Tree of Life Mothering

I take after Garfield and love lasagna! As Pearl Barrett of Trim Healthy Mama fame says, if you aren’t eating lasagna at least once a week, you’re not living! It’s definitely comfort food and ranks right after pizza for me as my favorite dinner. This recipe is inspired by Pearl’s recipe in the THM Cookbook on p. 140. where she uses spinach as her noodle substitute. My recipe’s a bit different from Pearl’s. I don’t like buying jarred pizza or spaghetti sauce, which the original THM recipe calls for. Ideally I would have a whole shelf full of powdered, dehydrated tomatoes from my own garden, to make into sauce, but I’m not there yet. At this season in my life, I like to buy a month’s worth of tomato sauce at my local Kroger store with supposed BPA free cans, and not have to remember to buy pizza or spaghetti sauce, which I’m not in the habit of buying, for this one recipe. I also leave out the Parmesan called for in the original recipe. Ever since I read this book over here where I found out that real Parmesan cheese is really called Parmigiano Reggiano I’ve become a food snob about Parmesan cheese. I don’t want to buy the fake stuff, which apparently is highly processed and not aged properly. I haven’t taken the time to hunt down the real stuff yet.

Ah, I digress. When I made this lasagna last week, both my husband and my 16 year old complimented me on it and gobbled it up. “This is really good Mom/honey!” The younger kids turned up their noses at it, however, because they know it has spinach.  That’s OK! More of it for me as leftovers for lunches in the ensuing days!

I love that this lasagna is noodle-free for those who want to be low carb. It’s not soupy, either which can be a problem when I adapt lasagna recipes. I made the Pioneer Woman recipe here, which l love for its non-soupiness, but it uses lasagna noodles so it’s not low carb. So this one fits the low carb bill!

2 lbs of ground beef and drain the fat off

2 15 oz cans tomato sauce

1/2 tsp mineral salt

1 T onion powder

1 T garlic powder

1 T Italian seasoning

tiny bit of sweetener, like 1 to 2 doonks of stevia, or maybe 1 tsp of honey

2 10 oz packages of thawed frozen spinach

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1 14 oz container cottage cheese

2 large eggs

8 oz mozzarella or other cheese

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. If you want to double the recipe, that is, if you want lots of leftovers and you know your big family will eat 2 or 3 servings each even if they see spinach in it, use a larger pan. This is what I would do if all my 7 kids were still in the nest at home. But with only 4 at home, and 2 who won’t eat this, I don’t double it, and still have plenty of leftovers for lunches.

If you don’t have 4 lbs ground beef to double the meat, use finely sliced cabbage that you cook with the meat. Nobody will notice and you will have stretched the meat with a super frugal ingredient! Shhh! It’s not obvious like the spinach is. Set oven to 350 degrees. Take out the spinach bags, open them up, squeeze out water, and put spinach in a colander to drain further.

Get the meat cooking. While it’s cooking, get out the other ingredients and grate the cheese and open up the cans of sauce. Drain the fat off the meat if it’s not grass-fed and you are a purist and want to avoid the extra calories and toxins accumulated in the fat, by putting the meat in a colander and rinsing it off with hot water. Put back in pan and add the tomato sauce and all the seasonings and mix well.

Put the cream cheese, cottage cheese, and eggs in a blender and whiz together.

Now assemble! I like to just do one cycle of the three layers instead of two and get ‘er done, instead of fretting if I’m leaving enough of each layer for the second round. Cover the bottom of your baking dish with the meat/sauce combo. Then cover with the spinach. Then pour the dairy mixture on top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Then top with the grated cheese and sprinkles of real Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bake for 40 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Let sit about 5 or 10 min. before cutting. Enjoy! Serve with a big spring mix salad and homemade ranch dressing! (I actually use a simpler ranch dressing these days. I just take Daisy sour cream, add enough water to thin it to dressing consistency, and then add salt and Italian seasoning to taste.) Yum, yum, yum!

I saw the recipe for Boosted Frozen Lemonade by Serene and Pearl of Trim Healthy Mama fame last week and have been making it almost every day since then. It is so yummy! Get the recipe here in the THM Facebook group. It’s basically a whole peeled lemon with the white part left on, water, ice cubes, baobab powder, and sweetener blended up. Some say it tastes like a Chick Fil A Lemonade. Yum! If you don’t like stevia then use a little honey or coconut sugar. I’m thinking next time I make this I’m going to add turmeric for more health benefits. So refreshing!

It’s June and the traditional month for weddings. Have you ever thought why we associate diamond rings with engagement to get married? Is this a tradition worth perpetuating? After watching the above video, I say it’s not.

Here’s some food from thought from a girlfriend about wedding traditions:

I had a discussion about the purpose of wedding receptions.  My first thing that blurted out of my mouth after being asked the question “What is the purpose of Wedding Receptions?” was “To show how much money the family can spend.”  I felt terrible after I said that because that is not what I wanted to do,  to show off money since we certainly do not have money to waste.

But, I have been questioning many things lately, one of which is “What is the purpose and origin of dating? What does a quality courtship look like?”  Why do we do things the way that we do them?  How does a tradition start and can we question that tradition?  Is this a helpful tradition?  Did it begin with good intentions and has it just gone all wrong lately?  Or was it wrong in the first place? Is it ok to question traditions? Of course!  Go ahead and do it and get everyone else ticked off at you!  I’ve been accused of being a rebel rouser, and trouble maker.  Its true, I do ask some annoying questions sometimes.

“Adam Ruins Everything” is quite honest and painful to watch as he talks about the wedding industry. He apparently questions everything like I do but even more so!  You should see his video on youtube about the real purpose of the TSA.  Hilarious! (Editor’s note: if you want to get the message and avoid the bad language, watch the alternate video above from Cool History.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5BeLinyfpg

He mentions the DeBeers Diamond Cartel that monopolized the diamond market in his engagement ring expose.  (Warning: he swears, with the F-bomb and other swear words. So be careful, don’t watch with imitative young children around.)  Did you know that the newcomer gemstone in the marketplace is called moissanite?  Its much cheaper than diamonds and better quality.  Out with the old and in with the cheaper new!  I’ve heard of people buying wedding rings on Amazon for less than it costs for a new toaster. And they look very nice.  I think the Shane Company and Wilson Diamonds will have a hard time surviving the incoming ring market via Amazon.

Clark and Stacey, I purposely sent this email to you since I know that your Natalie will be stepping off the plane soon from her mission and is one of the most eligible single women I can think of.  We should all be discussing this with our children from a young age in order to help them get clear on what we are doing and WHY we should be doing things.  And then we can question the purpose of everything and decide if its worth going along with the crowd or better to blaze our own trail.

My dear friends, S. and K. married their daughter off last year and I LOVED their celebration.  It was completely unique and had all the signs of an out of the box thinker.  It was summer so they held it in a neighbors backyard.  Simple wedding decor but very pretty because the setting was natural in an older backyard with large trees.  The neighbor donated a wedding dress, K. altered it and it was gorgeous!  Especially the price.  Then she asked all her good friends and family to bring a large salad to put on the food table. there must have been at least 20 large salads. I have to say that was absolutely the BEST wedding faire I have ever tasted at a reception.  Not only was there an incredible variety of delicious healthy food but it also had personality and love in the food.  Someone else had the brilliant idea to serve English Trifle which was so tasty and elegant.  I liked it better than a wedding cake!

In retrospect, I want to express that our reason for having my daughter and her husband’s reception was to mark the day of their covenant marriage with a gathering to celebrate.  It was very memorable for them and for us.  Of course, we could have chosen to save ourselves a lot of work and money by gifting them the money instead of spending it on a party. But N. chose to have all the normal things.  If they had opted for the money they could  have used it for setting up their new home.  That always takes some money doesn’t it?

One family in our ward offered their daughter a sum of money.  She could either spend it on a reception or take the money and run.  She opted to take the money and run.  On the day of the wedding, they were sealed, had a nice family friend dinner at a restaurant, then the young couple left for their honeymoon.  (I really hope they didnt spend all the money on the honeymoon) No reception, and the mother reported to me that it was wonderfully relaxing.

My personal opinion on Honeymoons is dont go on one unless its really important to you and you want to spend money on airfare to a faraway place like Mexico instead of having a nice reliable vehicle to use from day to day.  I say to put the money into setting up your new abode or to upgrading your normal function – buy a newer car so you dont have to spend so much time in the repair shop. Or sock all that money away for starting a cattle ranch (new business) like Miss Nesslerod in Louis La Amours western novel.

I would love to hear what you think about weddings and the attendant traditions . . .

Come join liberty-loving friends for the Grand Opening Celebration of Liberty Hall in Farr West, Utah on the 4th of July!

We are celebrating American Independence, freedom and the opening of Liberty Hall —  a beautiful new center with 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a library and bookstore, conference rooms, kitchen and more.

The open house runs from 1:00 – 5:00 PM with an amazing program at 2:00 PM that includes Congressman Rob Bishop, Larry Reed, the President of FEE, and American Ride celebrity Stan Ellsworth. There will also be a collection of paintings portraying our nation’s founding era for you to enjoy along with refreshments and lots of good company.

Include Liberty Hall in your holiday celebration plans, after the parades and before the fireworks, just south of Smith and Edwards on 1900 West. Join us as we give thanks for this beautiful facility, honor the legacy of Bert Smith, and celebrate our nation’s heritage of freedom.

Congressman Rob Bishop. Representing Utah’s First District since 2003.  Before he was elected to Congress he taught US History and US Government at Ben Lomond High School.  We’re thrilled to have him as one of our speakers on July 4th. Larry Reed is the president of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). Before joining FEE, he served as president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Midland, Michigan based free-market think tank. He’s also a best-selling author and we’re delighted to have him join us all the way from Atlanta, Georgia. Stan Ellsworth is the Emmy award winning host of BYUtv’s ‘American Ride’, author and currently host of ‘History and the Highway’ – a YouTube Channel educational program used in high schools across Utah. Stan will be signing copies of his newest book, ‘Renegades and Rebels’. This looks so great! If I lived in Utah I would be going to this!

Happy First Day of Summer! To celebrate I am offering a flash sale on my ebooks! You can get them each for $3.99 or both for in a bundle for $7.99. This Days of Summer Ebook Flash Sale lasts until July 28 midnight MDT.

You can read all about the Lose 70 Lbs Without Exercise Ebook here and buy it.

You can read all about the Family Devotionals Ebook and buy it here.

You can buy them both by clicking the button below.

No refunds because these are all electronic products. Please download right away as the link does expire and if you attempt to share with someone else who hasn’t bought it you and or they will be locked out.

I didn’t get more than one Memorial Day story up here on my the blog from my ebook, like I had hoped. Oh well, I will get those up another time! On to Fathers’ Day, which is this Sunday, June 17! I have collected a bunch of stories about the power of fathers and fatherhood. Here’s a cute story from Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita of the Seventy. 

It goes with what I wrote yesterday. God gives us lions when pray for courage, because he knows we are part lion can learn the courage he knows is in us by taming the lions he gives us.

This is an example of the stories I have curated for you in my ebook. You can get your own copy by going here and clicking the button to pay $9.99 at the bottom of the page.  I love to read these stories to my kids every morning after we do family scripture study, journal writing, and family prayer, to help us feel fired up with faith in God to go about our day.

He refers to the above cartoon from Disney. Here’s my favorite part of what he says:

You are a child of God, and He loves you. Before we were born on earth, each one of us was a beloved spirit son or daughter in our Heavenly Father’s family. But many of us don’t realize this. If we know who we are, we can be like the lion and fight off bad things so that we can protect others and not lose our way.

I am thankful for the wonderful gifts of the gospel and the plan of salvation. I am thankful that we know who we are so we can be strong—just like Lambert.

I have to come to know for myself just how blessed we are to have Pres. Nelson as the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. God has put him in this place for this time of the earth’s history. Perhaps it is because of his extensive knowledge and his scientific background. Perhaps because of his love for the Chinese people and his ability to speak Mandarin. Perhaps for some reason none of us know. I can’t help but think that part of the reason for this is because of Sister Wendy Nelson, his wife. She is a modern-day Esther, who surely has been raised for “such a time as this.”  This husband and wife team display a wonderful example of true partnership in marriage.

Over a week ago they spoke together to the youth of the worldwide church. This was a historic moment. According to this press release, this was the second time a prophet has called a meeting to specifically address all the youth of the church. The first one was with Pres. Hinckley in November 2000. As far as I know, it is the first time the president of the church and his wife have spoken together to a worldwide audience. We have seen “dress rehearsals” of these gem-filled events with the Nelsons speaking together in past years, from previous CES Devotionals in the Januarys of 2016 and 2017.

These are from the CES (Church Educational System) Devotional Archives. The Nelsons did these for college-age young adults. They are amazing in themselves. If you missed them, go watch, read, and ponder.

Sister Nelson’s talk, “Love and Marriage” from January 2017, is here.

Pres. Nelson’s talk, “Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law,” from January 2017, is here.

Sister Nelson’s talk, “Becoming the Person You Were Born to Be,” January 2016, is here.

Pres. Nelson’s talk, “Becoming True Millennials,” January 2016, is here.

In his most recent address, on June 3, 2018, Pres. Nelson gave these challenges to the youth of the church, ages 12 to 18:

1. Hold a seven-day fast from social media.

2. For three weeks in a row, make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord.

3. Keep on the covenant path.

4. Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. Stand out and be different from the world.

I am excited to use these challenges as a topic for mentor meetings with each of my three Mutual age youth, to talk with each of them on what their plan is to accept these challenges.

Over a year ago, I listened to these words at the RootsTech 2017 conference from Pres. and Sister Nelson, back when Pres. Nelson was Elder Nelson.

At the time I was feeling bereft of my friends  I left in Utah when I  moved. I missed all the meetings I had been a part of that kept me intellectually stimulated: the book discussions, the homeschool conferences, the once-a-week family school I was a part of, and my girlfriend lunches. Missing all of these boiled down to one thing: I missed deep, meaningful conversations. So my ears perked up when I heard Sis. Nelson say these words in her 2017 RootsTech presentation:

Sister Nelson: It is my testimony that however fabulous your life is right now, or however discouraging and heartbreaking it may be, your involvement in temple and family history work will make it better. What do you need in your life right now? More love? More joy? More self-mastery? More peace? More meaningful moments? More of a feeling that you’re making a difference? More fun? More answers to your soul-searching questions? More heart-to-heart connections with others? More understanding of what you are reading in the scriptures? More ability to love and to forgive? More ability to pray with power? More inspiration and creative ideas for your work and other projects? More time for what really matters?

She then made a promise that if we sacrifice time to do family history research, and then the subsequent temple work for our own family names, we will get the “more” of whatever we want. This was somewhat of an echo of her words from the 2016 RootsTech conference when she spoke with Sister Sheri Dew. In that presentation she said she gave up digital Scrabble time to do with research and temple work.  So I put those words to the test. I had become a little slack on my regular habit of researching names and taking them to the temple to do the ordinance work. I redoubled my efforts to be consistent on a near daily basis.

I have seen this promise come true. After I started doing the work regularly again, I got the blessings of the “more” that I wanted.  I do have more meaningful conversation in my life. I was blessed with a family school to attend with my kiddos like the one I had in Utah, with the monthly book discussions that go with that. I was blessed to rekindle connections with old friends I’ve had for over 20 years, where we meet weekly via video chat. I also felt inspired to create my movie discussions club. I feel much more socially fulfilled! So I can see blessings come from following the words that God inspires through his servants. I am looking forward to seeing what new blessings will come in my youth’s lives as they follow the challenge and as I do too.

This is an adaptation of the Cowboy Grub recipe in the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Cookbook. I call it Fiesta Grub. My recipe is more budget friendly because you use shredded cabbage instead of ground beef. I also leave out the rice in the mix and cook it separately for those who want more carbs. If you are wanting to lose weight, eat this as a strict E topping on a big bed of salad greens. If you don’t want to lose weight, eat it with lots of sour cream and grated cheese on top of chips or stuffed in a tortilla, which would be a Crossover (XO) as they say in THM lingo. Crossovers are for people who don’t want to lose weight. Serve it that way as well to your family members who don’t need to lose weight.

4 c shredded cabbage

3 c seasoning blend (find in the frozen veggie aisle, it’s a mix of diced celery, peppers, and onions) or 3 diced bell peppers and 2 large diced onions

3 (10 oz) cans spicy diced tomatoes (Rotel brand or the equivalent store-brand of diced tomatoes mixed with jalapenos or chili peppers)

1 1/2 c cooked pinto or black beans, or 1 15 oz can of beans

1 1/2 c frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 T chili powder

1 1/2 t garlic powder

1 1/2 t cumin

1 1/2 t mineral salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper (may want to leave out if you used the spicy diced tomatoes, if you used plain diced tomatoes, then maybe add the cayenne pepper)

Cook all the veggies except tomatoes and corn until tender in a little bit of water that covers the bottom of a large skillet. Add in the spices and stir up to mix them in. Add in the beans, corn, and tomatoes, mixing in and cooking until the corn is cooked through. Then dig in! Use lots of non-starchy veggies, like salad greens, as an E meal to fill up on it.

Yesterday was National Sewing Machine Day! How did I miss it? In honor of that, I want to sew the streamer above and the felt streamer and fabric banner in the videos below with red, white, and blue colors for upcoming Independence Day. I love these ideas because they are so quick and I can adapt them for different holidays or seasons with different colors.

Aren’t these ideas cute? You can get more ideas from Dana of MADE Everyday under my tab of “Fun to Make and Do.”

I recently finished the above book, Receiving Answers to Prayer by Elder Gene R. Cook, during my “Summer Fun in the Sun” time. Elder Cook is so full of wisdom. I recommend this book to all who are searching for truth. By reading this book you will receive tutoring on how to pray from one of God’s devoted servants. He gives you an exact formula on how to pray, straight from the scriptures. (Here is a link to overdrive where you can get the book. Ask your public library how to access that.) This blog post over here has a summary of what Elder Cook teaches, called Elder Cook’s Prayer Challenge.

The above video shows a young Elder Cook introduced by a young Elder Oaks, before Elder Oaks was Elder Oaks, and BYU’s president.

What lion is God sending to you?