MY lasagna recipe

I actually made a recipe.  (It's not my style, so drop your jaw.). I'm a rule follower.  Sometimes I'll add a pinch of something or veggies, for your health sake, but I don't throw things together!  And technically, I didn't do that this time either...  But I'm still calling the recipe mine because I combined 2 recipes and then added things.   (Just go along with me...  Don't burst my bubble!)

MY Lasagna

A box of lasagna noodles 

2+ lb of ground beef. (I suggest using half beef, half pork)

1 chopped onion

3 T fresh minced garlic (or 3 cloves minced)

2 T fresh basil torn all up little

2 tsp oregano + 1 drop essential oil (divided)

2 T brown sugar

1 T salt

1 big (29 oz?) can & 1 normal (14 oz?) can of petite diced tomatoes

1 T anchovy paste

6 oz tomato paste

A bag of frozen spinach

Some fresh or canned mushrooms, diced finely so the kids don't notice

24 oz cottage cheese

2 beaten eggs

1 T pepper

2 T dried parsley

1 tsp salt

1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 lb shredded cheddar

A small bag (8 oz?) of finely shredded Italian 5 cheese blend

1.) in a large frying pan, sauté the onion, then throw in the ground beef and brown.  Drain.  Add in the garlic, and spices (minus the essential oil) and mix together.

2.)  clear an area of the pan and squeeze out the anchovy paste.  Let it melt while you open the tomato paste.  Mix the tomato paste with the anchovy paste and mix it with the beef mixture.  Stir in the diced tomatoes with juice (of course), and add the drop of oregano at this point and the spinach and mushrooms (no juices).  You could chop up a variety of other veggies including, but not limited to: broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, and squash!  Let this simmer for as long as you want.

2-1/2.) prepare the pasta

3.) Open the cottage cheese and stir in the beaten eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.  

4.) Combine the 2 lb of cheeses, but not the small bag of Italian cheeses.  

5.) Get out that pan that's bigger than 9x13 that your mom gave you since your family is so big.  Start layering:

-Noodles (in that big pan the noodles fit width-wise).

-cottage cheese mix

-shredded cheese mix (generously since this is your husband'so fav part)

-meat sauce

This is supposed to layer 3 times, but I only got 2.  The top layer gets the extra bag of Italian 5 cheese blend on top and some sprinklings of grated Parmesan cheese too if you want.

I threw mine in the convection preheated oven at 375 degrees and it was hot and ready in an hour.

I thought it'd take more like an hour and a half though.  

No pic this time.  It was too tasty to stop and take a picture.  I served mine along side cooked veggies (broccoli), because my children love their veggies on the side and hate it when I sneak them in (except the spinach and mushrooms).

It's the most wonderful time of the year

We bustle about with lots to do and little time...  One thing we try to purpose -as a family- is to not get distracted from the true meaning of Christmas and this beautiful season!

Danke newly joined the school band and is also a member of the high school choir.  On the first Thursday of December there was a wonderful concert put on.  Danke plays the violin and viola, but picked up the clarinet as her American musical instrument project.  Kinda like, she speaks German, English, and Russian, but is taking Spanish as a class in America...  Industrious much???

Boo had a sweet little Christmas concert last week on Thursday.  She was amazingly precious.  When singing silent night, every time they would cross the common line "mother and child", she would make eye contact with me, smile real big, and wink at me! 

The kids and I are trying new Christmas sweets recipes this year.  We found a fun "Christmas bark" recipe that was simple and tasty.  

We're planning on making truffles as treats this year.  When I looked for ideas and recipes, I found out that you can pretty much make a truffle in any flavor!  (Even bacon!)  so we all voted and narrowed it down to six.  I hope we don't accidentally eat them all.

I'm loving receiving Christmas cards from friends and family.  I appreciate being kept up to date.  Please be safe this season and don't forget the sacrifice God gave us on the very first Christmas so many years ago!  

Welcome to our family, little Turbo!

Here's the news in our family.  We are settled, we got a puppy (Mackintosh),

we're hosting a German foreign exchange student (Danke),

I was babysitting a little Sweet Pea three days a week until last week, and now we're expecting a new baby!

New Baby (Turbo), will make his -yes, I had my ultrasound today- appearance in May.  

My estimated date of delivery is May 2.  I think 5/10/15 would be a fun one...  But I'll take him whenever he decides is good.

The kids are doing alright in their new schools.  I'm not sure if I already updated the school situation.  Wolfe and Boo got into a great charter school that I'm digging.  It's full of great kids and teachers!  Binkles and Jones are attending the local public school.  It's subpar, but they have caring and super teachers and we've been impressed with the amount of love poured out on our kiddos.  

Starboy and Buttercup are better than coexisting at home together each day.  In fact, they've become good friends!  It's sweet.  

My darling sister arrived for a brief visit last Friday and traveled down-state to visit others on Tuesday am.  She was darling enough to let her one-year-old son tag along!!!  It was over joyful to see and spend time with the two of them!  It's a big bummer the big mister in their family couldn't come, but he has big exams to study for!!!!

Beyond all this jibber jabber, I'd like to extend a warm holiday greeting to you and your family.  I hope this finds you happy, healthy, and hopeful for our Savior's return...

Fun in the sun

June was spent moving in!  Lots of hard and seemed to be endless hard work.  It still seems like their is no end to the work, but it's getting to be not as hard.  Kinda like exercise.

We are starting to enjoy the summer this month!  We had 2 weeks of VBS.  2 kids went to both weeks, but binkles and jones were graciously invited to attend kids camp for one of the weeks.  They had a great time and survived very well without their parents.  It was a different experience, especially for jones. 

If I were labeling this summer, it would be the summer of salvation.  The four kids between age 4-9 began to understand the gift of salvation this summer!  

We've gone swimming twice and got the hot tub set up this afternoon.  My kids are starting to get up and by get dressed, they take that as "get your swimsuit on". Especially buttercup.  She doesn't even have to be told.  She just knows that the fun clothes to replace Jammie's with are swimsuits.  Plus she has a good handful of them, they are bright and fun, and they are easy for her to put on by herself!  

This month we also started our open house dinner parties.  It's fun to have friends.  It's also fun to eat together.  It's also super duper fun to own our house.  So we are joining all of those!!!  If you haven't come yet, we're excited for you!!!!!!!!

Home sweet home

We have painted, built fence, purchased big items, filled the house, planted flowers, filled the yard, ran into problems, pulled out a pond, de-flowered a garden, fixed lots of sprinkler problems, killed some weeds, and the end result: made a home!!!

It has been HARD WORK!!!  But, now I can finally say it was worth it.  We have a few straggling boxes that are having a hard time finding a home, but for the most part, we are home.  

The neighborhood has been better than expected.  The next door neighbors have been overly friendly and helpful.  The wildlife park -behind us- serves lunch for free every weekday!  I saved 50% on car registration by living in a different town!  The perks just keep adding up!!!!

There's a girl across the street who it jones and binkles age.  The park FILLS with kids at lunch time.  Wolfe got into the k-12 school I was praying for.  Things are looking good for us here.  Please continue to keep us in prayers as we haven't had the healthiest season this past month.  Thanks for all the help and support we've received.  Our friends and family are by far the best of the best!!!

closing day!!!!

a new chapter in our life:
we own a home!

we signed the papers today and by 5pm we should be moving some boxes over to the new home. 

what's next: 

1. we have to build a fence. 
2. since we have nearly a month to move, we will remove wall paper and paint this house up.
3. we need an over-the-range microwave.
4. we need a new dining table.  one that we all fit around. 
5. we need to weed the garden and personalize the landscaping!!!!!!!!!!!  i am SUPER excited about this to-do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. we need a lawn mower!  i mean, the cutting machine.  i have some laborers that can push the thing...
7. we want a new bbq grill, but it's not a necessity.

yikes.  that sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  i am super excited right now though, so i'm going to overlook the expenses that are glaring me in the face with that short list! 

in the future, we want to:

1. cover the back patio.
2. extend the shop and build a tree/playhouse on it. 

*sigh*  oh boy i am S.T.O.K.E.D.  thank you, Lord, for this blessing!!!

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

moving???

giminy cricket, it's been a long time since i updated you on the home search. 
that house that God was lining all up for us... the one that i dreamed about for many months...  it dropped through.  it must not have been God's will for us and i had guarded my heart enought that it wasn't shattered.  but i won't lie and say it didn't take a bruise or two because of it.  :( 
last month, we found a home.  this one isn't miraculous or anything... it just seems to be right and so we're moving forward.  i am trusting in God to protect us and provide us in a wonderful environment.  i hope that we are able to witness to those that He places around us.  we should be moved in by the end of the month.
please keep us in your prayers.  we have to build a fence around it and do a lot of painting. 
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31