THANK YOU LORD
Everyday be thankful
For what you have and who you are
Even though I clutch my blanket
& growl when the alarm rings,
Thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed
against the morning light as long as possible,
Thank you, Lord, that I can see.
Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of the day is so hectic,
Thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table
never looks like the pictures in magazines
and the menu is at times unbalanced,
Thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job
often is monotonous,
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and
bemoan my fate from day to day
and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
Thank you, Lord, for life.
Look back and thank God.
Look forward and trust God.
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God!
God closes doors no man can open.
God opens doors no man can close.
Whew, I thought that was pretty spot on, didn't you?!
I haven't done a meal plan in awhile and I've had some requests for the recipes I actually use on a day-to-day basis (shout out to Lauren M. for this one!!). So, here it goes:
Monday: Stuffed Shells & salad (posting recipe below)
Tuesday: Pan cooked tilapia and steamed asparagas
Wednesday: Tacos!
Thursday: Baked lemon pepper chicken with steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
Friday: Steaks, baked sweet potatoes and salad
Saturday: Julie and Brian's Couples Shower (yay!)
Sunday: Usually dinner with my mom and dad
Last night was the first time I ever made stuffed shells and they are so very easy. Next time, I'm going to add in some bread crumbs and spinach. But this is a good starter recipe. ;)
Ingredients:
*15 oz ricotta cheese
*2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
*1 cup grated parmesan cheese
*2 large eggs
*2 tsp dried parsley
*18 large shells
*1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt if desired, and boil large shells for approximately 10 mins. DO NOT cook them for the time allotted on the box. They need to be 'al dente' since they are going to bake. When shells are done boiling, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
2. While shells are boiling, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs and parsley. Mix well. In a baking dish, pour 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce onto the bottom of the dish, spread evenly.
3. After rinsing the shells, begin stuffing with the cheese mixture and place in baking dish. Repeat until all shells are stuffed and then top with the remaining sauce. I sprinkled extra parsley and garlic on top, but you don't have to do that. Bake at 350 for 30 mins.
4. Once it is finished baking, allow it to set and cool for 5-10 mins. Enjoy! P.S. - it is even better the 2nd day!
Well, this is turning out to be quite the blog post. This past weekend I was in a wedding. We had SO MUCH FUN! It was so nice to spend some quality time with old girlfriends and play dress up. Erin made a BEAUTIFUL bride! If you want to check out a preview, head on over to Luker Smith Photography's Blog and check out his amazing work! I had a few images from my phone so excuse the poor quality.
Me and Erin, the gorgeous bride. I love her!
Whitney, Crystal (and baby!), and myself. Love these girls!!
We had a blast! Danced the night away and got to hang out with some old friends - I loved it.
Sunday was much more low key. April 3rd had been exactly one year since J had proposed so we headed out to the beach for a quiet day of R&R and some alone time. It was much needed. :) I love him so. Here I was a year ago after he proposed. My nose is all swollen and my eyes are puffy from crying my little eyes out. Never had I experienced such tears of joy. That was the best surprise...EVER!
And here we are last year on Easter Sunday at church, the day after we had gotten engaged. I can't believe Easter is so late this year!
My-oh-my how time flies. Hope you're having a good week so far! And I hope everyone locally survived that terrible weather last night! Eeek, not a fan of storms!
XOXO
Posts
1 comment:
That definitely makes you think about how blessed we all really are! :) Thanks for sharing that! And thanks for sharing the stuffed shells recipe! I can't wait to try it out!! :)
Post a Comment