In which I discuss Mother Teresa, Pinterest, and My Shopping Addiction

The woman is at the heart of the home. Let us pray that we women realize the reason for our existence: to love and be loved and through this love become instruments of peace in the world. ~ Mother Teresa

I found this quote over on Betty Beguiles.  She's going to the Behold Conference too, and she is the reason why I now own a Clarisonic and Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate.

I also recently read this post from Modern Mrs. Darcy, which led me to buy The No Brainer Wardrobe ebook, which led me to clean out my closet with Susan as my buddy.

Well, the time I had allotted got whittled away, so maybe I just cleaned up my closet, not a total cleansing.  I did come away with two bags of shoes and clothes to donate, though.  Plus, I found that missing part of the vacuum cleaner. 

Now, according The No Brainer Wardrobe ebook, the author recommends Pinterest.  It's actually a very small part of the 82 page ebook. 

So, I've been giving some thought to Pinterest. Several of my FB friends use it.   But I have some serious reservations: 

I love to shop, too much.  I love it too much and I shop too much.

I try practice my own version of Chastity of the Eyes by throwing out all catalogs as soon as I remove any coupons, and unsubscribing from all store emails.  (I said I try.  I didn't say I'm always successful.)  My theory is that if I need something, that is the time to look for it.  I can read about sales and look up online coupon codes then.

I fear that Pinterest is just a big gluttonous load of homes and clothes that I will covet and never have, creating general unhappiness with my life, which I like pretty much the way it is. Though I would like to re-do the upstairs bathroom.

I think I have a definitive understanding of my "style" and "colors" and I don't need to be wasting more time on the interweb.

I just went back up to the top of this post to add an image of Mother Teresa, and noticed how happy she is!  She obviously never used Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate (or if she did, I just got ripped off).

So can Pinterest help a woman be "an instrument of peace in the world?"

Well, if not the world, than at least "at the heart of the home?"

Perhaps. What do you think?

7 Quick Takes First Friday in Lent

--- 1 ---

I witnessed guardian angels at work today. 

It snowed here last night, a couple of inches of the heavy wet stuff that clings to bare tree branches and look beautiful.  Not enough to merit a snow day mind you.  As Baby J and I were driving Lucy and Edmund to school, I saw a mighty big limb come flying down into the street, RIGHT BETWEEN two moving cars.  This limb would have done some serious damage.  Edmund surmised that should this limb have hit our car, it may have made the airbags go off.  I suspect Edmund would love to see the airbags go off.

 --- 2 ---

I'm exhausted from THREE weeks of a coughing, snot-faced baby.  There.  I said it.  I make it a point not to complain on Facebook or on my blog (well, I try).  I hate reading posts about kids barfing in the night and status updates about other people's sinus infections and migraines.  Heads Up!  Everyone's kids barf in the night!  Nighttime is for barfing, or couging up lungs, or just couging every 30 seconds followed by gagging and barfing.  That's what parenting is all about. 

Now, I feel better.  And I might go to Starbucks today.  Because it's worth it.

--- 3 ---

Which leads me to Quick Takes #3.  Marcel.  I adore Marcel.  I quote him incessantly.  I coax Baby J along just like Marcel coaxes his pet piece of lint.  I wish there was a full length movie.  Who knew I could love a shell so much?

--- 4 ---

Quick Take #3 has me already feeling more chipper less bittcher.  That's a combination of bitter and another word.  So have some more Marcel, on me.

--- 5 ---

March 10th, Baby J and I are going to the Behold Conference in Peoria.  Jen Fulwiler gives the conference a shout out in her Quick Takes today.  She's going to be there too.  I'll try not to make a fool out of myself if/when I meet her, like I did when I met Mashup Mom in the grocery store.

--- 6 ---

Yesterday, when I got all verklempt about my kids growing up, I mentioned Fr. John, but I neglected to mention that he was my classmate at the University of Dallas many moons ago.   He kept looking at old yearbooks while we were prepping dinner and then warning us not to let our kids see our yearbooks.  Curious.  What could be in there?  I must have a look-see.

--- 7 ---

An update from my Meatless Mania post.  The Falafel Pitas were very yummy.  We put the falafel (falafels?) into pita pockets with red pepper and cucumber slices and Tzatzaki sauce from Costco.  That Tzatziki sauce is good stuff.  I use it as dip, sandwich spread, and salad dressing.  You might think I was a paid sponsor of Costco, but I'm not.  Though I'd like to be.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

A Few Things About Edmund

Last week, I missed the all school mass.  A friend called to see if I had been there.  I said, "No, why? Did Edmund answer a question?"  "What do you think?"  was her reply.

Now, I have given Edmund strict instructions not to answer any questions at Mass. You just never know what he's going to say.  I've chuckled when some kid confused Mother Teresa and Oprah.  Or when one little tike promised a visiting priest her dad's tickets to the Bears vs. Packers game.

I knew it would happen someday.

Actually, Edmund did not embarrass himself.  He answered the question quite well.  It was after the homily, when our pastor decided to share with the congregation the comment Edmund made 5 years ago when they first met.

"You're old."

Apparently, everyone thought this was hilarious.  Especially, Edmund's third grade class.  In fact, they couldn't stop giggling.  Fr. Tom had to reprimand them, "It's not that funny."

Right now, the assistant chaplain from Peter's prep school is watching the Knicks game in my family room.  I can hear Fr. John cracking up because Edmund had to give him a "gun" show.

He's the only nine year old I know who works out.  He does pull ups on our stairwell.  He likes to do sit ups and push ups too.  He's always asking me to check to make sure he's doing his push ups correctly.  Like I know or something.

Today, I was walking the mall with a friend.  I think we may have burned more calories gabbing than walking, but the great thing is....I didn't buy anything.  Figures, since I have a store credit that I couldn't find anything.

Any who, we were talking about how little kids turn into big kids SO freaking fast!

And it makes me ache.  The way one day, they can't fall asleep without you and the next day they are taller than you and the only thing they want from you is unlimited texting.


Edmund has some allergies, and he frequently has eczema.  Last night, he was particularly itchy, so I made him a bath with one of these.

 

After his bath, I was slathering Eucerin creme all over his scaly limbs, and I said, 

Remember when you were little, and I used to lie down with you on your bottom bunk to take a nap?  You used to say, "I don't want to take a nap."  And I would tell you, "You don't have to go to sleep, you just have to lie here quietly for awhile."  And we would pretend to be bunnies hiding under leaves in a forest."

He said, "Yeah, and I used to always make sure I was touching you, because I thought if I'm touching her, I will wake up when she gets up, but I never did."

Oh, to snuggle my little guy again.  To nap in his cozy bunk, to sneak downstairs with my mad ninja skills only to hear his little feet coming down moments later.  

Damn, I love that kid.

Meatless Mania

A friend of mine started a Facebook group asking for meatless meal ideas for Lent.  However, I just gave up Facebook for Lent.

Just Facebook.  Not blogging or reading blogs or online shopping or Words with Friends.  Just Facebook.  Among an Easter basket of other assorted good intentions.  We'll see how it goes.

Since I cannot share my meatless meal planning with her on Facebook, I will share with everyone here!  Huzzah!  (One of my intentions is to use more colorful words like "Huzzah!" instead of the colorful words I usually use.)

Meatless meal planning at Chez Housewifespice is more involved because the Chef does not eat fish or cheese.*

*Unless the cheese is on pizza, in ravioli, in Nickson's Smoked Cheddar Grits, in pasta, or good parmesan.  He says he's allergic.  (eyeroll.)  Huzzam.  One of my intentions was not to roll my eyes at or about the Chef.  Flurbt.

So, here is a link to a good meatless pasta entree that I love, and I don't love pasta.  It's that good.  The smoky sundried tomato flavor mimics bacony goodness.  Plus cream.  I adore cream.

Also, on the menu this month is another one of these.

This one is for Mediterranean Herb Crusted Tilapia.  I can either wait for a night when the Chef is not home to make this, or I'll serve a side of gnocchi with it.  Costco has some delicious gnocchi, vacuum sealed, super easy to make.

I'll also try to sneak in an Asian Sesame Salmon.  I adore salmon.  If I could eat salmon daily, I would.  The Chef says it smells up the house.  I am NOT rolling my eyes here.

The Chef is a lost cause, but I have done an excellent job creating non-picky eaters.  With one exception.  Peter won't eat any fruits except apples and grapes.  And he'll eat strawberries, but if and ONLY if they are dipped in dark chocolate.  He says he's allergic.  Hmmph.

Maybe my kids' aren't picky eaters because we never do the jarred baby food thing.  Babies eat what we eat, just milder versions.  Everyone has to taste everything (except the Chef, no eyeroll).  If you don't like what's for dinner, you may have cereal, toast, or a peanut butter sandwich.  In Edmund's case, a soynut butter sandwich.

Once, Susan declared that she no longer liked Chicken.  Any Chicken at all.  Chicken nuggets, fried chicken, chicken piccata (The Chef's Chicken Piccata is divine), chicken noodle soup, chikin in a biskit crackers, you get the idea.

We did what parents sometimes have to do.  We ridiculed her out of it.  We use sarcasm and humor as parenting tools.  We laughed at her.  Then she laughed at herself.  Now, she eats Chicken.

Edmund tried the same thing with Soup.  He refused anything in the Form of Soup.  It didn't matter what kind of soup it was, if it was served in a bowl with a spoon, he wanted no part of it.  He was a little too young to appreciate mockery, so I did what any parent would do.  I ignored him.  I kept serving soup.  He eventually realized that either I was never going to make a separate entree just for him, or that we serve some fine soups and he was missing out.  Now, he eats Soup.

Back to meatless meals, I will make this at least once during Lent.  Cause it has Lent-ils.  Hee-hee.

Curried Lentil Burritos with Cilantro-Scallion Spiced Yogurt

Originally from Cuisine at Home April, 2005

This is a fabulous meatless meal, perfect for fish haters.

This recipe is written to serve 2 people, but I have tripled, quadrupled and quintupled it with great success.  You just have to know your way around fractions.  And since the magazine said it would take 45 min to make 2 burritos, the time lengthens somewhat for each tortilla you have to fry.  It’s a labor of love.

For the filling-

1 T. vegetable oil:

¼ c. onion, diced

1 t. curry powder

1 t. jalapeno, minced

1 ½  c. vegetable or chicken broth ( Chicken broth does not violate the meatlessness of the dish for Church purposes.  Just ask Catholic answers, or my husband.)

½ c. tomatoes, chopped

½ c.red potatoes, cubed

¼ c. brown lentils

1 bay leaf

½ c. frozen chopped spinach, or 1 c. fresh spinach

Juice of ½ lime

Salt to taste

Saute onion, curry powder, and jalapeno in 1 T. oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook until onion begins to brown.  5-8 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, potatoes, lentils, and bay leaf.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the spiced yogurt while lentils cook.  Finish lentils with spinach (if using frozen spinach, no need to thaw it first), lime juice and salt.

For the Spiced Yogurt-

1 c. cilantro leaves and stems

¼ c. scallions, sliced (white and green parts)

2 t. fresh ginger, chopped

1 t. sugar

¼ t. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Juice of the other half of the lime.

Salt and cayenne to taste

½ c plain yogurt (Please not the nonfat kind.  Eeewww.)

Process all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor until minced.  Stir herb paste into yogurt; chill until ready to serve.

For the tortillas-

1 egg

1 T. milk

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

10”tortillas

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Blend egg, milk, and parsley in a pie plate.  Heat a 12” nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Dip the tortillas in the egg mixture.  Fry in 1 T. vegetable oil until golden brown on one side, about 1 min.  Flip.  Sprinkle with 1 /4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese and continue frying until second side is brown, about 1 minute; transfer to a work surface.  Add another T. oil and repeat for all tortillas. 

To assemble the burritos, place ¾ c. filling on the lower third of each tortilla, then roll the bottom of the tortilla over the filling to cover.  Fold in both sides and roll to the end.  Serve with the yogurt ladled across the top and sprinkled with chopped parsley to look pretty.

Everyone loves it.  No fish, no eggs, and it's darn tasty.  Lots of work though.  

And my last meatless-fishless-cheeseless meal is Vegetarian Black Bean Chili.  This isn't my recipe.  I can't find mine for some reason.  But this recipe looks an awful lot like the one I use.  

I'd call my mom to get the original recipe, but she just had a hip replacement, so she won't be able to get up and find her copy, and my father and brothers are no good at that sort of thing.  I could wait until my baby sister gets home from school.  She's eleven.  Yes, I have an eleven year old sister.  Weird.  I know.  But I don't want to wait that long to publish this post.  Baby J is going to wake up any minute.

This recipe is especially like mine in that it involves lots of chopping.  Get some kids to do those parts.  Edmund loves to chop.  Edmund loves knives in general. Add some serrano or jalapenos to the skillet with the onions , if you like spicy things.  We like it hot here.  Don't let the kids cut the chili peppers though.  Of course, you already knew that.

Maybe I will get the Chef to make a guest post to share his Pasta Puttanesca recipe.  Don't google translate Puttanesca.  It's not a nice word.  But it's a good pasta dish with black olives and capers.  Capers are my favorite vegetable.  

Tonight I'm serving  Falafel Pitas.  I picked up falafel at Costco, when I went nuts for packaged vegetarian items.  I also picked up veggie burgers (in the kids' lunches today) and some spinach/chickpea patties that looked good.  I might try the spinach/chickpea patties in pan covered with spaghetti sauce and topped with mozzarella and parmesan.  Sort of a vegetarian Chicken Parmesan.  I'll let you know how it goes.

If anyone has a delicious potato soup recipe to share, I'm looking for one.  Or if you'd like to share how you meet the meatless challenge, I love comments.  And I'm off Facebook, so I'm sort of desperate for adult interaction. 

Lenten Sacrifice: The Possibilities Are Endless

 

It's crunch time.  Ash Sunday.  And as usual, I don't have a clue as to what I'm going to give up.  Scratch that.  I can't even decide if I'm going to give something up or do something extra.

I usually figure it out a week or two before Holy Week.  I mean that I try on many different penances and figure out the one that I can actually stick with late in the game.  I have a problem with setting my expectations too high, setting too many goals for myself and then not accomplishing anything rather than just focusing on one thing.

Focus.

We went to confession yesterday.  The whole fam.  I personally knew 9 out of the 13 people in line in front of me, not including my own kids.  I think I'm hanging out with the wrong crowd.  All the sinners.

Anyway, my penance was to spend two or three minutes in silent prayer, reflecting on what would be a good Lenten sacrifice this year.  So, I went to the cry room, released Lucy from her task of watching Baby J, turned out the lights and sat down.  Then three other kids showed up to tell me they were ready to go.  I kicked them out and tried again to focus.

My mind has Attention Deficit Disorder.  This is how the two minutes went.

I thought about giving up shopping and thought about how hard it would be to give that up, because of course I have to get super cute coordinating Easter outfits for my brood, especially because we are going to visit the Colonel and his wife in Georgia.  And making large families look good is part of my vocation.

Then I thought about Georgia, and wondered how hot it will be, and how I will have to dig up summer wear for everyone.

Then I thought about summer wear, and how none of it fits me yet.  I got away with just two post-pregnancy pairs of capris last summer. I thought how joining Weight Watchers to get rid of the last of the baby weight could be a Lenten thing, but it's pretty selfish, based on appearance, and I don't really think He cares how much I weigh.  It's something that bothers me, not Him.

I dismissed the "Doing something nice for the Chef" because it isn't concrete enough for me to decisively do something extra or not do something every day.  I can fake it for 5 weeks and then look back and realize I haven't done anything at all.  Plus, should being nice to my spouse really be a penance?

I dismissed giving up caffeine.  Don't want to punish the family with extra irritability.

Exercise and prayer and eating better and getting organized are all things I should be doing anyway.

I rationalized away every single idea.  Out of all of these ideas, I just don't see the one thing that will bring me closer to Him.

I have these vague thoughts like, "For Lent, I want to be more like Mary."  Could I be any less precise?  

I have had some good Lents.  Once, I gave up ice.  It was subtle.  I drink iced tea A LOT, so it was something that I had to give up several times a day.  It didn't cause me to be irritable.  Last year, I gave up "spicy."  Pregnant and pouring Frank's Red Hot on everything, it worked for me then.  Wouldn't work now.

There should be some kind of Facebook quiz or iPhone app to help people find the perfect Lenten penance.

What to do.  What to do.  My two to three minutes are long past but I still don't have a clue. 

7 Quick Takes Friday

--- 1 ---

Baby J is the host of her own reality show, "So You Think You Can Stand."

Ridiculous.  I don't know why she ends up sideways.  I swear I'll move to WordPress soon.  Any Blogger bloggers who can help?

--- 2 ---

The rink is pretty much done.  But the weather is gorgeous!  I do not recall such a temperate and SUNNY February!  I saw a 5 followed by, not preceded by an 0 on my car's temp gauge today.

And this one too!  Anyway, this is my beautiful dogwood tree that gives color year round as you can see.
My dear friend, Churchlady helped me landscape my front yard. 

--- 3 ---

I've had lots of great responses to my Great Lunch Makeover post yesterday, but several of them were Facebook comments.  I'll try to copy and paste those in my combox later this long and lovely weekend.

--- 4 ---

Just for fun:  Downton Abbey Paper Dolls!  But they don't have the "tuxedo people that live in the basement."

--- 5 ---

My last three quick takes are three book reviews.  They are all "girl" books.  Sorry, boys.  I'll read for you soon, I promise.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai – I think this was on the Newbery list this year.  1975, Saigon, a girl and her family make the tough choice to leave Viet Nam and become refugees in America.  Told in free verse.  Beautiful.  She gets bullied when she starts school in Alabama but learns some Bruce Lee moves from her older brother.

--- 6 ---

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler – Kessler wrote the Emily Windsnap series which  I haven’t read.  This book is about a girl on vacation at her family’s time share condo.  They come the same week every year. She has a 6 year old brother and her mom is 8 mos. pregnant, which I think is very cool. Her best friend’s family also comes to the same condo village for the same week each year.  She discovers (to her dismay) that when she takes the newly-repaired, antique elevator up to her friend’s condo on the second floor, she has been transported one year forward in time.  One year in the future, tragedy has struck and everyone is affected.  Can she go back in time to fix everything?

--- 7 ---

Right now, I'm reading Gail Carson Levine's latest, A Tale of Two Castles.  So far, so great!  Young, poor girl from the boonies makes her way to the big city of Two Castles to become apprenticed as a "mansioner" or actor.  She finds out that free apprenticeships for the poor are illegal now.  With nowhere to go, no money and no food, she finds herself taking a position as the assistant to the city's only dragon.  Her task, to go undercover as a kitchen maid in one of the two castles, the one that happens to belong to the city's only ogre, and uncover who wants to kill the ogre and why.  This book reminds me of the Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (Dealing with Dragons, etc.). 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

The Great Lunch Makeover

Susan and Lucy are both down with strep throat.  I feel like I have to do everything with one arm tied behind my back without them.  Their illness makes me realize how much I take for granted every time I ask one of them to unload the dishwasher, dress the baby, change the load of laundry, set the table, fetch and carry etc.  

Edmund has been helping out more though.  He loves to work in the kitchen. Last night, he did most of the prep work for Spanish Chicken Skillet.  Gotta love those McCormick Recipe Inspirations.  We've tried nearly all of them and every one is a winner.  (I do recommend cutting down on the salt, especially when doubling or tripling the recipe.) 

Take last night's dinner.  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts simmered in a rich sauce with lots of vegetables.  I served it with brown and white rice medley (using up half empty boxes of stuff) and a green salad.  Healthful and delicious. 

Speaking of last night's dinner, I made a big announcement, which I will share with you after some backstory. 

About six years ago, my children switched from one school with very strict lunch guidelines (and even breakfast guidelines) to another school with no guidelines.  In fact, I was informed that the soda machines had just been removed from the cafeteria, but that I should feel free to send soda from home.

Now, I have never sent soda, but I have been sending:

a sandwich,

a fruit or vegetable, 

chips, 

AND cookies or other sugary treat.  

But after reading this story about the girl whose lunch was confiscated and replaced by chicken nuggets,  

I've been wondering if my kids' lunches should be confiscated and if the chicken nugget lunch might be healthier than some of the stuff I've been packing.

Confession 1:  I hate packing lunches.

Confession 2:  I hate eating square sandwiches of square meat on square bread.  

Confession 3:  I wouldn't eat most of the sandwiches I make.

yuck.

We've recently made a few changes in the things we eat.  The Chef has gotten more and more concerned about food additives and steroids and hormones and things that I don't generally care about.  We switched to hormone free, antibiotic free milk. 

And, in an effort to avoid square meat and preservatives and the exorbitant prices at the deli counter, I gave The Chef an electric food slicer for Christmas.  We've sliced some turkey breasts and boneless hams, but it's kind of a pain in the neck to haul the appliance out of the basement, use it, clean it, pack it back up again, and move it downstairs.  I'll quit whining.

I've been buying the Sara Lee whole grain white bread from Costco for three reasons.  It's cheap.  My kids will eat it unlike the 100% whole wheat bread I buy for myself.  And it's cheap.  Plus, it says it's whole grain right on the package.  But recently, Costco has been carrying delicious Labriola pretzel buns that smell amazing, my kids LOVE them, and one bun has a whopping 17 grams of protein.  No more squares.

I'd like to have more variety in the school lunch, but how? 

I have invested at least at least hundred dollars into Thermos corporation, but my dingbats will throw them away, or lose them, or leave hamburger noodle casserole sealed to ferment for weeks to the point where I throw them away myself.  

I have sometimes send leftovers in Rubbermaid.  But half of my people don't have access to a microwave.  Plus I have concerns about microwaving plastics. Whenever I do this, The Chef and I have had long discussions about whether to heat it up in the morning, thus letting the food slowly cool over several hours and encouraging bacteria growth (my way), or to send it cold and gross which is how it will most likely return, uneaten (his way).  Exciting conversations, I know.

So the big announcement.  

I informed the family that henceforth they will no longer be receiving chips and cookies, but they may choose chips or cookies.  To replace the lost item, the will now be receiving a serving of fruits and a serving of vegetables or two fruits.  Only one person complained.  But when I explained that I had been to the grocery store and Aldi, and that in our two refrigerators we have pineapple, clementines, apples, strawberries, blueberries, grapes (green or red), mini cucumbers, baby carrots, celery, and sugar snap peas, he was subdued.

Did I mention that none of the produce I bought is organic? 

Am I over-thinking this?

Did you know this whole post probably stems from the fact that my mom vacillated between "super-crunchy/healthy wheat germ on wheat toast" and "no holds barred Twinkies every day/Cookie Crisp for breakfast?" 

also yuck.

Do you know what I did with that whole wheat toast topped with wheat germ?  

I couldn't choke it down before the bus came and so she MADE me carry it to the bus stop.  The bus stop was on one of those street sewer drains, and every day I threw my toast in the sewer. 

How's that for a confession?

Until one day, when we got off the bus after school, and I saw a crew of workmen working on my toast sewer!  Did they find two years worth of whole wheat toast?  Was the drain clogged with wheat germ?  Did they find my Strawberry Shortcake wristwatch that fell down there one morning when I was disposing of my toast?  I'll never know.

So, help me out internet friends. 

What do you pack for lunch?  Are pickles a vegetable?  Do raisins count as fruit?

I need some inspiration.  Or some therapy.  Or both.  I look forward to your wise responses.  And, yes, I did figure out how to unlock my combox so everyone is welcome.