Archive for » March, 2007 «

Gardening Part II

13 Mar 2007 by

Well, we finally got the garden planted after a couple of weeks of too much to do. It was successfully planted largely due to my wonderful husband, the son of a farmer and gardener.

I was a little over zealous on all the veggies I wanted to plant for our little bitty plot of gardening land. Our final 5×7 garden, God willing, will grow tomatoes, basil, lettuce, peas and runner beans. We got the idea of the runner beans from a children’s book called, Jody’s Beans that we’ve been reading with Therese. Although the book has the beans growning along a teepee (which probably would have been a lot more fun), I conceded to growing them along a trellis for the sake of having a wee more space for more veggies.

Phase III will likely involve putting up the trellis as well as a fence around the garden to keep out trampling toddlers and hungry squirrels and birds. For now I’m hoping the Cayanne pepper Adam sprinkled around the garden will keep the nosey squirrels out. We might also plant some squash and cucumber seeds next weekend if we find a good sunny place in the yard to do so.

St. Fiacre, pray for us.
St. Dorothy, pray for us.
St. Rose of Lima, pray for us.
St. Gertrude of Nivelles, pray for us.
St. Phocas, pray for us.

Category: Family, Garden  One Comment

My Song

10 Mar 2007 by

I believe everyone has a song or two of which they never tire. You know that song – the one you never skip when it randomly appears in your shuffled playlist. The one you spin up for the drive home on a Friday afternoon. The one you start humming when you need a quick pick-me-up. It may have been with you for 5, 10, or 20 years and you’ve never grown tired of it – from cassette, to CD, to MP3. Perhaps there is even a fond memory tied to this tune.

You know, “my song”.

I’d have to say one of mine would be “Ants Marching” by Dave Matthews Band [iTunes]. I enjoy the entire Under the Table and Dreaming album, but I’m particular drawn to this track’s unique instrumentation, staggered beat, and driving vocals. I first heard this song during my first semester at Purdue. The last class had let out for Fall break and instead of heading home like most students, I hung out at the cooperative house and enjoyed a few steaks and brews with my new friends. We just sat out on the porch, took in the cool October breeze, and watched the cars drive by.

So do share, what’s your song?

Category: Fun  3 Comments

Stations of the Cross Eggs

09 Mar 2007 by

It’s often times a challenge to pray the Stations of the Cross at home with the kids around, muchless at church so unfortunately we haven’t done it as often as we would like. Yesterday when I ran down to the NFP center where I work, there were some free bags of supplies to make Stations of the Cross Eggs.

There are 15 plastic Easter eggs and 15 pictures to color for the cooresponding Station and a prayer on the back of each suitable for kids. Oh, and fancy colorful bag to put them in. Well, we colored them yesterday and numbered our eggs and put each station in the correct egg. We went through them once yesterday while we were making them and FOUR times today! Therese just LOVES them and she’s making up for all those Fridays we’ve missed the Stations in the last three years!

This, as well as her weekly scripture verses, has inspired her to ask a whole new set of questions about Jesus like, “Mommy, what is ‘salvation’?” “Mommy, what did they put on Jesus’ head?” On top of this, some of new artwork at our parish, like The Deposition, has taken the life and death of Christ to a whole new level for her beyond the pretty cartoon-like picture books.

Category: Faith  Leave a Comment

Favorite Scripture?

05 Mar 2007 by

Do you have a favorite scripture verse or verses? Please send them our way. Therese and I have started memorizing scripture verses this Lent. This is her “prayer” part of Lent. It has been going so well, that it will be something we continue when Lent is over. SO…share some of your favorite scripture verses with us…feel free to even share your favorite psalms that you sing at Mass. Thank you!

Category: Faith  8 Comments

The Homeless

03 Mar 2007 by

Austin has its share of the homeless. Those individuals who are on the street corners asking for “anything.” Today with a few other families in our St. Gianna Fellowship, we made lunch sacks of food to give to those people during those occasions when we might be driving and we are stopped at a light where someone is asking for food or help.

One of the moms that attended mentioned that she told her FAMILIA group about this project. (FAMILIA is an Apostolate of Regnum Christi which is a group study of the Church’s teaching on our vocations as husbands and wives.) Many of the women in her group disagreed with such a project because it “feeds the lifestyle” of those on the street.

Our family started making lunch sacks to carry in our car last December. One day during lunch we picked up Adam from work and drove down the frontage road of one highway and probably delivered 10 lunches in less than half an hour. I was moved by their humility. I was moved to tears when I looked into the eyes of those people and they said, “Thank you. God Bless you” to us. For whatever reason they are there, I am humbled by God’s generosity to us that we are not.

Maybe I’m gullible. But are we not all made in the image and likeness of God? Are we not all born with dignity? In fact, when we have been stripped of everything else, dignity is all that we have left. I wonder how many people look into their eyes and say, “God bless you”? Or simply, how many people give them the dignity of looking in their eyes even if you don’t roll down the window to give them something? How many people as they pass them by say a prayer for them and the situation they are in? It is not our place to judge…even when we see many of the same faces over and over again. For whatever reason they are there, lack of faith, lack of hope, lack of resources, lack of courage, lack of motivation, lack of a permanent address, lack of skills …for whatever reason, maybe in our simple sack lunches, they will see the love of Christ. Maybe in our simple sack lunches they will see a family who cares about them and child who cared enough to make a little drawing on their bag. Maybe inside that sack when they see the Miraculous Medal we left them, they will encounter the Blessed Mother for the first time…a mother to be their mother. Maybe inside when they find their prayer card, they might begin praying to God again and find a way to ignite their souls and search for God and his will in their life.

Category: Faith  3 Comments

Lenten Recipes

02 Mar 2007 by

Here are a couple of recipes for Lenten Fridays…and the rest of the Fridays throughout the year.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
Red kidney beans (1 or 2 cans, or if you boil them yourself, half the pot of a 1lb bag)
1 can Hominy
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or through a garlic press
1/3 to 1 onion chopped (we’re not onion people so 1/3 is our preference)
2 tbsp cooking oil (Olive or canola is good)
2 tbsp Red Chili Powder
1-2 tsp Cumin
1-1/2 to 2 cups spaghetti sauce (or use a large can of real tomatoes if you prefer)

Saute garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in a medium sized pot until union and celery are clear and tender. Add beans, hominy, chili powder, cumin and sauce. Stew for a while or eat right away. Serve over brown rice with cheese and sour cream or plain yogurt with a side of corn bread.

Pesto
(Fr. Tim, you can pass this along to Dusty.)

Ingredients:
2/3 oz. Fresh Basil
1 Tbsp Pine Nuts or Walnuts
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

Strip basil leaves from stems. In a blender or food processor, chop basil leaves and garlic; add pine nuts, salt and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil until reduced to a thick sauce. Add parmesan cheese and blend.
Serve over pasta, mix with green beans or potatos, use in sandwiches or just about anything you like!

Italian Vegetable Stew (from A Continual Feast)

1-1lb bag of Red Kidney, Red or white beans
1/4 cup oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatos, cubed
1/4 head of cabbage chopped
5 peeled and chopped tomatoes, or 1 can tomato paste
1 clove
pasta shells (optional for a Minestrone type of soup)

Clean and soak beans overnight. Cook in two inches deep of water for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. If the water runs low, add boiling water to avoid splitting beans.
When the beans are almost done, saute garlic, onion, celery, carrots until clear and tender about 10 minutes.
Add this to the beans. Add potatos, cabbage, clove, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 minutes. You may need to add more water for a soupy consistency. Add pasta shells if desired and cook another 15 minutes.
Top with croutons, or mix in a tsp of pesto.

Category: Recipes  2 Comments
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