Wednesday, June 5, 2013

One Year Goal Tracker

I read this post, on running, by Elise Blaha on her blog, Elise Blaha :: enJOY it. It was motivating.

And I wanted a chart like the one she mentioned. I could not find one on line. So I made one on Word. (This was a long time ago.) I found some mistakes...it was harder to get right than it should have been. So I saved it.

I found it today (looking for something else) and I think I fixed everything.

So here it is:  a chart of days in which you can track your progress toward a goal.

Revised, to include a copy of the One Year Goal Tracker that has Nov. 1 in bold.


Let me know what you think!


Friday, May 31, 2013

Recipe: Johnny M. Skillet Dinner

There are lots of versions of Johnny Marzetti Casserole out there, but I could not find one with these exact ingredients and made in a skillet. This is tweaked from a recipe I got from my sister-in-law. She calls it Johnny M. Casserole. I'll call my version....

Johnny M. Skillet Dinner
Serves 4 to 6

3 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup celery, sliced thin
olive oil, about a tablespoon 
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 cups corn (frozen)
1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Put the water on to boil for the pasta.
Saute the onion in the olive oil until soft and golden. Add celery and saute a minute or two.
Once the pasta water is boiling, cook the pasta until just done; do not overcook. (Check package directions for time guideline.) Drain.
Move the onion and celery mix to one side of skillet, add turkey or beef and brown. Drain excess fat from turkey or beef.
Combine the onion and celery mixture from one side of skillet to the browned ground turkey or beef.
(Alternately, move the onion-celery mixture to a bowl and then brown turkey or beef in the skillet.
When browned, drain fat and then add onion-celery mixture back to the skillet.)
Turn burner to medium, add tomato paste and frozen corn, stir together and let heat through for about five to seven minutes.
Turn down heat to low, top with cheddar cheese and allow to melt.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Sunday, May 26, 2013

May 1st Siesta Scripture Memory Team, Living Proof Ministries

Well, it looks like I forgot to post my May 1 scripture. This month is flying by!



Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (NIV 1984)

May 15th Verse, Siesta Scripture Memory Team, Living Proof Ministries

So late on this one!

Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (NIV 1984)

Monday, May 13, 2013

Counting 1000 Gifts



Something lifted late last week. I don't know why, but I am grateful.

Aiming for 1000 gifts this year.


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

April 15th Verse: Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2013, Living Proof Ministries

I am participating in this memory challenge again with Beth Moore's living proof ministries.

This is a challenge to memorize two verses a month for the year.

Beth has instructions here, including information on the event that will happen in early 2014 for those who have checked in at least 21 of the 24 times on the blog, who bring a spiral with the verses written in it, and who able to recite the verses to another participant.

Since I plan to memorize Romans 1, 8 and 12 with Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience, I will probably frequently use those verses for this challenge.

From Romans, chapter 1:

April 1

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.


April 15


26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Oatmeal, White Chocolate and Raisin Cookies (made with whole wheat)

I made oatmeal cookies tonight using Smitten Kitchen's recipe for thick, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. Oatmeal cookies on Easter evening? We had enough sweet stuff without them, but my oldest was going back to college and I wanted to send a little treat with him.

Actually, I adapted the recipe from her recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate-chip style (see the note just before the recipe itself).

I decided to try this recipe because Deb had cut down the sugar and used only brown (instead of brown and white, which many recipes call for). She doubled the raisins (which would be fine for me, but not for some family members, so I did not do that). And then added chocolate chips.

I doubled her recipe (she makes about half a standard recipe for these) and
  • substituted whole wheat flour for the all-purpose 
  • used smaller amounts of raisins and 
  • used a smaller amount of white chocolate instead of regular chocolate chips. 

(White chocolate chips because I love the recipe that I tore out of a Family Fun magazine about ten years ago, developed by Ken Haedrich, which uses oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate. It was the first one I saw that used this combination, which is pretty common now.)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats (the kind you cook for 5 to 6 minutes)
1/2 cup raisins
scant 1 cup white chocolate chips

Go to Smitten Kitchen for directions for these yummy cookies.

Note: I reviewed copyright information for bloggers who write about recipes, here, here and here. I think I got it right, but if not, please let me know and I will correct.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2013: Living Proof Ministries

I am participating in this memory challenge again with Beth Moore's living proof ministries.

This is a challenge to memorize two verses a month for the year. Those of us who are participating post our verse on the blog post calling for verses on the 1st and the 15th of the month. It is so cool that there are usually well over one thousand comments -- over one thousand women striving to memorize God's Word! (Far more than that in January!)

Beth has instructions here, including information on the event that will happen in early 2014 for those who have checked in at least 21 of the 24 times on the blog, who bring a spiral with the verses written in it, and who able to recite the verses to another participant. I missed the celebration after the 2011 challenge, even though I was qualified to go.

I just ordered my spiral from the store

Since I plan to memorize Romans 1, 8 and 12 with Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience, I will probably frequently use those verses for this challenge.

This is what I think I listed as my memory verses on these dates. From Romans, chapter 1:

January 1, 2013

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures


January 15, 2013


regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.


February 1, 2013


9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.


February 15, 2013


13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.


March 1, 2013


20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.


and yesterday's:
March 15, 2013


21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.