Start the count down.

The 21 days until I wake up with a new back. 

To say I am having to pray about a ton of things is an understatement. 

I am not nervous about the actual surgery per-say, I am more nervous that it will be for nothing. I do not want to go through it all only to have pain years from now. 

I also think a big challenge for me will be the resting after. I have been going non-stop for 18 years and to come to a screeching halt seems impossible. 

I have pushed through so much pain for years that to teach my self not to push through this too fast is going to take some leaning on the Lord. 

I have terrible sitting and standing habits and I know ALL of that needs to change to heal properly. I need major prayer in this area because almost 40 years of habits can be hard to break. 

My house. My family. Where do I even start? My kids are often saying that they have to do so many chores and yet they have no idea everything that I do to help them with their measly chores. They will soon find out. I want and I am praying for peace in my home during the next two months. 

I want accomplish a list before hand that is a mile long yet sometime this kind of thing puts me in bed rest to help the back. I am praying for an efficient pace to  finish strong without hurt. 

I love to serve and find it very hard to accept help in return. 

I will have to accept help. I may even have to ask for help. Lord help me. 

I will be writing more to document my thoughts thought out the month as the date gets closer. 

Please say a prayer as you think of my family. 

Why I won't go fully gluten free.

This meal right here is one of my all time favorite meals ever! 

Jumbo pasta stuffed with meat and cheese. 

This time I cooked hamburger meat and ground turkey. In the past I have also added ground pork to add more flavor and that taste amazing too. I mix the hamburger and turkey meat because it is more cost efficient for my family of 7. I would like to only buy the grass fed organic beef but that cost a lot so added the ground turkey still is a healthy option that spreads the meal out more. 

Today I cooked both meats in the same pan ( about 1 lb each, it makes two large serving..remember....large family)  and added salt and pepper to taste and a sprinkle of dried herbs. I just use whatever I have on hand. This time it was rosemary, oregano, basil, and parsley. 

Once it was fully cooked I drained the grease ( hardly any bc leans meats) and added the meat into another pan so it could cool completely. 

In the meantime I shredded a few different kind of cheese. 

I also started a large pot of water and added a pinch of salt. Once it was boiling I added my jumbo pasta. When it was cooked al'denta I immediately put it in ice cold water to stop the cooking and to completely cool it down. 

You do not want to fully cook it because it will go into the oven to finish cooking. After a couple of mins drain out water. 

When the meat has cooled and the pasta is drained you can start the stuffing process. 

A spoon works great but using your (clean) hands works even better. 

Layer the pasta into a casserole dish and sprinkle cheese on top 

And then pour spaghetti sauce. I just used a jarred one from Aldi's and only used half the jar. My kids do not like a lot of sauce. You can add the full jar of you like. 

Lastly cover with lid or aluminum and place in a 350* pre-heated oven for about 20 to 30 mins until cheese is fully melted. 

I made an extra batch to freeze because of my up-coming back surgery. I have not frozen it before so I am hoping it works perfectly. 

Once it is fully heated through take out and serve it up 

This meal is so yummy and such a hit in my house that it is why I can't fully go gluten free

But...

If they ever make these jumbo noodles gluten free then I would be one more step closer.