outside my window . . . I think we've traded weather with California (specifically the Santa Rosa area): upper 70s-80s during the day, 40s at night. I'm hoping CA will let us keep their weather for all of summer.
in the kitchen . . . a batch of Artisan bread is in the plan for today. Maybe two because my dough is getting a little old and I need to use it up. We are all enjoying our feasting! Bring on the meat! And cheese! And milk! And butter!
around the house . . . packing has slowed down while we do some painting. 2 rooms completed, 1 in the midst, and 9 more to go (that number includes hallways).
thinking about . . . factionalism in politics and the affect it is having on our representative democracy. Great article in First Things.
~~~
listening to. . . my morning NPR news, just about to switch to the local classical music station WDAV.
thankful for. . . a new workout schedule with hubby (and whatever kids want to join us). Of course this is not just a new schedule, but an entirely new habit.
pondering the words . . . "a number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community," is the definition James Madison gives of a faction.
reading . . . slowly through my new First Things magazine, still slogging through Divine Comedy here and there, looking for a good church father reading for Easter season - any recommendations (Amy - what is it that you are reading - I'm coming over to your blog to check!)
remembering . . . to think the best of people even when I'm afraid they've done the worst.
noticing . . . that the green in my yard is much more weed than grass. But after the last few summers of drought, I'll take anything green.
~~~
to foster rhythm and beauty . . . waking the children for morning bible reading.
to live the liturgy . . . white ribbons on the family altar, thinking about being a Christian person not just a Christ-inspired person.
to educate faithfully . . . still hitting math and language arts each day during this busy season of household projects (packing and painting, etc) in preparation for our move.
~~~
one of my favorite things . . . a good paintbrush
milestones in the past week . . . Baby L is trying so hard to learn to jump. I love that funny little toddler jump - they put so much effort into it, yet can't quite leave the ground.
a few plans for the upcoming week . . . Mock trial practice for eldest son today with last day of Challenge B (Classical Conversations) Wednesday, chapter meeting of Daughters of the Holy Cross (I'm becoming a daughter this month!), painting, painting, painting, and getting a few estimates for painting our 2-story foyer and stairwell.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Welcome Easter!
Did you have a blessed Easter Sunday? I hope so! We had to divide and conquer this year: hubby attended Easter Vigil and I attended Easter Morning service (only one early morning service - our space at a local Catholic HS serves as overflow for one of the largest Catholic churches in our area, so we only had it from 8-10 when their overflow services started). We split kids between us so that Baby L could stay home with the other parent. It worked fine, but next year we worship together!
Our spring is shaping up to be a decidedly hectic one, so I'm looking for some simple ways to keep the idea of the Easter Season before us. Why is our Easter season going to be so hectic, you ask? We expect it to be filled with housepacking and homesite visiting...we are building a new home!! You can check out some photos from the land on our family blog: The Potter's Shed.
So, any special plans to celebrate the Easter Season? A poster with a "road" leading from Easter to Ascension perhaps? Any ideas? Look at me fishing for ideas rather than having them to share! Well, that is how it is sometimes!
I've asked for your ideas, but I'll also share one. You know those odd little plastic dye cups that come in the basic PAAS Easter Egg Dye kits? We save them and use them for snack cups each year. They make a perfect size for a snack! See:
Blessings to you this Easter Season!
Our spring is shaping up to be a decidedly hectic one, so I'm looking for some simple ways to keep the idea of the Easter Season before us. Why is our Easter season going to be so hectic, you ask? We expect it to be filled with housepacking and homesite visiting...we are building a new home!! You can check out some photos from the land on our family blog: The Potter's Shed.
So, any special plans to celebrate the Easter Season? A poster with a "road" leading from Easter to Ascension perhaps? Any ideas? Look at me fishing for ideas rather than having them to share! Well, that is how it is sometimes!
I've asked for your ideas, but I'll also share one. You know those odd little plastic dye cups that come in the basic PAAS Easter Egg Dye kits? We save them and use them for snack cups each year. They make a perfect size for a snack! See:
Blessings to you this Easter Season!
Welcome to the Creek
Early last week we signed an initial contract to build a home about 10 miles from our current house. It is a small neighbhorhood of 35 1.5 acre lots - very wooded. The lot we have chosen backs up to a lovely little creek. It probably is really too small to be called a creek, but stream sounds too technical and brook a bit too fluffy...creek just fits.
Here are some photos of a recent trip out to the property:
The creek looking toward the left from the back of our property. The banks are covered with moss, ferns, wild violets and trout lilies:
And to the right:
Kids crossed the creek to explore the other side.
Baby L and Daddy got their toes into the cool creek water.
This week they are doing soil testing and determining placement of the homesite. We will approve both of these and then we move to the design stage: choosing all the interior decor. I don't relish that stage...confusing and tempting to go over budget. Once we get those choices made, framing begins. They run a tight schedule and guarantee a 50-day work schedule to complete the house. (with avg rain days, holidays, and weekends - that is about 90 calendar days).
We are excited! The house will be bigger than our current home, which wasn't a requirement, but will be nice. Most importantly it has a big lot with woods.
At home, we've been very busy packing up non-essentials and giving away unused items to clear out the clutter. We plan to rent this home (and wait out the market a bit) - and already had one family come look this weekend. (Yes, it was a crazy busy weekend.)
We'll post updates and the house progresses!
Here are some photos of a recent trip out to the property:
The creek looking toward the left from the back of our property. The banks are covered with moss, ferns, wild violets and trout lilies:
And to the right:
Kids crossed the creek to explore the other side.
Baby L and Daddy got their toes into the cool creek water.
This week they are doing soil testing and determining placement of the homesite. We will approve both of these and then we move to the design stage: choosing all the interior decor. I don't relish that stage...confusing and tempting to go over budget. Once we get those choices made, framing begins. They run a tight schedule and guarantee a 50-day work schedule to complete the house. (with avg rain days, holidays, and weekends - that is about 90 calendar days).
We are excited! The house will be bigger than our current home, which wasn't a requirement, but will be nice. Most importantly it has a big lot with woods.
At home, we've been very busy packing up non-essentials and giving away unused items to clear out the clutter. We plan to rent this home (and wait out the market a bit) - and already had one family come look this weekend. (Yes, it was a crazy busy weekend.)
We'll post updates and the house progresses!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Holy Week Activities
Some reading and ideas for observing Holy Week:
Amy at Splendor in the Ordinary on Palm Sunday
Liturgical Year for Little Ones has great ideas - note especially "for the Little Ones" - for families during Holy Week. and more here.
Dana at Roscommon Acres has a Holy Week lesson plan.
Feel free to leave a comment with a link to your own Holy Week post - or someone else's that you enjoyed. I'll try to update with new links during the week.
Amy at Splendor in the Ordinary on Palm Sunday
Liturgical Year for Little Ones has great ideas - note especially "for the Little Ones" - for families during Holy Week. and more here.
Dana at Roscommon Acres has a Holy Week lesson plan.
Feel free to leave a comment with a link to your own Holy Week post - or someone else's that you enjoyed. I'll try to update with new links during the week.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Looking toward Holy Week
We are days away from the pinnacle of the Christian year: Holy Week and Easter. My house is in utter disarray with give-away bags, packed-up boxes, and random pieces of furniture waiting to be moved to the storage unit. I suspect my Holy Week is going to look a little "light" this year.
But we'll bring out a few of the Way of the Cross items from a couple of years ago to help us remember the focus of our week. And we'll attend as many of the Holy Week services as we are able.
Perhaps you'd like some ideas for Holy Week? I'll post them as I see the next couple of days, but to get your started here are some of my ideas and thoughts from years past:
Way of the Cross for Families
Choosing the stations and artwork
Devotions for the stations
Photos from the Way of the Cross hosted in our home
But we'll bring out a few of the Way of the Cross items from a couple of years ago to help us remember the focus of our week. And we'll attend as many of the Holy Week services as we are able.
Perhaps you'd like some ideas for Holy Week? I'll post them as I see the next couple of days, but to get your started here are some of my ideas and thoughts from years past:
Way of the Cross for Families
Choosing the stations and artwork
Devotions for the stations
Photos from the Way of the Cross hosted in our home
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Breakfast and Beads
Excuse the messy mouth - that is par for the course when you are learning to use a spoon!
Breakfast and Beads
Excuse the messy mouth - that is par for the course when you are learning to use a spoon!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Tofu with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce
This is an original recipe by yours truly, but that is just a way of saying "made up". It is quite good (as attested to by my whole family) and easy to make.
Tofu with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce
by Kerry serves 6 hungry people with some leftovers
2 pkgs (blocks) of extra-firm tofu
4-6 heads of broccoli
1/2-3/4 of a bottle of Peanut sauce
(I use an 11.5 oz jar of Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce - in the chinese/asian food section)
Enough cooked rice for 6 people (I make mine a little ahead and keep it in the warm oven)
Oil for sauteing
You'll also need a large saute pan, a casserole dish (9x13 or so) and a warm oven
Drain each block of tofu by slicing it in half lengthwise and placing the two halves on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top and gently press down. Let the tofu sit on the paper towels while you prepare the broccoli.
Trim the broccoli into medium-sized florets (bite size). Include some of the stem, too (trim off the tough outer growth).
Heat some oil (enough to coat the pan well, about 1-2 T) in your saute pan. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn bright green. Drizzle a good amount (1/4 c or so) of peanut sauce on top. Stir to coat and continue cooking until just tender, but still with a good firmness. Transfer the cooked broccoli to the casserole dish, drizzle a bit more peanut sauce on top, cover with foil and place in warm oven.
Back to the tofu. Change the paper towels and press out the last of the water from your tofu. Dice tofu into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 inch square).
Heat more oil in pan (enough to coat the pan well, like before). Add tofu and cook for 2 minutes, turning gently. Drizzle a good amount of peanut sauce on top and continue cooking until tofu is well-warmed. Keep an eye on it as the peanut sauce can start to burn at this point.
Place cooked tofu over broccoli, drizzle more peanut sauce over top and serve over the cooked rice. You can also recover it at this point and keep it in a warm oven until ready to serve. I don't think I'd leave it for more than an hour - the broccoli might get too limp.
This only takes a few minutes to cook - 30 minutes from start to finish (not including the rice cooking time, which might take longer depending on what type of rice you make).
Tofu with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce
by Kerry serves 6 hungry people with some leftovers
2 pkgs (blocks) of extra-firm tofu
4-6 heads of broccoli
1/2-3/4 of a bottle of Peanut sauce
(I use an 11.5 oz jar of Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce - in the chinese/asian food section)
Enough cooked rice for 6 people (I make mine a little ahead and keep it in the warm oven)
Oil for sauteing
You'll also need a large saute pan, a casserole dish (9x13 or so) and a warm oven
Drain each block of tofu by slicing it in half lengthwise and placing the two halves on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top and gently press down. Let the tofu sit on the paper towels while you prepare the broccoli.
Trim the broccoli into medium-sized florets (bite size). Include some of the stem, too (trim off the tough outer growth).
Heat some oil (enough to coat the pan well, about 1-2 T) in your saute pan. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn bright green. Drizzle a good amount (1/4 c or so) of peanut sauce on top. Stir to coat and continue cooking until just tender, but still with a good firmness. Transfer the cooked broccoli to the casserole dish, drizzle a bit more peanut sauce on top, cover with foil and place in warm oven.
Back to the tofu. Change the paper towels and press out the last of the water from your tofu. Dice tofu into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 inch square).
Heat more oil in pan (enough to coat the pan well, like before). Add tofu and cook for 2 minutes, turning gently. Drizzle a good amount of peanut sauce on top and continue cooking until tofu is well-warmed. Keep an eye on it as the peanut sauce can start to burn at this point.
Place cooked tofu over broccoli, drizzle more peanut sauce over top and serve over the cooked rice. You can also recover it at this point and keep it in a warm oven until ready to serve. I don't think I'd leave it for more than an hour - the broccoli might get too limp.
This only takes a few minutes to cook - 30 minutes from start to finish (not including the rice cooking time, which might take longer depending on what type of rice you make).
Monday, March 1, 2010
Julia's Potage Parmentier
Wow - who knew fasting could turn up such GREAT meals?! This is one of those - it is so easy to make and is really delicious. The entire family loved it: hubby, teen son, two youngers and even the toddler! If you are keeping a strict fast, this is quite good without the milk and butter...but with those it has a deeper, richer flavor.
Potage Parmentier
from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Serves 6 as main course, 8 as a soup course
3-4 c (or 1 lb) peeled, sliced or diced potatoes
3 c (or 1 lb) thinly sliced leeks (including the tender green)
2 qt of water
1 T salt
4-6 T cream (or milk) or 3 T softened butter
2-3 T minced parsley or chives (a little less dried)
In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, combine the potatoes, leeks, water and salt. Simmer, partially covered, for 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender. Mash vegetables with fork, run through food mill, or use a hand blender. Taste and correct seasoning as needed. (If using dried herbs, add now so they can soften up).
You can now cover and set it aside until just before serving - just reheat to gentle simmer if necessary.
Once reheated (or if still hot, when ready to serve), stir in milk, cream or butter. Stir in herbs and serve with a lovely crusty bread.
Potage Parmentier
from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Serves 6 as main course, 8 as a soup course
3-4 c (or 1 lb) peeled, sliced or diced potatoes
3 c (or 1 lb) thinly sliced leeks (including the tender green)
2 qt of water
1 T salt
4-6 T cream (or milk) or 3 T softened butter
2-3 T minced parsley or chives (a little less dried)
In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, combine the potatoes, leeks, water and salt. Simmer, partially covered, for 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender. Mash vegetables with fork, run through food mill, or use a hand blender. Taste and correct seasoning as needed. (If using dried herbs, add now so they can soften up).
You can now cover and set it aside until just before serving - just reheat to gentle simmer if necessary.
Once reheated (or if still hot, when ready to serve), stir in milk, cream or butter. Stir in herbs and serve with a lovely crusty bread.
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