Pasta-Free Parmesan Chicken & Spaghetti

I made up a recipe, and after a few tries, I figured out how to get it the way I like. Yay for me! It is yummy, so I'll share it with you. Yay for you!

Pasta-Free Parmesan Chicken & Spaghetti

First, cut a spaghetti squash in half and place one half in a glass pan (cut side down) in about 1/2 inch of water. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. (Save the other half to cook later with something else.)

While it's baking for the first few minutes, put a little oil in another glass dish.  Take 2 chicken breasts, dip them in lightly beaten egg white, and sprinkle parmesan cheese over them to coat. Turn the chicken over and sprinkle the other side with parmesan cheese. Then take about half of a ham steak, cut into strips, and dip & sprinkle them as well.  Dice a few cloves of garlic and half a red onion and a small sweet pepper, and spread these around on top. Cover with a lid and bake at 350 (while your squash finishes).  After 30 min, top the chicken dish with pasta sauce (I use a sweet vidalia onion flavor) and bake for 10 more minutes.

Scoop out your spaghetti squash and put it on a plate. Top with some more pasta sauce and put the parmesan chicken on top of that. Serve with fresh bread and fruit.

Enjoy.

General Conference

I love the first weekend of October because it means it's time for General Conference. I savored listening to prophets and apostles remind us of what is most important in life. I appreciated the Spirit I felt listening to the Tabernacle Choir sing some of my favorite hymns. And I enjoyed the time spent with friends as we listened to the good word of God. Now, I look forward to Thursday, when all the messages will be available in print on the Church's website, and I can read them to my heart's content.

What a blessing to have living prophets and prophetic counsel to guide our lives!

Letters

I love receiving letters.

On Friday, I had a jackpot mail day. Two letters from two nieces! It was wonderful. They drew me pictures, which now hang on my fridge. And they sent me lots of love in their letters. Those kinds of days make me happy I'm an aunt, happy to get the mail, and just overall happy.

I love sending letters, too.

Today, my SIL called to tell me that my other niece was really excited about the letter I sent her. She was so happy she blew me kisses halfway across the country to say thank you. It was fun to hear how a little time spent writing some thoughts and love down on paper could make someone's day!

So, when you're having a lonely day or feeling in need of some encouragement, write a letter and make someone feel special, loved, and cared for.

Service, Part III

It doesn't have to be a big thing.

Just a little thing will do.

Like tonight,

When my friend agreed

To pick me up from home

And drive me to the church

Five minutes away

Because there was nowhere

(And I mean NOWHERE!)

In that neighborhood to park.

(At least not legally.)

A small thing?

Yes.

An unimportant one?

No way.

Thanks, my friend.

You made a difference tonight.

Service, Part II

In a departure from the normal Labor Day activities of lounging around the house doing absolutely nothing or going shopping for things I don't need (but are on sale!), I joined up with the group affectionately known as the CRDub Service Club (aka my ward, coordinated by its service committee) to head to Vermont and help people whose homes had been flooded during Hurricane/Tropical Storm (but still disastrous) Irene.

There were about 25 of us. That was awesome. They really weren't sure what to do with all of us (in part because we did not all come with rubber boots, shovels, gloves, and a willingness to get covered in mud, as instructed). One entire street of about 25 homes was completely devastated, with craters where backyards used to be, mud in practically every basement (and everywhere else), and in some cases, no basement at all, because the foundation was completely washed away.

I helped where I could, and the bulk of the real work I did involved scraping wallpaper off a home that had been flooded and needed to be completely gutted before being put back together. I thought of that Primary song, "When we're helping, we're happy..." and felt glad I could do something useful to assist, even if it was humid and hot and the latex gloves (because I forgot my useful ones) made my hands sweat more than the entire rest of my body while I was working.  As a matter of fact, I didn't even mind all that, because I have a home and food storage and a car that runs and a place to sleep tonight and a job and the Gospel, and there is basically nothing wrong with my life. So I was just glad I could make a difference in the lives of the few people we helped, and hoped there were 400 other people as willing as I was who would come along after and keep helping, since I had to come home and go back to work tomorrow.

Seeing the devastation made me want to quit my job and become a humanitarian aid organizer, someone who could come in after a disaster and rally the troops and organize communications and collect donations and provide food and restore order and peace in the lives of people who had just lost everything.

Makes everything else I do seem sort of mundane.

Service Is Awesome

This begins what will hopefully be a two (or more) part series.

Part One.

As you may have figured out by now, I spend the first Saturday of nearly every month in the temple. No matter how hard it is to get out of bed (and it has been a little tricky lately), I am always ALWAYS glad I got myself up and moving when I go to the temple. Yesterday was no exception. It was a very busy day, but I was able to help three women who were coming to the temple for the first time. Let me tell you, Heavenly Father poured out His Spirit upon those women. I love being the vehicle through which the Spirit can work. It is a life-changing and profound experience. Every time I serve, I feel how much He loves the people I am serving, and I feel how much He loves me. That happened two more times that afternoon, as I gave of myself to others.  Then I met briefly with a few teenagers who were coming to be sealed as part of an eternal family. I think it's awesome when little kids have that privilege; it is even more awesome when older kids come! These teens were just wonderful people. And they came worthy and ready to make their family an eternal family. I played an infinitesimally small part in that process, but it still had the power to change my life. Working in the temple brings such great joy into my heart!

There is good in this world. I love being a part of it.

Evening Accomplishments

It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you come home at five o'clock... instead of six-thirty, or seven-fifteen, or later. I talked to a sister-in-law for an hour, visited a friend, talked to a different friend, sorted and distributed farmshare veggies, went to Trader Joe's (after nixing Chipotle for dinner), visited yet another friend, ate dinner, watched an episode of my favorite TV show, and checked my email - all before bedtime. Amazing. Happy. I loved it.

I guess that's what happens when you're willing to start your day before 9 am.

This is Good

This merits a mid-week post... two fabulous things happened today.

First. My most amazing project manager is on vacation. (We all miss you, by the way, just in case you read this blog and want to know...) Knowing what I would be missing while said vacation was elapsing, one of my other colleagues voluntarily filled in where there was a hole. It was much needed, and I was grateful.

Here's to awesome friends!

Second. It wasn't the most relaxing day I've ever had. But in my determination to choose to be happy, I decided to call my SIL after work to find something about which to smile. We had a lovely conversation and by the end of it all, I had managed to let the stress of the day roll off my shoulders. Reading her children's blog posts sealed the deal. The evening has been officially pleasing and humorous.

Here's to wonderful family!

See, I told you you would like it. :-)

On Friendship

My friends are those

Who stand 'longside

Who cheer me on

And act as guide

They comfort when

My heart is sad

Remind of joy

And make me glad

A shoulder give

To cry upon

Then pick me up

Help me move on

My cherished friends

In them I see

Divinest love

God's gift to me

I served in the temple again today. It was wonderful. So many happy things take place there, and I love the feeling present there when I'm serving with my closest friends. After our shift, my temple buddy and I went out for dinner. We had a lovely conversation, and when it was through, I felt uplifted and blessed and happy and strengthened, and my heart was light. It was a blessing from a loving God, and it brought me great joy.

Delight

I open the door and smell the potent fragrance of fresh basil leaves. The scent fills my house and leaves me content, more relaxed, wanting Italian food.  Thanks to the generosity of a friend who is going out of town tomorrow, I will enjoy her share of just-picked garden vegetables and herbs this weekend.

When my toast (no time for an Italian snack tonight) is done, I spread homemade freezer jam on top and savor every sweet strawberry bite. It is tremendously good, and a wonderful gift in exchange for a small act of service.

The weather is perfection this evening - it's a stay-up-all-night-and-go-for-a-walk type of night, beautiful and cool, clear skies and penetrating stars - and it makes me grateful to be alive.

Living Life Deliberately

One should make time each day

to enjoy the blessings of the world in which she lives. 

So tonight

I chased a sunset

and watched the sky turn

from soft pink to vivid red

and then to muted shades of orange

from my favorite place in Belmont.

Then my five-year-old niece called

and we talked for an hour.

(I kid you not.

It was a pretty substantive conversation

for one her age, too!)

It was a wonderful way

to spend a Sabbath evening.

Happy Summer!

Want to read another boring post about the weather? :-)

It was over 90 degrees today, with approximately 85% humidity. There were two choices: stay inside and do nothing (but it would be hot) or go outside and do something (but it would be hotter). We chose the latter. After touring Paul Revere's house, a print shop, and an Italian restaurant in the North End of Boston, I was extraordinarily glad that I live in a day when air conditioning is part of the deal. Can you imagine being out in the heat and having to wear an ankle length dress (and/or long sleeves and abundant petticoats)? Ew. They had installed A/C in all the places we visited today, and we were most grateful for the advanced technology we experienced as we looked at old historic stuff.

The best choice of the day, it turned out, was to go to the temple for a bunch of hours. Its temperature is very well regulated, and it was a good experience. It's the most beautiful place in Boston.

I Stand All Amazed

I thought today during Sunday School as we discussed the Crucifixion of our Savior about the timing of that event.

It was Passover time; a sacred and holy holiday to commemorate the night when the destroying angel came to Egypt to slay the firstborn of all man and beast, but passed over the homes of those who had sought deliverance - from death and from the bondage of Egypt - through the blood of a lamb. The Passover ceremony is replete with symbolism that points to the Lamb of God:

Like the paschal lamb, He was the Firstborn of the Father.

Like the paschal lamb, He was without blemish, and in His death, not a bone was broken.

Through the sacrifice of the blood of the Lamb, we are saved alive and delivered from bondage.

He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. 

He stood among them that fateful morning in silent majesty. He could have called down angels from heaven to fight for Him, He could have saved Himself from such terrible agony - but He did not. He suffered, bled and died so that I (and you) could be freed from sin and suffering.  He endured the mockery, the pain, the anguish, the Atonement and the Crucifixion so He could succor me - run to me and comfort me - in my own pain and suffering.

And then - O glorious day! - He was resurrected, breaking the bonds of death, that all men might live again!

In a day when pain is so prevalent, and suffering so universal; in a day when we need a Savior more than ever, He stands ready to save, lift, comfort and succor; He will change and purify our hearts so that we become like Him.  Come, and see.

I Heart Chipotle

Whoever invented Chipotle should get a prize. Here's why.

1. Yummy food that I don't have to prepare.
2. Cute families (with cuter kids) eat out there on Friday nights.
3. It's an awesome location for spontaneous dinner outings.
4. We nearly always run into someone else we know (thus expanding our spontaneous dinner outing group).
5. Big water cups.

After a long short week and a stress rating of 8 for the day, I left our spontaneous dinner outing feeling much better than when I walked in.

The end.

Simple Things

I was walking to the kitchen tonight for a glass of water when the Spirit took that quiet moment to teach me something I need to know.

I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

I am grateful for the quiet moments, and for the sometimes less-than-quiet moments leading up to them that put us into a position where we can hear the voice of the Lord speaking in our minds and inviting us to repent.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love [charity], which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.