What's For Dinner: Lasagna!

What I used:

2lbs hamburger meat*
6 lasagna noodles
Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg
about 10oz oz diced tomatoes*
About 3 cups ricotta cheese*
8oz shredded mozzarella
(2) 8oz can tomato sauce*
6oz tomato paste
Garlic Powder
Parsley Flakes
Oregano
Basil
S&P

This pic doesn't include everything... lol.


*The original recipe lists 1.5lbs meat, (1) 8oz sauce, 7.5oz dice tomatoes, and 2 cups of ricotta. I just amped them up a bit.

------------------------

- Preheat oven to 375.

1. Boil noodles, strain. I laid them out on a plate afterward to help keep them from sticking.


2. Cook hamburger meat & 1 tsp garlic powder** on med-high.


3. Add tomatoes, paste, and sauce to meat. Add 1 tsp of oregano and basil, and 1/2 tsp of s&p. After it starts to boil, reduce heat to med-low and cook 15 min.


4. Mix ricotta cheese, egg, 1 tsp of parsley (not shown), and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in medium bowl.


5. I think this was a 9x13 dish... Spray with Pam or any cooking spray. Layer 3 noodles, half ricotta/parmesan mix, half meat, half mozzarella. Repeat. Sprinkle a little parmesan on top.




6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes!
Sorry, no picture for this... I'm refrigerating mine for a couple of hours and baking it later (so it's hot when we're ready to eat!)

I'm fixing salad and rolls to go with it. :)

I have read that you can also do this ahead of time and freeze it. Just thaw & bake when you're ready for it. I'm going to do that -- it'd help me manage my long days of school & work!

Excluding the noodles, seasonings and egg... remaining lasagna ingredients, rolls, as well as things for a salad (carrots, cucumbers, tomato & lettuce) cost about $26. Not too bad if you ask me, considering the amount of food it yields! We need a lot of food... haha. I also made a chocolate cheesecake, but didn't get photos. :( That'll be my next food post! :)

Enjoy!

New Years Resolutions?

Yes, I have some. Quite a few, actually!

No particular order.
1. Read my Bible every day. I have trouble keeping it consistent.
2. Get back to working out 3x/week - no excuses. I love the way it makes me feel and it keeps me healthy, and well, I like being fit.
3. Drink water more often. I try to drink at least 3 glasses a day, but I fail at drinking 8.
4. Figure out what major I want/what career I want. God help me.
5. Get back into guitar playing.
6. Learn new recipes. I know I can do this. :P
7. Incorporate 80s/rock inspired pieces into my style. Eh, seems like something fun to go for... lol.
8. Clearer skin, please.
9. Watch more comedy movies. I've seen a few lately, but there's a whole list of movies I haven't...
10. Try my hand at photography. Like, a professional style, kinda.
11. At least attempt modeling, whether or not it actually happens. I'm hoping to help some photography students at school if the opportunity arises... I read a few "want ads" for that, but it was way past when they were actually written. That'd be pretty awesome and fun!
12. Buy a pair of black heels. Cause I don't have any and I want some.
13. Save even more money. ;)
14. Feel like my age. You know, continue to have more fun, all of that. Sometimes I feel like I should be in my mid- or late twenties for some reason. Guess cause of all that I've been through.

15. Have the best birthday party ever. ;]
16. Find a new church.
17. Get my ears pierced. This probably won't happen... lol. But it's a good goal, I guess!

18. Spend more time with my dad. I do a lot already, but more won't hurt.
19. Don't underestimate myself.
20. Read more. Gotta find some good books.
21. Take more pictures with friends. I'm lacking photos!

I guess that's all for now. I have some of these written down and posted in my room. :]

Kalikimaka

Mmm, great Christmas! Had a great time this weekend. (: Toooo much awesome food! Got some Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses... THEY ROCK! I love how no one can see me through the lens, haha. >:D My dad got me a gps so I'll quit stealing his... lol.

I just got home a few hours ago. I've been cleaning up and stuff since I've been here, and I have a complete list of stuff I need to do here tomorrow - take decorations down, lots of laundry, aklshgagkadg a LOT.

That's... all.

Rant.

Sorry, I just have a lot of things on my mind at the moment that I need to get out.

Someone in my family called and left a message last week and I still haven't called them back. I think I'll do that tomorrow, but I don't know what to say.

I wish my mom was still here.

I really love Christmas time, but I think the one thing that irks me the most is when people think they have to spend tons of money to get "impressive" gifts. It's possible to get perfectly awesome presents and save money at the same time. I should know. :) Gifts are great, and I love getting something new just like everyone else, but it doesn't have to be expensive. I feel terrible when my dad spends a lot of money on stuff for me. Speaking of dad, that reminds me: I don't quite understand the concept of a parent giving their kid money to buy the PARENT'S gift(s), if they don't at least work for it. (I don't mean an actual job, cause I myself don't have one.) My dad always says "I'll give you some money so you can pick me out some stuff." *sigh* [[At least do chores/help out/do stuff to earn it!]] The money I've spent for Christmas came from me saving here and there from couponing, and selling stuff on eBay. I'm also big on getting discounts, so next time you go shopping, google "storexxxx printable coupons." ;)   

I have no respect for people who lie. Period. Especially when even confronted and found out, they STILL won't admit it. And then I'M to blame?!?!

akjdsdhaklhgsbihgnskdg.

I ordered a pair of weight lifting gloves for my dad via Amazon... since I have the free Amazon Prime (for college students), I got free 2-day shipping as usual. They're supposed to be here tomorrow... I just hope they're here in the morning or early afternoon before we leave for Christmas stuff. >.< Oh, I think they're the same brand as a pair he had before [for like 10 years o.o]. He doesn't remember the brand, but Dick's Sporting Goods didn't have the brand name on their site, so that helped me narrow it down a bit... they better at least be good quality.

I went to Bed Bath & Beyond today. I had moments of future planning - for my own house. It's gonna rock. >:D

I wish I could teleport. I'd go somewhere in the Caribbean to get a few hours of sun, and be right back for Christmas.

I love Christmas crowds, but OMG, it brings out some of the most horrible drivers.

There's a lot more, but I'm too tired to think of it. Maka'i po.

Step inside, walk this way.

Not much goin on here. It's 1:53am as I type, and I guess I'll go to bed in a minute. I'm thinking... Wednesday is gonna be a shopping day. Thrift stores and mall? VS start's their semi-annual sale today (technically it is Tuesday already) and I think Bath and Body Works does too. Usually, if you don't go the first couple of days, you won't get what you want. I always go towards the end, too, cause there is usually a good discount available to use with it.

I really need to list some things on eBay, and get it out of my house. I put everything on pause when school started, and got about halfway done with listing [some] things. Not only is it good money, but I need more space!

Well,
yeah.

Oh, and I'm wondering when FB is gonna decide to import this. It's now 2am, 4/15/10.

An Interesting Read

I just started reading This Present Darkness again. I'm on chapter 19. :] 

I also found an article today, and I thought it was pretty interesting. There is one thing I'd like to add, though. The "Good Man" is a Christian, too. Anyway, here it is:

Hear me out in this one.

Whenever I think of both the women who complain about the nice guy, and the ones who talk about them, I wonder if the girls are aware they might be using the wrong terms for what they want. To me, I think that the man that they are really looking for is a good man, not a nice guy.

What I keep noticing sometimes is that when you are single and looking for a guy who sweeps you off your feet, some people constantly asks for the nice guy, when you really mean the good man. The nice guys are shy, and aims never to piss off to offend the woman in anyway, therefore getting no significant rises to make yourself interesting. The good man is a fair balance who knows his role as a man and as a lover. He's assertive, logical and fair with his love. He doesn't mind hurting or even crying for the love he has, but he also has the strength to stand back on his own two feet afterwards.

When he is in love, you can bet that his heart is yours and vice versa for keeps. He understands that when you want love, you don't want the guy who goes ridiculously overboard and smothering with his love. Just enough to assure you that the love is real. If by chance the love doesn't seem to go right, then he will do what he can to talk about it with his girl, assuming she wants to talk about there being an ending.

If you want to be treated like a queen, the good man doesn't mind doing that, as long as you both don't expect it or take him for a doormat. 


Basically, the good man has a backbone, knows what he wants out of life, is both nice and naughty, and is capable of treating you with the respect you deserve. Not all of them are exactly romantic or like the Stepford husband, but a good man does his part in love and in life to keep you satisfied. Basically, the good man is a little more well-adjusted.

Haaaayyyyy

I have like 3 and a half days til my birthday! And the BEACH! Can't wait. <3

I love my haircut! :DDDDD It's soooo lightweight, lol, which is what I wanted. It may be hard to tell in pictures, but the ends have been thinned out (but I still have length!) and the rest got chopped/layered/razored. I got fringe bangs, too. I'm not quite sure if I'll always wear them that way but at least I can if I want... I like them. <3

I recorded The Apprentice last night... I already heard that Bret Michaels won, but I'm about to watch it anyway! I'm so glad he won, he's gotta be the coolest person I've ever seen on that show.  :D

By the way, I'm so sad that The Vampire Diaries won't be on for a while. :(

I'm an 80s girl.

I wish I had been born back during the 80s. It has the absolute best music apart from new country... but sometimes I like it more than country music. It's just that the songs were so real, and pure sounding, because people didn't do voice-overs and tweak their songs so dang much to make it sound good. There were actually people who could sing WITHOUT music. There are some now, too, but not like it used to be.

*shrug*
Whenever I go shopping again, I'll be updating with some more rockish style clothing. I wanna be in the mix of beachy rock. LOL.

And I'm gonna get my hair cut before my birthday... it's a guaranteed thing. ;P I'm gonna keep it long, but I want something different. Not sure what yet. It won't be too major considering I'd never dye my hair or have highlights put in it. I just want to be able to tell I got it cut, and I want something more light, cause my hair is soooo thick.

so... it's 1:32. I think I need to go to bed if I want to actually get up in the morning.
I may be out of school, but I have a lot of cleaning that needs to be done, and frankly, I'd rather not have to do during the weekend.

<3

A few obsessions...

I cleaned up after I got home today. Put clothes in the wash, cleaned the kitchen, and swept. I opened the cabinet door under the sink to grab some spray cleaner for the counters and I thought "OMG I've got to get some more Swiffer refills!!!!!!!!! >:[ And this spray bottle is almost empty. I'm so glad I have like 5 more bottles downstairs!!! <3333"

...Is that weird?

I mean, I got freakin' excited because I have more cleaning supplies stocked up. Thanks to couponing, I have a few boxes of Swiffer cloths (but I go through them fast) and a lot of clorox wipes, all-purpose spray cleaner, handsoap, and dish liquid. It's like, unreal. And I don't even have 1/4 the amount that some people do, but I'm SO HAPPY!!!

Anyway. I realized some some new obsessions today.

1. I love cleaning supplies. Not all of them, but I have favorites. Lysol/Clorox wipes, All-Purpose cleaner of any kind, and my swiffer stuff.
2. If I start cleaning one small area, I have to clean the rest of the house. It's inevitable. 
3. I love ogling at my small little stockpile I'm slowly building. I love it because it makes me happy to look at all of the stuff I love using, that I got FREE. I'm thinking of taking a few pics just to document where I'm at now and compare it to a few months from now.

Yep, that's me. Sometimes I feel like a crazed housewife. 

Get. Me. Out. Of. HERE!

20 days until I'll be at the beach! I'll be 19! :D So excited.

I can't wait to get out of here. Out of the house, out of Birmingham, down to the beach. I need it bad. I have such a reduction in my stress amount that it's not even funny. Is it possible for the ocean, sun, and sand to be a bad thing? Heck no. When I'm there, I don't have problems. I don't have anything to worry about. I'm away! 

I have finals this week. PreCal Monday, Spanish Tuesday, and CP Wednesday. -.- I'm ready for it to be over.

<3

Clothes.

I need to update my wardrobe. :[ I need $ to make that happen, LOL. I can't wait til I'm out of school, because I'm gonna start back selling on eBay. I tried it DURING school, but it just adds to my load of stress and doesn't work.

I'm going to the beach for my birthday!!! :D I'm so happy. Tanning, skimboarding, ooooo I can't wait. I'll come back dark, tired, and skinned up (most likely). BRING IT ON! >:]

I have $30 in gift cards to use at VS by the end of the month... I'm gonna get a swimsuit. Not sure which one but I have a few picked out. Definitely a strapless one, though. So cute. :D I'm gonna look for one at PacSun too.

But yeah, I want some new summer clothes. Dresses, really. And some gladiator sandals. I'm in love with those!

Something new.

I'm gonna make a new layout for this blog. A different color theme, at least. I got an idea for a really cool background but I dunno yet. I wish I remembered CSS coding, because I'd love to make a new layout from scratch.

Oh well. I have music on here now! :D

Whataya want from me?

Oh wow, I love that song. It's the first song of Adam Lambert's that I've listened to - he performed on AI last week and sang it. I LOVE IT! I bought it on iTunes. :) I may get the album, but I dunno.

Go find it on mixpod or playlist, I'm sure one of them has it. Or YouTube the performance. I'd post it, but I'm getting close to my monthly 5Gb limit, and it doesn't reset til the 23rd @ midnight. >:[

He is such a great artist. I know he's gay and all that, but he's still an amazing singer, and his stage presence is really unique.

[[I wouldn't even try, but I think you could save my life.]]

I updated the April savings section over on the right... for the most part. I still have a few things to add to it, but they're very small. I'm so happy with the savings percentage!!!

It's been a little over 4 years.

56 days til my birthday.
can't wait.
don't know what i'm doing yet, though...

I actually got a lot done around the house yesterday, apart from the usual cleaning. I found things I didn't want to find. I cleaned out all the bottom cabinets, and a few things were in there that I remember seeing at one point in my life but that's about it. The thing is, I haven't really wanted to clean places like the spare bedrooms, because I just don't know what to do with the stuff. These kitchen cabinets were a little easier though because, well, there weren't really "memorabilia" things in it. But I did find two Softball National Champs patches, and a couple of other things in a box.

When it comes to cleaning places that hold items that aren't mine, I just... don't know. I don't want to throw them away, because they're my mom's, and I want every connection with her possible. I know I SHOULD throw them away, because I don't need them, won't use them, etc, but it's still hard. Sometimes I can make myself do it, but other times I begin to clean, then stop and put things right back where they were and give up.

I'm sick of it, though. I'm sick of never having enough strength to do things. It's not that I can't do it, I just... won't. Sometimes I feel like I'm falling to pieces, even as much as try to act like I'm not.

But y'know, that's how it is spiritually too. We find things that mean something to us and won't give them up. [I'm not speaking of good things anymore], but bad ones. We like keeping those things because we desire them, need them. But the truth is, we don't. They're ruining our lives. Killing us inside and out. Characteristics, physical items, morals...

Do you think God wants us to keep unGodly things in our life?

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

I know I'm not always a good Christian, but that doesn't mean God doesn't care about me, and that I can't fix my life, no matter how far I've gotten.

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. - 1 John 5:5

A note for you

I took that pic! (:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul." Deuteronomy 10:12

I love this verse! When I find one I like I usually write in somewhere, like in my planner, somewhere in my room, a piece of paper in my purse, or in a notebook. I do it because I'll stumble across it in a few days and it'll be a good reminder. Sometimes when I get so far away, that's what I need to help get me back on track with God. Even if I'm not, it's still something small that will guarantee a lift in my spirits. So whenever you come across a verse that makes you smile, feel good, or just gives you hope, write it down. When you see it again, you'll smile. Trust me. (:

Spring cleaning.

Well, since it's spring break... time for spring cleaning. >:/
It's not that bad, though. Add music and it's a good time. ;) The Man Who Can't Be Moved by The Script is one of my favorite songs EVER.

I just weighed in at 123... that's a low for me (in the past 6 months). Hm, oh well. I worked out this morning, though - I seriously need it.

My basement is like total chaos right now (not that it wasn't already like that...) but now even more so since I've drug out everything to clean and such, and I don't concentrate in one spot at a time - I can't concentrate on one at a time... I look at something else that needs to be done and then I quit what I'm currently doing to go over to it.

My mind just isn't built normal. I'm okay with that.

Today's Trip

Mkay so I went to Publix and Walgreen's today... did pretty good. :]

Publix -
Total: $119.89
OOP: $47.15
Saved: $72.74 [61%]

Here are only the "free" items I got [after store sales & coupons]



Walgreens -
Total: $34.21
OOP: $3.91
Saved: $30.3 [88%]

WG items:

yay makeup! :D the eyeliner is hard to see, but they're sooo pretty.

Ramblings

The rain just completely ruined the day.

It seems as if there is something bad happening every day, or close to it. A fire, an earthquake, something. Sometimes I feel as if this is beginning of the whole Revelation period, and in a way it is, I mean, it's all a beginning at one point. But when will it actually happen?

I think a lot of people aren't expecting it to happen any time soon - Christian or not. Sure there are probably some, but with the way things are going right now it doesn't seem as if anyone is concerned with what's going on and the fact that one day it WILL happen.

I dunno. That probably makes no sense.

I'm so sick of listening to the news. It's just one thing after another. And will they please just SHUT UP about the gambling!!!! "oh, let's meet and work it out." "Oh, gambling is illegal." "Oh, I don't know." Please, just make it illegal and be done with it. THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

It just seems like the society as a whole is going down the drain and no one is willing to step up for what's right. Like there is no God.

But guess what? THERE IS.

Now that I'm done with that, I think I'll go take some Advil. my back is absolutely killing me.

<3

Oh, pray for the family of Layla Grace. She died today at 2 years old due to cancer.

A few things

First, I wish I could speak to the person who chained their dog to a vehicle and drug them... (the dog somehow lived). WHAT is wrong with you? How would you feel if someone chained you to a car and did that? Seriously?

Second, I cannot WAIT 'til summer. I need warm weather. Sunshine. Water. A tan.

Third, I just thought I'd post a little bit on myself. (:
You may or may not know these...

...I figure I'm pretty dang unique. I'm a Christian. I'm 1/4 Hawaiian. I'm not all-out country but I'm not ashamed to be called so, because I like it. I really love the oldies rock, and like the overall rock&roll style. Clothing, hair, etc. I'm athletic, but I also like dressing up and just being pretty. I really do like to be crazy and just have fun when I get the opportunity. I like who I am. (:

...I frequently miss the correct exit, turn, etc. if I don't really know where I'm going or I haven't been there before. This really only happens when I'm trying to find something that's located amongst a ton of other things...

...I can't stand it when I'm walking in the store or anywhere crowded and someone just STOPS right in front of me. And if you're gonna stop for more than a few seconds, at least move off to the side so people don't trip over you or run into someone else trying to go around you.

...If you ever find me in a grocery store, please don't think I'm going to be in a hurry. I take my time unless I'm like tired or I just want to leave/go home.

...I wish I could find people to take pictures of. I'd really like to take pictures of shadows, you know like people walking, or something. And just for the fun of it, I would really love to get those really cool pictures taken on the beach - you know, like sitting in the sand, in the water, walking along the shore, sitting on the rocks, just pretty pictures. (: But I can't take them myself, OF myself... hahaha. I'd love to make my own portfolio of pictures I've taken - I think photography is one of the easiest but sometimes hardest type of art.

...I've always wanted to have a "movie marathon." Just get a bunch of movies I've never seen and watch them one evening/night.

A realization

Today... was long. Very long. Didn't have to get up but I woke up at 6am without my clock, got up, went back to bed 10min later. Got up again at 9.

I read something yesterday that just struck me... You can't ignore the fact that you're a Christian.

I go day-to-day with my usual routine. I get in the habit of not reading my Bible - a lot. But, ya know, there's always that one little thought in the back of my head telling me who I am. I'm a daughter of God. I'm not some stranger that roams the city going in and out of places, not some random person who He decided to become a part of. He chose me [in a sense]. I can't run from it. That's a good thing.

People who don't keep Him involved in their lives regularly get totally away from everything. I've been one of these people more than once and I always will be... I get this empty feeling; I need something... I need Him.

Last week I went to the Hoover Library. I was looking around the fiction books for something by Peretti. There was a guy on that aisle looking at other books. I picked up one from the shelf and was flipping through it, and he asked if I had any good recommendations, cause he was new to reading Peretti's books. I told him he should read Piercing the Darkness, and explained the basic idea of it; It's Christian fiction, but a non-Christian would enjoy it just as much (and hopefully it'd be of some help to them), just to throw that out there... I'm not sure if he was saved or not because I didn't ask. I regret not doing so, but if he's not I hope that reading that book opens up a new perspective for him.

Maybe one day I can be an impact on someone. I may not know if I am (like the book thing)... but if it meant helping someone spiritually, i'm perfectly fine with that.


*** Have you ever looked fear in the face and said "I just don’t care?" ***