Cheese Louise.

2 Corinthians 3:3 "You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." You are a living, breathing testament to God's work in you and His love for you. Now it is time to examine our lives to see if we are living in such a way to truly display Christ's mark. Remember - the Almighty Father created us in His own image and Scripture tells us that we are growing more and more like Him every day! You are a letter from Christ, sharing the story of His grace, mercy, and atoning sacrifice to all those around you!

Prepare to be stuffed with cheese. Seriously, I want to find the person who first invented (created? I don't know if cheese is considered an invention.) cheese and give him my utmost, sincerest thanks. Plus maybe a big smackaroo...don't tell James. Pinterest led me to this cheese-stuffed-heaven and all I can say is "Cheese louise, look at all this cheese!" (Back story on that quote...my college roommate uttered those infamous words while walking into the grocery store one day. She actually said "geez" but I heard "cheese" and then proceeded to mock her appropriately for the complete nerdy-ness of that phrase. And yet it stuck...)

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

From: http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/05/pesto-chicken-stuffed-shells.html

12-16 jumbo pasta shells

4 oz cream cheese, softened 

(I think I used a little less, just because there is a lot of other cheese in this recipe)

1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping

3 Tbsp prepared pesto

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on the package. Cook pasta only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain pasta and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine rest of ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in baking dish. (Hint: run pasta under cold water first before attempting to fill - I learned the hard way!) Sprinkle the remaining cheese over filled shells.

3. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts. I stuck mine under the broiler at the end for a few minutes to brown the cheese all nice and toasty.

O.M.G. Believe me when I tell you these shells are delicious but incredibly filling!! I ate one more than I probably should have and had that miserably yet wonderfully full feeling the rest of the night. I would have asked James to compare food babies but I don't know how he'd react. All I can say is mine was definitely around 8 and a half months at least! 

This next recipe I got from my new cookbook "Simply Suppers" that my sister got me for my birthday. I've always been tempted to make my own spaghetti sauce but I thought it might be a little too complicated. Wrong. Super easy and hardly any prep work involved. The only thing better than this Mama's spaghetti would be to watch "Mama Mia" while shoveling it into my mouth. However, I believe Abba's soundtrack might prove to be too much of a strain on our marriage. And I kinda like this guy. So nix that idea....but this recipe was totally worth it, musical or not!

Mama's Spaghetti

From: "Simply Suppers" by Jennifer Chandler

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with juice

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

1. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add meat and cook until meat is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer the cooked meat to a colander and drain excess fat.

3. Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from pot. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes.

4. Stir in tomatoes, basil, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Return meat to pot and stir to combine. Over high heat, bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until thickened, about 45 minutes. (We got hungry before then so I didn't simmer mine the full time). Adjust seasonings as needed.

6. Serve hot over warm pasta and enjoy!

I completely forgot to take a pic but believe me when I say it was a really awesome, really basic spaghetti sauce!

This next recipe I got from Pinterest, of course, and tweaked it a bit. Super simple, super easy, and would be really good to serve at any sort of get-together. They called there's beef-stuffed crescents but for some reason that name just is not very appealing to me. So I present to you....

Mexican Crescent Rolls

Adapted from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Beef-Stuffed-Crescents-2

1 pound ground beef

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

3 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

I added: 

Shredded fiesta cheese

Diced white onion

Diced jalapeno 

(in my halved version of this recipe, I did half a jalapeno. This recipe needed more spice so next time I would do a whole jalapeno. I'd also up the amount of chili powder, but that's just me!)

1. In a large skillet, cook beef, chilies, onions, and jalapenos (if adding) until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the cream cheese, cumin, and chili powder. Add shredded cheese (if using), allow to melt, cool slightly. *Since I added the shredded cheese I believe I used a little less cream cheese.

2. Separate crescent dough into 24 triangles. (In my halved version, I just used one can of crescent rolls, aka 8 triangles. I had a little meat filling leftover but James just ate that in a tortilla). Place 1 tablespoon of mixture along the short end of each triangle; carefully roll up. (I definitely did more than a tablespoon!)

3. Place point side down two inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown.

This final recipe I also got from the "Simply Suppers" cookbook. Just looking at the page it seemed like it would be a little more time-consuming but it really wasn't too bad at all! Just a heads-up it's not a super saucy dish - the sauce is the kind that just kinda sticks to your noodles and doesn't swim around in the bottom of your bowl. This could be due to the fact that I completely omitted the heavy whipping cream (I don't keep it on hand and for the sake of our pants fitting the next day) but even with this omission, I would definitely make this dish again! I halved this recipe when I made it since it can serve 6 to 8 people.

Chicken Tetrazzini

From: "Simply Suppers" by Jennifer Chandler

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp olive oil

8 oz button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced 

(I omitted...not a mushroom fan)

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

4 gloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 box (16 oz) linguine, cooked per package directions

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided 

(I eye-balled and used dried parsley)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

(Like I said, I omitted altogether)

1 cup chicken stock

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and set aside.

3. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently until the liquid from mushrooms evaporates and they become slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken, cooked linguine, peas, and 2 Tbsp of parsley and set aside.

4. In the same pan used for the onions, melt the remaining 3 Tbsp of butter over medium-low heat. When butter starts to foam, add the flour and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 1 minute. While continuing to whisk, gradually add the milk, heavy cream, and chicken stock. 

Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 8 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pasta mixture and toss until well combined. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture and remaining 2 Tbsp parsley evenly over the pasta. Top with thinly sliced pats of butter (I omitted just to save a few calories). Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Life lessons brought to you by Mumford and Angelo.....

 There is nothing better than clean laundry fresh from the dryer!

 Everyone appreciates some help.....

But sometimes enough is enough!

In the end, let's all just be friends!

Owned.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 "He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." In a world where much pride and boasting is derived from being completely independent and self-sufficient, there is a peace and a joy that comes from knowing that we are not our own. The almighty creator of everything bought us for an incredibly steep price, the sacrifice of his only Son, and has set his seal of ownership on us. What better thought than the thought of being owned by someone who cares more deeply for us than we can ever even fathom? He also put the Holy Spirit inside of us - the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead. And you thought you were just ordinary!! 

Pinterest was good to us this week and I tried out the following recipe for the best pizza EVER! Not only are the flavors awesome but there is no red sauce or grease, so you feel like you are eating a slightly healthier pizza. Disregarding the fact that we put bacon on ours of course.....

Rosemary Chicken Pizza

Adapted from: Pinterest (http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2011/02/rosemary-chicken-pizza-recipe.html)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dried rosemary

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I didn't have this so I just used a splash of white cooking wine)

1/2 tsp salt

11/2 lbs. chicken breasts (I think I used two chicken breasts)

1 pre-made pizza dough

5 cloves garlic, minced 

(I thought this sounded like alot so I used a little less than 3...but if you like a stronger garlic flavor go for the gold!)

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 cup spinach leaves

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes 

(Although I love sundried tomatoes and could eat them plain out of the jar, James is not a fan. Plus we didn't have any and I didn't feel like going to the store so I omitted)

Bacon, cooked and crumbled**

**This was not in the original recipe but I added it since A) we love bacon and B) I omitted the tomatoes. If you do use bacon, I cooked mine in the microwave first but left it kind of limp so that it could crisp up in the oven without getting burned.

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1. In a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, rosemary, white wine vinegar and salt. Place chicken in marinade and coat. Cover and refigerate for at least two hours. (I was not able to do this since I made it on a weekday and I was at work all day so I just let it sit for 5 minutes. It was still delish.)

2. Slice chicken into bite-size pieces and cook over medium heat until done.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Lay pizza dough onto pizza pan.

4. In another pan (I used same one that I cooked chicken once it was all done and set to the side), heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Brush onto pizza dough.

5. Layer pizza dough with 1/2 cup mozzarella, spinach, chicken, and sundried tomatoes (or bacon in our case). Sprinkle top with parmesan and remaining mozzarella. 

6. Bake 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.

This next recipe is so good and SO easy (you literally mix everything in one bowl) that we had it last Wednesday and I'm definitely putting it on this week's menu. I served ours with a side of black beans. Hint: to make canned black beans uber good, add 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced. Makes all the difference in the world!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

From: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/3 cup cream cheese (soften in microwave)

1/4 cup green salsa

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp green onions, chopped

1 cup grated fiesta blend cheese 

Cooking spray

Salt

Tortillas (I made this full version and got 6 taquitos out of it

1. Heat oven to 400. Shred chicken and cheese (or use pre-shredded like moi!)

2. Mix chicken, cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, green onions, and cheese. Stir until well combined.

3. Spread 2-3 Tbsp of mix onion lower third of tortilla (I think I used alot more....I stuffed those babies full). Keep mix about 1/2 inch from edge. Roll tortilla and place seam down onto baking sheet.

4. Spray taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Seriously I could have eaten all six by myself!! Next time I will!

I celebrated my 23rd birthday last week (seriously, where does the time go?) and I have a theory that odd number ages sound older than even. Twenty-three sounds way older than twenty-two, but twenty-four next year will sounds better than 23. James just did that smile-and-shake-your-head when I explained this phenomenon. However, it was still a great bday despite the oddness of the year. I woke up to a wonderful birthday breakfast and the three boys standing in a row waiting for me. Literally. The two little kitties were standing in the exact same position, facing the same direction as James, waiting. I asked if he put them there for an added flair but these little guys did it all on their own. How presh. I rounded out a day at school with some chocolate chip cookies in celebration. Surprisingly, this was about the only day that I didn't have "Happy Birthday" sung to me. Every other day I get brought cupcakes or cakes or pies or any other dessert made from rocks on the playground, complete with a stick "candle" and we sing "Happy Birthday" multiple times. Yet not on my actual birthday! Haha oh well. Then we finished the day with an amazing dinner at Christopher's World Grille. House filet with fried crawfish tails on top? Yes please! I think I ate my weight in red meat and Bearnaise sauce. Bliss. Kind of like this.......

Fast and Cheap (food and crafts, that is).

1 Peter 5:23 "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." What a good attitude and mindset to bring to whatever job, duty, or obligation we have on a day to day basis. I love the part "not because you must but because you are willing". It can be easy to go about each day as the same old same old but God is calling each of us to have a spirit that is eager to serve and a determination to be examples to His flock. No matter what field you might be in, God is calling you to shine His light to everyone around you! Let us each step into the role of a shepherd, leading God's people in His glorious truth, just as the Holy Father sent us the most wonderful Shepherd there ever was.

I was perusing Pinterest (ok, let's admit it...you can't just peruse Pinterest. You dedicate like an hour and a half to scrolling through brilliant idea after brilliant idea while telling yourself that you are just going to look for a minute or two) and I found this new crockpot recipe. Not only crockpot, but a dish that I am usually drawn to at Chinese restaurants! I need to find a sweet and sour chicken recipe but have yet to stumble upon that treasure. This recipe seemed super simple and required very little cooking of my own. It was actually really good but I will warn you...you have to like the taste of orange juice because the sauce is very orange-y. For my OJ-lovin husband, not a problem! The recipe said that you could add some cornstarch/water mix to the sauce to thicken it up because it is a pretty runny sauce but I was without cornstarch. Plus the sauce soaks into the rice so I thought it was good without. 

Crockpot Orange Chicken

From: Pinterest

2 large carrots, peeled and cut about 1/2-inch thick

2 red or green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

8 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate

2 cans Mandarin orange segments

2 green onions, chopped

2 cups cooked rice (I used Uncle Ben's 90 second brown rice)

1. Put carrots, bell peppers, garlic in bottom of crockpot followed by chicken, ginger, salt, pepper, and frozen orange juice concentrate.

2. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

3. Serve over hot rice and top with orange segments and green onions.

**Note: I bought mandarin oranges and then of course forgot to serve them with the meal. I added peanuts to give it some salt and crunch. I also added a teeny tiny amount of sriracha hot chili sauce to give it some spice. Heed my warning: do not test the spicy-ness by dipping your fork in the sauce and using it all in one bite. Ouch. Use a very small amount and mix it in the WHOLE dish.

 Another chicken dish popped up on our weekly menu this past week and I believe I have already posted this recipe. I wanted to add a notation, however, because the recipe calls for ham slices and Swiss cheese slices. The very first time I made this for my husband was back when we were dating and a fancy meal was extra parmesan on my packaged tortellini. It was the first "fancy" meal I made, although it really is pretty simple. It just sounds fancy-shmancy! But back then I went to the deli and got thin Black Forest ham slices and good Swiss cheese. Now, budget plus work equals no time for a deli counter! So I just used what I had on hand - lunch meat ham and provolone slices. Saved me a trip to the store and was just as good as the original recipe! Which you can click on the link below to find! I served ours with a side of zucchini, sauteed in a little butter and topped with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Can't get any simpler or better than that!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
From: My grandma

Speaking of Pinterest and yummy things, I'm sure y'all have seen the green smoothies on many boards. Well, I am here to attest that they are absolutely stinkin delish!!! Although the color may put some off (I like it and call it my Grinch smoothie...and perhaps creep around my house like he did when he was stealing all of the little Who's stuff), it is SO good and SO good for you! I use ice, raspberry yogurt, a banana, a splash of milk, a splash of orange juice (to take out the leafy taste) and a big handful or two of fresh spinach leaves. Blend it all up and enjoy! It seriously only tastes like raspberry banana. I forced my anti-spinach husband to try a sip (I literally had to force the straw into his unwilling mouth) and he liked it! Of course, he followed it with "But the color...." To all my Whos down in Whoville - this smoothie is delish. Don't hate.

Yet again, speaking of Pinterest, my friend and I had a craft night the other night and I tried out an idea I found on the wonderful world of pins. And the best part was my whole craft was less than $10! I give you my.......(drum roll please).....weekly menu planner! On Pinterest it is shown as a place to hold your recipe while you cook but I get so many recipes from online that I just have my laptop in the kitchen. I started with a cookie sheet from the Dollar Tree and covered it with scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby. NOTE: A girl my friend knew who made one used Modge Podge to adhere her paper to the pan. I've read on Pinterest to use contact paper but I don't think it's as cute or cheap. I didn't have Modge Podge so I just hot glued the paper around the edges. It worked just fine except now I am noticing that the paper is starting to bubble up because of course I didn't put glue in the center. That would make too much sense. But hey, it works right? I added a little ribbon between the two papers, using hot glue to secure it. Then came the fabulously cute stickers I found in the scrapbook aisle. The whole time I ventured down that whole different world I kept repeating like a crazy person, "I'm so glad I don't scrapbook, I'd spend so much money!" followed by "Look at this! Look at this! Look at those!" Finally we found a sheet of super cute bistro-themed stickers. I had to fight the urge to put all of the stickers on my pan. They're just so cute! Little wedge of cheese, wine glasses, little sayings like "Conserve water, drink wine." Amen sister. Next came the magnets. Decorative bottle caps and round magnets. Glue together. Done. Finally, I sprayed the whole thing with clear acrylic sealer and voila! I'm so pleased with how it turned out! And how fast and cheap it was. That could potentially be taken in a dirty way. Get your mind out of the gutter!

Of course I will take the time to write the days of the week so cute-sy...who wouldn't? Ha.

Quick kitten update....they are getting bigger and healthier each day! I snapped this pic the other morning. No aspect of this picture was posed or forced at all! I believe he is asking me, "So, how does that make you feel?" while resting on my Bible and daily devotional. I feel just great thank you Doctor.