Baked Penne

1/2 lb. (or a pound depending on how meaty you want it) ground beef or Italian Sausage
1/2 cup chopped onions (optional)
1/2 cup green peppers (optional)
1 jar(24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 tub(10 oz.) Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme, divided
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided 3 cups cooked penne pasta


Heat oven to 350°F.

Brown meat with vegetables in large nonstick skillet. Remember to drain any grease from meat. Stir in spaghetti sauce, half tub cooking creme and 1 cup mozzarella; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Add pasta; mix lightly. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole; top with remaining cooking creme and mozzarella. Cover. Bake 20 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 15 min.

 For this dish, you can use practically any meat you would use in an Italian dish (ground beef, ground turkey, Italian sausage, grilled chicken...). You can also use any veggies you wish, such as zucchini, squash, corn....whatever veggies you like. But if you are using anything like zucchini or squash or cauliflower or broccoli make to to steam those veggies first (making sure they are still slightly crisp) before mixing them into the sauce.

 This was a quick and easy dish to fix and was delicious. If you make it as the recipe states above it is great to serve with green beans and a salad. Hope you give it a try!!

Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. Your body's immune system is like an army with hundreds of soldiers. The immune system's job is to fight foreign substances in the body, like germs and viruses. But in autoimmune diseases, the immune system is out of control. It attacks healthy tissues, not germs.

Lupus is invisible. It’s painful and exhausting. Lupus is a chronic and currently incurable disease that is often misdiagnosed and very much misunderstood. You can't catch lupus from another person. It isn't cancer, and it isn't related to AIDS.

Lupus is a disease that can affect many parts of the body. Everyone reacts differently. One person with lupus may have swollen knees and fever. Another person may be tired all the time or have kidney trouble. Someone else may have rashes.
Lupus can attack the joints, tissues, organs, brain, and can cause so many unbearable side effects. Lupus can also be deadly.

Lupus may be hard to diagnose. It's often mistaken for other diseases. For this reason, lupus has been called the "great imitator." The signs of lupus differ from person to person. Some people have just a few signs; others have more.

The most common signs of lupus are:

•Red rash or color change on the face, often in the shape of a butterfly across the nose and cheeks
•Painful or swollen joints
•Unexplained fever
•Chest pain with deep breathing
•Swollen glands
•Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
•Unusual hair loss (mainly on the scalp)
•Pale or purple fingers or toes from cold or stress
•Sensitivity to the sun
•Low blood count
•Depression, trouble thinking, and/or memory problems

Other signs are mouth sores, unexplained seizures (convulsions), "seeing things" (hallucinations), repeated miscarriages, and unexplained kidney problems. And the list can go on.

What Is a Flare?

When symptoms appear, it's called a "flare." These signs may come and go. You may have swelling and rashes one week and no symptoms at all the next. You may find that your symptoms flare after you've been out in the sun or after a hard day at work. Even if you take medicine for lupus, you may find that there are times when the symptoms become worse. Remember everyone is different. Each person’s Lupus and Flare can react different from person to person.

What Causes Lupus?

We don't know what causes lupus. There is no cure, but in most cases lupus can be managed. Lupus sometimes seems to run in families, which suggests the disease may be hereditary. Having the genes isn't the whole story, though. The environment, sunlight, stress, and certain medicines may trigger symptoms in some people. Other people who have similar genetic backgrounds may not get signs or symptoms of the disease. Researchers are trying to find out why.

Who Gets Lupus?

Anyone can get lupus. But 9 out of 10 people who have it are women. African American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. It's also more common in Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and American Indian women.

Both African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos tend to develop lupus at a younger age and have more symptoms at diagnosis (including kidney problems).

They also tend to have more severe disease than whites. For example, African American patients have more seizures and strokes, while Hispanic/Latino patients have more heart problems. We don't understand why some people seem to have more problems with lupus than others.

Other Symptoms of Lupus:

•extreme fatigue (tiredness)
•headaches
•painful or swollen joints
•fever
•anemia (low numbers of red blood cells or hemoglobin, or low total blood volume)
•swelling (edema) in feet, legs, hands, and/or around eyes
•pain in chest on deep breathing (pleurisy)
•butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose
•sun- or light-sensitivity (photosensitivity)
•hair loss
•abnormal blood clotting
•fingers turning white and/or blue when cold (Raynaud’s phenomenon)
•mouth or nose ulcers
•depression
•anxiety
•memory loss
•heart problems
•weight loss
•swollen glands
•Inflammation
•Hair loss
•Arthritis
•Proteinuria
•Vision Problems
•Stroke
•Paralysis
•Seizures
•Hallucinations
•Paranoia
•Personality Changes
•Weakness
•Abdominal discomfort
•Poor circulation
•Miscarriages
•Enlarged Spleen
•Endocarditis
•Cardiovascular disease

And the List goes on and on.

I have Lupus and live with it everyday.

Sometimes we don’t look sick….sometimes we do. But just because you may not be able to see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

We fight it everyday. We are fighters. There is a chance someone you know and love could have it. Just remember they are fighting, we are all fighting. No wonder we’re so exhausted all the time.

Some fight to the death. I fear I will too. But of course…I won’t go without a fight.

I am this woman...

I am the woman who will put my head on your shoulder, not because I am sleepy, but because I want to get closer to you. I am the woman who likes to be kissed in the rain, rather than the bedroom (which is nice too) or somewhere fancy. I am the woman who says, “Okay, but you owe me…”, not because I actually want anything, but because it means I get to spend more time with you.

I am the woman you take absolutely anywhere and I will have fun because I am with you. I am the woman who isn’t incredibly picky with most things, but knows what I want in a man, and when I find him, all I want is to spend the night curled up in his arms. I am the woman who never forgets all the sweet little things you do for me. I am the woman who never gives up hope, even when I tell others I have.

I am the woman who once I let you into my heart, I will never let you go and there will always be a place there with your name on it. I am the woman who loves to end a hug with a kiss. I am the woman who can talk to you about anything. I am the woman who will brag about you to all of my friends. I am the woman who will listen to you talk. I am the woman who loves it when you hug me for no apparent reason. I am the woman who loves it when you come and hug be from behind.

I am the woman who loves you for you, and doesn’t matter what other people say about us. I am the woman who loves it when you introduce me to your friends as your “lady”. I am the woman who loves the feeling when you take me by the hand without saying a word. I am the woman who loves it when you buy or pick me flowers for no apparent reason. I am the woman who thinks the world of you and all I want is for us to be together. I am the woman who is content with just having your arms around me. I am the woman who doesn’t need you to buy or give me anything fancy for you to show me you love me. I am the woman who doesn’t need to go out somewhere expensive on a date. And would rather go on a picnic or stay at home and cook, as long as I get to be with you.

I am a simple woman, one that doesn’t need the finest things in life, who doesn’t need or care what you have or how much you make. Material things aren’t important to me. It’s who you are and the fact that you love me for me, is what matters to me the most. I am all of these things. I AM THIS WOMAN.