Sausage-Filled Mancotti

1.  Meet your ingredients

  6 oz - Italian sausage

  1 box - Manicotti 

  1 jar - Your favorite sauce

  15 oz - Ricotta

  1 egg

  3 Tbsp - Fresh parsley or less dried parsley

  1 cup - Mozzarella cheese shredded

  1/3 cup - Parmesan cheese shredded

2.  Boil water for pasta and preheat oven to 350 degrees

3.  Add pasta and cook per directions on box, no salt please

4. Heat skillet w/ olive oil

5.  Add sausage to skillet 

6.  Brown sausage, then drain and set aside

7.  Check pasta

8.  Drain and set aside

9.  Mix all ingredient in bowl - use 1/2 of mozzarella

10.  Fill manicotti with cheese/sausage mixture  

TIP 1: Use a pastry bag for less mess

TIP2: This recipe makes a lot! I only baked what we wanted and I flash froze the rest to bake at a later date.

11. Top with sauce (I used about 1/4 to 1/2  jar for this amount) and remaining mozzarella

12.  Bake about 45 minutes until hot and melty. ENJOY!

Snowy

Taken with my cell phone camera this morning...

Mark dug out the driveway and I dug out the Envoy so I could make it to work this morning. 12.4 inches and piling...

Thankful

 I have been in prayer for a friend from high school, whose husband was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM IV) in 2006. I have been praying for them since I learned of his condition two years ago. In 2008, his brain tumor returned and continued growing after another surgery. He was put in a trial study and this past Monday his latest MRI showed growth of his brain tumor plus a new one. His doctors, at Northwestern, have given them 4-8 weeks. They have 3 young boys.

I have followed her blog for awhile and am just amazed by her faith. Her site is filled with scripture:

• Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. 2 Corinthians 1:9
  
• Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3
  
• I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
  
• I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18
• Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2
  
• I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30
  
• Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
  

and many others. She has an "endless gift list" where each day she lists small (or big) things she is thankful for. The list currently has over 2500 items. Examples range from being thankful for their small group to being thankful for a wheelchair that was delivered to being thankful for kleenex. 

I hope to never have to experience anything like this, but if I have to I hope that I can have just a bit of the grace and strength she has shown. For now, I am feeling overwhelmingly thankful for Mark and our good health. Situations like this make me feel like my complaints in life are pretty insignificant. Please join me in prayer for the Eloe family. 

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In happy news, a certain ray of sunshine turned ONE last week.

SCD Recipe: Chili

This is one of Mark's favorites. This has been adapted from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dried red kidney beans
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 lb ground beef
• 5 plum tomatoes, chopped

Soak the kidney beans in water for 10 to 14 hours -- the water level should be above the beans. During this time, rinse the beans and add fresh water if the water becomes too bubbly from the "gas" released from the beans.

After soaking, cook the beans by putting them in a pot of fresh water, bringing the water to a boil, and then simmering until they are soft and cooked through, 1 to 2 hours.

In a separate pot, heat the olive oil, and brown the garlic and onion for 2 to 4 minutes. Add the chili and cumin powders, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef and tomatoes and cook until done, approximately 20 minutes. Add the pre-cooked, drained kidney beans and mix until well blended.

NOTES: I cook a whole bag of dried red kidney beans and store the extra beans in the fridge so I can quickly make another pot of chili. Also, after the meat is browned and spices added I go ahead and add the tomatoes, beans, and some water and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until it's done. Remember, to be SCD-friendly don't use canned beans. :)

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeezing

Why is it necessary to leave the house on days like this? 

You see that negative sign, right?

Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Several people have asked lately what diet we are following to help with Mark's diagnosis of Crohn's Disease and what he can and cannot eat.

Here is the basic rule: "No food should be ingested that contains carbohydrates other than those found in fruits, honey, properly-prepared yogurt, and those vegetables and nuts listed." (Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Ch 9 p61) The rationale is that the intestine is injured and we need to heal it. SCD attempts to heal the intestine by first removing foods that feed harmful bacteria and can't be digested by the injured intestine. (An injured intestine can't break down specific types of carbs.) And then restores the balance of beneficial bacteria through homemade yogurt.

So, that's the very basic rule and it's probably already more than you wanted to know. ;) Here's the link that I seem to use on a daily basis. It's the Legal/Illegal food list.

We no longer have any food that comes in a box, bag, can, jar, or envelope. It's all about fresh, baby. Fresh veggies & fruits. Nothing processed! We buy bricks of hard cheeses and slice it or shred it ourselves. No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or sugar. I thought it was going to be much more difficult than it really is. My recipes have become less complicated. I'm learning a new way to cook and we are both more healthy for it.

One more thing about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It's not just for Crohn's Disease. It also helps with IBD, Celiac Disease, Autism, Cystic Fibrosis and more. Questions? Feel free to ask and I'll try to answer the best I can.

Be on the lookout for SCD friendly recipes. They're surprisingly delicious! There will be a new label on the right side of the blog to easily link to SCD recipes & other info.

SCD Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

We tried this new recipe tonight and it was a BIG hit. To quote Mark, "It was the best shepherd's pie I've ever had." I'd say that is a good review! This is from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 T olive oil, divided
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 10 green onions chopped (I used 4)
• 2 T lime juice (I used juice of 1 small lime -- didn't measure)
• 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 T butter (the real stuff, never margarine)
• 3/4 c grated cheddar cheese (brick, not processed)
• Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 325F. Spread 1/2 T of olive oil in pie dish.
In saute pan, heat remaining olive oil and saute ground beef. Add cumin, salt, and pepper and cook until beef is cooked through.
Add the green onions to beef mixture and stir. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the lime juice. Pour beef mixture into prepared pie dish.
While beef is cooking, steam the cauliflower florets until tender. Puree or blend the cauliflower with the butter until smooth. (I highly recommend using a food processor. I used a combination of blender & hand mixer = messy!)
Spread smooth cauliflower over beef mixture. Add the grated cheese on top and sprinkle on parsley.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

This would be a great recipe for anyone trying the South Beach Diet too. :)

SCD Recipe: Mom's Tomato Sauce

I made this sauce over the weekend so that Mark could enjoy it with my brother's stuffed cabbage on New Year's Day. (Thanks to Jason for making Mark's without the rice!) Then we used it again as the sauce for our Parmesan Chicken. It's tasty as is, but I'm sure could be adapted as long as NO SUGAR IS ADDED. :)

This is from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 12 plum (roma) tomatoes
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/2 c water
• 1 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 T fresh parsley (I used the flat leaf Italian variety)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Peel, core, and dice the tomatoes. (To peel, immerse them in boiling water and then dip them in cool water.)
In large saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic & onion until tenter. Add the tomatoes, water, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering uncovered for 45 minutes and stirring occasionally.
If you prefer the sauce smooth, allow to cool and then blend in food processor. Refrigerate leftover sauce or freeze until needed.

I will admit that the tomato process is a little work intensive. This is when I wish we could use canned. But...the sauce was worth the work! Next summer I would like to grow a TON of tomatoes and have a party to peel, core, dice, and can them. Or for someone to make me a huge batch of sauce and bring it over in freezer bags. ;)

Hello 2009

On New Year's Day, we realized that we had eaten 3 "traditional" meals in less than 24 hours! We began a NYE tradition when we lived in Freeport to eat a fancy crab leg dinner at home. Mark cooks the crab legs and then we devour them!


On New Year's morning, we eat a healthy (ahem) breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fried cabbage. I believe that I've been eating cabbage every new year since I started eating solid foods.

The third traditional meal was lunch. Since we've been back in Indy, we go over to Jason & Jenny's home on New Year's day and enjoy a big bowl of Jason's bean soup and a plate of stuffed cabbage. Both were quite tasty! No photos, sorry.

There's no better way to start the new year off than with a full belly! :)

Goodbye 2008

Here's a month by month account of the highlights during our 2008.

January: Our new niece, Rachelle, came into the world.
February: Mark gave me an unexpected gift!
March: Our nephew, Frankie, was in town for a visit.
April: Spring arrived and we visited the Indianapolis Zoo with our niece, Avery.
May: We celebrated birthdays with a family cookout at our home.
June: We enjoyed a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN and attended the US Diving Olympic Trials in Indy.
July: Sheba turned 4 and we hung beautiful new drapes in the living room. (Thanks Peeper!)
August: We went to our final adoption seminar, decided on the agency we wanted to work with, and began the process.
September: We finally took the vacation to Montana that we've talked about for years! Plus Mark caught his trophy size fish. :)
October: We sold the Acura Integra.
November: We voted in the 2008 Presidential election.
December: Mark completed the bathroom project, we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas, and we are officially "active" with our agency.

We wish you all a Happy New Year!
May the Lord bless you in 2009!

The Reason...

In Sunday School today we were talking about ways to keep Christ the focus of our family Christmas celebrations. One person was talking about his 20 year old daughter's boyfriend. He is invited to their home Christmas morning and they told him they will read the Christmas story from the Bible together. His reply? "Cool, I've never read the story before." I think we take for granted that everyone has read about Christ's birth.

Below is the passage from Luke that tells the story of Christ's birth. I hope you enjoy reading it, whether it is your first time or your one thousandth.

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Night Out

We attended our first party of the holiday season this week. Mark's work had a nice get together at Belle Vita at Geist. The appetizers were delicious!! Mark's co-workers are very friendly and it was really nice to finally meet them.

Here we are at home before the event:
I forgot that many of you haven't seen my "new" hair yet. New stylist = darker color + more layers.

Merry Christmas, friends!

The End is Here -- post by Mark

After working non-stop, day and night, for a mere 20 months, the bathroom renovation project is finally done. It seems like just yesterday that I started demolition. What started off as a nice little project soon blossomed into nearly a whole-house renovation. In addition to the bathroom itself I completed several other small projects along the way: wiring our master bedroom ceiling fan to the switch on the wall, installing a second ceiling light and a new wall switch in our upstairs hallway, installing a vent fan in our downstairs bathroom, insulating our attic crawl space, installing a new window which required taking down half of our vinyl siding, running a second HVAC duct to the upstairs, painting our pantry and installing new wire shelves, replacing the drain pipes for our downstairs bathtub and now I’m replacing two walls in the finished portion of our basement. Ah, the joys of owning an old house…

I’m really pleased with the way the bathroom turned out. I did everything you see (and everything you don’t see) in the photos of the bathroom including: framing, drywall, mud and tape, subfloor, tiling, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, wainscoting, trim, painting and installation of the cabinets, shower door, hardware and toilet. Out of everything, I vow never to tile a shower again. Everything else was easy compared to that.

Now, for my next project….perhaps our garage should be a little larger…

p.s. If you want to see photos of the original bathroom, check out this post: March 2007

Christmas Country Style

We had a great Thanksgiving holiday and we hope that you all did as well. For the first time, I made pies entirely from scratch. Even the crust! And I have to say that they turned out pretty yummy. Crust is not nearly as intimidating as I thought. How do you like my crust center? First person to name the shape wins bragging rights.

Mark took the opportunity to work some more on the basement project. Since this photo was taken he has also hung the insulation and is ready to drywall.

Saturday we picked out our Christmas tree and let it settle in to its new surroundings.
Then we decided we just could not be outdone by the Billmeier's. So, we headed to the Bruce barn and taught Sheba a few country dance moves...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Mark and Sheba are so exhausted from all the dancing they can barely stay awake to hang the lights on the tree!
Hopefully we can finish the lights and other decorations today!

Busy

What's been keeping us busy? Lots of projects around the house!

Remember that rain in June that flooded many homes in Indy and south? Well, we weren't flooded, but we did get enough water that requires some work in the basement. Mark has torn down the drywall on two walls, sealed the block foundation, and is now reframing for new drywall.
You may not know this, but we get a TON of leaves in our little yard. In order to fit them in the compost area, we have to mulch the leaves first.
We recently picked up the crib from my brother's house and Mark had it set up in 15 minutes!
Monday our fridge decided to die and we came home to a puddle on the floor. Everything had thawed (thankfully our beef is in an extra freezer in the basement) and spoiled and the fridge was not fixable. Let me tell you about H.H. Gregg...they price match! We found a great deal online at Costco and H.H. Gregg matched it PLUS delivered the next day.
Some of you have asked how to pray specifically for our adoption so I made a little list on the right. Feel free to pray for us as God leads you. We appreciate every single prayer!!

November

This month is National Adoption Month so I thought I would share a poem that was read to us in our home study class.

Trip to Australia

Deciding to have a baby is like planning a trip to Australia. You’ve heard it’s a wonderful place, you’ve read many guidebooks and feel certain you’re ready to go. Everyone you know has traveled there by plane. They say it can be a turbulent flight with occasional rough landings, but you can look forward to being pampered on the trip.

So you go to the airport and ask the ticket agent for a ticket to Australia. All around you, excited people are boarding planes for Australia. It seems there is no seat for you; you’ll have to wait for the next flight. Impatient, but anticipating a wonderful trip, you wait—and wait—and wait.

Flights to Australia continue to come and go. People say silly things like, “Relax. You’ll get on a flight soon.” Other people actually, get on a plane and then cancel their trip, to which you cry “It’s not fair!” After a long time the ticket agent tells you, “I’m sorry, we’re not going to be able to get you on a plane to Australia. Perhaps you should think about going by boat.”

“By BOAT,” you say. “Going by boat will take a very long time and it costs a great deal of money. I really had my heart set on going by plane.” So you go home and think about not going to Australia at all. You wonder if Australia will be as beautiful if you approach it by sea rather than air. But you have long dreamed of this wonderful place, and finally you decide to travel by boat. It is a long trip, many months over much rough seas. No one pampers you. You wonder if you will ever see Australia. Meanwhile, your friends have flown back and forth to Australia two or three times, marveling about each trip.

Then one glorious day, the boat docks in Australia. It is more exquisite than you ever imagined, and the beauty is magnified by your long days at sea. You have made many wonderful friends during your voyage, and you find yourself comparing stories with others who also traveled by sea rather than by air.

People continue to fly to Australia as often as they like, but you are able to travel only once, perhaps twice. Some say things like, “Oh, be glad you didn’t fly. My flight was horrible; traveling by sea is so easy.”

You will always wonder what it would have been like to fly to Australia. Still, you know God blessed you with a special appreciation of Australia, and the beauty of Australia is not in the way you get there, but in the place itself.

Nov 4th

Feeling like fall

It seems like we had a long summer and I hope I'm not too quick to say that fall has finally arrived. (I heard we may have temps in the mid-60's later this week.) Mark has cleared our yard of leaves once (into the compost pile) and looks like he'll need to do it a 2nd time pretty soon. And we have our bright yellow mums on the front steps. The biggest indicator? We've started pulling out sweaters!

In celebration of fall, I redecorated the blog and made a little layout of the newest Rachelle photo we got in the mail last week. How cute is she?!? (I left the strips of paper at the top blank so Ashli can journal whatever she wants.) I also made pumpkin bread. Yep, all in one night with time to spare to watch some football (if that's what you can call the Colts having a lead and then blowing it in the end).

Enjoy the scenery!

If Sheba Could Vote...

Quirky?

My longtime friend, Peeper, tagged me on her blog. So now I am to tell you 7 of my quirks. I'm not sure how quirky I am. You be the judge...

1. If I don't think about it, I have a tendency to speak fast. My brother used to interrupt me and say, "Can you say that again in English?" My mom used to run a camp for kids with asthma one week in the summer, Camp Superkids, and I was a counselor in high school. On the last day we had to showcase our "talents" and she had me speed read a poem. The kids thought it was hilarious.
2. Almost every morning after I get to work I sneeze 3x in a row. That's how I announce my presence and my co-workers chuckle every time. :)
3. I'm very competitive. I've mellowed in my "old" age and even let Mark win games sometimes. There may be one or two of you who remember a certain apple bobbing contest though...
4. I'm not a fan of shortened names. Ok, maybe it's just MY name I don't like shortened.
5. If I'm sitting on a couch, I have to have a blanket covering my lap. (Even in the summer.)
6. As a kid I went through a stage of wanting to be called Annie and would not answer to Stephanie, except to say: "I NOT STEPHANIE, I ANNIE!"
7. Anytime I leave the house I have a short conversation with Sheba. It's always the same, "Bye Sheba. Be a good girl. I love you and I'll be home very soon."
   

Maybe I do have a few quirks. The fun part is that I now get to tag other bloggers to tell us about their quirkiness. :) I tag:

1. Heather - view this activity as something to take your mind off of the Seattle weather
   
2. Stephanie - you can't pretend you missed this one
   
3. Lori - you might notice your name here, I'm not sure
   
4. Jen - maybe this will prompt you to blog ;)
   

Slideshow

I guess I never posted a link to all of our Montana vacation photos. Here's a breakdown of how we spent the trip:

• 1 night @ motel in Glacier National Park
• 3 days/2 nights backpacking in the back country of Glacier National Park
• 1 night @ hotel in Great Falls, MT (the best LaQuinta Inn ever!)
• 5 days/4 nights @ lodge in Paradise Valley, MT (day trips to Yellowstone National Park & fly fishing on the Yellowstone River)
• 1 night @ hotel in Butte, MT

Sold

Late Harvest

We didn't get to have the garden we really wanted this summer, but we did plant the three green bean plants that grew from seed in our little basement container. For about 3 weeks now we've been picking 5-6 beans twice a week to enjoy with our dinner. The funny thing was that the first night there was only ONE bean ready. I cooked it with our asparagus and yes, I cut it in half so we could each taste it! :)

These pole beans are much tastier than anything I'm finding at the grocery these days. Next year we plan to start earlier and plant more!

For Sale

Maybe one of you local readers are looking for a fuel efficient vehicle? If so, check out our listing on Craigslist: 1995 Acura Integra

And here's the car...

Backpacking & Fishing

Almost Done - blog entry by Mark

Day 497: The project is nearing the end. It seems like just yesterday--er, yesteryear, that I started this project. Since my last blog entry I've completed all the tile, painted the walls and ceiling, installed the vanities, installed the faucets, hooked up the water supply (yes, we have running water now), installed the light fixtures and sealed the grout. I'm especially happy with the way the shower tiling turned out. I'm also pleased that the 36" wide vanities fit exactly in the alcoves. It's almost as if an engineer designed this bathroom -- oh wait....

tile shower with decorative accent and built-in shelves
16" tile on diagonal

maple vanities with solid surface countertop

A True Fish Story

We have many pictures to show and a few fun stories to share about our trip to Montana, but I'll save most of those for another day. Tonight, I want to tell you about Mark's favorite day of the trip... and this is no fish tale. ;-)

We were very fortunate to make a new friend at the lodge (Querencia) we stayed at near Yellowstone. Barrs is from Florida and spends a few months each year in Montana fishing and hunting. He was quite a hoot and offered to take us "for a drift" down the Yellowstone River on his drift boat. The early morning was rainy and cold so Barrs wanted to hold off leaving in hopes the skies would clear. We took off about 10am with cloudy skies but no rain. Thankfully, the sun came out early on in our trip and it turned into a beautiful day! Mark has been fly fishing in Colorado a few times, but appreciates pointers from those more experienced. I would categorize Barrs as semi-pro even though he would scoff at such a title. He has been fly fishing all over the world, including Africa!! Anyway, he was a great instructor for Mark and was very patient and calm. He told us a few times that it doesn't matter if you are holding the rod or steering the boat, everyone wants to catch a fish and feels like they are a part of it when it happens. Mark started off really well. Within minutes he caught his first fish. It was a nice size, but a white fish. Apparently, those aren't keepers. After about the 5th white fish, Barrs told Mark he was breaking white fish records. HA! The scenery was beautiful and I was documenting the day as the official photographer. Suddenly, a large fish jumped up and bit the dry fly...he was hooked! We were all excited because we could clearly see this would be the catch of the day. This fish did not have any intention of being caught and Mark had no intention of letting him go. It would be a war of wills. Barrs gave great instructions to Mark on where to move the rod and when to give the fish slack, etc. I'm not sure how far he pulled us, but our boat headed downstream and crisscrossed Yellowstone River for what seemed like a mile. The fish finally tired out and we were able to drop anchor close to shore and Mark reeled him in. WOW! Mark and Barrs were both so excited about this BIG BROWN TROUT. Barrs even said he has been fishing this river for over 10 years and has never caught a brown trout this big. They worked together to quickly unhook him, pose for photos, measure him, and release him back to the river. Mark's brown trout measured in at 20 inches, which is considered a trophy size fish! This is a story Mark will be happy to retell for many years to come.





p.s. We continued drifting down the river and Mark caught a total of 11 fish.