A Love Pat...

"Be kind, for everyone you know is facing a great battle."

~ Philo of Alexandria

Venti please.

Make it a java chip.

With extra whipped cream.

An extra 1,000 calories? Whatever.

'Cause it's been THAT kind of week.

And it's only Tuesday.

My thoughts are so jumbled tonight. Locked up. Trapped.

As I try to dig and sort through them, my mind is going in a million different directions.

All of the interesting things I had to share are quite simply... gone with the wind.

Maybe it's exhaustion spilling over from yesterday.

Or since last week for that matter.

Really all month is more accurate.

Ok all year.

Oh who am I kidding, more like the last 5 years.

Yesterday it was really starting to peak.

That feeling that you are just spinning your wheels.

You know...."that feeling."

The feeling that with every step forward, you take two steps back.

Like you are never going tackle the pile. Never get on top of it.

Just stay buried...perpetually...forever.

For every corner of the house you clean

the children are making new messes behind you.

For every item you cross off "the list'

three more are right there to replace it.

That moment you were trying to savor,

explodes right in your face. In a millisecond. 

But then something happened.

My sister called.

The chaos in the background was eminent.

Siblings arguing.

One tearing up the other's homework.

A request denied. A tantrum building. A reprimand delivered.

And then it came. Like a gentle breeze on a scorching day.

In a soft tone, and with sincerity in her voice,

she said, "You're doing a good job. I'm proud of you."

My friend Diane would have smiled and called that

 "a love pat from the Lord."

And it truly was. 

I could feel my inner man exhale.

In the simplicity of that moment, came reassurance.

Maybe I'm not completely dropping the ball.

Maybe accomplishing what was necessary for the day was propitious. 

Maybe this was a perfect teachable fragment in time.

A tangible reminder.

The world is upside down. Encourage one another.

Fires are burning. Storms are raging. Political and social unrest is rampant.

Encourage one another.

Sweet Bellas, never underestimate the power of an encouraging word.

It can breathe life into a weary soul.

Wipe the sweat from a brow.

Deliver fresh air amidst a suffocating moment.

Bring hope when it's needed most.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The Good Stuff...and Veggie Pizza

"Every man dies.  Not every man really lives."  

~Braveheart

Moms are experts at rushing. 

Waffles, check. Dog bowl filled, check. Snacks packed, check. Extra diapers, check. 

Keys ready, coffee in hand, out the door, check check check. 

Some days I feel like I'm in my own fictitious race to the end of the day.

Frantically trying to tackle "the list." 

My adversary is in my head 

and talks smack to me all day long.

"Speed it up," I hear her say. 

"You're dropping the ball girlfriend."

What, you've run along side her too? pish.

Allow me to let you in on a little secret.

When we're flying through our days at warp speed,

we miss all the flavor,

all the juicy details.

I mean, the really good stuff.

The sound of your daughter's voice 

as she tells a story to her brother

while hiding under the kitchen table, 

changing her inflection with each character.

The smell of homemade pasta sauce filling the air, 

just like grandma's house.

The symphony of wind chimes mingled 

with birdsong outside the back door.

That look in his eye, when he's watching you 

the same way he did when you were dating.

Wasn't it just yesterday when we were playing "M.A.S.H."

on lined spiral notebook paper,

in our bubbly teenage handwriting, 

dotting every "i" with a heart,

daydreaming about our future.

Now you're living it,

take time to drink it in...sip slowly.

Make a gratitude journal.

Forget about the checklist and

each night, before bed, write down 5 things 

you are thankful for that day.

Frolic.

Take a break from the "to-do list" and surrender to fun.

Complete reckless abandonment.

Have a water balloon fight toss in the backyard.

Make pizza.

Dance in your living room.

(nothing like some bubbles 

& the hokey pokey to get the day started)

Lay on the grass and find pictures in the clouds.

I promise, if you sit down to your 4 year old's tea party,

or you build a rad fort with your 2 year old,

you won't regret a single moment.

I've shared this quote before,

but I never tire of hearing it.

"It's not that life is so short,

it's that we wait so long to begin LIVING."

(Author Unknown)

Veggie Pizza 

I didn't create any special recipe here.

I used already made wheat dough from Trader Joe's,

mozzarella cheese that was already shredded,

homemade sauce,

 and sliced & diced fresh veggies & basil from the fridge.

The kids rolled out the dough,

tossed flour to and fro,

and giggled often.

We scattered cornmeal on a baking pan,

positioned the dough, spooned on the sauce,

placed a pinch-ful of cheese in our mouths in between

each sprinkle over our masterpiece,

carefully placed the toppings, and

cooked it for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

No frills. Pure simple fun.

Once Upon A Time...2 Year Blogoversary & Salmon Salad

"I dare you to move..."

~Switchfoot

Has it already been TWO YEARS since Mangiabella arrived on the scene?

Ai yai yai. Did someone hit fast forward while I wasn't looking???

To celebrate, I whipped up a wonderful summer salad.

Cool enough to beat the heat, and light enough to keep the waistband in check.

But don't worry...it's not sissy, it's sassy, 

and these bursting flavors are sure to keep the party going.

Now I must confess my husband was not on board with this dish.

Can't appreciate a good black bean 'n' corn anything to save his life.

What's up wit dat??? Crazy Cat. 

But I'm strangely addicted to his ridiculousness.

Before I divulge all of the inner workings of this succulent salad, 

I thought you might like to know how it all began.

You know. The "birth story". 

Every blog has a "birth story."

And here's mine.

Once upon a time, in the not too distant past,

two hip youngsters with a penchant for spontaneous adventures

 were smack dab in the middle of their odyssey.

All sorts of twists and turns in the road, unforeseen obstacles blocking the path,

arrows flying in every direction.

We're talking one CA-razzzzzy expedition.

 Undeniably...riveting.

Many MANY things transpired during that time, but to summarize,

The Lord took us on an excursion that was exhausting.  And exhilarating.  

All at the same time.

The things we learned. The faith walk we were on 

was like nothing I ever could have anticipated.

We are well acquainted with "the 11th hour."

My husband likes to say that hindsight is 20/20. I couldn't agree more.

It's fascinating really, to look back and see how, very simply put,

GOD USED EVERYTHING.

Every moment. Every morsel.

It was then that HE began to do divine surgery on my heart.

And it was then that I finally began to learn what true faith in HIM was,

faith for day to day basics, and I was so green.

I thought I Had faith to move mountains,

but I quickly learned that I had much to learn in that department,

and it took several years for the Lord to rebuild me from the inside out.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I never did well with not knowing.

The fear of the unknown was a burden to say the least.

I had "white knuckle syndrome" to the max.

But that whole journey changed everything.

And now....flash forward years later.

I've come to embrace and even relish the understanding

that true "surrender" means giving up attachment to results.

That no matter how it plays out, good bad or indifferent...

that I know that I know that I am going to be ok.

And even if everything falls apart, trusting and knowing

that HE will do something new. And HE did...

Then...I entered a recipe contest on a whim.

I'm not even 100% sure of why I entered that contest.

I mean, the thought of the $25,000 grand prize 

was definitely something we could benefit from.

That goes without saying.

Several people had been nudging me to "just do it."

I had just finished reading "Waking the Dead" by John Eldredge, 

and finally felt inspired enough to go for it,

as though I had a new motivation fueling me.

Not so much a motivation to win.

But a motivation to shine.

To stop sitting in the shadows.

To stop back burnering all the talents

and just begin somewhere. anywhere.

The catalyst.

One baby step was all I needed to awaken the rest within.

I began to enter other contests, and meet new people. Put myself out there.

And suddenly, I thought that maybe the devotional emails I was sending

to my girlfriends should get out to more people.

Maybe others could be inspired to not just be alive, but AWAKE.

Maybe I could encourage others to step out of the day to day drudgery

and marvel at something, even if just for a moment.

And maybe, just maybe, I could use my creativity and enthusiasm

to nudge others to express THEIR talents as well.

I would have never thought in a million years

that just stepping out of the comfort zone

would spark all of this. The domino effect had begun.

My original intention in creating this blog 

was to chronicle the adventure of making a cookbook 

that my husband had been trying to get me off of my hiney

to do after all these years. 

But one of my truest friends, one who is older and wiser than me,

told to me not to go that route even though it felt safe.

That I needed to be sharing the kinds of things I was already sharing

with my girlfriends in my emails.

That's what would keep it personal. Real. 

She told me that all I needed to do was keep shining, 

and the rest would follow.

I really chewed on that a bit. It was all so intimidating.

I mean, there are tons of blogs out there.

I wasn't sure I had anything relevant to say,

anything of value to contribute.

But the Still, Small Voice inside said otherwise.

Thus, Mangiabella was born.

With the hopes to inspire others to devour life with me.

Devour my food. Devour my words.

And with the hopes that my appetite for getting the most

out of this life journey would be contagious,

that it would make others hunger and thirst.

There was really no other plan.

And I still have no idea where any of this is going,

but it doesn't matter...no attachment to results.

However it all plays out, good bad or indifferent,

HE USES EVERYTHING.

And....HE already is....

Happy Blogoversary Mangiabella!

and as always...

Keep Shining Sweet Bellas!

Salmon & Asparagus Salad w/ black bean 'n' corn salad & a side of

 grilled avocado on Mediterranean Pita Bread

On a bed of spring greens with diced grape tomatoes and cucumbers,

I laid a filet of Salmon that had been covered with

olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, and the juice of half of a lemon, then steamed in foil on the grill.

You can also steam in oven at 400 for appx. 15 minutes.

Then, I spooned black bean & corn salad on top,

and sprinkled a little feta cheese.

To make the black bean and corn salad,

I mixed a 1/2 cup of sweet corn,

1/2 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed,

1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced

2 Tbsp of purple onion, diced

2 Tbsp of olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

juice of one lime

1 Tbsp of cilantro

a generous pinch of cumin.

I roasted asparagus spears

@400 in the oven with olive oil,

lemon juice, salt/pepper.

To grill the avocado,

I cut it in half, removed the pit.

placed face down on grill for 10 minutes.

spooned out the meat of the avocado into a dish

mashed it with the juice of a lemon

salt to taste

and slivered a large pinch of fresh basil leaves.

The pita bread was toasted on the grill.

Complete deliciousness.