Tortellini with Balsamic Brown Butter

Love & Olive Oil has this yummy looking recipe up - and of course it is a Giada recipe.


18 to 20 ounces fresh ravioli or tortellini
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.18 to 20 ounces fresh ravioli or tortellini
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

OMG EXCITED

MckMama is giving away a touch screen computer. I want it. I need it. Ok, maybe I don't need it. But I really really really want it. Does three reallys count as needing something? If it does don't tell my kids. You can enter here, but really - don't. Because I want it. And then you'd be competing against me. So don't click, don't tweet about it, and certainly don't blog about it. Thanks!

God does big stuff through little people

As I mentioned before, the Stuff Christians Like blog helped raise $30,000 in 18 hours back in November. That blew the end of the year deadline out of the water by a mile. Then Jon doubled what he was trying to raise. And guess what? God delivered. An additional $30,000 was raised before the deadline was even close. $60,000. Two schools. Hundreds of kids will get an education. Amazing.

Great Christmas music for free!

Last month I downloaded JJ Heller's Christmas album b/c I could get it for free. She's got a wonderful voice, the album is marked with lots of acoustic guitar & piano, and a meshing together of her own words and traditional carols. Anyway, you can get it at her site for free till the end of this month, and I suggest you do. It is a wonderful album.

From her site:

WAKE UP THE WORLD (2007) **FREE THROUGH 12/31/09**
This Christmas EP features a tasteful blend of JJ's voice, Dave Heller's acoustic guitar, piano by Ben Shive, and very light percussion.

Recorded, mixed and mastered in Nashville, TN during the summer of 2007.

Strawberry Brownie Bites

This is awesome looking, and really, who doesn't love strawberries & brownies?

1 box prepared brownie mix
1 jar of frosting
fresh strawberries
sucker sticks



In a greased mini muffin tin, make the brownies.

Remove, let cool on a wire rack. Frost.

Stick a sucker stick through a strawberry and into a brownie bite. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Chocolate Cherry Delight Cake

Got this from here after seeing a picture of it. Hello yummy.

1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'®S Cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Dash salt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup frozen egg substitute, thawed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water
Whipped Topping (recipe follows)
1 can (20 ounces) lower calorie cherry pie filling, chilled


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of two 9-inch round pans with wax paper.

2. Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add milk, egg substitute, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into prepared pans.

3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Carefully remove wax paper. Cool completely.

4. To assemble dessert, place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread with half of Whipped Topping; top with half of pie filling. Top with second cake layer. Spread with remaining topping and pie filling. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Whipped Topping Blend 1/2 cup cold nonfat milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 envelope (1.3 ounces) dry whipped topping mix in small, deep narrow-bottom bowl. Whip at high speed with mixer until topping peaks, about 2 minutes. Continue beating 2 minutes longer until topping is light and fluffy.

What Shall I Render to My God

I found this over at Rebecca's this morning - she posted it about 10 days ago and I missed it then. Love it. Happy Thanksgiving!

What Shall I Render to My God

What shall I render to my God
For all His mercy’s store?
I’ll take the gifts He hath bestowed,
And humbly ask for more.

The sacred cup of saving grace
I will with thanks receive,
And all His promises embrace,
And to His glory live.

My vows I will to His great Name
Before His people pay,
And all I have, and all I am,
Upon His altar lay.

Thy lawful servant, Lord, I owe
To Thee whate’er is mine,
Born in Thy family below,
And by redemption thine.

Thy hands created me, Thy hands
From sin have set me free,
The mercy that hath loosed my bands
Hath bound me fast to Thee.

The God of all redeeming grace
My God I will proclaim,
Offer the sacrifice of praise,
And call upon His Name.

Praise Him, ye saints, the God of love,
Who hath my sins forgiven,
Till, gathered to the church above,
We sing the songs of Heaven.

—Charles Wesley

Scrooge no more

It is no secret to the people who know me IRL that I generally don't enjoy Christmas. Until today I would have told you I hated it, in fact. I'm not going to try and explain why, b/c that's not really what this post is about and frankly I can't explain it well enough to bother trying.

This semester I started an internship that requires me to work on site three days a week - it is the first time in about three years that I've been surrounded by unbelieving coworkers, and it's been a bit of an adjustment. Not to say I don't enjoy the work, or the people, it is just a major shift from working in a Christian bookstore. Anyway, with Thanksgiving upon us (Happy Thanksgiving everyone in the US!) and Black Friday just around the bend - I've been faced with the fact that Christmas is just weeks away.

If you've read my posts this month you see that I'm trying to be more intentional about being thankful, and I've been thinking lately that while I might say I'm thankful and say I love God my attitude towards Christmas probably seems pretty counter to that. I mean, to an unbeliever what does it say about God when a Christian can't stand the time of the year when they are free to talk about Him with liberty?

Let's face it, the culture doesn't want to hear they need a Savior, but it certainly is more acceptable to talk about it at Christmas. And if that's true, how can I fulfill the Biblical command to be ready to give an account for the hope I have if I'm busy being grumpy about the shallow understanding of Christmas many unbelievers display? Grumpy attitudes tend to trump any words of hope I might speak.

So, starting today I'm not going to be telling people I hate Christmas anymore. In fact I'm going to seek to be thankful for Christmas. After all...

This is the season of the year when, whether we wish it or not, we are compelled to think of the birth of Christ. There are no probabilities whatever that our Savior Jesus Christ was born on that day...However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas-days in the year; for there is work enough in the world, and a little more rest would not hurt laboring people. Christmas-day is really a boon to us, particularly as it enables us to assemble round the family hearth and meet our friends once more.
- CH Spurgeon

Thankful for Veggie Tales

I've loved VT since I discovered them when I was 16, now that I have kids it is socially acceptable for me to watch them, but honestly I'd watch them even if my kids didn't want to. At least - I'd watch the older ones. The post Jonah era often lacks something, in my opinion. Anyway, here are a few lyrical samples of why I love the Veggies.

Thankfulness

I thank God for this day,
For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad,
For my piece of apple pie!

For our home on the ground,
For His love that's all around,
That's why I say thanks every day!

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have,
Thats an easy way to start!

For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!

God is bigger

You were lying in your bed,
You were feeling kind of sleepy,
But you couldn't close your eyes because the room was getting creepy.
Were those eyeballs in the closet?

Was that Godzilla in the hall?
There was something big and hairy casting shadows on your wall.
Now your heart is beating like a drum,
Your skin is getting clammy,

There's a hundred tiny monsters jumping right in to your jammies!
Bob: What are you going to do?

Junior: I'm going to call the police!

Bob: No. You don't have to do anything!

Junior: What? Why?

Bob: Because...
God is bigger than the boogie man.
He's bigger than Godzilla and the monsters on TV.
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man,
And he's watching out for you and me.

Stand Up

My Mummy always told me to do what's right;
To wash behind my ears and try to be polite.
She says she loves me so.
(That's beautiful.)
It's like she tells me what I need to know.
(I've got alot of respect for that woman.)

But sometimes when I'm playing with a buddy or two,
They're doing things you're not supposed to do.
(Do you go along - even though the things they do are wrong?)

I remember stand (Stand up, stand up)
For what you believe in, believe in,
Believe in God (He's the one to back you up)
We'll stand with you!

When everybody tells you that you have to be cool,
Remember what you learnt in church and Sunday school.
Just check it out - the Bible tells us what it's all about.
(Oh, you know that's right.)

So if you have a question, go ask your Dad,
And he can tell you if the thing is good or bad.
You'll make they're day,
If you remember what you're parents say (what they say.)

They told us stand (Stand up, stand up)
For what you believe in, believe in,
Believe in God (He's the one to back you up)
We'll stand with you!

Oh, stand (Stand up, stand up)
For what you believe in, believe in,
Believe in God (He's the one to back you up)
We'll stand with you!
He'll stand with you, oh yeah.

The battle is not ours

Mordecai: You wanted to know why you became queen.
I tole you God must have a reason.
Perhaps he put you here, for such a time as this.
perhaps This is the reason.

Ester: Tell me why, I don't understand.
Tell me why, or show me your hand.
Tell me why because I can't see my way through ~
What now...should I...do ~

(music plays )

(drums play)

The battle is not ours
We look to God above~
For he will guide us safely through
and guard us with his love

I will not be afraid
I will not run and hide~
For there is noting I can't face
when God is at my side
No, there is nothing I can't face
when God is at my side

The battle is not ours
We look to God above
For he will guide us safely through
and guard us with his love

Thankful for this promise

The days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (Jer. 31:31)

Thanksgiving on the swings

Today my kids and I played at the park after school - we haven't done that in a couple months, so it was a nice treat for all involved - and while we were there my almost 7 year old and I sat on the swings for most of the time. After running through the normal "what'd you do today" conversation I mentioned that next week he only has school for two days. The little girl next to him pipes up and says "that's because it is Thanksgiving!" before running off to play with her friends.

I asked my son what he was thankful for and the first thing out of his mouth was, "I'm thankful for you, Mom." Go ahead, say it with me, "Aww, he's so cute." After that though he told me he was thankful for "everything," the swing he was playing on, the pizza he had for lunch, the whole world. Then he told me he wanted to go to Africa and visit the "Indians" - I can only suppose he means the tribal communities. So very out of the blue, but there it is.

As we walked home we talked about the different plants we encountered and how God created them. I can't remember the last time I stopped to inspect a rose bush's thorns and why God chose to put them there, it was a good walk. So, today, I'm thankful for the swing conversations.

Thankful for thanksgiving reminders

On Sunday my pastor had post it notes in the bulletin (go listen to the sermon, it'll make more sense) for us to write things that we were thankful for on. Today he emailed us all what was written. It was a nice reminder of the things God has done in the lives of my church family.


I am Thankful For:

My Family
the women that serve so faithfully with our children, for their prayers and care in helping shepherd the kids
the people in this church
the life and people that God has given me. For God’s precious gift of Jesus!
For my family and friends always coming through
God allowing me to have a house
This church
my family and friends
going to bed
The church
Everything I’ve been through this past year
Prayer and for my prayerful church family
My house and family
Letting me go to Northland Camp
For my Family
The birth of our daughter
God bringing us back to Calvary because we (our family) have been blessed by the good teaching
That God gave my older son a job
Church, house, and Bible
My dad getting cancer – it has humbled him and me and has magnified God
Carl’s sermon a few weeks ago
Kristi’s work of service in numerous CBC ministries
The growth of Changed Life ministry and continued engagement with Morningstar Mission
God and Thanksgiving
My sister Abbey, and my doggie Sammy for bringing such joy
The love of this church
Jesus died for our sins
Having such a hard-working mother
my saved and unsaved friends
My family
God for all he has provided
my salvation
God letting me live
That Chuck can come back from vacation
God has graciously expanded our lives. Financially, God has met every need above and beyond in revealing himself to us this year.
Thank you for your care this year
House sold
God blessing me with a new friend, hope, and strength. I am grateful that he saved me
Salvation of Bryan Paul and Gywn
Our worship time
Expository preaching
A servant’s heart in our church people
My sister Ashley
Grace
God has met our financial needs this year
Church that worships God
Letting me not be scared to talk to my friends about Jesus
God making my family
Close friends and family
Trucks, friends, and family
God on the cross
My life and my family and friends
A second chance
Being more in God this year as a family
My family and friends
Family, friends, new church family
My friends an family and my new found family and Calvary Baptist
The sweet fellowship of the body of Christ
Letting me have a good start in high school
That Jesus made us so we can serve him
Small Groups
Our pastors and their families. What a gift from God to our church
My wife and our salvation
God making us
Food, music, family, water, pastors, church, free country, Jesus, and Bibles
Christ Jesus dying for my sins and for my family and for saving me and my family. For protecting my house from sin
Having holiday dinners at church
Church and thankgiving dinner
God continues to extend his grace and mercy to me and allows me to grow and serve his people here- in spite of my stumbles
The unique poignant and loving ministry of small groups
Saving all of my family
Grandkids: Ian, Calvin, Brady, Cooper, Sydney, Geneva, Etc
Good health for family
His grace while waiting for his will and time
Going to church
This world is not my home
Ian got saved
Saving my husband and watching God grow him in his grace and for blessing me with him for 40 years
The gift of His son and the treasure of his word
Providence of God in my life,
Times of want/times of plenty
Small groups, working in other peoples lives.
my daughter‘s cancer gone
Christmas trees
God’s wisdom of making life
A loving church family
Helping me financially through my current situation. Providing my sons safety at this time
Devan, Austin, and Carl for all they do with the teens
Christ fulfilled the law.
Jesus is coming back.
Those who serve me in ministry
My marriage and church family
Carl being in Joliet
The fellowship I have with Jesus and the fellowship I have with other believers
Allowing relationship with family/friend to be restored through Christ’s love for me. Counseling with Pastor Ryan and Kristi to help me see through the darkness