Valentine's Day

Building Healthy Marriage Habits

February 4, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

When we first get married, we’re convinced that our marriage is infallible and we’ll live happily ever after. Sometime after that, however, reality sets in, and we understand that we’re bound for life to this other person – who is drastically different from us, maybe in ways we didn’t even know. How do we build a healthy marriage out of two such different personalities?

Kathi Lipp believes that she and her husband Roger have the answers. Their new book,These projects vary. Some focus on the husband, some on the wife. Some take additional time, resources, and planning, while some are quite simple to complete. The idea behind all of them, though, is that our spouse and our marriage is worth our time and attention. That be recognizing our differences and our strengths AND by investing in them we can build a strong and happy marriage.

Some of the projects build off of others. Most stand alone, but all exist for the goal of creating one from two.

In all honesty, most of these projects are ideas I’ve read elsewhere, and many of them we/I already do. They’re not outlandish, which is why I like them: they’re simple and solid and doable.

So if you’re looking for a way to bless your spouse this Valentine’s Day, pick up a copy of I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Pizza Casserole – and a Valentine’s Twist

August 1, 2014 by Amy

I used to cook for a 4-H camp, and spaghetti was something that was a regular part of the menu – only the kids didn’t like it. It’s hard to make spaghetti for 150 with only two burners and not have worm-like noodles, so instead I used rotini and baked it with cheese and pepperoni on top.

The kids loved it.

Mine do, too. I’ve made it a bit healthier and added some meaty options for my husband, but the basics are still the same. Hearty and easy to make, this recipe makes everybody happy. That’s my favorite kind of meal.

Even better: you can make this ahead and fridge to pop into the oven at the last minute, or even double up and freeze a second one for another time. I love recipes that don’t require stove-standing at the last minute.

Here’s how to make your own pizza casserole:

Ingredients:

1 13.5 oz. box of whole wheat rotini
1 large can of spaghetti or tomato sauce
2 small cans of diced tomatoes
1/2 onion, diced small
1/2 green bell pepper, diced small
1 c. cooked sausage or ground beef
1/2 lb. of meatballs, precooked and ready to go
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 package pepperoni
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. oregano

To pull this dish together, just:

Cook your pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta cooks, chop the veggies and set aside.
Drain pasta into a colander.
To the pasta pot, add the chopped veggies. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add cooked sausage. Stir for another 2-3 minutes over medium heat and add tomatoes and sauce and the seasonings.
When well combined, add the pasta to the pot. Stir.
Pour into a 9″ X 13″ baking dish. Add meatballs throughout and top with shredded cheese and pepperoni.
Bake at 350 for 20 – 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy – and don’t fight over the pepperoni!

Looking at those spicy pepperoni, I decided that this would make a good Valentine’s dinner (since it’s all red and white), so I made another one. I just had to play with it a bit, though ….

I think the kids will get a kick out of it.

So I popped it into the freezer and will remove it next Tuesday morning to thaw. After hanging out in the fridge all day, it will bake according to the regular directions, and dinner will be done.

What’s your favorite way to serve pasta?

Field Work Friday – Valentine’s Day

July 18, 2014 by Amy

This week we kicked back for a Valentine’s party. One of the other moms, a SAHM homeschooling mom who used to teach kindergarten, planned the party a did a fantastic job.

She decorated with balloons and crepe paper, and the kids LOVED it!

My Little Man had fun running with ‘the big boys,’ and this little one, too.

Writing is not exactly his favorite activity yet, but he enjoyed making valentine mail boxes out of paper plates when he could hang out with the other boys while doing so.

Stair steps!

When the balloon chasing got too noisy while some finished their mailboxes, everyone grabbed a book from a stack and read Valentine’s stories.

Then we moved back to the table for some learning fun. First they tried to see how many candy hearts they could build into a tower in only 30 seconds, which is actually quite difficult!

Then they made patterns with their hearts before devouring them and delivering their valentines.

Each family brought a treat to share, and My Little Man was happy to sample everyone’s sweets. He happily told his big sister that he had “goodies” at his party!

(We took these cake balls to share. Definitely an experience to make, and one that My Big Helper is already looking forward to making with me.)

In the midst of the balloon happiness and sugar rushes, our party planner also read 1 Corinthians to the kids and talked about graphing the things that love is and what it isn’t. Then she read Froggy’s First Kiss and the kids played “Pin the Lips on Froggy.” Too cute!

We had a blast at our Valentine’s celebration, and My Little Man keeps looking over and over his first ever valentine cards.

How did you celebrate Valentine’s?