ITALIAN NIGHT!

Italian. One of my favorite types of food. I'm a sucker for any type of pasta and everytime Publix has any type of pasta or sauce (alfredo, marinara...I don't discriminate) I stock up. Because I know that, when in doubt, you can turn anything into a pasta, and it will turn out delicious 95% of the time! Quick, easy, crowd pleaser.

L to R: Laura, Alison, Brandi, and Julie

Aren't they so cute?!?!

Singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Brandi!! 

(I would also just like to point out to the haters that I am actually in this picture...)

Brandi making a wish :)

In other news... we are heading up a CANNED FOOD DRIVE COMPETITION for the church to help stock the food pantry for The Grace Place this Thanksgiving. The competition will run now through November 19th and will be among the Wednesday night life groups, because a lot of our groups overlap. For example, a lot of us 'Tis-So-Sweeters are also in either the Couples Class or the Best of the Bible class on Wednesday night. The winning group (group with the most items by Nov. 19th) will win a homemade dinner in the fellowship hall on Sunday night, November 23rd. Cooked by us, of course...

So, tonight, we got the drop-boxes ready to put in the life group classrooms, which was, well... interesting...

So...after all that, we finally constructed these adorable collection boxes!! Now, we hope that the church will work just as hard to donate as we worked to take our picture with the boxes!! :)

Enough of that, let's get to the good stuff. Check out this delicious food!

I now present to you...the recipes of the week!!

PASTA SALAD
Contributed by: Alison

1 - 16 oz pkg fusilli (spiral) pasta
3 cups cherry (or sweet) tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb provolone cheese, cubed
1/2 lb salami, cubed
1/4 lb sliced pepperoni, cut in half
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 - 10 oz can black olives, drained
1 - 4 oz jar pimentos, drained
1 - 8 oz bottle Italian dressing

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well to coat with dressing. Serve chilled or room temperature.


SPINACH & CHEESE STUFFED MANICOTTI
Contributed by: Brandi

1 - 10 o pkg frozen spinach, thawed completely & squeezed dry
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
15 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 box (12 to 14 shells) manicotti noodles
3 to 4 cups marinara sauce (1 jar + a little more)
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix spinach, cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir together until well blended. Place approx. 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9x13 inch pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom. Place the mixed filling into a plastic bag. You can use either a frosting piping bag or a gallon zip bag. Snip the corner, gather the top and squeeze the filling into the corner. Hold an uncooked manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow on both sides. Place the filled shell into the sauce-lined pan. Repeat with remaining manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells, until you run out of shells and filling. You should be able to fill 12 to 14 shells - if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra. Cover the pasta with marinara sauce, using about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Romano/Parmesan on top. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to bake, or you can cover with foil and place it in the oven immediately. Bake, covered with foil, 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.


PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
Contributed by: Laura

1 lb ground beef
Salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup Minute Rice
Onion to taste
1 cup water
1 medium can of tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix together the ground beef, salt/pepper, rice, and onion, and shape into golf size balls. Place in a casserole dish. Mix the water and tomato sauce together and pour over meatballs. Bake 1 hour covered on 375F.


ITALIAN PASTA
Contributed by: Julie

1 medium onion, diced
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 stick butter
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
8 oz parmesan cheese
1 pint whipping cream
1 lb diced ham
1 box penne pasta

Saute onion, garlic, mushrooms in butter. Add ham until warm. Add tomatoes and cream. Let cream heat through and then add cheese. Stir occasionally and reduce heat (cheese will stick to pan if left too long on high heat). Boil 1 box penne pasta. Drain and mix all ingredients together.


ROASTED TOMATOES WITH PESTO
Contributed by: Mallory

2 to 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup basil pesto (found mine in the aisle with the pasta sauce)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425F. Set aside a baking sheet. Core the tomatoes and slice them across into slices 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle on salt, pepper, and the oregano. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread each tomato with a spoonful of the pesto and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and cook until the Parmesan is melted and starts to brown, 7 to 10 more minutes. Serve warm sprinkled with a touch more salt.

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I leave you tonight with two things:

1. A picture of my Buddy trying to get out of "bath time"

2. The Word of God
"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:19-20

Thank you Lord for providing me with comfort. I'm so thankful that you can set my heart at rest by being in your presence. You know my deepest desires even when I fail to admit or recognize them. Before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it completely. How precious are your thoughts God! How vast is the sum of them! Search me, God, and know my heart. Lord, I pray that this week, there would be more of you and less of me in my life. That others would see you in me, and that I would see the world through your eyes. In your name, Amen.