Pizza Pasta

Tonight I'm making Pizza Pasta for dinner, and I am so excited to eat! Since this has been a family favorite for a long time on my mom's side, and it also happens to be the first meal I ever made for Allen, I thought I'd share the recipe.

1 box pasta, I used whole wheat rotini but penne is also really good
1 jar of pasta sauce
2 lbs ground beef (we're feeding four adults and two kids, 1lb is probably enough for a family of four)
1 bell pepper
1 onion
1/4 cup of red wine (optional)
about a 1/2 cup of mozzarella, shredded
pepperoni


I began by cooking the ground beef and then adding the onion and bell pepper slices to the pan. I used 83% lean mean, so the little bit of fat in it was enough to saute' the veggies in. This is also where I would add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. But I didn't use wine because, sadly, we don't have any.

So, while I have the meat cooking, I also have the noodles boiling. I really try to multi-task. More on that later.

I use this particular sauce a lot because A. It's tasty but mostly
so my mom can sing, "Life is a Cabernet!!!"
I'm not sure you need the backstory, just know that we sing a lot.

Strain the noodles, then combine the meat-veggie mixture. Now turn the heat on low and mix in the sauce.

Now, and do not skip this, taste test. Because all the cooking shows will teach you to never serve something you haven't tasted.... Or maybe it's that us moms know that the main perk of cooking dinner is getting to sample. 

Then I threw the pepperoni in the skillet I used for the meat and veggies to heat them up a bit.

After everything is incorporated, cover the pasta with a layer of mozzarella, then top with pepperoni. I then put a lid on it and let it sit over low heat until the cheese got all melty and perfect.

Serve with a salad and dinners DONE!

Enjoy and let me know how it turns out-

Lindarella

Wedding Excitement and a Pretty Dress!

I love weddings.

Just wanted to get that out there. I could sit and watch "say yes to the dress" everyday. I get so excited every time someone invites me to a wedding. Well.. One of my dearest friends on the planet is getting married in May and I am bursting at the seams. I've been pinning ideas for her on Pinterest and planning our way to Phoenix for the last two months.

Weddings make me so happy because they take me back to my wedding day. I would venture to say that not much was perfect or what, I, as a little girl imagined my wedding day to be. The building was ugly and the room adorned with flags from many different countries around the room sort of set off my soft pink and lilies thing. My dress was perfect. Our cake was great. All the things we had control over were nice. But the thing I remember most from that day is the smile plastered on my face! I literally could not stop smiling. Once the nerves were gone and I saw the grooms face from the end of the aisle, I could have been in a dingy back alley and wouldn't have cared.

We can spend a lot of time trying to master the "big day." We can spend even more money trying to make and mold it into our childhood fantasy. The thing is, I just wanted to be married. I was ready to start my life with my husband. I knew that one day wasn't worth waiting another 365. And I do not regret that choice. Weddings are about the marriage. And in some ways I think the way that day turns out resembles the relationship's ups and downs. Like how we are always happy together, but sometimes the things outside our control throw us off a little. Maybe it's not always glamorous, but we can see past that because our love is more than picture perfect moments. Our crazy families overcomplicate things a little, but when the two of us stand together, nothing else matters. And God is at the center of it. He was then, and I know he always will be.

On Thursday we stood and renewed our Vows. Our church gave every married couple the opportunity to do so this past week. I was so happy I cried as I got to look into his eyes and tell him all over again that I am so much happier with him than I would have been trying to live without him. He was and is my choice for the rest of my life. The stability he brings to my scattered and flip-floppy approach to life have made everyday a little more worth while. I am so in love.

And so, naturally, when my friend told me the color she had chosen for her bridal party, I immediately found THE dress! Because anyone's wedding is worth dressing up for. After all, I'm celebrating her having that moment and in some ways reliving mine. A girl's gotta look good. So check out this dress. I haven't ordered it yet, but I will soon, with her "okay."

Coral Dress

ugh. I wish the website would let me post the pic, but it's cute. I'm obsesssssssed!

hope you all have a lovely day,
lindarella

Mama Time: Guilt and Overcompensation

I really don't know if I'm the only one, but with both of my boys I didn't feel a strong infatuation with every little thing they did until after the first year. Call it exhaustion, maybe. Or perhaps breastfeeding just requires so much time that when I'm done, I want to spend time on other things for a while. Maybe I just click better with toddlers than babies. Probably a mix of all of the above. Recently I have come to a new level of complete adoration for my youngest. The curiosity and adventure, the new words and the adorable way he walks around with his diaper shuffling along. I'm obsessed! But I realized something about it today.

When the little one was on the way, I began to feel extremely guilty that I knew little Ira just wouldn't be getting as much of me as before. I made up in my mind that I was going to do my best not to forget him, not to treat him as less than important than the new baby. I would find a way to make time for him. After all, I want to have more kids and I wanted him, as the big brother, to love them all. Not resent them.

In the process, I think maybe I've expected too much from Asher. Wanting him to be independent because Ira needs me. Or hoping that he would learn certain things faster than Ira did because now he had an example to keep up with. I realize that's not fair to him. He deserves the same time and opportunity to become his own person on his own schedule. So instead of overcompensating with Ira by trying to treat Asher as his equal, I've decided to love and embrace them each at their own level. And the past few days, since making this discovery, I've noticed they both seem happier. Yes, Ira is dealing with some jealousy issues. That's pretty normal. But I sincerely hope that I can find a balance and continue to give him time and attention that he needs, and also the chance to grow in his independence.

Mamas never stop learning and adjusting. Don't be too hard on yourself. If you're thinking about your choices everyday and working toward improvement, then you're doing great. We are showing the example of accepting failures and continuing to work on things. That's a good foundation for anyone, if you ask me.

Lindarella