Believe in the Magic Traci Diary

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  • Getting more bang for your buck – Writing Scripture – Setting up (Part 1)

    Instead of just reading the Bible, I take an active route to understanding and learning God’s word.

    Two ways I have done that are through live readings on Facebook and then dissecting what I have read to try to make sense of what I had just read and by writing scripture. Today I’m going to start to discuss how I write scripture.

    First

    How do I find the verses that I’m going to write? I have found Sweet Blessings. She provides a scripture writing plan each month based on a theme like contentment and forgiveness. She doesn’t label them by the date instead she labels them by Day 1, etc . . . so you can pick up whenever you want to pick up with the writing plan.

    Another one is Symphony of Praise’s Inscribe the Word. She also provides monthly scripture writing plans based on a theme.

    Go whichever one that makes you comfortable.

    Second

    Find a notebook and pens that you can use to keep track of the Bible verses you write. I love using Flair pens or the Sharpie fine pens because of color. I get my notebooks from WalMart. However, it’s up to you to decide what you are going to use. It needs to feel comfortable to you.

    Third

    Do you need a physical Bible to do this writing exercise? Honestly, no. You could certainly use Bible Hub or Bible Gateway instead of a physical Bible. I would highly suggest having a Bible and also using Bible Gateway, which by the way has an app that is wonderful. Why would I want both? There are many different translations to the Bible. You might find one that is comfortable to you but may want to read it in a different translation. The Bible Gateway allows you to do that.

    Fourth

    Translations – What do you mean there are different translations of the Bible? Yes, there are a whole bunch of different translations from the King James version to the New International Translation to the Message. Use the Bible Gateway to see which translation feels comfortable to you. Each one may have just a slight different way to say the same thing.

    Fifth

    Today’s final piece of advice is to find a sacred place for you to commune with God. You will be communing with God while you are writing the Scripture. HE wants you to be in his word. So make a place the you can read HIS word. Once again, you need a place you feel comfortable.

    As you can see, the key word is comfort. If you don’t feel comfortable while being with God, then you are less likely to want to commune with God. By the way to commune means feel in close spiritual contact.

    Next time, I’m going to discuss what I do AFTER I’ve written the scripture.

    May you be blessed,
    Traci

  • Through the years

    Back in 1996, I had the pleasure of meeting the boys’ godfather. We were on the same dorm floor. Even though his ex-girlfriend was my roommate, our friendship remained.

    After I met my husband, they also became friends.

    When the boys were born in 2003 and 2005, we made the decision to have Dave, our friend, be their godfather. One of my favorite things to do on occasion is to take a photo of them together.

    Yesterday, Hubby ran errands with him and ended up getting food. They didn’t want to eat in the car, so they came over here to eat. Youngest has grown a good half a foot since they have seen each other face to face. They usually talk to him on the phone.

    I told them I needed an updated photo before Hubby took Dave home. You’ll see why when you see the photos from yesterday’s photo shoot.

    At Youngest’s baptism in 2004 – Oldest was 2 and wasn’t having the picture taking.

    This was in 2011. I love Dave’s shocked face in the photo.

    This is in 2012. Trying to get a 7 and 9 year old to take a serious photo was difficult.

    Thanksgiving 2014 – A little better with the photos.

    This is them in 2015.

    2016

    May 2017

    These are the photos from yesterday. The boys are now 15 and 17. Actually, Oldest doesn’t turn 17 until Saturday but close enough.

    Ever since losing family members, I’m a believer in getting photos of those you love. These boys love Dave. He’s taught them how being visually impaired doesn’t mean you can’t fix computers and go to college. (He’s been blind since birth.) They are lucky to have him in their lives. He’s not only our friend and their godfather, but he’s also family.

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Mom, What’s For Dinner? Week of July 5, 2020

    Here is our menu for the next week.

    Under the menu, I’ll link some of the recipes if there are recipes from this blog.

    Hamburgers

    Bramble Beans

    Bramble Beans

    Roasted Potatoes

    Brown Sugar Ham

    Oldest has also requested cream soda ice cream if we can find the cream soda. He would like to have that for his birthday.

    I already made the granola for next week. Yum!

    My wish is you have found inspiration for dinner next week.

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Fort George, Ontario – Part 2

    Part 1

    The coolest part of the whole tour of Fort George was seeing the demonstration on how they put together a musket together. Before the demonstration, they divided the crowds into 2 groups – those who spoke English and those who spoke French.

    Then we went to visit the Blacksmith area.

    Views from around the fort. As you can see, Youngest was not in the mood for photos. He was a new 14 year old and well he was in that don’t take my photo stage of life. Well, actually a year later, he is still in that phase.

    These photos are from the officers’ quarters. As you can see, they had it much nicer than the soldiers’ barracks.

    I’ll continue with my tour of Fort George in another post.

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Mom, What’s For Dinner? – Week of June 29, 2020

    One night last week, my now 15-year-old walked into the kitchen as I was cooking and said, “What’s for dinner?” Even 10 years after I started this blog and began to put our meal plan up on the blog, he is still asking the same question.

    So, what is for dinner this week?

    Grilled Cheese sandwiches, fruit, cucumbers, fried potatoes

    Beenie Weenies – Side dishes to be determined

    Spaghetti, sourdough bread that I got at Jungle Jim’s

    Either cilantro lime chicken with rice or leftovers

    You are on your own.
    The kitchen is closed.

    4th of July
    Hubby has to work so I’m probably going to do breakfast for dinner and then do the 4th of July food on Sunday.

    On Tuesday, I’ve got 2 professional development classes in the afternoon, so I needed something easy that can be cooked in the slow cooker. That way the food will be done at a reasonable time. However, it doesn’t matter because Kung Fu and Scouts are on hiatus right now. Hubby doesn’t work on Tuesday. I probably will be exhausted after the two classes and not want to cook.

    I’m meeting one of my best friends for lunch on Wednesday afternoon. The spaghetti is another easy meal to prepare. Plus the family loves it. Okay, not Oldest but the rest of the family loves it.

    I hope my menu helps you with planning out your meals for the week.

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Fort George, Ontario – Part 1

    A year ago, I traveled to London, Ontario with Youngest. Then we visited Niagara on the Lake before spending time in Niagara Falls.

    In Ontario, when you drive on the On-401, they have rest stop areas called On-Routes. The On-Routes are about an 100 km, I believe. When we traveled between Toronto and Detroit, we stopped at all of the On-Routes. When I planned the trip last year, I hoped to stop at one of those On-Routes.

    So what are On-Routes? It’s like the travel plazas on the different toll roads in the United States except it’s on the main highway. There is usually a Tim Horton’s, Starbucks, and other food vendors. There is also a convenience store, bathrooms, and a gas station. Free WiFi is offered at the On-Routes.

    Here are some of the photos from the On-Route I was able to get to last year. I apologize for the fuzzy photos. As you can see, there is also a microwave and massage chairs for travelers.

    I stopped there for my breakfast. Then, I continued on my way to Niagara on the Lake. We wanted to meet my friend. We were combining 2 trips into one. It was Youngest’s 14th birthday trip and also my EPIC trip with my friend. We only see each other once a year.

    We decided to meet up at Fort George which is located just outside Niagara on the Lake.

    Everything was in both English and French. This is a difference between attractions like that and ones in the United States. This bilingual presentation sets them apart. They demonstrated how to use a rifle from the 1700s. This was done in both English and French. It was interesting.

    Once you pay with either Canadian or American money, you receive a token. You give this token to the gate master (don’t know the real name of the guy). We waited for my friend because she had trouble getting across the border. Some border patrol people give you the 10th degree. Others just ask you the basic questions. Then they allow you to continue on your journey.

    Beginning our tour. Fort George was a British fort. It protected Canada from the Americans during the War of 1812. There are different buildings that were in the fort when it was in operation. People dress in period clothing which add to the experience.

    Inside the soldier’s barracks:

    I’ll continue with my tour of Fort George in another post.

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Johnny Marzetti – Updated

    One of my mom’s favorite meals was Johnny Marzetti. When I was Googling the history of the name of Johnny Marzetti, I noticed a lot of the recipes bake it. The difference with my recipe is that I don’t. My recipe is more of an American goulash.

    It was named after a restaurant in Columbus that shut down in 1972 when the owner died.

    When I made it this week, I modernized or added some depth to the spaghetti sauce that I used in the dish. I added a splash of dry red wine while the sauce was simmering. So delicious!

    It’s a simple pantry item dish. Here’s what you need to make the dish.

    1. ground beef – I know the price for ground beef has increased. I get the frozen ground beef at this current time because it is cheaper.
    2. spaghetti sauce – I used a simple spaghetti sauce from Aldi. Less than a dollar for the jar.
    3. dry red wine – Doesn’t need to be expensive. Or use beef broth for a deeper flavor.
    4. onions
    5. elbow macaroni – Aldi has 3 pound boxes for less than $1.50
    6. shredded cheddar cheese
    7. Spices: Dried oregano and Italian seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste
    8. optional: mushrooms and green peppers

    Johnny Marzetti

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 pound of ground beef
    • 1 small onion, chopped or 1/2 of a medium or large onion, chopped
    • 1 (24 to 26 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
    • 2 Tbsp. dry red wine or beef broth
    • 1 lb or 2 c. dry elbow macaroni
    • 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
    • Optional: 1/4 c. white or Bella mushroom, chopped
    • Optional: 1/2 green pepper chopped

    Steps:

    1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to directions. Drain and set aside.
    2. Brown the ground beef in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Drain and remove from pan. Set aside.
    3. Add the onions, mushroom (if using), and green pepper (if using) to the pan. Add some oil to the pan if needed. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
    4. Add the cooked ground beef, spaghetti sauce, and red wine to the onions. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes.
    5. Add the pasta and shredded cheddar cheese to the pot. Stir to combine.
    6. Enjoy with garlic bread and a salad.

    You can leave the wine out if don’t want to use wine. I just used it to add some depth to the dish.

    Printable Recipe

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes Tacos (V, GF)

    I’ve began to get Misfit Market veggies and fruits during the Quarantine. It was easier to make sure I had fresh veggies and fruit. This past week I received about 6 sweet potatoes, so I decided to make a roasted sweet potato taco for lunch.

    If you want to make this Gluten-Free, you can use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. It’s your choice which type of tortilla you want to use for your taco. This recipe is easily vegan if you don’t use any cheese or sour cream on the taco. Instead use avocado for the creaminess of cheese or make cashew sour cream to put on the taco.

    This recipe is easily adaptable for what you like.

    What you need to make the recipe:

    • sweet potatoes
    • avocado or extra virgin olive oil
    • taco seasoning – Homemade or storebought
    • tortillas – corn or flour
    • refried beans – The one from Trader Joes is vegan.
    • Optional toppings: lime, sour cream, avocado, cheese (Cotija or Feta), cilantro, salsa

    When I made mine, I topped it with lime, Feta cheese, salsa, and cilantro.

    • Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • Refried beans spread on the tortilla
    • Finished taco
    • Ready to eat

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 2 pounds of sweet potato, cubed into 1 to 1.5-inch sized pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
    • 2 tsp. taco seasoning – Homemade or storebought
    • 1 Tbsp. avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 c. refried beans warmed
    • tortillas
    • toppings

    Steps:

    1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
    2. Cube the sweet potato. Place the sweet potato into a large bowl and drizzle the oil on the sweet potato cubes.
    3. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the sweet potatoes. Stir until all the pieces are coated with the seasoning.
    4. Place on a lined cookie sheet in a single layer.
    5. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes.
    6. Warm up the beans in the microwave or on the stove. Spread on the tortilla.
    7. Top with sweet potato and your favorite toppings.
    8. Enjoy!

    Other taco recipes:

    Printable Recipe

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Mom, What’s for dinner? – Week of June 22, 2020

    Monday was Youngest’s 15th birthday. He has changed a lot in the ten years since I started this blog. Since it is still the pandemic, we didn’t do much for his birthday. He got to pick what he wanted to eat for lunch and dinner. He chose a local place called Hot Head Burritos for lunch. He loves creating and eating a huge burrito. Then it was Chick Fil A for dinner.

    I highly recommend getting the family meal deal at Chick Fil A. We did the 30 piece nuggets and the 4 pack of waffle fries for Hubby, myself, my mother-in-law, and him. Then we got 2 of the 8 oz cups of 2 of his favorite sauces. Since it was his birthday, I allowed him to get a milk shake as a drink. I had points to redeem so I got Oldest’s meal with those points. The whole meal was 30 dollars which isn’t bad. We already had lemonade at the house.

    Oh, and he wanted chocolate pudding for his birthday instead of cake. I also made him Rice Krispy treats.

    Two of the meals this week are going to be meals that my grandma used to make for us. I’m so excited to eat them this week – Johnny Marzetti and Green beans, potatoes, and ham. Yum!

    Now onto the menu for the week:

    If I use one of my freezer kits for a meal this week, there is going to be a star next to it.

    Chick Fil A, fresh fruit (grapes and cherries), and celery
    Pudding and Rice Krispy Treats

    Johnny Marzetti, Salad, Garlic Bread

    Green beans, potatoes, and ham, Hawaiian rolls

    Thursday

    *Cilantro lime chicken, rice

    Friday

    YOYO – You are on your own

    We don’t plan Saturday meals because we often will forage for food. If we need a meal, Youngest and I will make breakfast for dinner. He loves to make the eggs when we do BFD’s. This week we are going to have IHop pancakes and bacon.

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci

  • Mom, What’s for dinner? – Week of June 15, 2020

    It’s been a while since Hubby has worked 5 days during the week. This week is one of those weeks. I’ll cook for the boys and myself on the days he is working. He’ll eat the leftovers the next day or when he gets home from work if he is hungry.

    In a couple of weeks, I’ll be changing the YOYO to Wednesdays when I begin to go to Celebrate Recovery on Wednesday evenings. I help make and receive dinner while there. Oldest is not too happy about the change in plans.

    If I use one of my freezer kits for a meal this week, there is going to be a star next to it.

    Date NIGHT! – Hubby has to work on Father’s Day, so we are going out tonight for dinner instead. We could take the kids with us but with the quarantine and being around them all of the time, we need time away from them.

    *Cool Ranch Tacos, seasoned black beans, and corn with Cojita cheese (frozen from Trader Joe’s) – I also have pico and lettuce for the tacos.

    *Honey Garlic Beef, rice, and broccoli

    Thursday

    Oven “fried chicken,” roasted potatoes, veggies (To be determined)

    Friday

    YOYO – You are on your own

    We don’t plan Saturday meals because we often will forage for food. If we need a meal, Youngest and I will make breakfast for dinner. He loves to make the eggs when we do BFD’s.

    When the boys were younger, we did family dinners almost every night. It really fostered family bonds. Then we started slacking because life got tough. During this time home, we’ve begun to do more family dinners together. I’m seeing my Youngest coming around. Being almost 15 years old, it is sometimes difficult for him to want to spend time with his family.

    Stay kind!

    Have a magical day,
    Traci