Today’s post is about a very special family. And Goulash! But we will get to the recipe in a minute.
The Wagner Family. Aren’t they adorable? Ashley Wagner is an amazing fellow food blogger at Center Cut Cook. I had the pleasure of meeting her last year at a food conference. At that time, she was pregnant with a baby boy. She shared with me that day that her husband, Ryan, was battling incurable stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 29 and that her baby was due very soon. Not to mention that she found out her husband had cancer just one week after they found out they were expecting their first child together. She mentioned how difficult it has been, but how excited they were to meet there little guy.
I had only just met Ashley and spent just a few hours with her. However, in those few hours I felt her strength and love. I felt her passion for cooking and blogging, and I felt her fear and stress.
Fast forward a few weeks and months and baby Miles was born! He is so stinkin’ cute!
I took this next part from their Fundraising Page.
Miles was born healthy and happy and brought a whole new joy to his parents’ lives. When Miles was eight weeks old, Ashley was changing his diaper when she saw him doing something odd and thought it was a seizure. They whisked him off to the hospital where blood work confirmed that Miles, at two months old, was in kidney failure. The seizure was a result of the kidney failure.
After three different hospitals and numerous tests, it was confirmed that Miles has a rare disease called Primary Hyperoxaluria (type 1) and will need a life-saving liver and kidney transplant.
Their days are busy keeping up with bi-weekly chemotherapy for Ryan and around the clock care of Miles who needs hemodialysis four days per week and peritoneal dialysis daily along with too many medications to count.
As you can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time in their lives.
Today is a very special day because 18 food bloggers are sharing comforting recipes to bring to those in need and MORE importantly, sharing Ashley, Ryan, and Mile’s story.
Today I am asking you, lovers of food, cooking and blog reading, to consider making a donation to help them reach their $40,000 fundraising goal. I don’t often talk about my full-time job on the blog – blogging is my passion and love, but I also spend my days raising money for a health system in Chicago so I know quite a bit about this whole fundraising stuff and how IMPORTANT it is (that’s a run-on sentence if I ever saw one). I also know that making a donation is EASY and completely doable.
Consider this:
$3-5 buys you a TALL (SMALL) latte from Starbucks. Consider giving up just 4 lattes a month and donate $20.
Do you go out for lunch at work? You most likely spend between $5-$10 for lunch on any given day. Consider giving up buying your lunch for one week and donate between $20-$50.
Now consider making an even larger donation, $75 0r $100. You would only be giving up one or two date nights with your significant other.
If you can give more, please consider giving more.
Next time you’re driving through Starbucks, grabbing lunch, or hungry for a nice meal, think of Ashley and her boys.
To make a donation, please visit their Fundraising Page HERE. You can also follow their journey on Facebook by liking the Team Ryan Facebook Page.
I hope that you found this post eye opening and that is inspires you to give back to those in need. xoxoxo
I won’t spend too much time on the recipe as I want this post to be about Ashley and her sweet boys.
If you ever need to bring a meal to a family, Homemade Goulash is a great dish to bring! My mom often made this for us kiddos growing up as it feeds a lot and is great as leftovers. What I love most about this recipe is that it’s comforting and filling, a few scoops will feed a hungry belly.
Enjoy and again, thank you listening today. Please send Ashley, Ryan, and Miles your prayers and generosity!
Comfort food at it’s best, right?
Perfect to bring to a family in need! Or to make as a weeknight meal!
Sending my love to you – Ryan, Ashley and Miles! xoxoxo
Here are the link to all the other food bloggers who participated in this very special post. Enjoy!
Sugar Dish Me made this Easy Chicken Broccoli Bake
That Skinny Chick Can Bake made Mexican Chicken Manicotti
Food faith & Fitness made a Paleo Casserole with Turkey, Peppers, Zucchini, and Tomato
Spend with Pennies made Chicken Noodle Casserole (from Scratch)
Wishes & Dishes made this Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
Frugal Foodie Mama made Pizza Pierogi Casserole
Snappy Gourmet made Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole
Miss in the Kitchen made a Chicken and Mushroom Tortellini Bake
Life, Love, and Good Food made this Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Bless This Mess made Quick and Easy Summer Chicken Salad
Mandy’s Recipe Box collected 30 Freezer Meals
Hugs and Cookies made Baked Parmesan Meatball Casserole
Barbara Bakes made this Veal & Wild Mushroom Stew
A Cedar Spoon made Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper, & Gouda Macaroni & Cheese
It’s Yummi made an Easy Cheese & Sausage Pizza Bake
A Family Feast made these Easy Freezer Meatballs
Two Healthy Kitchens made a 5-Ingredient Easy Pasta Bake
It Bakes Me Happy made a Peach Skillet Galette
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon), minced
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 14 ounce can marinara sauce (or you can make your own)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- 13.25 ounce box elbow macaroni
- Olive oil
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot and place over medium heat. Add onions and green pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, boil pasta in salted water according to package directions, shaving off 1-2 minutes of boiling time.
- Next add tomatoes, marinara sauce, salt, black pepper and stir. Taste for seasoning - add more salt if desired.
- Drain pasta and add to it to the pot, stir.
- Finally take half of the grated cheddar cheese and mix it into the goulash and pour into a 9x13 inch baking pan or dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Ohmygoodeness. I had nearly forgotten about goulash! My grandma used to make it all the time – and I LOVED it! Thank you for the trip down memory lane! I cannot wait to make this – adding to my menu ASAP!!
You’re so fortunate to have met Ashley – she seems so strong and is such an inspiration! The type of person you never forget meeting! (And I’ve only ever read her blog!) The first time I read her story, I knew I wanted to help in whatever way I could. Shelley and I were so excited to be part of this project – and I’m hoping that we’ve all been able to make a big difference in her family’s life!
Thanks for the kind words Gretchen! Yes, I am so glad that we were able to get together and do something nice for Ashley and her family – they are so deserving of it!
Your goulash looks SO good! It was great to participate with you on this project. I just love Ashley and her sweet boys to pieces!
Thanks Becca! so glad to be a part of it!
What a marvelous casserole! Love easy meals like this and so would anyone who needed a meal. So nice to partner with you to help this wonderful family.
Thank you!
This is so comforting Jess. I am glad that we could help out Ashley and her family!
Thank ya! Yes, me too!
I agree, comfort food at it’s best! And less than 10 ingredients so easy enough for a week night family friendly meal!! Great working with you on this project too. 🙂
Yes, limited ingredients make it really easy!
This story is SO heartbreaking! I can’t even imagine what they are going through.
But this goulash? The perfect thing to bring in their time of need! Pinned!
What an incredibly sad story… I can’t even imagine having the struggles that family is going through… thank you for sharing their story and fundraiser.