Ravioli Pepperoni Supper

 

This recipe was given to me by one of my dearest friends years ago and I am oh so happy she shared it with me.  First of all my family LOVES it!  Second of all it is probably one of the easiest and quickest meals that I make.  Seriously it is a Win Win for us.

 

Here is what you need for the basic Ravioli Dinner:

*1 bag of frozen cheese filled ravioli (I usually buy Save A Lot or Great Value Brand)

*1 can of spaghetti sauce (I buy the cheapest possible, usually Hunts for about $1.00 per can)

*Mozzarella cheese

 

That's it!  3 Ingredients. 

 

However, the recipe I was given called for mushrooms (how ever many you like) and also to add in pepperoni (again how ever much you want).  While I usually do add the pepperoni (unless I don't have any) I have never added the mushrooms because only half of my clan likes them.  But I will say with or without these last 2 ingredients it is still delicious and one of my families favorites.

 

How to:

Cook your ravioli according to package directions.  Drain and add back to pan.

Add in one jar/can of sauce. 

I usually always add in about half a can of water as well.

Add your mushrooms and/or pepperoni (if you want).

Top with Mozzarella cheese and allow cheese to melt on top.

 

Done. 

 

From start to finish I would say this takes not more than 15 minutes to make.  Make a batch of garlic bread or serve some rolls and a side salad and you have a complete meal.  This makes about 6 servings so if you have a larger family you may want to double the recipe.

Dollar Tree Favorites

The following is a list of my 15 favorite things to buy at the Dollar Tree. If you have never been you need to stop in and check it out. And always keep in mind that while some things like I am listing below pretty much stay the same, there are a lot of items that change and while you may see it there today it may not be there the next time you visit.

 
Foil pans - disposible (good for baking to bless others or freezing baking)
Containers and baskets for organizing your home and/or storing food
Balloons - helium for parties or gifts
Gift bags
Tissue paper
Wrapping paper
Photo paper - I use this all of the time and it really is good quality
Shower gel/body wash
Hand soap
Hand sanitizer
Tooth brushes
Candy - Going to the movies?  Stop in here and get your goodies much cheaper. 
Brims butter popcorn - tastes like movie popcorn but BETTER and the EVEN BETTER PART is that it is made by a Christian company.  The Utz brand also tastes good but the bag is smaller. 
Goo gone
Picture frames

Not to mention an amazing selection of seasonal decorations, treats and prizes for use at home, school or in your Sunday school class, pool/water toys for summer and trinkets to set around.

They also sell food and have a growing number of name brand items.  And now they take coupons for those name brand items.
 
Are you a Dollar Tree Shopper? 

Dealing With Discontentment

Content means to be satisfied, to be happy with what you have, gratified.  So the opposite of that would be dissatisfied and bitter.  

Have you ever been around someone that is negative?  Not about everything, not all the time but it seems that no matter how good things are going for them they will always find something to be unhappy and grumble about.  One of the definitions for grumble or grumbling is to have a "discontented disposition. 

You got a raise and while you are happy with the raise, you are discontented because it should have been more.  You buy a house but it's not big enough.  You got a great deal on used car but the neighbor down the street just bought brand new.  You get the picture. 

I firmly believe that this is a spirit of discontentment straight from the devil.  It is a lie he feeds us, sinners and Christians alike that if we only have more, buy more, give more, do more, build bigger that we will be happy and satisfied.  Only once you do these things you find that you are still bitter, still envious, still not happy and far from being satisfied.

There is a fine line between discontentment and envy and coveting. 

You will never find happiness or contentment in things!  No matter how much you have or how nice your things are.  They are things.  True Happiness comes from a close relationship with Our Heavenly Father. 

I do not think there is anything wrong with having desires, hopes and dreams.  In fact I think that God wants us to have them.  He wants us to be always reaching forward and moving ahead.  The opposite of that would be to be moving or falling backward and that is never good.  He even says to make our requests know to Him so He knows that we will have wants and desires.  The wrong part is allowing those desires, hopes and dreams to take over your life.  To take over your happiness.  To take over your families happiness.  And you may do it so much or have been doing it so long that you really aren't even aware of it.  And this doesn't mean we don't have rough days. We all have days from time to time that we feel a little disheartened over things.  I am talking about the person that really gets in a "funk" and just never seems happy or satisfied. 

I encourage you today to take a good look at all the blessings you have and then examine yourself.  What are you speaking out?  What are you talking about most?  Is it how you are blessed and God is supplying all of your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus?  Or do you have a discontented disposition, always grumbling about what you don't have but want?

Learn to be content where you are.

Nehemiah 8:10 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Galatians 5:22-23 Amplified Bible (AMP)

²² But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,

²³ Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [^[a]that can bring a charge].

Philippians 4:11-14  Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹¹ Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be ^[a] content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

¹² I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

Philippians 4:19  Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁹ And my God will liberally supply (^[a]fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Weekly Chores For Life

I love this!

WEEKLY CHORES FOR LIFE

Author unknown

Monday - Wash Day
Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday - Ironing Day
Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected through the years so that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday- Mending Day
O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.

Thursday - Cleaning Day
Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday - Shopping Day
O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may bless my family with contentment and happiness and all others in need of love.

Saturday - Cooking Day
Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday - The Lord's Day
O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence.

Young Faith and Answered Prayers

1 Peter 5:7 says Casting the ^[a]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, ^[b]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you ^[c]watchfully. 

I have always told my boys that God cares about everything in our lives.  EVERYTHING!  Not just the big moments but all the moments, all the trials (no matter the size), all the ups and downs that we experience He wants to be a part of them.  God is always there to help us.  I have shared several instances with my boys about how God has answered prayers for me concerning things that I have misplaced and really needed to find over the years.  I have searched and searched for things and in my own strength find nothing but when I remember that God wants to help me and I put my faith in Him and pray the results are always much different. 

Mark 11:22-24 says
²² And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly].

²³ Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

²⁴ For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

 

 

A few weeks ago my oldest son that had been entrusted with a set of house keys lost them.  He has had them for over a year now and has done so well to always keep up with them but suddenly they were gone.  We looked, he looked, I looked.  Inside, outside, in buildings, cars, the house, furniture - everywhere we could think of.  We called Grandparents to see if possibly they had been left at their homes and still nothing.  So, I told Joey that unless he found his keys we would have to replace locks on our doors because I didn't like the idea of a set of keys just floating around out there somewhere.

A while later I heard our side door close and so I walked down the hallway to see who was coming or going and there standing just inside the door grinning from ear to ear and holding his set of lost keys in his hand was my handsome 15 year old son.  He said that after I told him we would have to replace the locks on the house he remembered what I had told him and he decided to pray.  He prayed "God, I really don't want my parents to have to replace all the locks on the house I just need to find my keys.  Will you please help me remember where I had them last?"  Then he said he had this overwhelming sense of urgency to go out to his daddy's vehicle and look, so he did and that is where he found his keys.  We rejoiced and Praised Our Heavenly Father together for helping with this small thing in reality but a big thing to us. 

 

Not only did he use his faith and pray but he listened to that small still voice deep down inside and that is when he got the answer to his prayer. 

I have encouraged many people over the years to pray and trust God even in the small things and as a result I have heard several Praise Reports.  Your answer doesn't always manifest immediately but God will help you if you just put your faith in Him, trust him and Pray and then be quiet a while and listen for your answer. 
 

3 Cheese Lasagna

A while back I posted my recipe for Spaghetti/Lasagna sauce and in that post I mentioned how I layer my lasagna.  Tonight while making some for dinner it just hit me that while it really is a fairly simple dish to make I am certain that there are some people that feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of making it.  I know, I used to feel that same way.  It looked too hard but I promise it isn't. 

First you need to make a batch or two of my sauce.  You can find that recipe here.  If you want more meat sauce in it, go for two batches.  If you don't end up using all of it (I didn't tonight) I just put it in a freezer bag and toss it in the freezer then it will be ready to go for when we have Spaghetti next week.

There really is no right or wrong way to layer your ingredients.  I am going to tell you what I use and how I layer mine but you can do yours any way you want.  You can also leave out something I use or change it to something else.  For instance I put cottage cheese in mine.  But you may not like it - no problem, just leave it out.

I use a glass 9x13 Pyrex baking dish (unless it is traveling or being given away then I use a disposable foil pan bought from the Dollar Tree).  Speaking of giving it away - Lasagna is great to make when you are blessing another family with food.  Make a quick garden salad and a bag of rolls with you and voila.  :)

 

In the bottom of the pan put a very small amount of sauce and spread it around (so your noodles won't stick).

Then layer your ingredients. 

Layer #1
Pasta
Sauce
Cottage cheese (a whole container, drained)

Layer #2
Pasta
Sauce
Smoked Provolone Cheese (slices)

Layer #3
Pasta
Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese (about a 3 cup bag - I like A LOT of cheese)

Layer #4
Pasta
Small amount of Sauce
Top with mozzarella cheese (about 1- 2 cups or until you are happy).

Then I always sit mine on a cookie sheet because it is so full that I don't want it to accidentally bubble over in my oven (no fun to clean up).  Bake it for about 30 minutes or until your cheese is melted, the middle is bubbly and the top is slightly golden brown. 

Just say No

In today's world everyone seems so busy.  People have become so busy that family meal time at the kitchen table is becoming a thing of the past.

Time spent just sitting with family and friends enjoying each others company is hard to do when you are over committed and always on the go running from one activity or event to another.  Believe me I know all too well about running from one thing to another.   

Volunteering at church, at both of my children's schools, helping family, keeping up with sports practices, conditioning and games not to mention keeping your laundry caught up, your house in some kind of decent order, feeding your family, helping with homework or homeschooling can lead to an exhausted, worn out mommy.

And while these things are not necessarily bad things and a lot of them are important sometimes we just have to learn to say no to certain things in order to keep our priorities straight and first things first.

I encourage you to look at your schedule and really re-evaluate it. Pray about the things you are involved with and allow God to help you determine the things that are truly important and then say no to the things that aren't.

The past few years I have really stopped volunteering as much for things because I was seeing that my family was suffering. I still volunteer at my kids school on occasion when I am needed. I still help at our church but in a much less time consuming ministry than before.   I still help with things but I have really gotten to a place where right now in this season of my life  "being over" something or in charge is just not my thing.  I am enjoying being a helper and letting other people take the lead.  This allows me the maximum amount of time with my husband, kids and to take care of our home.

I mean after all what is going to matter when this life is over? All of your volunteering and busy work? No, what will matter is the time you spent with your family, with your kids teaching and training them in the way they should go.   What will matter is were you saved? Was Jesus Lord of your life, of your home and of your children's lives?

We need to slow down, say no to the busy-ness that the devil would like to see take over our lives and work on building a relationship with our Lord and with our family. 

Are you over committed?