Snowy Pine Tree Way, Mars, PA – December, 2016
Just be…
whatever it is
you were meant to be.
Just be.
During this time of year, so many of us push ourselves beyond what any human is capable of doing.
Others suffer with stinging depression because their life is not like the “Hallmark” Christmas card or movie.
Remember to just be…
It’s okay…
It is actually more than okay!
It is what you are meant to be.
Let it go – let it be – and just be.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
The Weary World Rejoices
There are always bright, beautiful spots
if only you open your eyes
and believe in the magic.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS – See! Told ya! yep – another Christmas song running through my head!
The golden morning sunlight
on the frosty fallen oak leaf
sparkles more beautifully
than any diamond I’ve ever seen.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
The wind has picked up a determined strength.
And the cheerful orange leaves are all but lost.
The hours of daylight have grown shorter in length.
The morning’s dew has turned into frost.
Autumn’s time is growing near her blissful end,
And winter is waiting for her turn to shine.
Snowflakes and icicles will soon impend.
and warm crackling fires under woolen fleece blankets will be so divine.
One season’s sad retreat
makes room for the next’s joyful beginning.
Goodbye Autumn – it’s so bittersweet
as we prepare to welcome winter’s first inning.
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
If you are a soup lover like me – especially this time of year when the temperatures turn cooler and the days grow shorter – you are going to love this hearty, rich, and flavorful meal in a bowl.
If you love the taste of stuffed peppers, but not the fuss, you are going to be in heaven.
Stuffed Pepper Soup is one of my all-time faves. You can make it on the stove top or throw it in the crock pot to simmer all day. Your house is going to smell like Grandma’s kitchen, and your belly is going jump for joy!
Here is my easy, yummy recipe.
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a large dutch oven, brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for approximately one hour until peppers are tender and flavors have had the chance to blend. Serve piping hot, and enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
While my furry son was busy playing pumpkin bowling in the front lawn the other day when I was at the office, my chicken-lovin‘* son (who is amazingly turning into quite the cook!) kindly prepared a scrumptious dinner for hubby and me to enjoy when we came home.
What a treat!
And ooohhh how I am going to miss this guy when he moves out soon…
Who doesn’t love a yummy macaroni and cheese recipe on a cool Autumn or winter day? And buffalo chicken… well – I can eat that any which way. But – mixed with mac ‘n cheese!! WOWZA! Holy Swooning Wowza!
This would be such a yummy dish to give to someone (you know when you want to help out when a family member or friend has a baby, a loved one is mourning, a new neighbor moves in across the street, a friend has surgery…) or take to a potluck event, because it is one of those recipes that keeps well and gets even better the next day or two as leftovers when the flavors fully meld.
This is a keeper friends! Hope you’ll give it a try, because it is another Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Add chicken, broth, buffalo sauce and seasonings to crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Shred fully cooked chicken with fork and return to crockpot. Add UNCOOKED pasta. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked.
Make cheese sauce separately by melting butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Slowly pour in milk while continuing to whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer for 4-5 minutes until sauce thickens enough to stick to a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted and smooth.
Add cheese sauce to crockpot, and stir to combine. Enjoy!
OPTIONAL: If you like, top it right before serving with a sprinkle of freshly crumbed bleu cheese to kick it up about 10 notches!!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
*Nick found and slightly adapted this recipe from Jennifer @ Slow Cooker Gourmet
*For more yummy Winning Chicken Dinners, just type “Chicken” into the search box at the top right corner of the blog or click here.
The Old Porch Swing
The Seasons you have endured…
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall.
The Generations you have supported…
Great-Grandparents, Grandparents, Parents, Children, Grandchildren.
The Conversations you have held…
Politics, religion, love and hope and promise, arguments unresolved and resolved.
The Moments you have cherished…
First kisses, proposals, joys and heartbreaks, celebrations and sorrows, announcements and secrets.
Memories of a family.
Memories of an old porch swing.
Harmony.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Your outstretched branches reach far and wide
as you bear the harsh, cold winds
and weight of frozen snow.
You wait,
and you withstand the torture.
Then,
when the breezes become gentle again
and the sun shines bright and warm,
you peek out
with little buds
that become leaves
and bear fruit and flowers.
You provide beauty and nourishment and shelter.
And when you can take no more,
you let go.
You drop your leaves,
and you welcome the chill.
And the cycle of seasons starts over again.
Sometimes in the cold and slush,
the starkness and the blustery winds of Winter…
I dream of the warmth and beauty,
the colors and the gentle breezes of Spring.
After a few long, cold, busy wintry days, it was nice to relax and loosen up and dream of blue and purple irises that will bloom in Spring…
and splash paint on paper
bringing them to life
with glimmers of hope
and the promise of renewal.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 