so…. Sonny was laid off from his Lead Network Administrator job last wednesday! that morning, i was finishing up nursing Dego and simultaneously saying a prayer of thanks to God out loud. i never want to get in the habit of always asking God for things…. it shouldn’t be like that. so i randomly started saying thank you for everything i could think of that i might have taken for granted! until i was interrupted by Sonny’s phone call. ‘welp, i just got laid off!’ was the first thing he said, which was followed by an ‘oh wow…’ from me. my initial, honest reaction in my head though was ‘really, God??well, we’re listening.’ Sonny had been preparing for this day, hence his Facebook status:
and warning me about the ongoing employee cutbacks other companies were making. however, i still have a bad habit of thinking we are somehow exempt and that ‘those kinds of things’ can’t happen to us. ha! every once in a while i have to be reminded that His plans > our plans. sometimes when we find ourselves floating down that comfy, stagnant river, He will abruptly turn the boat right on over. thankfully, we have been presented with some really awesome opportunities as well as more time to focus on our fitness company, 6 Pack USA. for that, we are extremely grateful! i’m most excited about Sonny having more time to spend with his boys, especially at their ages. looking for the good in a seemingly tragic situation is not easy,
but when you place your future in His hands completely there is absolutely no room for stress and/or worry. i snapped that pic of Sonny heading out the door friday (well, barely, he wouldn’t slow down lol) for his last official day. we are boldly stepping out on faith and ready for this new plot twist in our story. here we go!
i am a mac & cheese freak!!!!! Luby’s is where i get my fix if it’s not homemade. it’s prolly my fave comfort food besides pizza. aaaand if it ain’t creamy, it just ain’t right.
this recipe is lightened up and full of VEGGIES. most important, the creaminess factor is still strong, as it should be.
my veggies of choice: fresh asparagus and portabella mushrooms. broccoli would work very well here too.
the secret to this recipe’s cheesy sauce: butternut squash!!! see, veggie-packed.
cheese choice is up to you, but i went with part-skim mozzarella.
i’m not sure how it would work with almond or rice cheese, but if you try it let me know! that would make this entire dish dairy-free.
any type of pasta works here: penne, corkscrew, bowtie, maccaroni, whatever! and you can sub whole wheat pasta as well.
i ate some just like this before baking cause i could not resist!
Veggie Packed Cheesy Mac
the stuff:(source)
- 1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cashew milk
- 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 2 tbsp Toffuti dairy-free cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheese of choice
- 1 lb cooked pasta
- 1/2 lb vegetable of choice
- 2 tbsp shallot, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- optional: 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs for topping
do this:
- pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and coat a large 13 x 9 baking pan with no-stick cooking spray
- in a large saucepan, combine butternut squash, chicken broth, milk, and shallots and bring to a boil.
- let simmer for about 20 min or until squash is tender
- cook pasta while squash mixture is simmering
- pour hot squash mixture in your blender and add cream cheese, salt, and pepper
- blend until super creamy and smooth
- add squash mixture back to your sauce pan and sprinkle in your shredded cheese
- stir until combined and melted
- add all veggies and cooked pasta, stir until combined, then transfer to your prepared baking dish
- sprinkle optional whole wheat bread crumbs over the top (i toast my own wheat bread then make crumbs via my food processor) and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned
makes 8 (cups) servings!
stats per serving: 261 cals, 7g fat, 38g carbs, 15g protein
happy monday, peeps!
le
fit foodie le 
I read your post about forehead acne . I am three months pregnant and its is horrible . I don’t know what to do . Any advice ??! I’m using 5%benzoly peroxcide ?? Please help
Thank you
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I feel bad about the lay off but please know that I will keep you guys in my prayers. Keep the faith and know that GOD has other plans for Sonny. I hope he finds out what they are soon! It would be nice if GOD had an email address so we could email him our concerns and even nicer if he responded back!
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hey Susan! funny, i let myself get sad about it for one second and Sonny told me to stop cause i was bringing HIM down! if he was still in good spirits then my worries were a waste of time and energy. thank you sincerely for your prayers. p.s. if God had an email address he would prolly block me from sending too many urgent emails LMBO
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I love the way you & Sonny handled it! You’re a living testimony and an inspiration to many. The Will of God will never take you where the grace of God won’t protect you. You all are safe in His arms! Be encouraged! And I’m trying this recipe soon!!
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thank you for your encouragement, Brittany! enjoy the recipe, girl 🙂
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Oh man, that is def some off putting news but I love your positive spin on it. The only thing you can do is push on and see what new things present themselves. Really awesome of you to share this but more so share your wonderful perspective on it all. That is what sets you apart from others. Keeping your family on my mind and hoping all things fall into place that allow you all peace of mind and continued happiness.
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we appreciate those thoughts and prayers, Meghan! staying positive over here and ready to watch Him work in our lives. We are determined to be lights for him through the highs and especially the lows. thank you SO much for sharing, lady ❤
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His ways are not our ways. when things don’t work out as they should, it’s because He is trying to lead us in another direction.
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well we are definitely looking and listening for His instruction and guidance at this time. thank you so much.
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