Garden Alfredo Tortellini

This was heaven in my mouth! The creamy cheeses, and all the veggie goodness was just beyond amazing! Let me get to the recipe.

What you'll need:
1 package cheese tortellini (any brand)
1 Jar Alfredo
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder, (or you can use 1 clove garlic, chopped)
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions:

  In large pot, boil tortellini as instructed on package.
  In large sauce pan on medium heat, add EVOO and red pepper flakes. Once heated, add diced onions and mushrooms to sauce pan. Saute for 5 minutes or until onions are semi clear. Add artichoke hearts, spinach. Saute until spinach leaves wilt (about 5 minutes).  Next, add the jar of Alfredo and turn heat down to simmer. Make sure to stir frequently to avoid the Alfredo from burning. Simmer 10 minutes.

Drain tortellini and then plate, topping with Alfredo sauce!

This makes about 4 servings, with servings being 1/2 cup tortellini and 1 cup Alfredo mixture. Roughly 500 calories per serving.

Y'all, when I threw all of these things together, I did not think it would taste this good! I knew I had to write it down, and why not share it?

As I mentioned, I will be completely changing my diet and whole life, really. So, this means that I will be sharing all of my new recipes and snacks! I have enrolled my bestie into doing the My Fitness Pal with me, and I will be sharing my progress!


What are some of your favorite "Happy Accident" recipes? Share with me!

See you soon...

 I'm up to my eye balls in doctors appointments, testing, projects, spring cleaning, family happenings and on and on. As much as I LOVE blogging, I am afraid that I can't post ahead to cover this upcoming gap.

 I will have a small-ish procedure done, and I'm not sure how long it'll take until I'm back on my feet. Could be a week, could be three weeks. So, for the upcoming weeks, I will be prepping for it. I will try to cook and have frozen meals ready, re-stocking the Etsy store, which will stay open, and try to make it easy for The Mr. to send out orders (Wish me luck on that one), and just a good cleaning of our home to make it easy for me to relax and heal afterwards.

In a perfect world, I will heal super fast and be up and running again a week after! Now, this isn't a major thing. It's just one that every one's recovery time is different, and I tend to take a while to heal. I don't want to feel rushed to get back to this blog or my Etsy shop, so I'm going to take a few weeks and recharge my batteries! I will miss y'all, and know I'll be chomping at the bit to get back to the blogosphere! 

Take care and God bless! 

One good...

 ...ole attitude adjustment is what my Daddy calls it, and the Lord knows exactly when I need one! I get caught up in my own head at times, thinking too much about scenarios that may or may not ever happen. When my to-do list becomes so great that I have neither the strength nor the brain space to get through it in 5 lifetimes.When I start thinking about the past and get stuck there in all my mistakes I've made that I don't know how God can love and forgive a sinner like me.

 And when I create this hurricane in my head, and when I can bare it no longer, God swoops in and gives me that attitude adjustment. It could be in a stern way, or in a loving way.  This time, earlier in the week, it was in such a loving way that I wanted to share some of the bible verses that jumped off the page at me and brought the adjustment.

Acts 10:43- All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him recieves forgiveness of sins through his name.

Eph. 1:7- In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

Col 1:13-14- For he has rescued us from the domination of darkness & brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

And the big mama-jama that sealed the deal... Psalm 6:4- Turn, Lord, and deliver me, save me because of your unfailing love.

  Before I got his message through my thick skull, (as my Mama says) I was as cranky as a child. NOTHING was making me feel better! I was so stuck in my own head it was beyond ridiculous and something had to be done. So, what's a girl to do? Grab her doggie and her Bible and head out for some fresh air. Luckily it was warm that day and the sun was out! It was perfect timing. And after the verses spoke to me, and I had a heart to heart with the Lord, I felt like a million bucks! God's love for is beyond words. And I think finally, I have it in my head and believe it with all my heart that God loves me so much for who I am, that he sent Jesus to pay for my sins, and he did, so who am I to keep feeling guilty over something that is done?

 Now, I've known this my whole life, John 3:16, but after making mistake after mistake, I felt so guilty. And that guilt was getting in the way of my relationship with God in the present time. Now, finally, He's gotten to me and my attitude has been thoroughly adjusted! Praise the Lord!

After all of this, it's so amazing studying and devouring this bible. My faith and knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds this year, and I'm so excited to share it with you! Previously, I was hesitant to post anything about religion that might offend someone. But the truth of the matter is, this is my blog. You wonderful readers come here to hear what I have to say, to get to know me. And my religion has always played a big part of my life, it's just grown even bigger lately! If you choose not to follow me any longer, hey, no hard feelings! I still thank you for coming along these last 8 months of my blogging journey!

DIY Elastic Book Band Closures

I know, you've all seen the many accessories that you can purchase with different planners. I just personally think that if I'm spending $50 on a planner, that it's hard to spend extra on more accessories.

However, I do see the need in certain things, such as the elastic book closures. If I have a large tote or purse and am carrying my planner, I do worry about it opening and pages getting creased, damaged, or even torn off completely. BUT, I didn't want to spend the extra $7-$10 for the closures when it looked pretty simple to replicate. Actually, I thought a simple stretchy headband would work fine. It didn't. Which lead me to purchasing more of my favorite elastic. One of my very first couple of blog posts was using this elastic to make pony tail holders. (See it here)

So, let me tell you what I did...

This is what I buy from Joann Store. It was $2.79, I believe, and they have lots of different colors.

This is what I wanted to close, my bible and my planner. Different sizes, which is why the head band idea didn't work.

To measure it, I pulled it as snuggly as it needed to be to keep the book closed. I didn't want to pull it as tight as it could go because I didn't want big dents in my book edges.  Once you're sure it's a good length, cut it straight across. But you know how the old saying goes, "Measure twice, cut once."

Now, I used my machine for this. Just set on a regular stitch. You can certainly hand stitch this if you don't have a machine. Just make sure your stitches are tight and go over it three times to be certain it's a good binding.

Trim the threads and you're all done! IF you don't care for the rough edges, you could always wrap a bit of ribbon around that seam and stitch it down. I just put the seam to the back of the books and it works for me.

AND, I had just enough elastic left over to tie into another hair tie! I'd say it's well worth the $3 I spent on the elastic! 

I've used mine for the last 3 days, and it's working very well! AND I saved moolah, which is always really nice!

What do y'all use to keep books from flying open in your bags?

What is this about a life verse?

You may or may not have heard people speak of their "life verse". What are they talking about? Why do you need one?  From what I've gathered on different sites and from talking to many folks, is a life verse is one verse from the Bible that you've chosen to be your mantra. The one you will commit to memory and be willing and able to recite back to folks. And since there are over 31,000 verses in the bible, you should be able to find one no problem. Sounds great.... until I started to try and find one! There are so many that I love, that pulled my heart strings, and that seemed like they should be a life verse.

Decisions decisions! Here are my front runners, (for now-there may be more later)

1Timothy 6:11- Pursue a righteous and a Godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, & gentleness.

Psalm 34:10- Those who see the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Joshua 1:9- Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or troubled. The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Psalms 37:4- Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Lamentations 3:22-23- God's mercy is bigger than any of your mistakes.


Aren't those awesome verses? It's so hard to choose one! How do you choose? These are tips I've come up with to help me narrow the search:

1. Reflect on what your weaknesses are. Now, don't go getting yourself into a depressed mood. Just look back in your journal or think about the last prayers you've prayed. Is there a common theme? Maybe relationship trouble. If that's your problem areas, then maybe your weakness is wanting to feel loved or to have a stability in your life. Which isn't necessarily a weakness, just a temporary problem area.

2. Once you've decided what your trouble area is, then start contemplating on one word that sums it up.

3. After you've found your word, then look up and copy down verses that are on that subject that jump out at you. Write down many and pray about them. See which one is working for you.

Now, this is if you have a trouble area. I suspect everyone does, but if you'd rather go about it in a different way, you can also figure out what makes you the happiest while thinking about it. Does God's amazing love make you feel happy? Then check out verses having to do with that.

It's not hard to collect quite a few verses that are standing out to you, the problem I'm running into is having too many awesome choices! As of now, the verses mentioned above are my front runners. And I will continue to pray about each one and give it some time to simmer in my heart.

However, I do think that one life verse may be a little too much to commit to. How about a "Year Life Verse"? A verse to keep for a year? I think I like that one better!

What do you guys think? Do you have a life verse?

Marriage and Relationship Link up!

Get ready for this ladies, it may strike a cord...

Your husband isn't meant to be everything to you.

  Some may be appalled at the statement. But I believe it to be true. God made a sort of spiritual keyhole in you that only he can fill. I'll be completely honest, I had a lot of trouble with this, and sometimes I still do.  I am always wanting more, which seems like something my dog inherited from me. We always want more cuddles, more conversations, more kisses on the forehead just more attention from The Mr. Not that he doesn't give enough. He is amazing and much more than I ever imagined a marriage could be!  But sometimes, and especially when I am feeling bad because of the Endometriosis, I just need comfort. The problem is, he gives so much and sometimes... its just not enough. It comforts, but doesn't fill up my "love tank" completely, which is a horrible feeling. UNTIL I figured out that it's not entirely The Mr.'s love tank to fill. I was combining all my love into one tank when it should be one love tank for the Mr. and one love tank for God. That, my friends, works sooooo much better!

  The Mr. shouldn't have the responsibility of making me feel entirely complete. He can give only what he can, and the rest was what I should've been pulling from God. I don't know if this makes sense to you as it does to me, but this revelation changed my whole view on things. I now am happier and feel more loved that I visualized separating the two loves into the two love tanks. And this may sound like a ridiculous example as I'm typing, I realize. But it best describes how I see it in my brain.

So, for this month, as I link up with Amberly over at Life with Amberly and Joe, my goal will be to make sure that I can recognize which "love tank" needs to be filled. To not be cranky with The Mr. when it's just ole quality quiet time I need with my heavenly father!

God promises to never leave you. ” I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Don't forget to link up with us! You have 13 more days to link up any post about Marriage and Relationship Goals!

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New to the Marriage & Relationship Goals Link-up? Goals help our relationships grow stronger and get better with time as well as help us move forward and avoid the "ruts" of life. This link-up was created in hopes of inspiring your relationship with your significant other no matter your chapter in life and love. We would love for you to join us in making the things we do in our relationships intentional.  If you would like more information, click here. If you would like to sign up for the newsletter, click here. If you are interested in cohosting, click here.

An InLinkz Link-up

Do any of you relate to the "love tank" concept?

Find Beauty Friday- Tulips for Sunset?

Happy Friday! I hope you all had an amazing week! If not, I'm terribly sorry, but it's Friday now. Rest easy, the weekend is here!

Today I share with you these gorgeous tulips! I picked them up last week, and have been drooling over them ever since! Normally, I tend to gravitate to the pinks and reds in flowers, but the orange just brightened up my whole day! Maybe it's because I think of all the summer sunsets that are coming and I simply can not wait!

This weekend will be pretty low key as we have a busy week coming up. I hope to do a couple of recipes and will definitely blog them for you! Any of you have a Cajun recipe request?

Can I just say...

I am a gal from the South. But, I'm Cajun and Cherokee, which is a little bit different from most of the "Southern Belles" you will meet. I don't have an accent anymore. I believe all tea should automatically be sweet. I love pink. I will wear camo when hunting, and it may or may not be some sort of pink camo. I believe in hunting and living off the land (whenever possible) just as my ancestors did. It's our way of life and I will pass it to my children as well. All of this means I believe in guns.

Source

Now, before you start thinking all kinds of craziness, let me further explain that I believe in owning and using guns in a safe and controlled environment. I believe that whoever handles a gun should have completed a certified gun safety course, and have the gun(s) legally registered to them. And I demand that safety is the number one priority at all times when a gun is present. I was taught to handle any gun as if it is loaded and the safety is off.

Source 

ALL that being said, if you're going to hunt (or to protect yourself)
, you're going to need good aim. And the only way to get good aim is target practice. This is something my Dad, brothers and I enjoy. It's incredibly thrilling to shoot, and I probably enjoy it a little too much.

Source

Soon, I'll go for a vacation to Louisiana and hopefully get in some target practice with my brothers. After handling guns for most of my adult life, I do get an itchy trigger finger if it's been too long since shooting. Plus, we always compare who can hit the target better, and I'm not afraid to admit that this gal has won multiple times!

And I realize that what I am saying is completely foreign to most of you, and you may not agree with me on this, and that's OK! To each his own. BUT, I did want to share a little of this sort of thing with you. This is a short clip of me and one of my brothers shooting. As I stated before, it's how we were raised, and I'm pretty proud of my heritage!

What are some of your family traditions that you miss while you are away?

Comforting Bible Verses for Chronic Illness

As I mentioned here, March was Endometriosis Awareness month. I thought I would get to post more on it, but the fact is, there are lots of medically graphic pictures and drawings, and I just didn't want to post them on here. If you are interested in learning more, just Google it, or you can email me and I'll share with you privately. It's a choice I made because ANYONE, children included could come across this blog and I just wouldn't want them to see horrid pictures.

However, I did want to share a few bible verses that comfort me when I need it. Although mine is a physical pain most of the time, there are emotional pains, spiritual pains... all types of pains. There are just times when nothing can make you feel better, not even a bubble bath!  But God is always there, ready to help. All you need to do is ask.

Here are a couple of my go-to verses. And I hope they bring you comfort when you need it!

Job 6:10 This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Jeremiah 17:14  Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Matthew 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Acts 5:16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. 

Romans 8:18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. In Greek the word “save” in this verse means to heal, preserve, save, do well, be (make) whole.

1 Peter 5:9-10   Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Do any of you have go to verses when dealing with any type of illness? Share below!

Currently- April

  Hey Y'all! Happy Fools Day!  I thought I'd start doing a "Currently" list in the beginning of each month. Just to share a bit of what's going on in my world with you! 

WORKING ON: Wrapping up projects. I have been knocking them out one by one, but my to-do pile doesn't seem to be shrinking! My main goal is to get every on-going project done, so I can revamp my store and products this summer! 

THINKING ABOUT: All of the lists of things to do and that I should probably stop this and write them down before I forget something! 

ANTICIPATING: SPRING! This gorgeous day is making me INCREDIBLY anxious for warm days everyday! No more 30 & 40 degree days!

LISTENING TO: KLove station, currently, Steven Curtis Chapman is singing Long Way Home. Such a powerful but catchy tune!

EATING: Trident gum.

THANKFUL FOR: My Father God, blessing me with everything I need in this world! Sometimes the world has ways of twisting your thoughts and emotions, making you think you need more stuff and things. My sister called me a hippie this morning, and if that's what makes me happiest and the most in tune with what the Lord has given me, then a hippie I will be! 

PLANNING FOR: Spring and Summer! I want to use up every single warm day before Winter gets here again! I've never been so grateful for the season to change as I have now experienced one of the 3 worst winters in Chicago! 

MAKING: A lot of goodies with my Lilly Pulitzer fabric! I have listed the cup sleeves and pocket tshirts in my Etsy store! Click here to see them! 

LEARNING: French, again. Like most folks, I had to take a foreign language in high school, but most of that didn't stick with me. I do know a bit of Cajun French, but it's not quite the same as the original French language. So, I checked with my library and they did have a "book on tape" for learning French! I was sad to learn that they did not have a license with Rosetta Stone to have their programs in the library, but I'm hopeful this one will be helpful! 

WEARING: Grey lounge pants, and white sweater. The wind is kicking through our home and it's a bit chilly! But I refuse to close the windows! 

And that's my April version of Currently. I love doing these because you can always look back and see what's going on in the beginning of the months! Is it just me, or maybe I'm getting old, but I feel as if time is flying by! I want to document as much of this lil' ole' life as possible! 

What are you guys currently doing? I'd love to hear!