2 Peter 1:2-3

Today I read 2 Peter 1. I really have to read Peter very slowly to come close to understanding what I'm trying to learn from him. I can easily get the gist after a whole chapter, but if I'm not careful, I'll skim past verses I don't understand, figuring I'll get the overall idea anyway. 2 Peter 1:2 "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." How are grace and peace multiplied? By a growing knowledge of the character of God and of Jesus. Many times I want grace and I want peace and I want all those gifts that God is waiting to pour out on me, but I want them without having to put in the time and energy it takes to know Him and have a relationship with Him. The irony is that grace and peace aren't even given to us because we have done the work to get to know Him, they are the fruit of knowing Him. 1:3 "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him." This is the way we access God's wonderful blessings for us. Why are we so dense to the fact that he so desires this relationship with us? And he's so available and we're so often not.

Penne Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Portobello's and Goat Cheese

This is an amazing vegetarian dish. Cook the pasta the way it's directed on the package. Scoop out a little bit of the hot pasta water (and set aside) before you drain the noodles. After you drain them, put them back in the pot. Meanwhile, thick slice an onion (I prefer yellow sweet onions for almost everything, but white onions remind Matt of his grandmother's cooking, so I used white ones for this... beeeeecause I love him). You want to cook this up until it caramelizes really really well. A little olive oil and medium heat works best for me. Don't stir too often, keep an eye on them and adjust the heat if you need to. A tiny bit of sugar helps this process as well. Just a little though! Scrape them into a bowl and set them aside while you cook up the sliced portobello caps in a little more olive oil. Add the onions back in with the mushrooms to warm them up. In the pasta pot, add about 2 oz of goat cheese (if you break it up first it will go smoother). Stir it in with the hot pasta adding the hot pasta water a little at a time until you get a nice creaminess. Dump in the mushrooms and onions, top with parsley if you wish. I also sprinkle parm after I've served my bowl.