courtesy of www.yummyyummyclub.ca

  

Italian Lasagna Soup

by Michele Helms

Serve this yummy soup with crusty bread and a garden salad!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage

• 2 cups chopped onion

• 4 cloves garlic chopped

• 2 teaspoons oregano

• 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

• 2 bay leaves

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 8 oz. lasagna noodles

• Salt and pepper to taste

Cheesy Goodness! Combined all ingredients and put to the side

• 8 oz. ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan grated

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups fresh mozzarella 

Directions

1. Brown sausage in oil in the bottom of stock pot, add onion and garlic.

2. After meat is brown add all other ingredients except the pasta.

3. Bring soup to a boil then reduce to low for 30 min. Break lasagna noodles into pieces and cook  according to directions just to al dente.

4. After soup boils remove bay leaves and add lasagna noodles just before serving. (Soup can simmer for much longer or even cook on low in a crock pot but you must add noodles last minute or they will be mushy)

5. After stirring in noodles turn pot off or turn to the lowest temperature just to keep warm but not to continue cooking. 

6. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of Cheesy Goodness mixture into the bottom of each bowl then ladle soup on top of cheese.

There is No Place Like Home

By Traci Martin, "Be Amazing"

Spring. The season that conjures up thoughts of daffodils, butterflies, and cleaning - spring cleaning that is. After our homes have been tightly closed for the long cold winter months, it is finally time to open the windows for a breath of fresh air. Ok, it is only March; perhaps we are only opening them metaphorically since it is still cold most days, but it still a time to "freshen" our homes by clearing out the clutter.

Recently, I read an article on social media that challenged the readers to clear out 40 bags of clutter in 40 days. Several of my girlfriends have taken this challenge on and were surprised how easy and doable the task has been. One day, it was a kitchen cabinet. The next day was the top of refrigerator. Before they knew it the entire kitchen was clutter free!

There is something about having a finite goal that makes the de-cluttering task less overwhelming than walking into to a room and realizing the mess is too big to complete in an hour, a day, or perhaps even a week. Messy build-up did not happen overnight and will usually take more than a day to set it right.

Therefore, divide the job into manageable tasks with milestones along the way, and don't forget to set a time limit. Not only does this help us to stay focused on the cleaning but will help us to make wise use of our time. Attempting to tackle big jobs in single time span leaves us frustrated and wanting to give up. However, tackling smaller tasks during multiple time periods is more realistic and is a wise use of time.

In Ephesians 5:15-16, it states, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil."

Time has a way of getting away from us, if we are not intentional. Whether you take the 40 bag challenge or develop your own cleaning challenge, make a plan that makes the most of your time and before you know it your home will be spring fresh.