Joy Among the Pots and Pans

Updated: For some reason, every time I copy and paste something into Blogger it gives that goofy white background/highlight.  I am working on fixing this! This is a fantastic article .  It is an interview with Daniel Rabourdin, who is originally from France, and he discusses the differences of his childhood diet in the 'tuscany' of France and the harried, convience food culture here in the USA, and the connection of food and Catholicism. Really, just go read it.  I could summarize but it would be a disservice to his beautiful words.  I will admit, however, that the words are challenging for me. A few of my favorite passages: What do you mean by ‘virtue’ with regard to eating? I mean for example that the opposite of gluttony is temperance and that is a necessary virtue to have a good life. We need to know when to stop eating. Doing so is like looking intelligently to the future ourselves. This means that if we are 20 years old, we care for the “ourselv...

I have joined a small group of friends in forming an online book club, and we have been reading "Gift of the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  It is a memoir of sorts on her life, as seen through the vantage point of how different shells she finds along the seashore reflect truths about the different stages of a woman's life.   Before starting the book, I found it helpful to know a bit about Anne Lindberg.  She was the wife of the accomplished pilot Charles Lindbergh, but she herself was a skilled pilot, author, wife, and mother.  She and her husband explored many miles together in the sky, chartering flights between continents.  She had 6 children, included Charles Jr who was kidnapped as a young child for ransom.  (The event was declared the "crime of the century" when it occurred in 1932.)  All throughout her time of raising children and maintaining a home, she continued to pursue her interests and passions, including writing nu...

So, today is absolutely gorgeous out.  I know that these days are numbered and the frigid Minnesota winter is almost upon us.  You probably think my post is going to be about all the adventures we had outside today. Nope.  I got the bug to start sewing again, and ironically, I sewed a christmas tree skirt while little DD1 watched her new favorite movie, "Christmas Time in the Hundred Acre Wood" (or whatever the official title is on Netflix.) I may or may not have had my Josh Groban Holiday station on Pandora playing.  Maybe. But, it felt great to sew and now we are about to go outside for a quick walk before dinner.  Here are the results of today's labors! Please excuse the toys in the background.  I'll come back and crop this later! A satin and minky blanket.  It is so soft!  And we don't have green carpet.  The lighting is super weird!

A Cooks Prayer Lord, guide my willing hands, to bake my bread today. To mix a little laughter, in what I do or say. Help me to feed my family with good food seasoned right. With wisdom of a loving heart, keep my kitchen shining bright. Guide my erring thoughts to Heaven, when my spirit is sad and low. Help me to set my dinner table, with food for hearts that glow.

My friend Nell over at Whole Parenting Family  has suggested we bloggers do a Saturday meal planning link up. Most friends I talk with have very high intentions, but somehow meal planning just doesn't happen, and our families end up eating the same foods over and over and over again. I think knowing I have to publish a plan by Saturday will be a great way to keep myself on track in this area.  While I don't often have the 5PM rush of 'what are we eating?!'  I do have the 10AM or 1PM rush - I like to pull out the meat and cook up dinner while Little M is either happy enough to play alone or during nap time, or at the very least, work on meal prep so the dinner hour isn't so harried and crazy. It's only Thursday today, but I'm going to share a favorite family dessert recipe.  Ok, it's technically a breakfast food, but as Jim Gaffigan explains if it's " cake " for breakfast it's totally legitimate. Cherry-filled Coffeecake 3 cups ...

So, it's been awhile since I've checked in here!  I meant to publish my 7QT on friday, but it didn't happen.  Better late than never!  They are mostly about the goings-on of life this week. 1. M and I were blessed to be able to spend some time at home with my parents this week.  It has been a great week of sleeping in, playing outside in the crisp fall air, eating apples and playing with all the fun and new toys in G&G's house, especially the homemade rocking horse that my Dad crafted years ago for my sister and I. 2. Tomorrow is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila .  I missed doing the novena, but I wanted to draw attention to it anyway since I have based my blog's name on her. :) 3. Since I have had time here at my parents' house, I have been working on meal planning routine.  I have lofty intentions on having a very planning menu, but it just usually doesn't happen.  Last month, I purchased the 'Meal Planning and Ultimate Healthy Living' B...

No long post today.  Instead, I am going to link up to a new project started by some of my friends - Blessed is She.  They write devotions on the daily Mass readings.  Enjoy! To the Anxious Ones

The well read mom program was started here in Minnesota, by a mom who, while homeschooling her children, realized that women, particularly mothers and wives, also needed the nourishment and joy of good literature just as much as school children.  She put together a book club of sorts, selecting good, often unheard of, books and poetry centered around a theme, to be read from Sept - June. While I don't have a group to join to read this year's book selections, my intention is to at least read them on my own. This year's theme is "Year of the Spouse." 1. Hannah Coulter - Wendell Berry 2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 3. Lilacs and the Long Ago - Mary Lavin 4. The Secret Diary of Elizabeth Leseur - Leseur 5.  The Betrothed - Manzoni 6. Hound of Heaven at My Heels - Waldron 7. The Jeweler's Shop - Karol Wojtya 8. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolsto y However, on my trip to the library this morning, I wasn't able to find any of these books on the shelv...

Here I am, jumping in again to update my blog!  I thought I'd start with my first "Seven Quick Takes" linking up with Jennifer Fulwiler over at Conversion Diary. 1. Happy Feast of St. Therese!  Technically, the feast was celebrated on October 1, but since our day didn't pan out like I expected, I am celebrated today.  October 3 was the feast day according to the old Church calendar (pre-vatican 2). 2. With all this rain (and talk of snow tonight!) little Darlin' and I have spent way too much time with the TV and Netflix on.  I think I need to make a list of activities to do in rainy/snowy weather, or else this pending winter will have me shut in and depressed.  I also need to figure out how to become less dependent on the magic box that plays her favorite thing (Winnie the Pooh). 3.  Speaking of Winnie the Pooh, I've been working hard on transitioning Little Darlin' to her own room, and to make that room cozy and cute so she actually likes the idea ...

As of mid-July, I reached my one year anniversary as a SAHM.  After moving from Washington DC to MN due to my husband's job, I resigned from my position as a legislative aide.  I am by no means an expert in this area, as I only have 1 toddler and one on the way.  However, I do feel like i have fallen off the bandwagon a bit at following my own advice, so I thought writing it out and expressing it on my blog would provide motivation to start again. Here are my 6 tips for first surviving, and then thriving, as a SAHM.  (NB: This is long, and likely beneficial for just me, who needed to think through and type out my ideas concretely!) 1. Have a routine 2. Take care of yourself 3. Let go of control 4. Plan ahead 5. Use social media wisely, but don't forget the those IRL. 6. Continue nurturing your interests #1 Routine My first bit of advice is to have a routine (not a schedule).  A routine where you do the same thing in the same order every day. This...

So, this whole blogging idea of mine really didn't take off, did it? :)  I realized this AM that the post about my new year's resolutions wasn't even published (hence today's date) and it's been six months since I've logged on.  However, I need to write and get the mental juices flowing again, so I guess I'm back on the saddle. It's currently summer here in Minnesota, and like most of the year/winter, it is cold and windy!  It seems the whole country has fallen under a chilly spell. Honestly, it is a little refreshing from the hot hot hot days, but it still felt weird to pull on a sweater and jeans before I made my way out the door to run errands yesterday morning.  The sun is out now, though, so I imagine Little M and I will be heading outdoors this afternoon. Since moving in to our current place, I have a bit slow to the decorating/nesting/making it a home thing.  I have had the curtains and curtain rod sitting in my closet for too long  awhil e ,...

While I know we haven't even celebrated Christmas, I am thinking today about New Year's Resolutions.  Yes, yes, most people give up on their resolutions after only a few futile weeks, and I don't think I am some special case that will succeed.  However, you do miss 100% of the shots you don't take! 2014: 1. Prayer . I am to develop a a more consistent morning/night prayer routine. 2. Happy Thoughts: Reading a positive quote/motivating story each day.  This may sound silly, but reading quotes or watching short happy clips can really improve my mood and help me think in a more positive manner. 3. Gratitude Journal.  I've tried this in the past and I want to start it up again.  I really believe life can be as happy or sad as you make it, and so much depends on one's perspective and 4. Reading .  Even if I read 10 min per day, it will be more than what I'm reading now.  I LOVED reading as a child, and somehow the Internet and other distractions ha...