Yummy Goodness- A Summer Supper

Several months ago, a collegue and friend, Laura gave the recipe of Healthified Garlic Shrimp Pasta for me to try. It has become a big hit in the Raney household. Not only is it a light dish that doesn't leave you wishing you wore your stretchy pants, it is pretty on a plate, easy to make, and most importantly, DELICIOUS and HEALTHY! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Healthified Garlic Shrimp Pasta

(from www.eatbetteramerica.com- a great resource for healthy eating and cooking)

Ingredients

8 oz. uncooked multigrain angel hair pasta

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

3 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I left this out--we don't do onions)

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic I keep on hand)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I add more for a little spice)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 Tablespoons chopped parsley

2 Tablespoons butter

Steps for Making this Yummy Goodness

1. Boil water in a large pot, and cook pasta according to the package.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp, garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, broth, salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat and add parsley and butter.

3. Drain pasta and stir in cherry tomatoes and baby spinach. 4. Combine shrimp mixture with pasta mixture. 5. Scoop onto a plate, add a little parmesan cheese, and ENJOY!

Bon Appetite!

Be Blessed!

Jenn

Quote...

"The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can."

Robert Cushing

No More "I Can'ts"...

"I can't do it.."' Ever mumbled those words or screamed them for that matter? Oh, I have. Time and time again. How often do we completely doubt that we can accomplish something that is so far out of our "comfort zone"? If you read my blog, you may remember that back in January, I completed the Disney Half Marathon. That is 13.1 MILES! To be honest, I still have a hard time believing that I actually finished without passing out or my legs just falling right off. My husband first presented the idea to me several months before the actual race. I am pretty sure that I laughed right in his face when he suggested that I RUN IT! Was he absolutely crazy?? I could barely run a mile without passing out. Apparently, he saw a lot more potential in me than I saw in myself. I automatically thought those dreaded words, "I can't..". Somehow he convinced me to do it. Training was rough!! I was exhausted everyday after work, and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was run. There were days when I just thought, "I can't do this--why am I even trying??" Those were the days that I look back on, and am so thankful that my hubby pushed me to get out and run (even though at the time, he made me angry--he just didn't understand how TIRED I was!)... I had several great runs during training, but also had several really hard runs leading up to the race. Even on the day of the race, I kept thinking, "There is no way I can do this, this is crazy!" But even though I thought I couldn't do it, I tried to believe that I really could. About a mile or two into the race, I actually started believing that I could do it...I could run 13.1 miles! And I did! I couldn't move the next day, but I ran a half marathon successfully! I literally had tears in my eyes when I crossed the finish line because I couldn't believe I actually accomplished something that, in my eyes, seemed impossible! I learned a valuable lesson through this experience that has carried over to many other areas of my life: If I work hard, stay disciplined, and believe in myself--I can do anything! Satan has a way of placing those "I can'ts" in our heads when in reality the Word says we can do ALL things through Christ. There is something great about challenging yourself, and then working hard to successfully meet that challenge. I am tired of saying "I can't..." and am ready to challenge myself in new ways. What is a challenge you are willing to face??? I love to hear. Be Blessed! Jenn

A Healthy Journey...

I am the worst when it comes to exercising. I do mean the worst. I want to work out. I even like working out sometimes, but when it comes to consistently exercising--I tend to fail everytime.' The last couple of months, I have been taking steps to change many things in the "spiritual" and "emotional" aspects of my life , and now it is time for me to focus on the "physical" aspect . I believe that there is a huge link between "physical" and "emotional." When I am exercising and eating healthy, not only am I taking care of my physical self, but it does wonders for my stress levels and how I see myself. I am going to be completely honest: I have not made it a point to exercise in a long time! My body is feeling it! I can't help feeling convicted--I am not being my best for the God who created me. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have recieved from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." -1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 I want to praise God with every aspect of my life, and that means giving my all to be the best I can be in all areas, including taking care of my physical body. I have decided that for the next few months, I am going to blog about my journey to becoming a healthier me- physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I will be blogging about exercise and nutrition, sharing healthy (and yummy!) recipes, and sharing how the Lord is training me spiritually. My hope is that I will be kept accountable by this blog, and that you, as readers, will be inspired in some small way! Be Blessed! Jenn

A Testimony...

I recently read a blog of a sweet friend and coworker of mine, Kelly, that was about the word testimony. I stole an exerpt from her blog--something I have been dwelling on for a while now. "I come face to face with my relationship with Christ every single day, and each circumstance is a new chance for me to testify my faith in Him." When I think of my testimony, I tend to think about how I came to know Christ. That in itself is a beautiful thing, but our testamonies are so much more than that. Our testamonies are filled with trials and suffering, joy and revelation. Every single moment in our lives can be part of our testimony. God has really laid this on my heart lately... Our trials are what create such a beautiful story of God's love for us--our personal testamonies. I have been thinking about all of the times I have been challenged or hurt or confused in my life. I cannot think of a time when God has NOT been faithful to me. I cannot think of a time when He has not been there for me. And I cannot think of a time when I have been through "a valley" and not learned more about how much our Creator loves me and how GOOD He truly is. What if we endure trials in our lives for the sole purpose of allowing God to be glorified through it??? How can the trials that we have lived through or are going through lead someone else to know the power of God's love??? It almost makes going through tough things in our lives more bearable to know that God will indeed get the glory from it. Our trials are not pointless. My prayer is that God uses the trials in my life, and the joys in my life, to bring glory to Himself. That He will receive praise in the good and the not so good. That He will continue to write my story, my testimony, and through it others will know of His goodness. Be blessed! Jenn

A New Chapter...

First of all, you may have noticed that this is a new blog. I am at a place in life where I just kind of want to start fresh in every area, even my blog. I am ready for a new chapter to begin, and ready to move forth from the things in the past. Hence, "A Work in Progress." I named this blog after the phrase I am consistently having to remind myself of...that I am, indeed, still a work in progress. And there is a lot of work to be done, this is for sure. It is all too easy to look at other women in my life, and think, "Wow, why am I not more like her?" "Why don't I eat all organic food?" "Why is my house always in shambles?" "Why do I hardly ever workout?" "How come I don't have it all together?"... trust me, the list is neverending! The questions can get overwhelming, and then I begin doubting myself all together. This is why I have to constantly remind myself that God is not even close to being done with me. He loves me the way I am. My Senior quote for our high school yearbook was "God loves us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way." I will forever, for the rest of my life on this earth, be revolving and growing. I will never be perfect. Not even close. And I am thankful that God doesn't give up on me! My longing is that I truly find my worth in Christ. That we as women, find our worth in Christ alone. That when I look at myself, I see God's hand at work, and not my millions of flaws and imperfections. I am learning to embrace that God is shaping me each and everyday and it is through my flaws that He is glorified. "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry of fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gently and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3: 3-4 Blessings and Joy, Jenn