Let me start by saying . . . I have a folder on my computer for recipes. I get them all over the place. I copy them into Word documents straight from the internet. Needless to say, I have no idea where I got most of them. I am not trying to take credit for other people's genius ideas.
Ok, now that I got that off my chest . . .
This is one of our favorite side dishes. It has two qualities that I always look for in recipes. It has very few ingredients, and it looks so much harder than it is:)
Ranch Roasted Potatoes:
Ingredients:
1. 1/2 a bag of 5 lb. potatoes (you can use red or yellow)
2. 1/4 cup of olive oil
3. Ranch dressing dry packet
(obviously just double the last two ingredients if you make the whole bag)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Cut potatoes into eighths. Make sure each piece has some skin on it.
3. Put potatoes, oil, and ranch packet into a large ziploc bag. Shake them around to coat well.
4. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread potatoes out evenly on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Take out and flip once, then put back in for 15 - 20 minutes or until roasted.
Delicious and easy. Does it get any better than that?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
One Thousand Gifts - Chapter 1
I have started reading the book, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. I have only read chapter 1, but I am really enjoying it. If you feel like you need a book to encourage you to recognize God's goodness in all circumstances, then this is for you. I wanted to take out a few quotes to flush out here on the blog, so I have a way to come back to them as I read. Hopefully, they will encourage you even if you never read the book in its entirety.
On page 15 she talks about Adam and Eve. "Satan's sin becomes the first sin of all humanity: the sin on ingratitude. Adam and Eve are, simply, painfully, ungrateful for what God gave. Isn't that the catalyst of all my sins?"
I found so much depth to this simple statement. Isn't that the catalyst of all my sins - ungratefulness? I can make a choice at any point to either be grateful for all He's given or ungrateful for all that has been taken away. Adam and Eve were allowed to eat off of any tree but one. Why were they ungrateful for that? Why did they think God was withholding something from them? Don't I do the same thing each and ever minute? I want to choose gratitude because I know that is how I can edify my relationship with the Lord.
In another section of the chapter Ann talks about her brother-in-law and his wife. They lost two baby boys at 4 and 5 months old. She has a conversation with him about the goodness of God. She tells him that she would have written the story differently for him. He tells her, "Just that maybe . . . maybe you don't want to change the story, because you don't know what a different ending holds."
Again, it just made me think. How could someone who has lost two children to a horrible disease have this thought process? He compares it to the story of King Hezekiah in the Bible. He asks for 15 more years of life, and God grants it. In those 15 years Manasseh is born, and he is the one who leads the Israelites to do more evil than all the heathen nations around them. We don't know how the story would be different, and aren't we thankful for that? We should be. It gives me a totally different perspective on so many things.
This chapter reminds me of the song, Blessed Be the Name of the Lord. "He gives and takes away . . . but my heart will choose to say, blessed be the name of the Lord."
On page 15 she talks about Adam and Eve. "Satan's sin becomes the first sin of all humanity: the sin on ingratitude. Adam and Eve are, simply, painfully, ungrateful for what God gave. Isn't that the catalyst of all my sins?"
I found so much depth to this simple statement. Isn't that the catalyst of all my sins - ungratefulness? I can make a choice at any point to either be grateful for all He's given or ungrateful for all that has been taken away. Adam and Eve were allowed to eat off of any tree but one. Why were they ungrateful for that? Why did they think God was withholding something from them? Don't I do the same thing each and ever minute? I want to choose gratitude because I know that is how I can edify my relationship with the Lord.
In another section of the chapter Ann talks about her brother-in-law and his wife. They lost two baby boys at 4 and 5 months old. She has a conversation with him about the goodness of God. She tells him that she would have written the story differently for him. He tells her, "Just that maybe . . . maybe you don't want to change the story, because you don't know what a different ending holds."
Again, it just made me think. How could someone who has lost two children to a horrible disease have this thought process? He compares it to the story of King Hezekiah in the Bible. He asks for 15 more years of life, and God grants it. In those 15 years Manasseh is born, and he is the one who leads the Israelites to do more evil than all the heathen nations around them. We don't know how the story would be different, and aren't we thankful for that? We should be. It gives me a totally different perspective on so many things.
This chapter reminds me of the song, Blessed Be the Name of the Lord. "He gives and takes away . . . but my heart will choose to say, blessed be the name of the Lord."
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Forgot to turn on the monitor
So . . . about 7:30 this morning I woke up and felt out of sorts, because I hadn't slept until that time in the last ten months. I hit Tim to wake him up and see if he could hear Ethan on the monitor. The boys have been sleeping in the same room for the last month or so, so I nurse Ethan in the morning whenever he wakes up. It is usually between six and seven. Needless to say, we forgot to turn the monitor on last night. Right about that time we hear Ethan wimpering from the living room. I immediately panicked. Did George (the four year old) take him out of the crib? Did he climb out? Tim darted out our bedroom and found my sister-in-law, Whitney, holding Ethan. (Peter and Whitney are staying with us for the summer:).
The story goes - About 7:15 George begins yelling "Mommy, Daddy, Peter, Whitney." Thank goodness, Whitney heard him and went in their room.
George immediately says,"Good morning, Whitney" with a big smile on his face. Then he says, "Can you please watch Ethan for me because I really need to go to the bathroom, and I don't want him to get hurt?"
How sweet is that? He is such a good big brother. I guess Ethan woke George up (because who knows how long he was crying). They played together with Ethan in the crib until George had to go to the bathroom, but he didn't want to leave Ethan by himself.
Moral of the story is . . .
1. Brothers are so sweet at this age. I love that George loves Ethan so much. I was a little worried since they are a little over three years apart, but George really enjoys Ethan's company and vice versa. I know it will only get better as they get older.
2. Thank goodness for Whitney (btw - this is your shout out). I don't know what would have happened if she didn't hear him. We might have had an accident or a very upset baby. So, thanks, Whit, Whit. You rock!
3. Try harder to remember to put on the monitor because it is pretty important.
4. I can't believe I actually considered 7:30 sleeping in. I guess motherhood makes you think crazy things:)
The story goes - About 7:15 George begins yelling "Mommy, Daddy, Peter, Whitney." Thank goodness, Whitney heard him and went in their room.
George immediately says,"Good morning, Whitney" with a big smile on his face. Then he says, "Can you please watch Ethan for me because I really need to go to the bathroom, and I don't want him to get hurt?"
How sweet is that? He is such a good big brother. I guess Ethan woke George up (because who knows how long he was crying). They played together with Ethan in the crib until George had to go to the bathroom, but he didn't want to leave Ethan by himself.
Moral of the story is . . .
1. Brothers are so sweet at this age. I love that George loves Ethan so much. I was a little worried since they are a little over three years apart, but George really enjoys Ethan's company and vice versa. I know it will only get better as they get older.
2. Thank goodness for Whitney (btw - this is your shout out). I don't know what would have happened if she didn't hear him. We might have had an accident or a very upset baby. So, thanks, Whit, Whit. You rock!
3. Try harder to remember to put on the monitor because it is pretty important.
4. I can't believe I actually considered 7:30 sleeping in. I guess motherhood makes you think crazy things:)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Brothers & Sisters
Have you ever seen the show?? If not then you should. It really is a good show about family. They aren't the "ideal" family by any means, but they are realistic. All the children are full-grown adults, which makes things more interesting. They each have their own stories, but they are all intertwined at the same time. I have only watched the first ten episodes (because they are on Netflix, and I can watch them at anytime during the day or night). I have really enjoyed them, and it has made me want to have a big family even more. I love the interacting they do with both each other and their parents.
Don't get me wrong . . . I don't want to "be" them. I think that is tacky, anyway, wanting to be someone on television. I know tv is tv, but it is just cool to see a show where all five brothers and sisters are close and have inside jokes that no one else could ever understand. I am one of three children, and we definitely have those jokes. We will laugh at inappropriate times together, and everyone else thinks we are crazy. I like it that way. I hope my kids do the same thing. I hope (dare I say it) they can make fun of their parents with each other. Siblings have such a special relationship, and no one can ever duplicate or replace it. I am hyper-aware of that after watching this show. Lesson learned, Brothers and Sisters, lesson learned.
Don't get me wrong . . . I don't want to "be" them. I think that is tacky, anyway, wanting to be someone on television. I know tv is tv, but it is just cool to see a show where all five brothers and sisters are close and have inside jokes that no one else could ever understand. I am one of three children, and we definitely have those jokes. We will laugh at inappropriate times together, and everyone else thinks we are crazy. I like it that way. I hope my kids do the same thing. I hope (dare I say it) they can make fun of their parents with each other. Siblings have such a special relationship, and no one can ever duplicate or replace it. I am hyper-aware of that after watching this show. Lesson learned, Brothers and Sisters, lesson learned.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Is it always worth making a buck?
Just a thought . . .
If you were an author and your book ended up in the Dollar Tree how would you feel??? Some say who cares because you are still making money on it, but I fee like I may feel like I sunk to the bottom of the barrel. I bought a book there today that was originally $24.00. It had a tag on it from Borders that said, "Bargain price, $7.49." Then I bought it for $1.00 today. I would compare it to working really hard on something you thought you could sell for a fair price, and then having to give it away at Goodwill because no one wanted it. See it as you will, the Dollar Tree is not a high end book store, but again, selling is selling in this economy . . .
Again, just a thought:)
If you were an author and your book ended up in the Dollar Tree how would you feel??? Some say who cares because you are still making money on it, but I fee like I may feel like I sunk to the bottom of the barrel. I bought a book there today that was originally $24.00. It had a tag on it from Borders that said, "Bargain price, $7.49." Then I bought it for $1.00 today. I would compare it to working really hard on something you thought you could sell for a fair price, and then having to give it away at Goodwill because no one wanted it. See it as you will, the Dollar Tree is not a high end book store, but again, selling is selling in this economy . . .
Again, just a thought:)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Mema
Today we are heading out to surprise my mother-in-law for her birthday. I wanted to write a little "Ode to Mary" because it is probably pretty rare that blogs have "odes" to mother-in-laws. Mine is something special, so she totally deserves it.
Tim and I got engaged after dating for three months. I think I had met his parents once or twice before that day. Needless to say, I did not know them very well when we got married. I did know him well, though, so I figured his parents couldn't be too bad to raise a Godly man like him. They seemed like sweet enough people in all the short visits I had had with them, so I didn't think twice about marrying into the Bettelli family. (After all, my mom always told me that you marry the family, so I kept that in mind while dating . . . and you should too, all you non-marrieds).
After we were married and even more so after we had George, I began to appreciate my in-laws so much more. They live four hours away, so we didn't get to see them too often, but each visit became sweeter and sweeter the more I got to know them. They are both such caring people who would give anything they had to anyone of their kids or grandkids. My grandma always said that they are a picture of the Holy Spirit, and I think that decription is right on.
Specifically, my mother-in-law . . . she has taught me so many things in the almost six years I have been married to Tim. She loves her kids and grandkids more than anything in the world. She is a great homemaker and truly strives to be better at it everyday, even though she has been at the job for many, many years. She has given me Tim's favorite recipes, so I can make him the things he loves the most. She has truly been such a help to me in this journey of motherhood and homemaking that I am in the midst of right now. Above all else, though, she has taught me a lot about Jesus. Not just in conversation, but in how she lives her life. She is a picture of grace, and I want to be like her when I grow up:)
Mema,
We love you so much! You are a wonderful grandmother to my children, and the best mother in law a girl could ask for. I know you love me, which I heard once is even more important than loving the person:) I am so thankful for your mothering abilities because you raised my husband to be the loving husband and father that he is. Thank you for praying for us everyday . . . you know we need it.
Love to ya,
Lou
Tim and I got engaged after dating for three months. I think I had met his parents once or twice before that day. Needless to say, I did not know them very well when we got married. I did know him well, though, so I figured his parents couldn't be too bad to raise a Godly man like him. They seemed like sweet enough people in all the short visits I had had with them, so I didn't think twice about marrying into the Bettelli family. (After all, my mom always told me that you marry the family, so I kept that in mind while dating . . . and you should too, all you non-marrieds).
After we were married and even more so after we had George, I began to appreciate my in-laws so much more. They live four hours away, so we didn't get to see them too often, but each visit became sweeter and sweeter the more I got to know them. They are both such caring people who would give anything they had to anyone of their kids or grandkids. My grandma always said that they are a picture of the Holy Spirit, and I think that decription is right on.
Specifically, my mother-in-law . . . she has taught me so many things in the almost six years I have been married to Tim. She loves her kids and grandkids more than anything in the world. She is a great homemaker and truly strives to be better at it everyday, even though she has been at the job for many, many years. She has given me Tim's favorite recipes, so I can make him the things he loves the most. She has truly been such a help to me in this journey of motherhood and homemaking that I am in the midst of right now. Above all else, though, she has taught me a lot about Jesus. Not just in conversation, but in how she lives her life. She is a picture of grace, and I want to be like her when I grow up:)
Mema,
We love you so much! You are a wonderful grandmother to my children, and the best mother in law a girl could ask for. I know you love me, which I heard once is even more important than loving the person:) I am so thankful for your mothering abilities because you raised my husband to be the loving husband and father that he is. Thank you for praying for us everyday . . . you know we need it.
Love to ya,
Lou
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Back to life . . . (You fill in the rest)
I'm BAAAAACK. Like you care:)
Been a little while since I dabbled in this here world of blogging, but today is the day I decided to give it another try. My sis-in-law inspired me by helping me put a cute little background to the blog. I really like the looks, so now I just need to really like the content. That shouldn't be too hard since all the "content" I get throughout the day comes from a four year old and a ten month old. Both are boys, so not only are they small people, but they are man people.
I am expecting this to go in a direction of . . . funny mom stories (cause I know there aren't enough of those out there . . . although I seriously doubt any of them can hold a candle to my two handsome chilluns), recipes that I usually steal from other blogs, maybe some pics of my sa-weet outfits that I put together (that was sarcasm), a little theology/Jesus evidences in my life, and so much more (or less).
Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I do, while I try to be "anxious for nothing."
Been a little while since I dabbled in this here world of blogging, but today is the day I decided to give it another try. My sis-in-law inspired me by helping me put a cute little background to the blog. I really like the looks, so now I just need to really like the content. That shouldn't be too hard since all the "content" I get throughout the day comes from a four year old and a ten month old. Both are boys, so not only are they small people, but they are man people.
I am expecting this to go in a direction of . . . funny mom stories (cause I know there aren't enough of those out there . . . although I seriously doubt any of them can hold a candle to my two handsome chilluns), recipes that I usually steal from other blogs, maybe some pics of my sa-weet outfits that I put together (that was sarcasm), a little theology/Jesus evidences in my life, and so much more (or less).
Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I do, while I try to be "anxious for nothing."
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