Archives for October 2013

Hospitality for Kids Continued…

October 29, 2013 · by Janelle · 3 Comments

{Writing children guest’s names on the sidewalk leading to the door is, like, the “coolest” way to make them feel special without costing any money}

“Kids, do you know how special you are? Do you know how much Jesus loves you? Do you know that I love having you here in our home and spending time with you?”

Anytime there is a child in our home, it’s a blessing…that parent is handing over the “umbrella” of trust to me- I can’t think of a greater honor than to care for another person’s child.

We had a little “get together” with some girls to celebrate how much they are loved by God. My daughter also has a servant’s heart…she’s helping set the table.

This was a very inexpensive dinner with minimal decorations. It doesn’t have to be Pinterest perfect to make a little one feel special…or anyone, for that matter. Those chargers were from my Christmas bin and we used plastic plates and plastic cutlery from “Deals”.

We don’t have cable, but we do have an awesome thing called an apple TV. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve use the “You Tube” feature for music! Britt Nicole has about an hour’s worth of songs on there. We jammed to “You’re worth more than gold”.

I also play this song in the car with my son and explain to him that girls/women are so valuable and he is to treat them better than gold 🙂

I purchased $1 princess crowns at the dollar store for them…

…and had every mom right down on their little girl’s place card what they are good at doing and a special prayer for them. Each girl read it out loud. Again, they are worth more than gold…

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” ~ 1 Thess 5:11

Sundae time!

Mmmm….

Such a cutie pie.

There doesn’t have to be a special occasion…just special people. Opening your home to children will give them lasting memories. They cherish these kinds of things more than us grown- ups do 😉 Love those kiddos!

Filed Under: Kiddos, Uncategorized ·

A Vegetarian Soup that Will Chase Away the Chill…Kale/Lentil/Tofu Soup

October 26, 2013 · by Janelle · 1 Comment

Hi Ladies, I have a special guest today sharing a recipe that will be sure to warm you up on these chilly fall days….Mmmmm….

By Tricia Drevets

As soon as the leaves turn and the days start to get a little shorter, I think about making soup. There’s something so comforting about coming home to the smell of soup on the stove — or a crockpot as the case may be.

I serve soup as an entree about once a week in the colder months. I have experimented with many soup recipes over the years– sometimes with success, sometimes not – but I can tell you that the kids’ favorites seem to revolve around what they call “Mom’s Soups.” Here’s one our favorites:

Kale/Lentil/Tofu Soup

My eldest daughter decided to become a vegetarian when she was 16, so I have become adept at substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth or leaving out the meat and adding tofu to certain recipes. Usually those changes leave the meat-lovers in the family cold, but this is one vegetarian recipe I morphed from a chicken soup recipe that we all really like. In fact, my meat loving boys usually get seconds. It’s really healthy too, so you can’t beat it! If you have yet to discover kale as a soup ingredient, hopefully this recipe will introduce you to it. Kale’s taste and texture is a wonderful addition to many soups and stews.

The soup we like tends to be hearty and filling, but we like to make enough for more than one meal. We suggest investing in a large soup pot like the Belgique ones found here. After that, all you’ll have to do is re-heat the soup, and add bread and a salad to complete the meal. Happy Cooking!

Tricia Drevets is a freelance writer, a community college instructor and the mom of six. She enjoys acting, gardening and keeping up with whatever her kids, who range in age from sixth-grader to college graduate — are up to. She lives with her family in beautiful Southern Oregon.

Thank you, Tricia for sharing with us today! So many readers ask me for vegetarian recipes- this one sounds amazing! Not only that…it’s “Comfy” 🙂

Tip: Tofu is often sold in big blocks. If you are short on time, grab a tofu knife like this one from Tmart that will help you cube your tofu in minutes

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Filed Under: Comfy In My Jeans, Food Allergy Friendly, Soups ·

Hospitality to Children

October 22, 2013 · by Janelle · 8 Comments

God’s little Princesses…

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

-Matthew 19:14

Can you even envision how excited children were to see Jesus? I can only imagine that their encounter with Him stayed in their memory banks the rest of their lives…

There isn’t a typical day that goes by I don’t have an extra child in my home. I remember after we had our third child, people would ask if we were going to have a fourth-my response was, ” I think I’ll just borrow, there are always people willing to lend a child”.

Fun with our neighbors!

A break from the Summer heat!

In all seriousness, my heart longs to be with children. Not as a career, but as a personal ministry. Being a part of someone’s childhood is an honor and a blessing. I love hearing their conversations, making them cookies, playing games with them, tucking them in next to my own children at night and praying with them…. I could go on and on. I just love children. My home feels very empty if there aren’t pitter patters and laughter of little ones.

After I took this photo I was asked: Ms. Nelle, why do you always have us kids over at your house? My answer,” Because I like kids, I used to be one you know”

I remember what it was like to be a child. I also remember the adults, other than my parents, who offered to be a part of my life. Their time and effort was voluntarily woven into my life song…not because they had to be there, but because they wanted to be there.

Aunt Patti and Uncle Roger made a special effort to shower me with love and attention. Oh, those memories are priceless. They made me feel so loved, accepted, and safe. We’d go to Chuck e Cheese, play Old Maid and Yatzee on the living room floor. Aunt Patti would even let me make brownies …all by myself. Uncle Roger would let me paint mini masterpieces in his hobby garage, we’d go swimming, eat jell-o with fruit in it, sled ride down their driveway, and climb trees. I could tell they loved being with me…I wasn’t an inconvenience. I wasn’t a niece they had to babysit. They loved me and I knew it. They even let me sleep “in the middle” when I would spend the night.

When children feel love, it’s a big deal. I can’t think of a better way for children to gain confidence and be able to love others than for them to receive love first. I think the reason I love children so much now is because I remember being loved and how much it meant to me.

As I got older, my grandparents took on the huge responsibility of taking in my mom and I. My parents divorced and both were emotionally drained. My Grandma Ruth was a safe haven for me. If I was with her, I felt like everything was going to be okay. Her home was always immaculate, she did the “warsh” like nobody’s business, and her cooking…well you know all about that. Having order in a very chaotic time in my life gave me a sense of security. I am indebted.

As I approached my senior year of High School, my mom remarried a wonderful man who had such a welcoming family. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for Jeff at 40, who was never married nor had any children, to take on a woman and her 17-year-old daughter. But, he did. He did not serve as a replacement for my dad and made sure to let me know that he wasn’t my dad. But, he would take on “Step-dad” as seriously as he could. He, in turn, would introduce me as his daughter. My life became as normal as a child who went through a divorce could be because of him. Now, he is my children’s “Stampa”…but he introduces them as his grandchildren. His love and playfulness with my children are a gift.

What about you? How do you extend love and hospitality to the little ones in your life? Were there any special grown-ups that helped shape who you are other than your parents?

And some extra shots…lol, I’m the one behind the camera 😉

Our backyard and pond have given so many kiddos great memories.

Oh, how I love cooking with them- they are so fascinated and so willing to learn.

Playing games!

Making crafts in the garage…

Going out to the ballgame…

I can only pray that I have made the children in my life feel loved, accepted, and pointed toward Jesus. That’s what it’s all about!

Filed Under: Devotionals, Uncategorized ·

The “Comfy” Meal Plan -Week 5

October 18, 2013 · by Janelle · 8 Comments

Hi Ladies!

Thanks for joining me for another week of “Comfy” meal planning…here is your menu for the week. I pray that you , your family, and friends will enjoy sweet memories around the table together. You are such a blessing to those around you.

Click below for your FREE PDF !

Comfy week 5

Filed Under: Meal Planning 101, Uncategorized ·

A Catered Event

October 11, 2013 · by Janelle · 2 Comments

Does the phrase “party planning” get you anxious?

So many times we over -analyze planning gatherings. It truly can cause us to loose the joy of the purpose of the main event.

Our minds can get into a frenzy, can’t they?!

We feel it takes tons of people, time, and it has to be “just so”.

Not true.

I wanted to show you a little gathering (vow renewal) I catered that took literally took 2 days to plan…yes, two days. The only communication was: “I’ll take care of the food-check” , a family member offered “I’ll provide the place-check”, and another family member said “I’ll decorate- check”…

Here’s how it turned out 🙂

I prepped the food the night before…dicing, cutting, making the dips but not baking, etc. Here’s my van loaded up.

I used throw-away containers for quick clean up. I get mine inexpensively at GFS…. love that the trays come with lids.

Love that fake silverware 🙂

The decorations were beautiful…she used table clothes, vases and flowers that she had on hand. They truly looked naturally stunning.

I made a fruit tray with fruit dip.

Pigs in a planket for the kiddos (but adults love em too).

Hot ham and cheese sliders with poppyseed dressing.

*If you want to save time for a casual outdoor party, you can have the main sandwiches catered. Subway , makes a delicious subway club that is a hit with adults and children alike! Fill in your spread with homemade appetizers and you’re done!

Buffalo Chicken Dip ( I will be sharing this recipe shortly).

A veggie tray with spinach dip…

My dear friend Melissa and I…she and her hubby were re-newing their vows that evening.What an honor it was to serve them on this special occasion.

It may look fancy…but it’s just “Comfy”!

Filed Under: Cooking For A Crowd, Uncategorized ·

Nutella Bread Sticks {Oh, yes I did…}

October 7, 2013 · by Janelle · 16 Comments

Nutella Bread Sticks: Piping hot pizza dough covered with melted Nutella, chocolate chips, and mixed nut topping then cut into rectangular slices. Best dessert under the sun.

When the girls and I were at the villa for the Women Living Well Conference, we splurged and ordered their famous “Nutella Pizza”. Being together was a dream come true in itself, but eating this insanely amazing dessert made our night even sweeter. The girls asked me to guess what was in this heavenly dessert, so I did and promised to try to create it at home.

This recipe is honestly just as good as the pizza we had at the villas. I made my recipe into sticks because I used a loaf of Rhodes bread dough that I had on hand- but you are more welcome to use any pizza dough and shape it into a pie instead.

Thank you for the inspiration Gervasi Villas!

*They do serve this GF at this restaurant – for a GF option at home use Udi’s Pizza Crust!

Set out 1 loaf of Rhodes frozen bread dough (they also have pizza dough), spray the top with Pam and cover with plastic wrap. Let thaw and rise about 5 hours.

Place on a floured surface and cover with flour. Roll out like so…

Make little indents in the dough (this will prevent it from puffing up).

In case you ever wonder how I get my cooking and baking done “alone” (hehe)…here is a little window into my world, lol. I do a lot of cropping when I take recipe photos.

But, honestly- they are the best part.

That little guy of mine is going to be a chef one day-he is very into helping me in the kitchen. The girls are just trying to steal chocolate chips- hehehehe!!!! Ohhh, how I love each one of them.

Spread Nutella topping over top. Then, sprinkle with milk and white chocolate chips. Bake in a 375 oven for 25-30 mins.

Garnish with some nut topping.

Mmmmmm….

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Filed Under: Dessert, Food Allergy Friendly, Kiddos, Uncategorized ·

The “Comfy” Meal Plan-Week 4

October 4, 2013 · by Janelle · 6 Comments

Happy Friday Ladies! I hope you all had a wonderful week of “Comfy” cooking! Here is your 4th week -wow, has it been a month?! Great job everyone! How has it been going? Please keep me posted.

Just an FYI, I added a tab above called ” The Comfy Meal Plan” for your convenience.

*A comfy tip for mom’s with babies…I used to make dinner during my children’s nap time. I would simply make it, cover and refrigerate. When it was time for my husband to come home, I would warm everything up and serve. It helped me to not be so frazzled in the evenings and clean up was done!

*Click below for your FREE PDF

The Comfy Meal Plan Week 4

Filed Under: Meal Planning 101 ·

Creamy Cheese and Pepper Fettuccine

October 1, 2013 · by Janelle · 7 Comments

This is such a simple recipe for a great reward. The sweet peppers balance deliciously with the savory garlic and cheese sauce. It looks fancy….but alas, it’s just “Comfy”.

My Aunt Kelly gave this to me at my bridal shower nearly 12 years ago and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s a wonderful meal to serve for company …just add add a dinner salad and garlic bread. Mmmmm…

So, to my vegetarian friends-keep this one pinned. For my GF friends, use rice noodles 😉

Got to love those family recipes!

If you can’t find Mascarpone cheese, you can use cream cheese as a substitute. The recipe says 1/2 cup, but I just threw in the entire container- I didn’t have any use for the remains and I lika the cheese 🙂

In a medium bowl, combine your Mascarpone and Parmesan …mix well.

Sauté your sliced peppers in a medium pan in olive oil for about 5 mins. Add garlic and sauté an additional 2 mins.

Boil your fettucini by package directions. When noodles are done, pour into strainer and reserve 1/2 cup of starchy water for the sauce. This will serve as a natural thickening agent.