Friday, February 26, 2010

A link to soaking whole grains before cooking or baking...

This recipe for "muffin bread" looks easy and appealing.

I am headed down to our parish, now a half hour drive south of us, to see our middle school youth group act out The Stations of the Cross. I think I overheard JB say that she is enacting Pontius Pilate. Should be good.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

New cooking blog and basil muffins -- YUM!

I just posted this blog on my sidebar, as I am really looking forward to continuing to push harder to: 1.) meal plan and shop ahead 2.) get the kiddos, including "number-one son" involved in food planning and preparation.

These zucchini-basil muffins look so good!

Friday, February 19, 2010

New writing by Anthony Esolen....

When I have time later, I hope to read this.

Some recipes I'd like to try....

I have never made pork ribs and just found this Portuguese recipe.

Also, over here are two meatless recipes:

***a bow-tie lasagna made with yellow squash -- looks so good and easy!

***a broccoli-cheese soup that looks easier than the 2 recipes that I've tried

I am cutting and pasting the bow-tie lasagna:

Bow-Tie Lasagna
4 cups spaghetti sauce (more or less to taste)
1 lb bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained
1 container ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 t basil
1/4 t garlic powder salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz mozzarella cheese
2 sml yellow squash, finely shredded

Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, egg and spices. Lightly toss bow-ties with squash and ricotta mixture, Layer in a lasagna dish with sauce and mozzarella. Bake for about 1 hour.

Tomorrow: Happy 9th Birthday, Jaybird!






He is such a happy boy! There is not a morning that goes by that I do not feel blessed to know this person. Motherhood has been, so far, for me, an opportunity to see God's Creation as something deeply beautiful. To our human eyes, it seems ever-changing. I suspect to our Creator, there is a profound constancy to life. When I am praying well, the tumult and irritations that are part of family life fade as I am able to see, day-to-day, the goodness of our Heavenly Father.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for creating me, for sending me such a Savior as You have sent us in your Son, our Lord -- and, thank you, Father for the gift of Motherhood, which has been, so far, my opportunity to learn from the Holy Spirit that human life is fleeting, yet, it is also mysteriously a timeless work of Your Divine Hands. Amen.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Soloman, David, truth and religion

My son and I have been discusssing some of the daily Mass readings from the Old Testament, concerning the reigns of King David and King Soloman. The general conclusion was that man, poor sinner that he is (and we all are, to varying degrees), can know the truth of right religion and still, in his sinful humanity, manage to do many things contrary to this truth. We marvelled at King David's heartfelt desire, at the end of his life, to exhort his son, Soloman, to goodness. We were astonished, like the Queen of Sheba, at Soloman's Kingdom, his wisdom and his justice. Since we now live in the full knowledge of God's Revealation to man through His Son, Christ Jesus, this -- often maddening -- reality still fills the pages of history.

In an interesting parallel, this afternoon, JB, J and I were talking about various English and U.S. histories and again this topic comes up. How so? First, I was trying to sort out for Jay why the father and the mother of the "Pilgrim boy" in his ABEKA (a Protestant educational company)reader had left Stuart England, as "Separatists," to journey to Holland then to what would become the American colonies. Later, in our school day, we were discussing the heresy of Islam and the unification of Europe under Charlesmagne.

Let's take the Tudor and Stuart Kings and Queens and make some sweeping generalizations. Everyone, in the main, is trying really hard to be good. But, what a bloody mess! To this day, Americans (of the US of A) and people, in general, are very confused about which history of England speaks the "...truth, the whole truth, so help me God..." It is hard to navigate through these people and events and really know, without a shadow of doubt, the deeper, and absolute, truth that shines beyond the events. I am speaking of Mother Church as the star of history, if I may. She is eternally resplendant, perfect and pure, no matter what her adherents think, speak or do. It confuses the Catholic student of history when persons and events outside of our holy religion appear concurrently to Catholic persons and events who are, in some way, less than noble, right and beautiful. At the same time, the history of humanity from the beginning to the present, is filled with the lives of Catholic saints. (Just because there were those outside Mother Church who did -- and still do -- live saintly lives, we must not assume the Catholic Church to be untrue.) As we research and study, we must work hard to look at what was going on in the world from the eyes of faith. Some would murmur that faith is always subjective -- for example, I am a Catholic, so I will look to rationalize ("ration-a-lies") my version of persons and events in a way that makes my religion the one, true religion. This is often the human view and, in my opinion, why we are bogged down in the relativistic, "multicultural" cultural quagmire of today.

Well, I have bitten off more than I can chew, so here is my imperfect wrap up: we came to the conclusion that just because people are not true to their religion does not mean that their religion is not true. We think this phrase is a bit catchy and worthy of our attention. We, as Catholic evangelists, must work harder, especially with all the blessings given to the citizens of the US of A, to prove the authenticity of the authority of the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic church. Or, and I do fear this....or, we will end up throwing our inheritance in the garbage. I know God wants us all to clean up our acts, study harder, invite each other to meaningful dialogues and live as free and worthy subjects of Christ the King. God made his creation to be good, to think good thoughts and to be eternally inspired to actions that give glory to the one Son who was begotten and born of the Virgin Mother of God, she who is Queen of the Universe. God is one, but in His infinite mystery, God is three persons. In my opinion, there is no way to even come close to understanding the mystery of the Blessed Trinity without all seven Sacraments of holy Mother Church, as instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Lively English journalist...

I want to read this post later today...it has been raining all day and, after lots of rain last week, our back yard is looking swampy. The dogs are getting on my nerves...time to hit the Rosary and give our Lady some roses.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Cardinal Avery Dulles

I am making a note of this link for future research.

"...the loftiness of God..."

This quote is taken from today's meditation in Magnificat. It is by St. Augustine:

We are striving for great things; let us lay hold of little things, and we shall be great. Do you wish to lay hold of the loftiness of God? First catch hold of God's lowliness.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Charlesmagne was truly magnus


JB has a history test this coming Thursday. I am posting this link with fantastic maps...more soon...