Full Tummies Tuesday - Quick & Easy Lasagna Roll-Ups

Here is our fun and simple twist on traditional lasagna! A great way to WOW your family or dinner guests... but without a lot of effort! It's not your ma's lasagna!

You'll need these:

Once your noodles are cooked, spread your prepared cheese mixture on each noodle. You could also add some meat to your cheese mixture if you wish!

Please take note of the tin foil so that your pasta doesn't stick to the counter! You could also use parchment paper here!

Next, roll them up and place them seam-down in a dish of pasta sauce!

Top them with more pasta sauce.

COVER (Don't miss this step!) and bake!

Top with mozzarella e voilà!!

So quick, so easy, so impressive! Mangiare!

QUICK & EASY

LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

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INGREDIENTS

¼ C milk 1 C ricotta ¼ C feta ¼ C parmesan (shredded)

¼ C mozzarella (shredded) ⅛ tsp pepper Pasta sauce 8 lasagna noodles

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DIRECTIONS Mix cheeses, milk, & pepper all together in a bowl. Cook lasagna noodles. Spread cheese mixture on each noodle. Roll up each noodle jelly roll style. Spread 1 cup of pasta sauce on bottom of pan. Arrange rolls seam side down. Top with remaining sauce. Cover with foil! Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese and basil or oregano. *You can easily add your favorite cooked meat to the cheese mixture or sauce if you prefer.

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  EAT & ENJOY!

Full Tummies Tuesday - Rainbow Pizza

When you have toddlers it's always a challenge to find new and exciting things to eat. My toddler is definitely not a "picky eater", but he does love his favorite foods. So it's easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to dinner time! 

This pizza is a super fun way to encourage kids to eat their vegetables. It won't take a whole lot of convincing to get them to try out a rainbow pizza, and the cauliflower crust is so yummy and delicious they wont even guess it's made from vegetables!

The key to ANY cauliflower crust is to squeeze ALL the water out of the cauliflower before making the crust. It doesn't seem like it's wet, but once you bake it any moisture left in the cauliflower will just give you a mushy mess. At that point you're basically eating casserole so don't skip this important step!

The best way to squeeze all the water out is using a cheesecloth. Make the pureed up cauliflower into a big ball and squeeze ever last drop of water out using a cheesecloth. Wait until the cauliflower is cooled so that it's not too hot to squeeze! You can also use a thin dishtowel, but it's not ideal.

Anyone knows that the best way to get a toddler to do something, is to make them think it was their idea. So when I try out new recipes I like to get my toddler involved in the process somehow. Maybe he helps to cut something, mix something, or to help measure ingredients. Letting them help you in the kitchen helps them to take ownership for a meal. They will be proud to eat something that they helped create. Especially something that turns out so beautiful!

Here's the how-to:

RAINBOW PIZZA

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INGREDIENTS

1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese ¼ cup mozzarella cheese 1 egg ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon basil ½ teaspoon oregano

1 cup marinara or pizza sauce 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese 1 cup diced bell peppers (yellow, orange, red, green) ½ cup broccoli florets ½ cup diced red onion ¼ cup canned corn ½ cup tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes cut in half)

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DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the stems from the cauliflower and cut into chunks, Pulse cauliflower (uncooked) in a food processor until it looks like rice. Microwave the processed cauliflower uncovered in a microwave safe bowl for approximately 4-5 minutes on high. Remove it from the microwave and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. You want it cool enough to squeeze in your hands. After the cauliflower is cooled, use a cheesecloth to squeeze all the liquid out of it. REALLY SQUEEZE IT! Seriously, don't skip this step you will regret it! Combine the cooked cauliflower, egg, garlic, cheese, and seasonings. Stir until a dough texture forms. Spread the cauliflower mixture out onto lightly greased parchment paper or a pizza pan in the shape of a pizza crust. Bake the crust for approximately 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven), or until the crust is golden and crispy around the edges. After the crust is golden remove it from the oven and top with pizza sauce and cheese. THEN put the veggies on top of the cheese and sauce. Place the pizza back in the oven and bake for another 12-15 minutes.

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  EAT & ENJOY!

Bright Lights (thoughts on Philippians 2:14-15)

We are doing a study on Philippians at our church right now, and I've been very convicted by this verse, especially when it comes to parenting.

Last night, when my youngest woke up for about the 4th or 5th time, I caught myself grumbling away! And I have good reason! I had just had a full day out with my two toddlers, I'm pregnant with our third, utterly exhausted, and to top it off I have a cold! A lot of good reasons to complain, right? Well, I'm sure we all have our lists of legitimate complaints!

Yet, God is asking more from His followers! He is asking us to do EVERYTHING without complaining. Philippians 2:14-15 says, "[14] Do everything without complaining and arguing, [15] so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people." How can I be a bright light for Jesus in this world if I am complaining all the time? 

So last night, as I caught myself grumbling my way to my daughter's room to nurse her back to sleep yet again, this verse popped into my head. So instead, I said a little prayer. I prayed that God would change my mindset to one that is instead THANKFUL for this little life that He has entrusted me with. THANKFUL that I can be here in the night to comfort my daughter, just like God is always there for me, with everlasting, unchanging, unconditional love.

FULL TUMMIES TUESDAY: NO BAKE, LOW-CARB CHOCOLATE GANASHE CHEESECAKE

It's a late night post, but we made it in time (at least in my time zone)! Another great Full Tummies Tuesday recipe, No bake, low-carb chocolate ganashe CHEESECAKE!

Is your mouth watering? I know mine is! 

Here's the recipe:

NO BAKE, LOW-CARB

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CHEESECAKE

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INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST 1 ¾ cups almond flour 2 tsp brown sugar ⅛ tsp salt FOR THE CHEESECAKE 2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese 2 cups heavy whipping cream FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE 2 oz. dark chocolate (chopped) 1 oz. semisweet chocolate (chopped) 3 Tbsp heavy cream

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted ½ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ cup sugar 2 tsp vanilla ½ tsp vanilla Pinch of salt

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DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray springform pan with baking spray. Make crust:  In a small bowl, stir together almond flour, brown sugar, and salt. Pour in melted butter and mix thoroughly. Press evenly across bottom of pan with your fingers. Bake crust for 10-12 minutes Place chopped chocolates in a bowl. Heat heavy cream to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop, then immediately remove from heat and add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Pour over chocolate and let sit 30 seconds, then stir constantly until chocolate is melted. If your chocolate doesn’t melt completely, it’s okay, just pop it in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between until smooth Pour ganache evenly over baked crust and spread all the way to the edges. Make the cheesecake: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the vanilla until smooth, 1-2 minutes. add the whipping cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat on high until blended. Pour cheesecake filling over crust, spreading evenly with spatula. Place cake in refrigerator and chill until set. Unmold just before serving. I have found that freezing just before unmolding makes a huge difference.

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  EAT & ENJOY!

Pushing Past the Pain of Infertility

It's been 17 years and I still face moments where the pain is as fierce as the very first moment I felt it. Grief. This grief is not the loss of one's life, rather, the loss of any chance at giving life to one. Infertility; that very personal, dreaded, and dream-crushing word that no woman wants to hear. It's an emotional journey that is completely indescribable. A roller coaster ride that starts its treacherous climb with denial, anger, sadness, and confusion, then peaks with hope, faith, perseverance, and strength, only to dip back down into denial, anger, sadness, and confusion.

I look at my life now and see the blessings of having gone through such pain. The amazing transformation of who I was then into the person I am now. The reality of my seemingly unbearable circumstance that I thought impossible to endure shed light to the intense strength God gave me to continue on, encompassed by my insatiable need for His.

I never lost hope of my life long desire to have a child, although, I came pretty close. Getting up and pushing through the pain with persistence every step of the way was anything but easy. Infertility tried to undo me but I would not be undone. At long last, my husband and I found ourselves in the middle of a whirlwind adoption. God's little miracle, our little blessing, was the perfect gift at the perfect time. Suddenly, it felt like those 11 years in waiting was just a blink of an eye.

Today, I look into the deep blue eyes of my daughter and feel incredibly thankful. Thankful for the opportunity to be called "mommy". Thankful that even though not an ounce of blood that runs through her veins is mine, God still intentionally created and purposed her to be my very own little  girl forever. Thankful that when I'm having one of those painful moments of grief all I have to do is look at her sweet smile and joy washes over me. Resilient joy.

There's beautiful peace in knowing I'm living my life by Design, not by default. And it truly is as it should be.

Michelle Clevenger

Full Tummies Tuesday - Mexican Casserole

Tuesday is quickly becoming one of my favourite days to look forward to! Hurray for Full Tummies Tuesday!! Today we have here my family's favourite recipe hands down, the Mexican Casserole! It's Mexican food, in an easy casserole. It doesn't get much better than that does it?

Please let us know if you make it, and how much you love it! (Because I guarantee you will!) Here's the how-to! (Full recipe below)

In a large bowl combine cooked ground beef, onion, celery, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, beans, corn, tomato soup, ketchup, mustard, salt & pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix together.

To layer casserole, place two tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13” dish, covering the entire surface. Top with about 2 cups of meat mixture. Repeat two more times.

Finish with remaining meat sauce on top. Sprinkle cheese over contents of casserole.

Place lid or tin foil over top of the casserole dish, and cook covered for 1h at 350°F.

Remove cover and cook another 15 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

Enjoy!!

MEXICAN CASSEROLE

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INGREDIENTS

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef 1 onion (chopped) 1 ½ C celery (finely chopped) 4 tsp chili powder 1 ½ Tbsp worcestershire sauce Ketchup (to taste) Mustard (to taste

Salt & Pepper (to taste) 1 - 2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans 1 (14 oz) can cream corn 1 (10 oz) can tomato soup 6 large soft tortillas ½ C grated cheddar cheese

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DIRECTIONS In a large bowl combine cooked ground beef, onion, celery, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, beans, corn, tomato soup, ketchup, mustard, salt & pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix together. To layer casserole, place two tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13” dish, covering the entire surface. Top with about 2 cups of meat mixture. Repeat two more times. Finish with remaining meat sauce on top. Sprinkle cheese over contents of casserole. Place lid or tin foil over top of the casserole dish, and cook covered for 1h at 350°F. Remove cover and cook another 15 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

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  EAT & ENJOY!