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Homemade Rice-a-Roni

One of the things that my family collectively loves is my homemade Rice-a-Roni. Besides being ridiculously yummy, it is also a simple and inexpensive recipe. As a side dish, this recipe feeds us all with leftovers….hallelujah for that! Keep reading for the video and printable recipe.

What things do you make homemade that you can find pre-made at the store? I would love some fresh inspiration!

These basic and inexpensive ingredients is all you need to make Homemade Rice-a-Roni.

A few simple steps to light, flavorful, fluffy rice goodness!

Click here to watch the video

Click here for the printable recipe.

Thanks for visiting!

Be Blessed and be a Blessing,

Rebecca

Tags: American, and a sprinkle of love, baking, baking with kids, belief, believers, Bible, Bible verses, birth, birthday, blessed, blessed mama, blessing, blessings, blog, blogger, bondage, brave, budget, budget friendly meals, budget meals, burdened, care, celebrate, celebration, cheap dinner, cheap meals, cheese, chicken, child, childhood, children, christ, Christ centered marriage, Christian, Christian blog, christian blogger, Christian family, Christian Homemaker, Christian mom, Christian mother, Christian wife, Christian woman, christianity, Christmas, church, comfort, comfort food, cooking, cooking for company, cooking for your family, cooking on a budget, cooking with kids, crock pot, daughter, devotions, dinner, easy, easy dinner, easy dinners, easy meals, easy recipe, easy recipes, easy weeknight dinner, easy weeknight meal, economical, economical meal, economical meals, education, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, everlasting life, faith, faithful, Fall, Fall cooking, family, family dinner, family favorite, family favorite recipes, family friendly, family friendly meal, family fun, family meals, family recipes, family time, fast weeknight dinners, father, food, food ministry, foodie, forgiveness, Freedom, friendship, fun, future, glory, God, God's love, God's work, grace, gratitude, growing up, happiness, happy, happy birthday, health, heart, Heaven, Heavenly Father, Holiday, holiday cooking, Holy Spirit, home, home cooking, home cooks, home education, home school, homemade, homemade rice, homemade Rice-a-Roni, homemade side dish, homemaker, homemaking, homeschool, homeschooler, homeschooling, honor, housewife, humble, hurt, husband, husband and wife, inexpensive meals, intentional, Jesus, jesus christ, journey, Joy, kitchen, Knowing Jesus, learning, leftovers, legacy, life, Lord, loss, love, mama, mama's, marriage, meal ministry, meal plan, meal planning, meals, meals for new mama's, media, memories, menu, menu plan, menu planning, mercy, military, ministry, miracles, mom, mommy, moms next, MOMSnext, MOPS, mother, mother and daughter, mother and daughter baking, motherhood, mothers, parent, parenthood, parenting, parents, party, peace, picnic, Pinterest, praise, pray, prayer, precious, printable recipe, quick dinner, quick dinners, quick meals, recipe, recipes, reflection, respect, rice, Rice-a Roni, salvation, Savior, school, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, side dish, simple, simple meal, simple recipe, simple recipes, simple side dish, simple weeknight meals, single mom, slow cooker, social media, son, summer, teaching, thanksgiving, time, Titus 2, vlog, vlogger, what's for dinner, wife, woman blogger, women, women's ministry, worship, youtube

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Categories Food

Lest we Forget

28 May

I am so grateful for the brave men and women who headed the call and left what was familiar and comfortable for a life of upheaval and uncertainty. Today I pause with reflective prayer to honor those who gave their all…the fallen brave who courageously breathed their last breath defending the country and the people they so loved.

To the families who gather around a grave rather than a grill-my prayer is that our Heavenly Father will fill them with grace, peace, and healing. That they would find comfort in each other and that the sweet memories of their loved ones will sustain them until they are reunited in Heaven. Thank you, for your great sacrifice also!

As you enjoy your 3 day weekend please remember and pray for all the brave men and women in our military. Pray for the mothers and fathers who will never hold their precious boys and girls in their arms again, for the wives and husbands who will never get to live out the hopes and dreams they planned together, and for the precious children who will never feel the tickle of daddy’s whiskers on their cheek or the soft embrace of their mother’s arms again. The burden is too great to let this weekend go by without a heartfelt sense of gratitude for the meaning behind our three day weekend.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Photo credit: Google Images

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Categories Faith, Family, Homeschool

Trading Perfection for Progress

31 Dec

Happy (almost) 2014! This time of year is a symbolic slate clearer. The New Year allows us to reflect on the year past and look ahead at the year to come. We stop and contemplate the changes we want to see in our lives. I am sure most of us are pledging to give up something or start something. I heard that 82% of resolutions fall by the wayside and I am usually no exception! This year, like maybe some of you, I want to give up resolutions….not because I don’t think change is good but because it is usually something fluffy (to be a better person) or vague (to be healthier). I wanted to approach this differently and give depth and substance to change.

Years past, I made my resolutions without considering that maybe the Lord might have some things in mind. I have spent the month of December carefully evaluating the past year and spent some much needed time in prayer. A few themes kept coming up but one really stood out and that will be my theme for 2014.

My theme is Time. I am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. I am a last minute with everything…actually I always say I work best under pressure but the truth is, yes, whatever it may be gets done but the stress really zaps my energy and joy. I vow almost daily to make a schedule and have a plan but when night rolls around I tell myself I will do it tomorrow. So everyday my tomorrows get busier and busier and it is easier to just keep with the same cycle. I really feel the Lord is placing on my heart that I need to be intentional with my time and use my days wisely. I started by taking a week to write down what I generally do in a day from quiet time (but because of poor planning doesn’t take precedence), homeschool, cleaning, cooking, errands, and all the other little things in-between. With a shiny new planner I have a schedule in place (penciled in….of course) including a weekly meal plan. The month of January will be trial and error (one reason everything is penciled in) and fine tuning. I pray that this will lead to a life less harried and that joy abounds in all that the Lord has in store for me and my family.

I think it is important to remember that what I am after is not perfection but progress. I think that is why resolutions in the past have fizzled and died within weeks of the New Year. I need to let go of perfection and excuses…neither lead to progress but to continued failure. A Cycle I am ready to get off. I love that the Lord doesn’t want to leave me where I am. He is working and stretching me to make me more Christ like.

Do you have any resolutions or themes for the New Year? What are some ways you’re intentional in making progress?

I hope you are all having a wonderful celebration with those you love! My prayer for you is that this year you will grow deeper in your faith, that your marriages will be stronger and more passionate, that you will find great purpose in being a great parent, to be more intentional with your friendships, and mostly, to find ways to be a blessing to others. May God guide your paths, comfort you, and give you peace as you embark on a shiny new year!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

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Categories Faith, Family

Marriage in Pieces

8 Oct

I don’t think it is the heat of the moment that kills a marriage but the brick wall that is built after. Holding on to bitterness, being self righteous, and keeping score, little by little builds a wall that is almost impossible to penetrate.

A bad moment can open the door for a real deep intimate connection with your spouse. You can hold a grudge and spend a miserable day taking cheap jabs at each other and spending a long sleepless night clinging to the edge of the bed, rehashing the events, and dreaming of all the things you will say once morning comes. You wake mad, miserable, and exhausted.

We come into a marriage as two selfish, sinful individuals learning, constantly, how to put another’s needs above our own. We easily overlook our own faults but put our spouses under a blinking neon sign. Yes, at first it all seems easy, you’re still reeling in the newness of your relationship. We overlook each others faults and we let little things go. Why? Because love wins (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The mere thought of our spouse’s wonderful qualities seem to outshine their imperfections. The first fight happens, tears are shed, forgiveness happens quickly, and you feel stronger and closer than ever. Then each subsequent argument drags out longer, venom flows easier from our mouths, and grudges are born. When grudges fester bitterness grows. Brick by brick our walls are being built.

Instead of holding that grudge, take the opportunity to offer a prayer for a tender heart. Take a minute to think of all the things you love about your spouse. Somebody has to make the first move and that person can be you. It can be extremely difficult (trust me, I know), especially if you feel you’re right. At the end of the day I would much rather have a strong thriving marriage than another check on my being right score card. Think about how releasing your anger and extending understanding will draw you and your spouse to a place of deeper love, trust, and devotion. Where forgiveness reigns bitterness can’t grow. Instead of spending a sleepless night fuming spend a sleepless night talking and reaffirming the love and respect in your marriage. You can smile about how exhausted you’re by your late night. You’ll both be content because not only did you weather the storm but grew closer because of it.

Let God work through you, not only when your marriage is for better but especially when it is for worse. Sometimes the only life line is the one you throw, it can be heavy but oh so worth it! Don’t let the enemy win.

I love hearing from you. How do you keep bitterness from taking root in your marriage?

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

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Categories Faith, Family

Being Intentional

26 Jul

I am one of those gals that needs to be very careful and intentional with my faith.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home so I lack a lot of the discipline and understanding that happens when you grow up in a faith filled family. Being honest here, I struggle immensely with my worldliness because I have lived and tasted that life, while shallow and lacking in substance, was still thrilling and fun. I sometimes, maybe much like an addict, will see or hear something that gives me a hunger for a lifestyle long (mostly) forgotten. It just sneaks in there without much cause or warning and I am left battling my heart against my flesh. The enemy is tricky and knows where I am weakest. Lucky for me, my God is stronger than my worst temptation and I know the more I seek Him the easier it will become to rely on the promises of our living God.

Romans 12:2 says-“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”. Sanctification can begin as soon as I surrender and seek the will of God in my life but I can’t do this unless I am intentional with that relationship because it doesn’t come naturally-but as time goes on it does get easier. Staying faithful requires endurance, much like a seasoned athlete, it takes careful preparation, training, and focus on the ultimate goal-which for me is having everlasting life.

What do I do to be intentional and remain in the Word? First, I have to keep my Bible in plain sight along with a devotional or Bible study. Why is reading the Bible important? Ephesians 6:11 says-“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” and Ephesians 6:17 goes on to say-“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”. We have to be ready to face the enemy (Ephesians 6:17) and unbelievers (1 Peter 3:15) we do this by knowing the word of God. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus says, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

It is important that I get involved in church and ministries. God wants believers to come together in fellowship. Proverbs 27:17 says ” Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” When the body of Christ comes together we can restore each other (Galatians 6:1 and James 5:19-20), to love and encourage each other (I Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 10:25-27), and to bear each others burdens and to forgive one another (Galatians 6:2 and Cololassians 3:13). By coming together as the body of Christ we become more refined, effective in our calling, and have brothers and sisters in Christ directing us away from temptation.

Finally, I need opportunities to serve and love my neighbors. Romans 12:13 says, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” By doing this, I can be a reflection of Christ’s love. A concrete reminder that being the hands and feet of Christ demonstrates His love for all in a way that is selflessly sacrificial.

My brothers and sisters, how do you stay intentional? I would love to know!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, body of Christ, christ, Christian, christianity, church ministries, Encouragement, enemy, Eternal Vaue, faith, fellowship, God, hospitality, intentional, Jesus, Lord, love, neighbors, prayer, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serve, sin, teaching, temptation, transformation, Truth, unbelievers

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Categories Faith

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Homemade Rice-a-Roni

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Lest we Forget

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Trading Perfection for Progress

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Marriage in Pieces

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Being Intentional

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