Monday Of Holy Week Daybook

Outside My Window... 

It's colder again, 21 degrees, and the sound of the wind makes me think of fall or winter. Several more days of colder than normal temps lie ahead this week and I think I saw the words SNOW SHOWERS somewhere in the forecast. Please let it be warm enough for sandals and short sleeves on Easter.


I am Thankful For...

A daytime 'date' with Reed on Friday. It allowed for uninterrupted conversation, a quick lunch at a restaurant and a shopping trip in which I scored a TON of deals on spring/summer clothes for the kiddos.


I Am Thinking about...

How to best use this Holy Week in prayer, patience and charity in our household. After reading Jamie's post and realizing this is THE WEEK my soul is yearning for, I feel encouraged to somehow make the most of it.


From the School Room...

CAT/5 survey standardized testing that I scheduled thinking this was a good week to take care of it. Hopefully we can still make it work this week and get it done.


What I am Reading..

Not much. I kind of fell off with some of my Lenten reading that I had done well with at the beginning of Lent. However, I am keeping up with the daily reading in 33 Days to Morning Glory as we prepare for our consecration date on Divine Mercy Sunday.

From the Kitchen...

I am thinking about keeping suppers simple this week. Maybe a couple of days of soup and bread are good simplistic meals for Holy Week? I've got some cheesy potato soup in the freezer to use, but I also think we'll whip up Patty's Meatless Taco Soup, along with this Creamy Tortellini Soup. My mom gave us a package of homemade pretzel mix recently that I want to try and make with the kids on Good Friday.


Praying For...

A fruitful Holy Week.

Families who are missing loved ones who've recently passed away.

Those who are entering the Catholic Church this Holy Saturday.


I am Hearing...

The chatter of the three year old as she watches Wild Kratts.


Around the House...

Thanks to Tracy's post and her help via email, we implemented a new task/cleaning/helping mom chart at our house last week. So far it's working great and keeping the big kids motivated (even if it is by small amounts of money). I needed more help and found that even the smallest things, like filling beverage glasses before supper, only seemed to be done by me. Thanks to the new list, the kids have the freedom to choose which things to do each day to add up to making some money. They are finding that a bunch of small things for modest pay still turns out to be decent pocket money by Pay Day. It is a relief for me and gives me more of a chance to take on the general household needs and also just breathe a bit more.


Picture to Share...

We've never had much for decor in our small parish church in the past, but the combination of a young priest who thrives on liturgical/Church symbolism/tradition and an eager-to-do church coordinator (that would be ME), things are changing. This is the first year (that I recall) our statues have been covered the last weeks of Lent and the red was the extra effect for Palm Sunday. I found that it made me more alert to the sacredness of the week ahead and the longing for the beauty of Easter.

A snapshot of our church on Palm Sunday:

Blessings on your Holy Week, the Week That Changed The World. 

Pretending Spring

 This morning, the sun is shining and it's 30 degrees, but yesterday...

yesterday.

It was not. Thankfully the snow didn't really accumulate here. However, it was the kind of day that makes one realize Jamie's got the right idea about getting the heck outta here.

SHHH.....don't tell my mom....

It's snowing AGAIN.

See, mom? That's not so bad.

It's almost pretty. ALMOST.

Let's pretend it's April and Spring, okay?

Then we'll see who gets the last laugh. Us or Mother Nature.

Here's to a more spring-like weekend! I hope.

S'mores Muffins

Welcome to the latest edition of Mama and Toddlers in the kitchen. Last week we gave another Pinterest recipe a try to add to our muffin repertoire. Another keeper!

S'mores Muffins

Ingredients:

(This is for a single recipe. I doubled all the ingredients to make almost 2 dozen mini muffins)

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons 2% milk (I used skim)

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup milk chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

6 Tablespoons marshmallow creme (I just used a small dollop in each muffin)

Directions:


In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, then the sour cream and milk.

This is where the helpful toddlers come in. Put whole graham crackers in a bag and let them crunch, squeeze and pound to help get the crackers all crushed up. They'll love it!

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.

Beat dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until moistened.

Add in your chocolate chips and fold in.

Grease muffin tins with cooking spray. If using regular muffin tin, fill about 1/4 full of batter. If you are using mini muffin tin like I did, fill about 1/3 full. Spoon a dollop of marshmallow creme into each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes (around 10 minutes for mini muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. 

Everyone will surely be asking for S'more!

Thankful For Everyday Life {link up}

Joining Jamie in being Thankful for Everyday Life today. It reminds us to notice the blessings of our daily life and be Thankful.

Thankful for Legos and the creativity they spark within my kids. Jonah literally can spend hours creating and re-creating. The fulfillment he gets out of building his very own idea and bringing it to life is priceless. And the possibilities are endless!

Thankful that a friend told me last fall about an online Lego Club that meets once a month. Jonah has absolutely loved it and looks forward to it every month. Earlier this month he even shared his Lego creation live with his clubmates. He came up with his idea after seeing the Lego Movie and incorporated different elements of it in his original, unique creation. Pretty awesome.

Thankful for little helpers in the kitchen whom I've learned to let assist me even in the most simple ways. Thankful for a day at home with just the little girls to enjoy their interesting conversation, simple play and no fighting.

Thankful for small hands who have discovered the fun of Playdoh.

Thankful for a little girl who asked for her picture to be taken and then posed all on her own. She sure is growing up fast. This photo only began to capture the spunkiness that she has found since turning two last month. 

Thankful for hubby and his springtime birthday. Thankful for a wonderful husband who was able to take time off work to man the fort while I am out of commission due to a back injury. Thankful for big kids who help with their sisters and around the house while mom directs from the couch.

Thankful for field trips and adventures. The big kids headed out Monday morning with Reed to a maple sugaring tour. They enjoyed the Sugar Shack tour and explanation of sugaring.

Then they headed outside to see what filled the buckets. Unfortunately, with the fluctuating temps lately it doesn't provide the ideal for the taps to be dripping. They pretty much came up empty handed. 

Afterward, since the tour was on the campus of Reed's alma mater, he showed the kids around a bit. Of course that included lunch at the infamous refectory. The kids were pretty sure they were in heaven with all the food choices.

Thankful that God saw the future and I had lesson planned for several days off this week for quarter break. It worked perfectly for the field trip the kids took and also the extra rest I needed for my back.

Thankful I found a gentle chiropractor who helped me feel at least 75% better in just one session. I feel like a new woman and should be 100% very soon. 

Be sure to stop by Jamie's to read her list of Thankfuls (and about her move) to check out more linkies.

Why I Need Spring

Call this post Spring Fever 101 or whatever you wish, but a recent moment of quietude brought to mind why we all NEED spring.

If you all endured the winter we just did and still survived, you know what I'm talking about. This winter will be one we'll be talking about for a while. I'm taking it upon myself to hand out medals of honor for those of us who survived with our sanity intact. And while that may be a s-t-r-e-t-c-h for me some of us, sanity still remains.

What are the things I look forward to this spring? What are the things I need this spring?


1) Easter. You need a good Easter to look forward to after a humbling journey through Lent. The journey of 40 days sometimes seems to be the longest liturgical journey, my friends. It should be celebrated with something as amazing as an empty tomb and a resurrection. My thoughts of Easter have always been equated with girls in bonnets, springy dresses and pastel colored baskets of goodies. (Besides all of the other liturgical highlights, obviously) And Easter definitely means Spring.


2) Healing. I find that over the last week as the snow has been melting, a part of my heart found a wound in need of healing. The part of me that was covered and forgotten as the winter lingered and the snow piled up. The piece of me that lost my dear papa in December needs to go visit 'him' in the cemetery. Perhaps it's closure, but most likely it's facing the spring time and family time that does not include his face or presence. That place where his absence is felt, but healing begins.


3) An outdoor run. After a winter of hibernation and getting by with walking and miles of it indoors, I'm ready for outside workouts again. Namely, some good outdoor runs with the breeze on my face and my feet hitting the pavement. There's just something about spring that helps bring about new changes and old familiar ones back into place.


4) Color. Nothing quite says spring like the budding trees, the brown grass that eventually turns green and the green in my flower beds that peaks out of the soil. One of my absolute favorite things to look forward to each year.


5) Flip flops, sandals and slip-ons. I just love the carefree easy style of footwear in the spring/summer. With so many cute styles coming out, how will we choose?!


It's true, without a winter there would be no spring. Or without the pain of a winter, there wouldn't be much joy in the celebration of spring.

I guess when it comes down to it, I'm a Four Seasons gal. I need them all and the turning from one to another has become a part of my life.

I just wish I could select which ones would last longer and those that would disappear a bit sooner.

What are you looking forward to most this Spring?

Winter Survival Recipe: Oven Caramel Corn

One day around the new year I was in search of a snack recipe. Suddenly I recalled a homemade caramel corn recipe I had made a couple of times before. That recipe quickly became my go-to snack for the rest of the winter. I can't recall how many times whipping up a batch of yummy caramel corn seemed like the perfect Sunday treat.

I'm sure you've seen it since it's a Betty Crocker recipe, but I thought I'd share it any way.

Because I still have little ones in the household who do not do popcorn hulls well (and I'm not really a fan either), I opted for a bag of Puffcorn instead.

It proved to be the perfect alternative and I dare say we enjoyed the caramel corn even more with Puffcorn.

- Heat oven to 200 degrees.

- Choose to either use an entire bag of Puffcorn or around 15 cups popped popcorn. Place it in a very large roasting pan or divide it between 2 ungreased 9 x 13 pans.

- Heat 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/4 cup corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon salt in saucepan over medium heat.

- Stir occasionally, until bubbly around edges. Continue cooking 5 minutes without stirring; remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda until foamy.

- Pour mixture over popcorn; toss until evenly coated. 

- Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. I dare you not to be tempted to snatch some with every stirring. I tried. I couldn't do it. 

-Remove from oven and spread on aluminum foil or wax paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. 

Store tightly covered.

ENJOY!

Beginning Of March Daybook

Outside my Window...

The sun is out and it's nearly 20 degrees. Heat wave! It almost makes me believe that spring is around the corner.

 I am Thankful for...

The next day or two at home without plans, especially since a couple of us have come down with colds.

I am Thinking about...

The Winter Carnival/Mardi Gras event at our parish last Saturday. While I think everyone had fun, especially the kids, it really was a lot of work and planning.

Due to the extreme cold, our horse and wagon rides for the event were cancelled. A couple of guys took out any willing soul in the 'cutter' behind a snowmobile. Jonah was up for the challenge:

From the School Room...

Plugging along through our third quarter with a short spring break coming up at the end of the month. Nearing the finish line, but it's not quite in sight just yet.


What I am Reading...

With our parish for the Lenten season we are reading Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody. Our priest bought each family a copy and we'll read and reflect on a couple chapters each week.

Reed and I are using the kindle edition of Lent & Easter Wisdom from Pope John Paul II for our daily meditation this season.

In my 'spare' time, I'm trying to pick up Black As Night by Regina Doman. Again, Kindle edition, which I'm kind of getting used to and find it easier to read when I have the time.

From the Kitchen...

Leftover chili from the freezer for supper.


Praying for...

Many mamas and babies due in the coming months.

A priest who is having health issues due to stress and anxiety.


I am Hearing...

A toddler chatting and singing; another toddler sniffling and snorting snot. Always two ends of the spectrum around here.


Around the House...

I am trying to get back on the running/jogging routine 3 days a week and it's feeling pretty good.

The winter décor is packed away, but it's not quite time for spring time pastels. A few spots of purple remind us that it's Lent.

Picture to Share...

A piñata of Olaf from Frozen that our priest made for the Winter Carnival. Yes, you read that right, our priest made this for the kids. It tied in well with the winter theme, but also the movie Frozen that a bunch of kids, parents and our priest watched at the end of the evening.

How awesome is that?!

Blessed Lent Everyone!