Some people say resilience is built in the big, cinematic moments; the car crash, the diagnosis, the grand heartbreak. But I’ve learned it’s just as often born in the tiny, unglamorous places like the night sausage rolls were on the menu, but my heart and my energy weren’t invited. The fridge had what it had, my body had nothing left, and yet somehow dinner still had to appear.

I’ve had a lifetime of making something out of nothing. Growing up poor, I learned early that creativity and necessity were two sides of the same coin. Later came the years of being married too young, then suddenly single with kids. The summer of almost losing my own life after childbirth, then slowly stepping back into it. Of going back to school in my thirties, of teaching in classrooms during COVID when “pivot” became our only verb.

That night in my kitchen, it was less about the meal and more about proving to myself that I could still show up. The lasagna noodles for my grandma’s sausage rolls were still in the pantry, but boiling, rolling, and baking felt like running a marathon in heels. So I did what resilience has taught me time and again: I pivoted. Out came the dutch oven, in went the sliced sausage, peppers, and tomatoes of possibility. It wasn’t fancy, but it was dinner, and sometimes that’s the victory.

Sausage Spaghetti

lazy grandma’s logs

What You Will Need:

• 8 oz pasta noodles (bow tie, penne, or whatever’s in the pantry)
• 1/2 smoked sausage, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper or 4–5 mini sweet peppers, sliced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced red onion (about 1/2 small onion)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups crushed tomatoes (14 oz can)
• 6 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• shredded or torn mozzarella cheese

What You Will Need To Do:

1. Cook 8 oz pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 smoked sausage (thinly sliced) and cook until browned, about 5–7 minutes. Add 1 sliced green bell pepper (or 4–5 mini sweet peppers) and sauté until just tender, about 3–4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same dutch oven, add 1 3/4 cups crushed tomatoes, 6 tablespoons tomato paste, and 1 cup water. Stir until tomato paste is dissolved. Add 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon chopped basil, 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20–30 minutes until thickened. Remove and discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
4. Remove bay leaves, add sausage back to the dutch oven, and toss pasta into the sauce until coated. Top with shredded or torn mozzarella cheese. Garnish with extra basil or parmesan cheese if desired.

Resilience isn’t always heroic. Sometimes it’s just feeding yourself when you’d rather crawl into bed. It’s a plan for a pivot, perfection for “good enough” and maybe, just maybe, it’s teaching someone else that they can do the same.

I’ve lived enough life to know this: resilience doesn’t mean you never break … it means you keep showing up anyway. So, when have you had to learn resilience? And how can your story be the hand someone else reaches for?

Gracefully yours,

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Reference
Niequist, S. (2024). Celebrate Every Day. Zondervan.