When I look at this photo
I snapped along my walk the other day,
I realize how grateful I am
to have such a place of beauty
so close by
to be able to walk by
every day I can.
There is so much beauty…
so much to be grateful for…
if only we open our eyes
and look with our hearts.
Do you see the possibilities?
Do you wonder about the mystery
that is just a few steps further
along the path
and around the bend?
Open your eyes
and look with your heart.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Red Autumn Leaf on Rusty Spring – Mars, PA
Spring or Fall?
The things you find on an Autumn walk
that resonate with your thoughts….
Like the old rusty box spring
that has been sitting for years
against a pile of well seasoned cut and split firewood
on a path I pass frequently on my walk.
It sits there as if its purpose
is purely to create artistic beauty
A paradox…
a contradiction.
Just like a crazy 74 degree November day
in the little town of Mars, PA.
Is it “Spring” or is it Fall?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Roasted Butternut Squash….
Fresh Baby Spinach…
Spicy Pepperoni…
Cheese, Cheese, and just a little more Cheese….
O. M. G!
This might seriously be the most delicious thing I have ever made…
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna.
(Either that or I was just totally craving butternut squash…. which I was… but still…)
When I saw one of my blogging buddies, Jenna at The Painted Apron, share this recipe a few days ago, I could not resist making it that same evening!
I may have added a bit more cheese (because… well…. just because…) and Jodi’d it up a teensy bit, but Jenna totally gets the credit for sharing this amazingness!!!
This is one of those recipes where you kinda moan in delight after each bite. (Well – at least I did!) Hubby absolutely loved it too. A LOT!
And when I shared some with my son, Nick – he called it “ridiculous!”
I think this might just be my absolute favorite lasagna recipe ever, and I can’t wait to make it again and share for company or a potluck or party.
Okay – I think I’ve told you enough how much I loved this. Now – please – go make it – and tell me it isn’t so!
Ingredients:
Parmesan Cream Sauce
Directions:
Place cubed butternut squash on a baking stone/sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, ginger, and minced garlic. Roast at 425 degrees F for 20 mins.
Place chopped pepperoni slices on a paper towel or napkin lined plate and microwave on high for 20 seconds to render the fat.
Prepare sauce by combining butter, milk and wine (or water) in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Briskly whisk in flour until incorporated and thickened. Stir in 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano.
Spread about 1/4 sauce on the bottom of 9×9 square baking dish. Place two lasagna sheets side by side on top of sauce. Layer half of the roasted butternut squash on top, followed by half of the fresh spinach, half of ricotta, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and half of the pepperoni. Top with another 1/4 of sauce and repeat layers.
Top with remaining 2 sheets of lasagna and spread with remaining sauce. Add sliced mozarella cheese and a few reserved pieces of pepperoni. Finally top with 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano.
Bake in 350 degree F oven uncovered for 30 minutes, or until hot and browned and bubbly. Let set for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
One day last week
I got to fly
in a small plane
that took me
8,000 feet in the air
above the clouds.
Though it is beautiful
to see the world below,
it is magical to float in
the cottony wonderland
and imagine the mystery
in the masterpiece above.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Looking up
past the bare
tangled
web
that tries to
block our view…
Looking beyond
what is
closest
and darkest
and right before
our line of sight…
Is beauty
and brightness
and color
and possibilities
and hopefulness
and mystery.
Look up…
Look beyond…
See the beauty.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Weeping Willow Tree, Conneaut Lake, October 2016
When the physical things of this world
blur and fade through the lens of our eyes,
A different kind of vision
grows stronger and clearer…
The ability to see the weeping
in the leaves of the willow tree,
The arms that extend and embrace
in its branches,
The foundation that centers and steadies
in its strong, solid trunk.
The weeping willow
is crystal clear
in our heart
and soul
and mind.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Things that are Classic…
a short list…
Red sports cars, Red Woolrich flannel, Red lipstick
Converse tennis shoes, Peep toe pumps, Timberland Boots
Ray ban sunglasses, Blue blazers, Black dresses
Levi’s jeans, Heather grey hoodies, crisp white cotton shirts
Cashmere, Herringbone, Houndstooth
Diamonds, Pearls, Mood rings
Chanel, Armani, Dior
Aerosmith, Beatles, Elton John
Chocolate chip cookies, Apple pie, Birthday cake
Champagne, Martinis, Cabernet Sauvignon
Monet, Picasso, Van Gough
Kindness, Honor, Grace
Smiles, Hugs, I love you’s
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
It is such a great time of year to slow cook meals in the crockpot. And if you love the sweet and spicy flair of many Asian chicken dishes, you are going to love this fast and easy way to make a real crowd pleaser.
It seriously goes together in under 10 minutes, makes your house smell wonderful all day, and creates a dinner that tastes like you slaved.
Serve it with your favorite rice or noodle. My son even liked it shredded up on a bun as a sandwich as it is so tender and juicy and falls apart that easy. Serve with a salad, and you know it – you have another….
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
I made this for the last dinner before my son moved out this weekend and sent the leftovers with him. He can enjoy it again in his new home.
Here is the recipe the way I made it. Feel free to adjust hot sauces and seasonings to your taste.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Tools of the Trade – Sauerkraut Stompers – Krautfest 2016
It may be a different color…
a different size…
a different shape.
It may be old…
It may be new.
It may be made of a different material…
or put together in a different way.
But it still does the job…
it still has purpose.
Tools of the trade
can be as diverse and unique
as the people who use them.
Why, though, is it so easy to accept and embrace different “things,”
but difficult, for so many, to accept and embrace “different” people?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
sun dial and hydrangeas, conneaut lake, pa, october 2016
Time…
Can fly or crawl,
is free yet priceless,
is forever or an instant,
can be treasured or wasted.
Can be measured by clocks or by moments,
can be traveled in dreams or books,
can be stopped by a kiss or a look or a touch,
can be managed, but never recovered.
We all have the same
seconds in a minute,
minutes in an hour,
hours in a day.
But none of us know
how many days
or hours or seconds
we will have.
Cherish the moments
not measured by clocks
or sundials or calendars
or schedules.
Cherish the moments well spent
with people you love,
or with yourself,
doing the things you love.
Cherish all the moments…
every single moment…
at life…
in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 