Wordless Wednesday: Hello, Tech Support

**I think Margaret would be a perfect mate for Mr. Xander, the IT Guy, don't you? Ahem, Colleen, we've found our match!

Latest And Greatest: A Few Of My Favorite Things

Some days there is nothing quite like home and hearth.

When the breeze blows cold, the kids are tired/cranky and baby is teething, I find joy in the simplest pleasures.

Keeping life simple keeps me sane and happy. (I'm easy to please, aren't I?)

What are some of my new loves, you may ask?


Well, let me share just a few......

A quick search while recently at Walmart led me to the limited edition Better Homes and Gardens candle that exudes autumn:

Candied Caramel Pecan

When I can't be in the kitchen, at least my house smells like I have been.

Another Walmart score was a little something for my crusty, cracked spent-too-much-time-barefoot-this-summer feet:

Bare Foot lotion in Peppermint + Plum

With the first few applications I could already notice the difference. Smells good and greatly improved my feet--double hooray!

Another electronic device made it into our household just over a month ago. While I don't generally think myself a tech geek or find the need for the latest and greatest gadgets, when I laid my eyes upon this one I was hooked:

Samsung Galaxy tab

There I was at Sam's Club just checking them out and then I held it and tried using it. A phone call to hubby and we agreed that the price was right. Plus, we made it out wedding anniversary gift and my birthday gift, so we were covered.

Yes, I'm spoiled. And double yes, I love my tab!



When one buys their new electronic gizmo, there are oodles of new possibilities. I'd been familiar with Apple apps on my iPod, but very unfamiliar with Android apps.

At first gander, I really didn't like the Droid apps. A little more time at the Play Store and I discovered a few that I like to tinker on.

My new favorite CATHOLIC app would have to be


Laudate



Not only is it FREE, it has a plethora of all-things-Catholic on there. To add to the wonderful prayers that are right at your fingertips, there is the entire Catholic Catechism, Bible, Rosary and Liturgy of the Hours.

My favorite part would be the daily readings. If I can't read through them, I can listen to a podcast instead. I also enjoy the meditations that are also podcasts and from excerpts of Pope Benedict's writings.

How awesome is that?!

Well, there you have it. My newest edition of  favorite things in a nutshell.

How about you? What's rockin' your world? Have a favorite Android app you want to share?

Happy Weekend!!

Wordless Wednesday: A Fall Favorite

'Tis The Season: Pumpkin & Spice

With the cool and crisp air these past couple of weeks, I found myself yearning for the warmth of the kitchen and the flavor of pumpkin. The two just seem to go together.

A quick hop on over to Pinterest and I found a couple of recipes to give a try. Since they were all scrumptious and turned out, I thought I'd pass along the recipes.
First, there was the Pumpkin Swirl Bread that made three loaves and was a big hit at our house. Full of (canned) pumpkin goodness and the cream cheese swirl, it was a winning combination.

                                      


Then there was the  Pumpkin French Toast we made after church one Sunday. It definitely was the perfect addition to our brunch and ideal for a fall morning.

We decided to double the ingredients the recipe called for (except the bread) in order to use the whole can of pumpkin and have plenty for everyone.

All you need is:

14 (or so) slices of bread
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or use a dash of each:cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger)

Whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin and spice. Fire up the griddle, start dipping and cook!

Serve with butter and syrup.Or, if you are like me, a little butter and a sprinkle of sugar.

Our last pumpkin recipe came from Reed's co-worker and is a perfectly sweet Pumpkin Crunch dessert. Really easy to whip up in a hurry and full of scrumptious fall flavor. We served ours warm after supper and we were out of whipped topping, but I bet that would've kicked up the yum factor even more.


Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 large can (30 oz) pumpkin pie mix (not canned pumpkin!!)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup melted butter
whipped topping (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan. Combine pumpkin, eggs, sugar, evaporated milk and salt in bowl. Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool completely. Serve with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Now are bellies are full of pumpkin and we're jumping into the feeling of fall. Just in time for the return of some sixty degree weather that's ahead for this week to make it feel like summer all over again.

However, the naked trees tell a different story.

Let The Bells Ring Out, The Year Of Faith Has Begun!

As declared by Pope Benedict XVI, today begins the Year of Faith.

It marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and will continue until November 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Christ the King.

This year also marks the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), so the Pope is encouraging us to delve further into our faith and read the catechism.

Want to really get into this year and fall more in love with your faith and the Catholic Church?

How about reading that big ol' CCC?

Give flocknotes a click and they will email you every day and break it down for you. (Thanks, Cari!)

How about family catechism for this year? Would you like a simple version with video clips explaining the catechism questions geared toward children? Sure ya do!

Family Catechism can help you with that.

Another little treasure I found the other day was a whole Vatican website for this year. It's got tidbits upon tidbits of information if you are looking for it:

Annus Fidei

Were you aware that there is a plenary indulgence given for the Year of Faith? There is!

Find out more over here.

Alrighty, now that I've given you all of this information, maybe you can help me. I have the task of teaching our Little Flowers girls (age 7-11) lesson next week. Virtue: FAITH. How providential, huh? We will definitely touch on the Year of Faith, but I'd like to know how to exactly easily break down the virtue. Short and sweet, but that it explains the wonderful gift of FAITH enough.

I've got ideas, but I thought I'd ask you for any suggestions. Leave me a comment if you've got anything. Thanks!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Rarely Captured

After last week's backside photo, I figured I'd better show off my two little peanut blossom's and their pretty faces.

Rarely captured together and *blissfully* content.

Be.still.my.heart.

And, just a note: Lest you think my big kids have taken up residence elsewhere because I don't post them very often, they are alive and well.

Just not as happy about their mamarazzi wonderful mom to be snapping photos of them all the time.

Wordless Wednesday: Waiting For Daddy

Feast Of The Guardian Angels

Today we celebrate our heavenly buddies and helpers, our guardian angels.

They sure don't get all the thanks that they could considering they are with us all the time, everywhere.

We'll be giving ours a little shout out and a little more gratitude today.

Why not celebrate with Angel Food cake?

Thanks to the latest edition of the Catholic Digest and their suggestion on Angel Food Cake variations, I'm serving up the cocoa version.

Try any of these added to a regular boxed angel food cake mix:

Cocoa: Add 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Cinnamon: Add 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Five-Spice: Add 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice

Be sure and take an extra moment today to pray to your guardian angel on his special day!

Angel of God,

my guardian dear

To whom God's love

commits me here,

Ever this day,

be at my side,

To light and guard,

To rule and guide.

Amen.