Happy Saint Nicholas Day

Re-post from last year. 

So today is St. Nicholas day. The Baron and I decided to celebrate by observing the traditional Catholic feast. This morning I woke up to gold balls in my shoes. (Ok, so it wasn't real gold it was gold chocolate balls. The Baron told me it was for my dowry so I wouldn't have to become a prostitute. Doubt there is concern of that happening at this point. )

A friend of mine got some wooden dolls of her children's patron Saints. She got them at St. Luke's Brush I thought they were great and decided to share.

I hope you all enjoy your Feast of St. Nicholas.

For those of my readers who don't know the legend associated with St. Nicholas and the traditions celebrated on his feast day I'll recount them here:

St. Nicks parents died when he was a young man, leaving him well off and he determined to devote his inheritance to works of charity. An opportunity soon arose. A citizen of Patara had lost all his money, and had moreover to support three daughters who could not find husbands because of their poverty; so the wretched man was going to give them over to prostitution. This came to the ears of Nicholas, who thereupon took a bag of gold and, under cover of darkness threw it in at the open window of the man's house. Here was a dowry for the eldest girl and she was soon duly married. At intervals Nicholas did the same for the second and third; at the last time the father was on the watch, recognized his benefactor and overwhelmed him with his gratitude.

There are many different St. Nicholas traditions depending on the country. As follows

The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on 6 December ( [O.S. 19 December (in most Orthodox countries)], is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The American Santa Claus, as well as the Anglo-Canadian and British Father Christmas, derive from these legends. "Santa Claus" is itself derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas.

France

St. Nicolas comes primarily in Alsace, Lorraine and Nord-Pas-de-Calais (French Flanders). St. Nicolas is patron of Lorraine. A little donkey carries baskets filled with children's gifts, biscuits (U.S. 'cookies') and sweets. The whole family gets ready for the saint's arrival on December 6, with grandparents telling stories of the saint. The most popular one is of three children who wandered away and got lost. Cold and hungry, a wicked butcher lured them into his shop where he attacked and salted them away in a large tub. Through the intervention of St. Nicolas the boys were restored to their families. This story led to Nicolas being recognized as the protector of children. In France statues and paintings often portray this event, showing the saint with children in a barrel. The evil butcher became Père Fouettard, who has followed St Nicolas in shame ever since. This story is also a popular French children's song. Meanwhile bakeries and home kitchens are a hive of activity as spiced gingerbread biscuits (U.S 'cookies') and mannala (a brioche shaped like the good saint) are baked. At school children learn St. Nicolas songs and poems and draw and paint St. Nicolas pictures and crafts. Saint Nicolas visits nursery schools, giving children chocolates and sometimes even a little present. Though Père Fouettard carries switches to threaten the children, what they really fear is that he may advise Saint Nicolas to pass them by on his gift-giving rounds.

Italy

On 6 December there is a ritual called the Rito delle nubili. The same tradition is currently observed in Sassari, where during the day of Saint Nicholas, patron of the city, gifts are given to young brides who need help before getting married.

Sinterklaas in the Netherlands in 2007

The Netherlands, Belgium, and Lower Rhineland (Germany)

Main article: Sinterklaas

In the Netherlands and Belgium, Saint Nicholas' Eve (5 December) is the primary occasion for gift-giving, when his reputed birthday is celebrated.

In the days leading up to 5 December (starting when Saint Nicholas has arrived by steamboat in late November), young children put their shoes in front of the chimneys and sing Sinterklaas songs. Often they put a carrot or some hay in the shoes, as a gift to St. Nicholas' horse. (In recent years the horse has been named Amerigo in The Netherlands and Slechtweervandaag in Flanders.) The next morning they will find a small present in their shoes, ranging from sweets to marbles or some other small toy. On the evening of 5 December, Sinterklaas brings presents to every child who has behaved well in the past year (in practice, just as with Santa Claus, all children receive gifts without distinction). This is often done by placing a bag filled with presents outside the house or living room, after which a neighbour or parent bangs the door or window, pretending to be Sinterklaas' assistant. Another option is to hire or ask someone to dress up as Sinterklaas and deliver the presents personally. Sinterklaas wears a bishop's robes including a red cape and mitre and is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dress, dating back two centuries. These helpers are called 'Zwarte Pieten' ("Black Petes") or "Père Fouettard" in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

The myth is that, if a child had been naughty, the Zwarte Pieten put all the naughty children in sacks, and Sinterklaas took them to Spain (it is believed that Sinterklaas comes from Spain, where he returns after 5 December). Therefore, many Sinterklaas songs still allude to a watching Zwarte Piet and a judging Sinterklaas.

In the past number of years, there has been a recurrent discussion about the perceived politically incorrect nature of the Moorish helper. In particular Dutch citizens with backgrounds from Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles might feel offended by the Dutch slavery history connected to this emblem and regard the Zwarte Pieten to be racist. Others state that the black skin color of Zwarte Piet originates in his profession as a chimneysweep, hence the delivery of packages though the chimney. [21]

In recent years, Christmas (along with Santa Claus) has been pushed by shopkeepers as another gift-giving festival, with some success; although, especially for young children, Saint Nicholas' Eve is still much more important than Christmas. The rise of Father Christmas (known in Dutch as de Kerstman) is often cited as an example of globalisation and Americanisation.[22]

On the Frisian islands (Waddeneilanden), the Sinterklaas feast has developed independently into traditions very different from the one on the mainland.[23]

German speaking countries

Nikolaus-Umzug in Freiburg (Switzerland)

In Northern Germany, Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Many children put a boot called Nikolaus-Stiefel (Nikolaus boot) outside the front door on the night of 5 December. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts and sweets overnight, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good, polite and helpful the last year. If they were not, they will have a tree branch (Rute) in their boots instead.

Sometimes a Nikolaus impersonator also visits the children at school or in their homes and asks them if they have been good (sometimes ostensibly checking his golden book for their record), handing out presents on the basis of their behavior. This has become more lenient in recent decades, and this task is often taken over by the Weihnachtsmann (Santa Claus). In more catholic regions, Nikolaus is dressed very much like a bishop and rides on a horse, welcomed at public places by a large crowd.

Typical in the German speaking countries for Saint Nicholas Day is the Stutenkerl, a pastry made of sweet leavened dough.

Central Europe

In highly Catholic regions, the local priest was informed by the parents about their children's behaviour and would then personally visit the homes in the traditional Christian garment and threaten to beat them with a rod. In parts of Austria, Krampusse, who local tradition says are Nikolaus's helpers (in reality, typically children of poor families), roamed the streets during the festival. They wore masks and dragged chains behind them. These Krampusläufe (Krampus runs) still exist.

In Croatia, Nikolaus (Sveti Nikola) who visits on Saint Nicholas day (Nikolinje) brings gifts to children commending them for their good behavior over the past year and exhorting them to continue in the same manner in the year to come. If they fail to do so they will receive a visit from Krampus who traditionally leaves a rod, an instrument their parents will use to discipline them.

Mikulás in Ecka (Vojvodina - Serbia) brings joy to children in 2010.

In Czech and Slovakia, Mikuláš, in Poland Mikolaj and in Ukraine Svyatyi Mykolay is often also accompanied by an angel (andel/aniol/anhel) who acts as a counterweight to the ominous devil or Knecht Ruprecht (cert/czart). Additionally, in Poland children find the candy and small gifts under the pillow or in their shoes the evening of 5 December [O.S. 18 December (in Ukraine)] or the morning of 6 December [O.S. 19 December].

In Hungary and Romania, children typically leave their boots on the windowsill on the evening of 5 December. By next morning Nikolaus (Szent Miklós traditionally but more commonly known as Mikulás in Hungary or Mos Nicolae (Sfântul Nicolae) in Romania) leaves candy and gifts if they have been good, or a rod (Hungarian: virgács, Romanian: nuielusa) if they have been bad (most children end up getting small gifts, but also a small rod). In Hungary he is often accompanied by the Krampusz, the frightening helper who is out to take away the bad ones.

In Luxembourg, Kleeschen is accompanied by the Houseker a frightening helper wearing a brown monk's habit.

In Slovenia, Saint Nikolaus (Miklavž) is accompanied by an angel and a devil (parkelj) corresponding to the Austrian Krampus.

Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria

A modern metal icon of St. Nicholas by the Bulgarian artist Georgi 'Chapa' Chapkanov. Gilbert House, Stanley, Falkland Islands.

2006 Christmas stamp, Ukraine, showing St. Nicholas and children.

In Greece, Saint Nicholas does not carry an especial association with gift-giving, as this tradition is carried over to St. Basil of Cesarea, celebrated on New Year's Day. St. Nicholas being the protector of sailors, he is considered the patron saint of the Greek navy, military and merchant alike, and his day is marked by festivities aboard all ships and boats, at sea and in port. It is also associated with the preceding feasts of St. Barbara (4 December), St. Savvas (5 December), and the following feast of St. Anne (9 December); all these are often collectively called the "Nikolobárbara", and are considered a succession of days that heralds the onset of truly wintry cold weather in the country. Therefore by tradition, homes should have already been laid with carpets, removed for the warm season, by St. Andrew's Day (30 November), a week ahead of the Nikolobárbara.

In Serbia and among the Serbian people living across the world, Saint Nicholas is celebrated as patron saint of many families, and is as such celebrated in the tradition of Slava. Since the feast of Saint Nicholas always falls in the fasting period preceding the Christmas, the feast is celebrated according to the Eastern Orthodox Church fasting rules ("Post"). Fasting refers in this context to the eating of a restricted diet for reasons of religion. Saint Nicholas'"Slava" is the most celebrated by the Serbian people

In the Republic of Bulgaria, Saint Nicholas is one of the most celebrated saints. Many churches and monasteries are named after him. Saint Nicholas' day is celebrated as a holiday on the 6th of December.

Lebanon

Saint Nicholas is celebrated by all the Christian communities in Lebanon: Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian. Many places, churches, convents, and schools are named in honor of Saint Nicholas, such as Escalier Saint-Nicolas des Arts, Saint Nicolas Garden, and Saint Nicolas Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

Palestine

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of the town of Beit Jala. This little town, which is located only two kilometers to the west of Bethlehem, boasts being the place where St. Nicholas spent four years of his life during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Every year on the 19th of December according to the Gregorian Calendar—that is the 6th of December according to the Julian Calendar—a solemn Divine Liturgy is held in the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, and is usually followed by parades, exhibitions, and many activities. Palestinian Christians of all sects, denominations and churches come to Beit Jala and participate in prayers and celebrations.

United States and Canada

While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed nationally, cities with strong German influences like Milwaukee, Cincinnati and St. Louis celebrate St. Nick's Day on a scale similar to the German custom.[24] As in other countries, many people in the United states celebrate a separate St Nicholas Day by putting their shoes outside their bedroom doors on the evening of 5 December. St Nicholas then comes during the night. On the morning of 6 December, those people will find their shoes filled with gifts and sugary treats. Widespread adoption of the tradition has spread among the German, Polish, Belgian and Dutch communities throughout the United States.

On 24 December, Christmas Eve, each child puts one empty stocking/sock on their fireplace. The following morning of 25 December, the children awake to find that St. Nick has filled their stockings with candy and small presents (if the children have been good) or coal (if not). Gifts often include chocolate gold coins to represent the gold St. Nick gave to the poor and small trinkets. They also awake to find presents under the tree, wrapped in Christmas-themed paper. This is a very traditional part of Christmas.

Pepper Shrimp Alfredo

I made Pepper Shrimp Alfredo the other night. It was pretty good. As usual I made a few changes.

I put fat free half and half instead of cream.

I also used 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper because it was so hot.

I also added more mushrooms.

Pepper Shrimp Alfredo

Ingredients

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, diced
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter together with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper, and mushroom; cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 2 minutes more.
3. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until firm and pink, then pour in Alfredo sauce, Romano cheese, and cream; bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

He's Sick and Tried

I have to agree with Bill Cosby. To bad I am suck in the middle and will have to see how it all plays out.

"I'm 76 and I'm Tired"

I'm 76. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National
Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some some serious
health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly
40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my
income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as
though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired. 

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who
don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take
the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to
earn it. 

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day
I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and
daughters for their family "honour"; of Muslims rioting over some slight
offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't
"believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning
teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the
genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and
Shari'a law tells them to. 

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must
let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques
and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand, UK,
America and Canada, while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a
church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab
country to teach love and tolerance.. 

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global
warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help
support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ
rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses
or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off? 

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all
parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful
mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught.
I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor. 

I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and
actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination
or big-whatever for their problems. 

I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and
early 20's bedeck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making
themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government. 

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 76.. Because, mostly, I'm not
going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for
my granddaughter and her children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not on
the way in.

Love that stands the test of time

Rites of the Catholic Church

Here is an explanation of the Rites of the Catholic Church. It is an EWTN supported page.

Here are a few videos of different rites of the Catholic Church. These are short videos but can give you a taste of the different rites.

Just a few pictures with the names of the Rites.
(Not all of the info is exactly correct but it does show how diverse the Catholic Church is.)





Byzantine Catholic Mass done in English
(We have one in Houston. It is called "Saint John Chrysostom." Click here to view their site.






Tridentine Rite Mass (Old Latin Mass)
(The FSSP is about to build a new Church in North west Houston. It is not yet built.)

(Ignore what the PBS person says he's wrong on a few points. Just watch the rest. The priest explains it quite well in my opinion.)



Here is an old video of the Tridentine Mass.
(It is also explained. Narration by Bishop Sheen).





Maronite Liturgy

We have a parish in Houston. "Our Lady of the Cedars" click here to view their website.



Anglican Use Mass
(There is one "Our Lady of Walshingham" in Houston also but they didn't have a mass video. To see Our Lady of Walshingham, which I think is nicer, click here. Thought I might be a bit bias seeing I attend Walshigham fairly regularly.)



Syrian/ Syro-Malabar Rite Catholic Church
One of the priest at St. Theresa's in Sugar Land is a Syro-Malabar Rite priest but I've never heard him do the Rite.

(following 2 videos)





Ethiopian
(I was unable to find an actual mass but I believe this might be a part of a mass.)

Now come on Catholics in the USA step up too.

Returning to meatless Fridays. Catholics in England and Wales are being asked to return to meatless Friday's year round paired with prayer. We all know that the UK is far from a Catholic country. In fact Europe as a whole is losing their Christian values and becoming more secularized. We as Americans are quickly following in their footsteps. Why is this? We have lost all forms of religious practices and are slowly losing our rights to express our religious beliefs even if we wanted to outwardly express those beliefs.

From the Catholic side of things our USCCB are a bunch of spineless individuals unwilling to steadfastly stand up for true Catholic beliefs and practices. Too many local bishops would rather go with the flow of our popular culture instead of returning to our Catholic traditions. Few are willing to stand up against the mindless hordes and those so call "Catholic" leaders who are Catholic by name alone. It is terribly embarrassing for me to look at these politicians who claim to be pro-choice Catholics, or pro-gay marriage Catholics. These are not within the bounds of the teachings of the Catholic church. Yet they are allowed to act as if they are because no one in authority really stands up and says "No, I'm sorry, You are in mortal sin and their for can not receive communion. O and by the way you've excommunicated yourself by your actions. You will be allowed to rejoin the Body of Christ when you turn from your sinful ways and repent."



If each one of us who truly believe in the Catholic faith stand up for our faith maybe we can change the tide. That means really educating ourselves about what The Church really believes and not just blindly following what our pastor, or even the bishops claim that we believe. We are all educated individuals, seek the truth for yourself. Believe even when it's hard or someone we love is sinning and by following your faith might be hurt. Sacrifice, pray, and study the scriptures with guidance. If we all learn to stand up and do what we know is right, then maybe we will have a chance to turn the country around and not have to follow in the footsteps of great fallen empires such as the Romans and the Greeks.

One really easy way to take the first step is to sacrifice and offer that sacrifice up. This could be something as simple as not eating meat on Friday's, taking the time to go to daily mass, or even just offering up the little sufferings we all experience in life. It doesn't have to be a giant step, just a tiny step in the right direction. If everyone started with these tiny steps we as a culture might stand a chance.

I pray that you will stand with me and follow Christ's teachings as revealed by our Catholic Faith.

Prayers for a friend of mine and her family.

A friend of mine and her family need your prayers right now. She and her husband are pregnant and are in the process of moving to Fl. This past week she has been spotting and yesterday she went to the ER because it had gotten worst. There she got some discouraging news. Her husband is already in FL (driving the truck there cross country this past week.) She and her two little ones are staying with her parents but were planing to fly to FL later this week. Please keep her and her family (especially the child she is carrying) in your prayers.

Here is her Blog post about it. It has more details about the situation.

Thank you to all my readers for keeping them in your thoughts and close to your hearts at this difficult time in their lives.

New Kitten

My mother-in-law's neighbor's friend found a kitten/ small cat in her pool. It was drowning in the pool when she pool it out. She called me up and asked if we wanted a kitten. The Baron and I decided on an outside cat but the Baron is all worried it's to hot and that she will run away. So she's been staying in the bathroom at night and in the computer room off and on during the days. We have to get her fixed before we put her outside so we don't end up with lots of little kittens. My parents are not ok with animals in the house so she should be moving outside pretty soon. (Well as soon as I find a cheaper place to get her fixed.) For now I've got a 4 to 5 month kitten living in two rooms of my house. She is really pretty calm for a young cat but she does have her moments of insanity.


Here are a few pictures of her.




We were going to have a naming blog entry where everyone could suggest and vote on a name but it seems like her name will be Nony, short for Anonymous which is what the Baron named her.

Knitting

Over the past few weeks I've been trying to teach myself how to knit. Knitting is a bit harder than I expected. I've got a not so great practice scarf going. My end goal is to make 2 scarves and maybe a hat by the time we go to Rome in December. I'm also going to try to learn to crochet. But first to make I need to learn to knit without having to think of each step. I also need to learn how not to make it grow with time. This is not going so well. I'll keep trying. Anyone got any suggestions?

One busy May

Hello Blogging world,

Things have been super busy these past three weekends. Three weekends ago the Baron and I went on our beginning of the year confirmation retreat with our confirmation kids. We got to listen to lots of good talks, had mass ad orientum, and had a great adoration.

Not to mention wonderful weather and other outdoor activity's such as our monk walk.

Last weekend we went to the Baron's youngest brother's graduation at the University of Texas in Austin and I got to meet one of his cousin's who wasn't able to make it to the wedding. The weather was hot and humid but we enjoyed the company. When we came back on Sunday we went to mass and then went to the church bazaar.

This weekend we went down to my home town to see my parents. We went to my brother's camp out on the bay with my dad's side of the family and had a great crawfish and crab boil. I got my seafood fix for a bit.

Now we are home and with the AC off all weekend we were greeted to a smelly house (Opsy I forgot to take out the trash before we left) and a 90 degree house. All the windows are open and there's a nice cool breeze blowing now that the sun has set. I think I'm going to enjoy the nice cool night with the Baron. Maybe make hot dogs for dinner and whip up some nice cool ice tea.

Catholic Bloggers Unite

Hello Catholic women,

I came across this site. http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/faith I was quite disturbed to see all of the wiccan mom blogs and only one Catholic blog. Come on Catholic moms, lets vote in some of our own. We can evangelize so much more if we show our support of each other outside of our own little blogosphere.

Happy Easter! (For the next 39 days)

Spend Easter Sunday at a friends house and I made a Berry Triful.


 It was very good. I made 2 and they ate all of one. The other one is sitting in my frig waiting for someone to come along and eat it.




This is what I wore for Easter Sunday.

I got the skirt on Saturday from Goodwill. I forgot I didn't have anything to wear until Good Friday and then we didn't get around to going shopping till Saturday. I guess all's well that ends well. And I got the skirt for $6. It's a Talbots skirt. I also picked up 4 more skirts, a dress, and 4 shirts that match with 3 of the skirts. All for under $55. Not too bad, I have to say. The Baron picked up a solid wood coat stand for $14, and a 100 year old Catholic school reader for $2. Overall it was a nice productive trip to Goodwill.

The Baron wanted to know if anyone else shopped like we do. I have to say, lately I've had better luck at Goodwill than I do at department stores. Why spend more if you don't have to, right?

Broiled Tilapia

Hello Readers,

I know I've been gone for a while but my parents came into town, we did some minor home improvements, did some major spring cleaning and then we had lots of company over. While my parents were here I made something new. It's pretty good. I discovered it's best if you use thin tilapia. I made it as directed but used I can't believe it's not butter and olive oil mayo. I liked it and thought I'd pass it on to all my readers.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

8 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Purple chickens

Ok so Cam at A Women's Place posted about her husband describing the appearance of her dinner as "Disgusting". I linked her blog entry here.

I have had one very memorable experience when my food looked ... well.... less than appetizing. One night we had ..um .. lavender chicken for dinner. No the chicken didn't have lavender in it. The color of the chicken was lavender.

It was one of those well we have this and this and this so let me try putting all of it together and see what we get. I made stuffed chicken breast in a wine sauce. I stuffed the chicken breasts with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and cream cheese. Sounds good right? I didn't have any white wine but we did have some red wine in the fridge. Well apparently when you mix red wine and cream cheese together to make a sauce it makes a nice purple color not associated with most food.

I wasn't overly happy with the way it looked but my husband didn't say a thing. If you could get past the color it was actually very good. In fact it made an encore. I actually made it on purpose the second time. And it was great. It's one of those meals that you just close your eyes and eat it. After our meat free lent it might make a come back. If it does I'll have to post pictures of it.

What kind of mishaps have you had in the kitchen?

The weekend's plans

This weekend my parents are coming over. We are going to start off the weekend with going to Catholic Date Night together. Then on Saturday my dad is going to repair my husband's car (again). It's the AC (again). The Baron and my father are going to repair the sprinkler system together and possibly repair some sewage pipe (Or at least I think that's what I was told). Inside my mom and I will do the normal thing, cook, clean, maybe hang some curtain's. They will be here all week because they are meeting my dad's first cousin's who are coming to my house next Sunday. I'll try to post again soon. As you can tell nothing major has been happening around here lately.

Strawberries just like I promised

Ok so I promised if it was good I'd post my recipe for Strawberries 'n' cream Trifle. Well it was good so here you go.

_________________________________________________________________
Strawberries 'n' cream Trifle.

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 (1 ounce) package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen reduced-fat frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (9 inch) prepared angel food cake
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
3 whole fresh strawberries

Directions

In a bowl, whisk the milk and water. Whisk in the pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set; fold in the whipped topping. Cut cake into 1/2-in. cubes.
Spoon a third of the pudding mixture into a 4-qt. trifle or glass bowl. Top with half of the cake cubes and sliced strawberries. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining pudding mixture. Garnish with whole strawberries.
__________________________________________________________________


I made it just like it says except I made the pudding out of reduced fat milk instead of condensed milk because I didn't read the direction well and didn't understand that's what they meant when they said milk. Next time I will make it the right way and I'll add some bananas to it. I think you could make it with blueberries too. Everyone at the party loved it.

I'm back!

Ok so the whole working thing wasn't working out. I was super stressed all the time and it just wasn't good for my health. Their were a lot of things that just didn't make my working at that facility good. Now that I've tried the working world and discovered that it's just not for me I'm going to stay home and have babies. (No babies on the way that I know about yet). My husband has lots of vacation time stored up so I think we are going to take that long awaited late honeymoon to somewhere in Europe. I vote for ROME but we might be going with Fr. Mitch Pacwa to France or Patrick Madrid to Spain. No plans have really been decided upon. So now that I'm back I'm going to start posting more often again.

Thank you, all you readers for sticking around. Now back to the wonderful life of a house wife. I don't think I've ever been so happy to do laundry and clean the kitchen.

I'll give you a sneak peak at a possible new recipe. Depending on how it turns out, it might make the next post.

Strawberries 'n' Cream Trifle

Curry Shrimp Recipe

Hello all,
I made this last night but didn't have time to post it. It was very good. I made it as posted. Next time I will put some celery in while I'm sauteing the onions. My husband really enjoyed it. In fact I had to make an extra cup of rice because he wanted more than I originally served him.

Curry Shrimp

Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of shrimp soup, undiluted
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound frozen uncooked small shrimp - thawed, peeled and deveined
1 cup sour cream
Hot cooked rice

Directions
1.In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in soup and curry powder; bring to a boil. Add the shrimp; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink. Reduce heat. Stir in sour cream; heat through. Serve over rice.

Greek Pizza (1st lenten meal I cook)

Surprise! Two posts in one day. Wow!

For lunch we had Greek Pizza. I actually made is as prescribed except I put some black olives in it too. It was really good. The Baron was upset when I only let him have three pieces. It was a nice start to no meat. I get the feeling it will make a few rotation in the 40 days. O I just realized I forgot to put the onion it it. Ops. It was great even without it.

Greek Pizza with Spinach, Feta and Olives

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
• 1 (12 inch) pre-baked Italian pizza crust
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, garlic and 1/2 cup feta in a small bowl. Place pizza crust on a cookie sheet; spread mayonnaise mixture over pizza, then top with tomatoes, olives and oregano. Bake until heated through and crisp, about 10 minutes.
2. Toss spinach and onion with the 1 Tb. sun-dried tomato oil. Top hot pizza with spinach mixture and remaining 1/2 cup feta cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts, about 2 minutes longer. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

Sorry for the delays

Sorry readers,

I've been super busy and that probably isn't going to change soon. I'm going to try to update as often as I can. With my new job I'm super busy. I only work three days a week but I don't know how people do this full time. I come home and pass out from exhaustion and hunger. I tend to sleep from just after I have dinner (my only meal of the day) till about 10:00 the next morning. Then I try to catch up on the stuff I used to do like keep the house half decently clean. This too shall end.

The job isn't terrible but I'm just a perfectionist and I feel so lost. I know I trained for this for years but the paperwork is killing me. And it doesn't help that I tend to see the clients only once and then have to write their weekly progress notes. Can we say EAK!

So now that I've complained I'll move on to my challenge for lent. I am going to go meatless all lent. This doesn't sound so hard and It probably wouldn't be if three days a week I wasn't working. I hope this works out. O and since the husband is on a diet it looks like we will be having a lot of salad and fish dinners. Today since I'm off I'm making Greek pizza for lunch and tonight I'm making Veggie soup. We can also have it tomorrow night for dinner. This should be an interesting adventure. I'm also going to try to make it to mass every day but Mondays and Fridays. There is no way for me to go to mass those days because Tomball doesn't have a mass that allows me to make it to work for 7:00 AM.

On the mass note, I missed Ash Wednesday because I got lost and by the time I would have found it Mass would have been over. Kind of a downer but on the upside it wasn't a holy day. I did go to confession on Tuesday though so that was a silver lining. I'll try to find a mass for me to go to today since I missed morning mass by sleeping in. I honestly didn't remember to set an alarm for me to get there.

Work Day 1

My first day of work was very uneventful. All I did was sit in front of a computer while power point presentations orientated me to the practices, rules and regulations of the company. It took me 2 hours to get to work in the morning. I was there for six hours because my supervisor saw all of the clients before I was finished with orientation. Maybe tomorrow when I go to the other facility I might see some clients. I'm just not looking forward to the paperwork I'll have to do. We'll see how that goes. More updates later.

Off to work

Off to my first day of work bright and early tomorrow morning. We'll see if I have time to blog about it tomorrow night.

Remodel complete for now

Here is the simi-end result. I do plan on framing the mirrors, getting new light fixtures, faucets and putting curtains on the window but as of now it's finished.

Faux painting the bathroom

At last I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. After trying my hand a faux painting the bathroom my mother-in-law who knows what she is doing is painting it. Thank God for good mother-in-laws.

My wedding (inspired by Betty Beguiled)

Hey guys,

To give you a reprieve from the remodeling talk, I'll talk about my wedding instead. I got the idea from Betty Beguiled. She was asking about weddings and wedding dresses so I'll talk about mine here.

I loved my dress and I still do. It took me about a year, 3 states, about 7 cities, 20 bridal shops, and 100 dresses (I'm not exaggerating) to find it. The top and the bottom originally come from two different dresses by one designer. We called the company and they made my dress exclusively for me.

The bodice was originally strapless but the bridal shop made a sheer higher back with covered buttons and sheer sleeves. They also beaded the bottom of the sleeves to mimic the rest of the dress. The dress was made of golden (it was more of a cross between cream, champagne, and candle light) Italian Satin with a double Cathedral length couture satin and tulle train. It had a sweet heart neckline, the bodice was elaborately beaded with Swarovski Crystal and embroidered with platinum thread. It had a ball gown style skirt with scalloped hemline that barely missed the floor. When I walked it looked like I was floating. The train and skirt were also elaborately beaded with Swarovski Crystal and embroidered with platinum thread. The back of the dress had covered buttons from the top of the train all the way to the back of my neck.

Close up view


Detail of the train.

It took forever for me to find the dress but once I did I fell in love. I had my grandmother's diamond and platinum watch band made into earrings and wore them. I also carried her rosary in my bouquet. I wore my prom shoes because they had a pretty embroidered flower pattern that complimented the dress. We had them re-dyed because they were still white. My hair was worn up with my sister's head piece and I bought a scalloped beaded veil with blusher. I felt like a princess all night.

My sister and I both got married Dec. 28th. My wedding day was her 25th wedding anniversary. So now I will never forget her anniversary date and the guys can call to remind each other.

The mass was held in a simple church that was beautifully decorated from Christmas.

My wedding colors were white and red. The girls all wore red satin floor length dresses with boleros. The styles of the dresses were different and fit their body types but all looked very similar

.

The grooms men all wore black tuxes with red vests and ties. The fathers wore black tuxes with gray vests and ascots. (They both looked very dignified).

We had two ring bearers but only one made it down the aisle. Our flower girl was so cute in her dress. It had a few of the same characteristics of mine but was very little girl appropriate.

My local church choir (the whole choir) sang for my wedding. We had the Mass of the Angel's sung. The whole wedding had an ethereal feel to it.

The reception hall was decorated with white and ivory with touches of red. We had a seated dinner reception. I heard the food was good from everyone. (Even if I didn't get to eat any) After dinner we danced the night away

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Over all I loved my appearance and had the princess wedding that I always wanted.