Lasagna Roll-Ups

It seems that my last few posts have either been about daily life or recipes.  Today it's a recipe.  Will be back to posting more personal blogs soon.  

I have entertained at home quite a bit the past couple of weeks.  I love the fact that my apartment re-decorating (Design on a Dime) is finished; it just feels so much cozier and is perfect for having friends over!  I've used my visitors as guinea pigs for new recipes.  Being single and living alone are not a good combination for recipe experimentation on a regular basis.  This is compounded by the fact that I'm not a huge fan of leftovers.  But, I LOVE to cook, so have enjoyed having a reason to do so.

This weekend a friend posted a recipe for lasagna rolls on her Facebook.  They looked delicious in the picture.  I changed the recipe up a little to fit my preferences.  They were easy, very good and were a hit with my guests.  The individual rolls made presentation much nicer than a piece of lasagna.

The recipe lends itself to creativity.  You could add ricotta, Italian sausage, homemade pasta sauce, etc.

ADY's LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

Carry On!

Tonight before bed, I was reading the poetry of one of my favorites, Robert Service. I am currently in the process and planning of a couple of major ventures that seem impossible. I know that God is a God of the impossible and not just the difficult, but when I think about the particular projects I'm currently involved in, I know I can't do them in my own strength. Because of this, doubt creeps in as my faith waivers.

The following poem really hit home. If you find yourself, or have ever found yourself, wanting to give up because the path you're on seems difficult, perhaps even impossible, be encouraged today by
the words of another...

Design on a Dime

At the beginning of the summer I began tackling a couple of remodeling projects.  In May I started with my balcony-  Man, I Feel Like a Woman.  My living room was next on the redecorating list.  You might remember my post in June with pictures of my mom and me repainting a chest "mermaid green" to go with the new look- Summer Break Has Begun.  It's taken me a little longer than anticipated, but I am finally finished with my summer project!  

I had originally purchased vintage travel posters from the 1920's as a focal point and theme, hoping to go with an art deco feel.  This proved much harder than I imagined.  Apparently, art deco has not recycled through the area in which I live.  Travel is my favorite thing on earth, and I knew I wanted to weave it in somehow, but ended up not using the travel posters.  I had to start from square one, but this ended up giving me many more options.

A couple of my friends have a great eye and were willing to help me finish up decorating, so this week we hit the stores and got it done.  I'm really pleased with the purchases we decided on.  I was able to keep a travel theme, tie in my love of birds and the whimsical and use the color palette I wanted to.  I used several things I already had.

Shout out to the "Design on a Dime" decorating team: Mother, Daddy, Karena and Karen.  I wouldn't be near as pleased with the result without any of them!  And, they didn't argue when I picked my St. Francis of Assisi figurine as my MUST KEEP item. :)

Below are the before and after pictures.  You'll notice that I changed out several pieces of furniture.  I loved the look of my old decor, but I was ready to personalize and brighten things up a little more.  Besides, I'm the kind of person that needs change every few years.  Note: The before pictures were taken during the day on my digital camera.  The after pictures were taken at night on my cell phone.  You'll probably notice, not only a difference in picture quality, but lighting as well.  I kept the wall colors the same, so even though they appear darker in the after picture, they are the exact shade as they are in the before pictures; the room is very bright.  You can click on any picture for a larger view.




DRUM ROLL, PLEASE...............

In Season: Blueberries

It's the time of year that I can't eat enough blueberries.  I love blueberries anytime, but right now they are in season and are light enough to go well with this hot weather.

A friend generously gave me several pints of fresh blueberries last week, so I pulled out a favorite recipe and made a batch of muffins to share.  This recipe yields approximately 36 muffins and produces the most moist blueberry muffins I've ever eaten.  Try them for yourself; you won't be disappointed!

Ann’s Awesome Blueberry Muffins

Life Calling

On Sunday mornings I lead a small-group Bible study with my friend, Karena.  In conjunction with our group, this summer I am participating in Priscilla Shirer's Bible study, Gideon, with the women's ministry at my church.  The theme of this powerfully written study is, "Your weakness. God's strength."  If you are looking for a good Bible study to do, this is it!

Last Wednesday night the presenter had us chart out the following: our weaknesses; our calling/God's purpose for our lives; what we need from God; and our goals (as they relate).  This didn't present too much difficulty for me.  I strongly feel that God is currently in the process of aligning things in my life for big changes in the near future.  I can visibly see how He has me training for plans He whispered to me years ago.  Because of this, these four categories are regularly in the forefront of my thinking.

This week I had to jump ahead a lesson, because Karena and I were given the opportunity to present last night's session to the group .  As we met to combine our ideas and make a plan, I started feeling myself being challenged by the chart I made last week.  

On Pain, Joy and Sorrow

In approximately 48 hours my parents will board a plane headed for Monrovia, Liberia (West Africa).  Although, every minute of every day holds its own uncertainty, four years of absolute uncertainty seems like a pretty big pill to swallow.