Love is kind...

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgive you. -Ephesians 4:32Last week we talked about being patient, this week we talk about kindness. One way to describe kindness comes from the Love Dare " If patience is how love reacts in order to minimize a negative circumstance, kindness is how love acts to maximize a positive circumstance."

Willingness, helpfulness, initiative, and gentleness are four main ingredients to kindness. Trying to be cautious of how you treat your spouse, being helpful in ways such as doing housework, being willing to do that housework, and taking the first step instead of waiting to be prompted are a few examples of these ingredients.

Whether you have been married 1 month or 50 years, you did not marry your spouse with the intent to become harsh and lose that motivation to demonstrate the love you feel. Right? I have said before that love is a choice. Love is not necessarily based on how you feel. Love is showing kindness even when your spouse may not be. Love IS kindness.

Recipe of the Week

DEEP DISH PIZZA CASSEROLE

1 pound ground round
1 15oz. can chunky Italian-style tomato sauce
cooking spray
1 10 oz. can refrigerated pizza crust dough
6 1oz. slices part-skim mozzarella cheese --divided

Cook meat in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until brown. Add tomato sauce, and cook until heated. While meat cooks, oat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of dish. Line bottom of pizza crust with 3 slices of cheese. Top with meat mixture. Bake, uncovered at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Top with remaining 3 slices of cheese and bake 5 additional minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melts. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

NOTES: You can add spinach, red peppers, and/or mushrooms to this recipe as well.

Meal Swap Guide

Many of you know that I have put together a meal swap. This is an awesome way to try new recipes and enjoy some friend time. We have been doing this for about 6 months now. There are some months that we love every thing and there are some food that we aren't so fond of. You just have to be open to new ideas!

If any of you freezer cook you may want to try this. I personally found that taking an entire day to cook and have meals froze for the month was to much. This way I cook the SAME meal only time 6. The longest I have had to work on a meal swap was about 2 hours. It is not difficult at all!

Tips & Warnings

*Six members is a good number for the first round that you try this. Remember,each member needs to cook enough full meals for every other member.

*Choose a date for the actual meal exchange that is at least 4 weeks out to allow members to wait for the best price on their ingredients.

*Disposable trays are the best way to package your meal. Otherwise you may never get your casserole dish back. (Who has 6 casserole dishes, anyway?)

*On the day of the swap, it is helpful to bring a cooler to store your meals for the ride home.

*Consider hosting a recipe "preview": ask everyone to bring a snack-sized, ready to eat sample of their meal for a luncheon get together with the participants the day you exchange meals. (Our group has each member choose 3 recipes, then we all vote on what one we would like to try and that's the one they cook)

*People who have unique tastes or are "picky" may not be the best candidates for this idea. People who are open to trying new things will be more satisfied with a meal exchange.

Recipe Of The Week

This week's recipe is Banana Split Pie. This is a very simple recipe and dessert! It is low in fat/calories and no one will ever know that you are indulging on something that is actually good for you. I do not have a picture this week, because we gobbled every last bit of this up for dessert!

Banana Split Pie
A classic favorite that's completely guilt-free.

Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients

* 12 graham cracker squares
* 1 medium banana
* 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
* 1 small box low-calorie vanilla pudding (prepared per package instructions)
* 1 cup fat-free whipped cream

Instructions

1. Place crackers in bottom of pie plate
2. Layer remaining ingredients in order listed
3. Place in refrigerator until pudding sets

Love is Patient

I am sure many of you have heard of the Love Dare. What is it and how can it really help me? Well, I'm going to be posting at least once a week on what I have learned. I am going to put these dares in to practice in my own life.

Most of you know I have a hard time letting go. I am a guarded person and don't let many people in. I tend to not love or let myself be loved by many people. Instead I turn to anger or judgment. I pick at relationships until they fall apart.

I have been trying to lead more with my heart and choose to love rather then letting anger lead me. I have a responsibility to protect and guide my heart, not just protect it.

This week I'm working on Patience. This is something that I have very little of. I tend, to jump to conclusions and not think things through. The verse that I have been coming back to over the last few days has really spoke to me. It is short and to the point. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. " (Ephesians 4:2)

In the book I've been reading it says "Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. Rather then being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you." *Love Dare*

I know that nobody likes to be around an impatient person, you feel like you are always walking on pins and needles waiting to be judged. Being impatient is something that not only annoys others, but let me know you, it bothers that person too. I don't like to be impatient. Sometimes it blows up from out of nowhere. The majority of the time, I do blow up in anger mostly. I can tell you it is almost always regrettable.

Proverbs 14:29 "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly"

Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another"

The last thing that really has been poking at me in this first chapter was when it talked about can your husband know that cheering for the last of a sports game won't invite a loud-mouthed laundry list of ways he could be better spending his time! This was a HUGE stab at me! I am always telling Jeff, you could be doing this or that instead of wasting your time watching that stupid game. Then I turn and look at myself, would I rather be doing those things then shopping, or blogging??? I should not judge him for something when I do the exact same thing on a Tuesday night watching one of my shows.

Some of you may be wondering, why are you putting this out there? I'm telling everyone how impatient and angry I am, so I have others to hold me accountable. I am trying to be more patient, but I am human. I have faults I am not perfect by any means. I am however, not afraid to admit that either.

Now, I do have to tell you since my husband NEVER reads my blog, I think it is good for me to use this to get my progress out there. It's like I have a million (okay maybe 1 or 2) people out there that I am confiding in.

I want to leave you with one last verse:
James 1:19 - "Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger."

A HUGE thank you to my sources for this post. The Bible, The Love Dare

Holiday Challenge #1

I am participating in Hip2Save's holiday challenges. This week’s challenge focuses on preparing breakfast foods (i.e. breads, muffins, and pancakes) that can be placed in your freezer and used at a later time. I'm love to cook, but am not much of a baker, so this one was interested for me. I still was not 100% satisfied with how it turned out, but this kids LOVED it! :)

Collin did 3 different recipes. Now, we did not have to use her recipes however I did use the ones she found for the blueberry muffins and zucchini pumpkin bread. I will post all the recipes I used.

I made a mixture of blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, apple and blueberry muffins, 3 mini-loaves of pumpkin zucchini bread, and I also made 12 mini pizza kits to freeze for later. I made 6 whole wheat and 6 white.

I also had an adorable helper! She LOVED cooking!



The recipes are:

1. Zucchini Pumpkin Bread

2. Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

3. Apple Cinnamon Muffins


The next portion is some freezer cooking tips. I did get these all from Collin over at Hip2Save!

Need some tips on freezing bread, muffins and pancakes? Check out these tips and tricks below…

* Allow breads to cool completely before placing them in the freezer.

* Be sure to press out as much excess air from the bag.

* If you are planning to leave your bread in the freezer longer than a month or two, wrap the bread in heavy duty aluminum and then place it in a plastic bag (you can then leave the bread in the freezer for up to 4 months).

* When you are ready to use the bread, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw on the counter at room temperature (this usually takes about 3 hours).

* Stack pancakes between sheets of wax paper and slide them all into a plastic bag for freezing (consider using an old bread/bagel bag versus a new Ziploc bag). Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use them, take them directly from the freezer to a preheated oven and bake 2-3 minutes.

* Place trays of muffins in the freezer until firm and then transfer them to a Ziploc bag for freezing. Muffins can be stored in the freezer from 6 to 12 months. Muffin batter can be frozen right in the tins for up to 3 weeks for later baking.

* Consider flash freezing muffins (i.e. place individual muffins on a tray in the freezer, freeze them until they are firm and then store them in more space-efficient freezer bag).

* Always label bags with the date.

Walmart Trip

I still have to admit, I am NOT a fan of using coupons at Walmart. They are NOT very friendly about you using them, and they try to make up excuses why you can't! My total today should have been 53.00 I watched as the guy "scanned" all of the coupons then told me my total 51.00. HE only scanned 2 coupons!!!!!! So I politely pointed this out, and he called over the up front manager, and then 1/2 hour later they figured out and scanned all the coupons! My total was $33 and some cents!

Again, for those just learning to coupon make sure you are watching when the cashier "scans" them to make sure they are being scanned! Secondly, do not be afraid to speak up and let them know they are not scanning! I had over 17.00 in coupons and was not going to pay for that 17.00! Mostly because 3 of the items were things I wouldn't normally buy however I had a coupon for a FREE one! (I'm a brand snob) Anyway, my trip ended up being a success!

ALSO, if you want a free movie rental from redbox tonight text TREAT to 727272. TODAY ONLY!