wall Street, which trickles down to each of us in one way or another. I am reminded, as Job said so long ago, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." So, worst case scenario, we lose our jobs and our house. Say the economy crashes and the U.S.A. is no more. Then what? We trust God, as we should now. He knows what He's doing. And He knows what we need. We may not know what will come next, but He has had it planned out since the beginning of time. There is no need to fret, or get worked up, or to panic. The need is Christ. This may be one way He is building His church. "And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Cauliflower Sandwiches

I know it sounds crazy, but a coworker gave me this recipe and I LOVE it! You must try. Easy to make, cheap, and delicious!

Ingredients:

Loaf of French Bread, thickly sliced

Dijon mustard

1-2 Tbsp. butter and/or olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 head cauliflower, cleaned, chopped

Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350F.

Meanwhile, saute garlic and chopped cauliflower over Medium heat until tender.

Slice French bread and spread Dijon mustard on top side. Place on baking sheet.

Spoon 1-2 Tbsp. of sauteed cauliflower onto the mustard side of the bread.

Cover with cheese slices and bake 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Eat as an open faced sandwich.

My boss, who HATES cauliflower, LOVED this recipe! It was so yummy!!!

Decorating Idea

The other Administrative Assistants at work took me out to eat on my birthday. We went to a place called The Lazy Goat, here in Greenville. The food was amazing, but that's not what caught my attention. First, there were three different styles of chairs, and they all looked really neat together, adding an eclectic feel to the restaurant.

But my new fascination (and inspiration for my dining room) was a wall filled with clocks of all shapes, sizes, and styles. It was absolutely gorgeous. So, I'm starting a wall clock collection. On one side of my dining room, I'll place a large mirror. And the other will have the clock wall. So it will look like I'm surrounded by clocks. I'm so excited!! I think the color "Organic Garden" green that we selected will really accent the clocks.

I now have a new item to look for in antique shops. Yeah!

"Welcome to being a Home Owner"

"Welcome to being a home owner"...the phrase I've heard quite often since July 25th of this year. Usually it's because something's happened that we will some day find to be funny...some day.

So, we closed on that Friday and moved in pretty much all that same day, thanks to our family and some friends (Luke & Erin and Daryl & Adrianne and my sister, specifically). We were pretty well set up by that Monday. The only thing left to do was decorate (which will take a few years, I'm coming to find), hang pictures, and get some bookshelves to fill with the rest of our books (I think we could start a library!). "Welcome to being a home owner."

Well, that first Monday after our first weekend in the new house, Bryan went to work and I stayed home one extra day from work to finish up some final touches (and rest a bit). Well, that day, I went outside and found a rather large black spider with a little red hourglass on its belly...you guessed it, black widow...biggest one I've ever seen. And it ran before I could kill it. So, I ran to the store and got bug spray and spider traps (yes, they actually make traps to kill black widows and brown recluses). So I put those out, and, of course, it rained very hard that night, so the traps were pretty much done for. Well, in my fear of the spider, I failed to bring in the mail that afternoon. So, the next morning I went to grab the mail on the way to work...and who should beat me to the mailbox but the black widow...or her sister. So I threw a trap in there, grabbed out my mail very carefully one piece at a time, throwing it on the ground as I pulled it out (I'm sure this quite humorous for the neighbors). And I haven't seen one since. But I'm keeping those traps on hand for peace of mind. "Welcome to being a home owner."

The trips to Home Depot, Lowe's and Walmart have already begun. I hear they never end. "Welcome to being a home owner."

Well, the next weekend, I started the wallpaper project in the dining room. No, not putting it up...tearing it off. The top layer was great...came off very easily. But whoever put the first layer up forgot to prime the drywall, so part of it came off with that layer of wallpaper. :) How exciting...not. So they're taking bets at the office as to how long it will take us to finish that room. :) "Welcome to being a home owner."

Then last Wednesday was a fun night! We've been getting to bed a little later than normal due to the house projects, so Wednesday we got to bed about 10 or 10:30 and thought we were doing pretty good. Then about 1:30AM, we are awakened to this slow, high-pitched "beep---beep---beep." Yes, the alarm system that was supposed to be removed before we moved in wasn't deactivated. So, we check the house...no one's around. We play with the buttons on the system, and it shuts off. Yeah! 15 minutes later...about 1:45AM, "beep--beep--beep." Not again! This time, playing with the buttons doesn't work. There's no phone number on the whole system! And there's no number in the phone book for the alarm system company anywhere! (I even tried calling the former owners to figure out the code, but no surprise they didn't answer at 2AM.) So, Bryan unplugged the phone line from the system and proceeded to cut the wires. I guess we don't watch enough movies about burglaries, because that was definitely not the right decision. The real alarm began going off! Loudest thing I think I've ever heard! I was literally nauseated after that because it was so loud! So he finds the plug. Of course, it's screwed into the outlet, so he has to unscrew that, unplug it, and then pull the wires out of that. Well, that worked...for about a nanosecond. Then the battery backup kicked in! Did I mention it was LOUD?! So, Bryan found the battery, ripped it out of the system and the thing is finally dead!! Praise the Lord! We finally got to bed about 2:30AM. "Welcome to being a home owner."

I'm sure these are just the beginning of our "Welcome to being a home owner" stories. Home ownership is a blessing, but with privilege comes responsibility (by responsibility, I primarily mean expense). Let's just say, if you're thinking about buying a home, be ready for an adventure. :)

A New Home

Well, we are making the big plunge. Bryan and I are buying our first home in Taylors, SC, on July 25th, 2008! We're very excited! I'm already dreaming in paint colors. It's a 2 story, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, with a screened-in porch, nice backyard with a partial wrap-around deck, in-ground sprinkler system, and even a chipping green for golf (added bonus, not what sold the house). One of the biggest blessings is that everyone involved actually goes to our church (Heritage Bible). Exciting times to be shared with our family in Christ!

Answers to Prayer via Email

Last night at Shepherding Group we discussed various lies we find ourselves believing and the truth that fights these lies. One are I find myself struggling with is the importance of a daily quiet time. So we discussed this last night and I had some good time of meditation and study after our group meeting. Then when I got to work this morning, I found the following email devotional in my inbox. If you're interested in receiving daily devotionals on email, sign up at the website at the bottom of this entry.


The Most Important Time of My Day
Lysa TerKeurst

“… Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

Devotion:
Is it really that important to have a quiet time with the Lord everyday? I mean, the Lord knows how busy my life is, so if I just toss up a few prayers and listen to a Christian song on the radio while rushing off to work, that should suffice, right?

It’s easy to let the busyness of life crowd out time for prayer, Bible reading, and sitting with the Lord. There are a million things on all of our to-do lists, time is tight, and quiet moments seem few and far between. But I’ve learned that if I make the choice to be with the Lord first thing in the morning, my outlook on life that day and my ability to handle things seems to go so much smoother.

Also, I’ve had to change my mindset on having a quiet time. Spending time with the Lord in the morning doesn’t end when I say “amen” and put my Bible back on the shelf. I’ve just invited the King of Kings to participate in my day. So, I get up from spending time with the Lord in the morning and start eagerly looking for His hand of activity in my life.

I think about the Bible verses I read that morning and look for ways to apply them to my life that very day. I watch the circumstances that come my way hour by hour and ask the Lord to constantly give me wisdom to process life in the way that would be most honoring to Him. My mindset is healthier, my attitude more positive, and my ability to extend grace to those who rub me the wrong way is increased just by setting aside some time to be with the Lord.

If you are struggling with having quiet time with the Lord each day, try these helpful ideas:

1. Be honest with God and admit your struggle. Ask God to give you the desire to set aside time to be with Him.

2. Start with just a small amount of time. Even if it is just 5 minutes at first, give this 5 minutes solely to the Lord without any other distractions. Over the next weeks and months, your desire for more time with Him will increase.

3. Use a version of the Bible that lends itself to study. I use the NIV Life Application Study Bible and I love it. It helps me understand the context each book was written in and gives me commentaries to understand specific verses.

4. Ask God for understanding as you read the Bible. When I first started reading the Bible I had a hard time, so I started praying that God would open my spiritual eyes to see the truths in a life changing way for me.

5. Write some of the verses that seem most applicable to your life on 3x5 cards and use them in your prayers. For example, Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” So, I could use this verse in my prayer time by praying, “God, help me to know how to store up treasures in Heaven. Help me to relinquish my tight hold on my earthly possessions so I can use them to build your kingdom now. Show me how to best use that which you have blessed me with. Give me your mindset for the money I have.”

6. Get involved in a Bible Study with friends. This will help hold you accountable to getting your study time done and will open up great discussions to deepen everyone’s understanding of applying God’s truths to everyday life.

Dear Lord, I want a more vibrant relationship with You and I know having a daily quiet time is an important part of that. Help me make this my most important priority each day, no matter how busy life is. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
If you don’t know which book of the Bible to start with, I’d suggest either Matthew or Philippians. These are two of my favorite books that are rich with life application opportunities. You may also want to read a chapter from the Book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters, one for each day of the month.

Reflections:
The summer months seem to be a time where we take a break from our normal routines, which is great. But, I have to be careful to never take a break from having time with the Lord. How can I safeguard this time and make it a priority each day?

Power Verses:
Matthew 6: 11, “Give us today our daily bread.” (NIV)

Matthew 6: 33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)


© 2008 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org