Tasty Tuesday ~ Pasta Salad

 This is Jeff's favorite pasta salad, inspired by a macaroni salad his mom makes, but perfected by an "oops" moment in my kitchen. ;)

Pasta Salad
Boil 8 oz. of pasta to al dente (we like medium shells the best = 2 c. of dry pasta)

While it's boiling prepare:

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese cubed in small cubes
1/2 c. red pepper (or yellow)
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained

Mix the dressing: (I like to do it in a jar and shake it.)
3/4 c. lite mayo
1/4 c. milk
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper (to your taste)
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

When the pasta is done and stops steaming, drain it well and dump it in the bowl you'll mix it in. While it's still hot, sprinkle the cheese cubes (and I also do the peppers/olives) all over it, so that they melt just a little and stick to the pasta. Jeff says THIS is the secret. :) I discovered the "secret" when I was in a hurry, and went ahead and dumped the cheese in, so I could pop the bowl in the fridge and run. What I thought was an "oops" turned out to be a secret step ... and a time saver!   LOVE THAT!

After the pasta has cooled a little, pour the dressing all over it and mix well. Some of the cheese will clump together ... it's up to you if you want to break it up or leave it as a "bonus" for someone to find.

Chill the pasta salad in the fridge until it's very cold. I like to give it a few hours, so that the flavors blend really well. It's awesome if you make it in the morning and serve it that night.

This batch was served with barbecued pulled pork. YUM!

The BEST combination (Jeff's favorite warm weather meal combo) is Grilled chicken, this pasta salad, fresh corn, and fruit. Add a fresh focaccia bread with olive oil, and it's perfection on the patio!

Marriage Mondays: Bedroom Boundaries

Do you ever feel like your husband is married to his phone, instead of you? Some people find it hard to disconnect from technology, especially phones, which are convenient enough to stash on a nightstand ... just to charge, of course. Is it hard for you to disconnect from your cell phone? Is it hard for your husband?

Last November, CNN contributor Bob Greene asked,  "Shouldn't we be spending less time checking and rechecking our many screens, large and small, and more time taking part in what used to be regarded as real life?"

Sometimes tech in intimate places causes problems; sometimes tech in intimate places covers up problems.

For a lot of people, distance from phones makes them feel like they might miss something. They're mentally creating status updates while in the midst of a conversation, or feeling the urge to "announce" all life events thru social media. Some spouses fight the urge to roll over and do quick check of Twitter or Facebook when they hear their phone vibrate or see the light of their screen. Have you ever stirred in the night, only to notice a blue glow coming from your spouse's side of the bed? Is it making you angry to fall asleep with Angry Birds? Some couples find the presence of technology in the bedroom interrupts their intimacy or at least stalls it or pours cold water on it.  Let's face it, it's not easy to be uninhibited when hundreds of followers are tweeting their presence.

If "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine..." (Song of Solomon 6:3a) then why invite someone else into our most private space to claim more than the nightstand?  Technology intruders claim our attention, our thoughts, and our affection.

Try these 7 bedroom boundaries

1. Leave all technology devices (phones, laptops, games, etc) out of the bedroom. 
2. Nightstands are off limits for phones ... even if they're just "charging." 
3. Only the 2 of you belong in your bed ... leave the "followers" in the kitchen.
4. If you're struggling with mental tech temptation, tell your spouse.
5. Practice tech rest periods in the day; mutually agree on the "when."
6. Model boundaries for your children; you'll do their spouse a favor.
7. It's only going to get harder to set boundaries; don't wait any longer.

Boundaries guard opportunities for conversation, affection, prayer, and intimacy.  Remove the distractions to your love life and your quality of rest.   After all, you are your beloved's, and he is yours.  Don't share each other with a phone.

What boundaries will help your bedroom be all it can be? You'll sleep better with boundaries, and you'll enjoy your spouse more, too. 

Be sure to stop over to the Mom Initiative today, where I'm posting about 7 Springtime Ingredients for Growing Children.

Week #2 - Ready Set REACH!

(For those receiving this via email, click on the post title, so you can see all the good stuff. )

If you missed Week #1  of Ready Set REACH! you can click HERE to find out the answer to the question: "What do all people share?"

This week's study answers the question,

"How do people know about God?"

You can download the Week #2 study here in a Scribd document or see it below.

Do the study all in one sitting, or break it up to fit your schedule. Do it on your own, with a friend, or with a team. The study will help you get Ready and Set to REACH! people around you.

Week 2 PDF

The overcomer where you live

If garage door openers are neighbor killers, the answer is found at our mailboxes. Some houses have mailboxes in hallways, at community boxes, or at the edge of the road, so it's more efficient for the postal worker. The solution to the garage door opener problem is the mailbox.


It's the nature of our flesh to look out for OUR best. That's why we do what we can to get parked and inside our house as quickly as we can. 37 Seconds is all it takes me. Who wants to struggle with a heavy door, get wet, or have to walk far with groceries? Not this girl. I appreciate a time and labor saving device. You?

"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor" (1 Cor. 10:24).

To seek the good of our neighbor, do we have to heave the door on our own? Not if you have a mailbox. Taking time to pause at the mailbox provides the perfect opportunity to wave, smile, be seen, or even chat that the garage door opener kills. It leaves room for an opportunity to happen. The mailbox helps us overcome what our efficiency spoils.

How about walking to your mailbox (instead of doing the drive-thru pull up motion), standing there to look through your mail, and then pausing to look around and pray for those living near you ... your Neighbors?  I wonder what might happen if you did.  Could you make yourself stand at your mailbox for 37 seconds? 

It may not win you a prize for efficiency, but that intentional mailbox pause will provide opportunity to seek the good of your neighbor. 

Tomorrow we'll look at Day #2 of the Ready, Set REACH! study designed to help prepare anyone looking to reach out to neighbors where they live or around the world. Next week we'll look at a couple more neighbor killers and how to overcome them. No mail is involved. :)

What else is keeping you from loving your near Neighbor?  I'm going to stand at the mailbox for 37 seconds and think about that ...