Baked Ziti

It's about 5:20 pm on Friday.  The twins are one-week old today and they are doing great!  Both have almost already gained back to their birth weight.  We are establishing a good schedule.  I continue to say that we are very tired at times and yet filled with a deep joy and for this, I give thanks,
Today's topic:  Food.  It's Day 3 of being home from the hospital and we have received some wonderful meals.  For this, I give deep and abundant thanks.  It is such a relief as the dinner hour approaches to know that there is something in the fridge that is yummy and ready to be heated.  It's about the time that the dinner hour approaches, when I know we are in for that 2-3 hour stretch that's challenging for any toddler, that my energy begins to drop.
I have enjoyed taking dinners to people for different reasons.  My current reality of grace appearing in the form of food, combined with the grace that came after Ethan's birth, has taught me that I will make a meal for anyone, at anytime for the rest of my life.  Just ask.  One note:  the best take-to-someone's-home-meal that I make is Baked Ziti.  It's a recipe that I inherited from Kris Roberson at St. Andrew UMC in Plano and it continues to be one of my favorites as well as those who have received it (at least I haven't been told otherwise).
Unfortunately for Canadians, they don't know what Baked Ziti is.  I've blogged this before so I won't go into detail, but apparently baked ziti is an Italian American recipe.  Even though we share the same landmass, I guess Italian American food has not crept north of the border.  There's a market for you here in Vancouver, my dear Rocco's on McKinney in Dallas.
Maybe it's not that Italian American hasn't made it to Vancovuer.  It could be that in a city like this, a city that is known as the foodie city, Italian American takes its place among the wide palette of tastes and savors this city offers.  Of course, not that I know much about these amazing restaurants, but give us a few years and we will return to fine dining.  Until then, it's basic kid fare served at home with love.  And for now, that's better than a candlelight table with a glass of red wine.  I think.  Mmmm....red wine...it's been quite some time.
Speaking of grace appearing in the form of food, I want to thank the anonymous women who take time to give to the BC Women and Children's Breastmilk donor bank.  As we waited for my milk supply to arrive, donor breastmilk fed my two little ones.  The milk is donated freely and given freely.
Grace.