Badge of Honor?

Well... it took 15 years but Nick has his first shiner! It never occurred to me that this might be a badge of honor but apparently it is. He is so proud of his black eye that he struck this intimidating pose for the camera to document his achievement:


Can you see the corners of his mouth barely turning up? He is trying so hard NOT to smile! Anyway... the shiner is a result of a basketball injury during gym class. He was guarding or blocking someone who stood up quickly. The other guy's head met Nick's eye. Sadly, the other guy's lump isn't as exciting as Nick's black eye. (You know they are comparing!)

You know... the older Nick gets, the more I am learning about what goes on inside the mind of boys/men. Basically, it's not much! This explains a lot. I think I would have been better prepared for marriage if I had lived through teenage years with a boy first. (Yes - I realize this isn't the correct order of things... I'm just making a comment.) Nick never picks his clothes up off the floor. In fact, he isn't even aware that they are on the floor until he is out of clean clothes (even though he walks over them and around them). He doesn't notice the cereal bowls full of curdling milk and crusty Raisin Bran on his desk until he is out of bowls (even though he has to push them aside each morning to make room for another bowl). He doesn't notice if I get upset about something or if he hurts my feelings and continues to make jokes when clearly I am having "a moment." I have pretty much decided that men must be clueless. Apparently this is the way God made them and there is nothing I can do about it.

This information would have been very helpful PRIOR to marriage. Apparently it wasn't Ron's fault that he left clothes on the floor (right beside the laundry basket) and dirty dishes on the counter (above the dishwasher) . It wasn't his fault that he never said anything to make me feel better after hurting my feelings... he wasn't even aware that he had hurt them. With men/boys you truly have to spell it out for them. If we don't say something - they don't get it. OK - I'm lumping all men into one category and that's not really fair.

Ron and I went to see a comedian who spent the entire time talking about the differences between men and women. I believe he said that the fundamental difference is that men are hunters and women are gatherers. He listed off so many examples of our differences that Ron and I laughed until we cried. It's good to laugh at differences instead of complaining about them. As a mom of a teenage boy, I need to laugh a bit more. After all... bless his heart, Nick can't help it that he's wired wrong (smile).

Blessings,
LeAnn

Apple Dump Cake

If you're from the south... you are very familiar with "dump" cakes. Basically, you just dump your ingredients into the pan and bake. These are so easy to make and very yummy! I made this apple version at the first sign of Fall and brought it to church still warm from the oven. It was gone before I reached the kitchen!

Ingredients:

2 cans apple pie filling
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
box of yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter, cut into slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Spoon the pie filling into the pan and spread evenly.
Lightly sprinkle the filling with cinnamon and VERY lightly sprinkle with nutmeg.



Spread the dry cake mix on top:


Sprinkle pecans on over cake mix and then top with butter pats:


Bake in preheated over for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly:


Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Great by itself or with whipped cream or vanilla or caramel ice cream! (Oh... your house will smell AWESOME while this is baking!)

Enjoy!
LeAnn

Silence?!

My mom emailed me today wondering why I hadn't posted anything this week and why no recipe? It's good to know that, even if no one else notices, mommy notices when I am silent. You would think that after all these years of my mouth... she would be grateful for the silence!

Things have been a bit crazy at the ministry these past couple of weeks. Our web host is "closing shop" so I have been searching for a new host. This is NOT my area of expertise so it has been quite a challenge. Our independent auditor (which is required for our ECFA membership) raised their fee to a point where we simply could not justify the expense. So we have been looking for a new auditor. There has also been more than the usual day-to-day stuff going on as well so office life has been FULL, to say the least.

On the personal side of life (yes - I do have one - just barely), Nick has needed a few trips to the dentist to repair a couple of sealants that "went bad." I didn't know that this was a possibility. Nick is sitting in the other room right now with a swollen cheek and bloody gums just from the repair. The good news... the dentist is not charging for all this work (there will be one more visit to finish the job) since it is a repair/replacement. More good news... With a swollen and numb jaw - Nick is pretty quiet!

At home, the fleas seem to be returning; the gift wrapping paper from Nick's birthday (over a week ago) is still in the living room; the dirty dishes have been in the sink for so long that they are starting to give off a sour odor; somehow a hole has mysteriously appeared in the guest room wall; and I haven't made my bed in over a week! I have been working on Sunday School curriculum for the women at church so housekeeping has been seriously neglected. Let's just say I am overwhelmed in every area of my life at the moment.

One thing that I do not neglect is my quiet time. Without it I'm sure I would drown! During my quiet time today my Bible fell open to Romans and my eyes were immediately drawn to Romans 5:3-6

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners."

Isn't HE awesome the way He knows exactly what we need to hear at exactly the moment we need to hear it? God's word is alive and He speaks to us with so much love (and the answers to all of our questions) that everything instantly becomes right.

So, instead of being overwhelmed with my projects, to-do lists, and a "normal" but crazy 15-year-old, I choose to be overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord!

Oh ... love you Mom!

Sweet Blessings,
LeAnn

Italian Mac & Cheese

When isn't macaroni and cheese the perfect meal? Mac and cheese just says, "comfort food." My Italian version isn't too complicated and some of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.

Italian Mac & Cheese

1 lb. box penne pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 packages (2 cups each) shredded 6 blend Italian cheeses
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

While pasta is boiling, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the melted butter, stirring for 30 seconds to cook the flour. Slowly whisk in the cream and the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, cayenne, basil, and parsley.

Immediately after draining pasta, return to the pot and pour the cream sauce over the noodles.


Add 1 and 1/2 packages of the cheese and stir to combine.


Transfer pasta mixture to the prepared casserole dish.


Top the pasta with the remaining cheese. Combine the melted butter and the breadcrumbs and spread evenly over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle parsley over the top... for a little color!


Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Note: You can prepare this a day ahead (do not bake - just prepare). Cover and refrigerate. Pull out of the fridge about an hour before you want to serve. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Another Note: If you have leftovers... just add a little milk before reheating as it may be a little too thick.

Happy Birthday Nick!

Nick turned 15 yesterday! I feel that it is my responsibility, as the mother of a teenage boy, to provide a little humiliation from time to time. I chose yesterday!

About a week ago I asked Nick if he would like me to bring treats to his Sunday School group on his birthday. A look of panic crossed his face. He said he was afraid that I might do something to embarrass him. Who me?! I insisted that I would never do anything to humiliate my own son. I said that I was just thinking that I would bring a princess birthday cake - or something along those lines. He said, "Well in that case... by all means bring a treat on my birthday." Well... I did! A group of friends sang "happy birthday" as I carried in Nick's (Nicki's) princess birthday cake. Nick hid in the cabinet!

Isn't it very princessy?


After church we gathered with some friends and celebrated over pizza at Nick's favorite pizza joint (Wolfman Pizza). Here is the ONLY photo I have of Nick on his 15th birthday:


Is is just me or does he seem embarrassed? (Actually, Nick took most of the pictures so he isn't in them.) He did take this precious picture of sweet Jackie who DID appreciate the princesses from Nick's cake! Nick very generously gave Jackie the princesses from his birthday cake but did want to keep Ariel. Our friend, Greg, noted that Nick wanted to keep the only princess wearing a bikini top. (I guess this is normal for a 15-year-old?!) He gave in later, after Jackie put Ariel in her mouth. Nick said, "That's OK. You can keep her."


Here are a few more photos taken by Nick on his day:

Rhonda, Jackie, and Chris


Greg and Rhonda


And, Princess Jackie is getting sleepy. Must be time to go home!

Nick had a great birthday and is already counting the days until next year. He will be 16 and getting behind the wheel... oh my! I'm not sure if I'm ready for that but I guess I won't have a choice. He is growing up way too quickly. He will be all grown up and out on his own in a blink of an eye but, in the meantime, I count my blessings and enjoy every silly, smelly day!

Sweet Blessings,
LeAnn