My Daybook :: May 20, 2010
I am thinking… about my
I am thankful for… my parents openness to life. My youngest brother, who was born the day before my 18th birthday, is just 4 years older than Captain. My children all LOVE playing with Uncle David!
I am hoping and praying… that we will be able to hire a contractor soon. It has been very challenging to come up with a plan/bid that falls into our budget. We are making progress though, and will be meeting with a contractor (to hopefully sign a contract) next Monday.
From the kitchen… I just finished putting a Spaghetti Sauce in the crockpot for tonight. I love it when I have dinner planned and started in the morning, it makes the evenings go so much smoother.
From the learning rooms… The boys finished a few of their workbooks for the year and are still plugging away with their other subjects. The girls are working on “W” Week and Water-colored Whales while I watched and read The Hard to Swallow Tale of Jonah and the Whale after a lunch of Whale-Witches and Whale Crackers. I’ll post more pictures from “W” week eventually!
Living the Liturgical Year at Home… this is the last week of the Easter season, and we will be celebrating Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, next Sunday! Sometime this week we will have our last Good Shepherd’s Garden Party and then celebrate the feast of Pentecost on Sunday.
I am creating… a Windsock for Pentecost with the girls and the boys just started making some Marian Artist Trading Cards for Kimberlee’s swap! I also need to paint a few more saints, hopefully this week.
I am wearing… a soft, blush pink (this color is no longer pictured) Twist Neck Pullover, layered over a cami, which I purchased at the suggestion of my cousin. I love it!
I am reading… lots of reviews on flooring, cabinets, and countertops. It is looking like our initial plan of “Granite Countertops and Hardwood Floors” for our remodel/addition is out of our budget (unless I can find an amazing deal!) so I am starting to look at all of the other options.
Other than that, and reading history and picture books to my children, I’ve had little time for much else. Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
is still sitting on my nightstand, and I am hoping to get back to it soon so I can move onto the next couple books on my list: Small Steps for Catholic Moms
and The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother’s Memoir
.On my iTouch… Sleep Machine at the suggestion of my pediatrician! It is much more energy efficient than leaving the bathroom fan, hairdryer, or vacuum on when I need to set the baby down for a few minutes. She has been really extra fussy lately and the noise from those things puts her right to sleep.
Our little Rose… LOVES her Grandpa! She reaches for him every time she sees him and has already figured out how to wrap him right around her little finger. He loves that baby!
Noticing that… I have a new blog reader!! My MOM left a COMMENT on my post about our Trip to the Coast!!!!! This was exciting, especially considering that, over the past few years, she has only seen my blog a couple times (when I would show her something) and, as of a couple weeks ago, she had no idea how to even get on the computer and find my blog! I guess I had better start being careful about what I say about her now… Just kidding Mom! 😉
Towards personal care… I am noticing that it is SO. MUCH. HARDER. to lose weight (instead I started gaining!) after this last pregnancy than in the past. I am much more “homebound” than I use to be, and I am sure that being over 30 this time isn’t helping things either. I now have a lot of weight to lose, so I started a “diet” on the 10th. Basically I am just trying to reduce the amount of carbs and sweets that I have been eating, and adding much more protein and vegetables to my diet. As of this morning I am down 7 pounds. I have also been looking into Light Weigh, and have been considering starting a group if I can find a couple friends in the area interested.
On keeping home… I’m taking notes from Sarah! Have you read her Homemaking Post? I found it so very inspiring! Ooh! I just popped over to her blog to find the link and noticed Sarah’s Homemaking Q&A. I’ll be heading back over to read that soon!
One of my favorite things… seeing the smiles on my children’s faces when they are spending time with my Dad.
A few plans for the rest of the week:
The boys had Hockey last night and then Blue Knights tonight. We will also have our last Good Shepherd’s Garden Party and then celebrate Pentecost on Sunday. I am so thankful that this week isn’t as crazy as last week!
A Picture thought I am sharing:
Ideas for Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church!
* Since this is such a special feast, I thought I would re-post my planning post from the past two years, updating it with a couple more book and menu suggestions, as well as a few of our pictures from past years… Here is the updated version!
The feast of Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. “It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.”
Here is a list of ideas that could be done for this day!
(Disclaimer: We will not get to all of these (more like just a few!), but I thought I would share the ideas with you just the same!)
Prayer:
- Pentecost Sunday Mass.
- Sing Veni Creator Spiritus (aka: Come Holy Ghost).
- Say some of these Prayers for Pentecost.
Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Ghost, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Ghost we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Food/Snacks:
- You can find a list of ideas I posted last year over at Catholic Cuisine.
- Since Pentecost is also known as “Whitsunday,” and one tradition is to serve white foods. Last year we had powdered sugar doughnuts and white hot chocolate with breakfast and an afternoon snack of milk and Macaroons.
- Amy’s family always enjoys Holy Ghost Sopas.
- Set the table with a red tablecloth and white plates.
- Another dinner suggestion is to serve Cornish Game Hens (representing the Dove), Pasta Alfredo (white), and Cauliflower (white).
- Here is a link to all the posts at Catholic Cuisine labeled Pentecost.
- You could also go with a “Red-Hot Theme” for dinner this year. Examples would include: fiery hot food, food cooked over flames, and any other food that is red. Perhaps even the Phoenix-Tailed Shrimp which happens to be one of the suggestions for the final Good Shepherd’s Garden Party!
- Make Holy Spirit Crackers, like the ones inspired by Alice from our Easter Tea.
- We loved the Twelve-Fruit Salad we made last year, and hope to make it again! Yum!
- For dessert, A Cake for Pentecost, complete with the mighty wind to blow out the candles. This is such a hit each year, and I plan on making it again!
Reading:
- Read Song of Songs 2:8-17 for the Garden of the Good Shepherd
theme of the day: The Dove
- Read about The Descent of the Holy Spirit pages 226-227 in the New Catholic Picture Bible
- Read The Very First Christians
- Read I Believe: The Nicene Creed
- Read The Twelve Apostles by Marianna Mayer
- Read Apostles of Jesus by Father Lovasik
- Read The Saving Name of God the Son by Jean Ann Sharpe
- Read about “Pentecost: The Outpouring of the Spirit” from An Introduction to the Liturgical Year
by Inos Biffi
Copy work:
My Lord and My God!
–traditional Eucharistic exclamation.
Craft:
- Make a centerpiece. Cut out seven flame shapes from either felt or construction paper and label them with the names of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
- Make the Pentecost kite found in The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions.
- Make Dawn’s Pentecost Windsock!
- Here is a cute Holy Spirit Mobile. (pdf)
- This Pentecost Spinner looks like fun!
Activities:
- Do a Pentecost Cross Word Puzzle, Decoder, Word Jumble, Word Search, or a Twelve Disciples Word Search.
- Color this Pentecost Coloring Page, or any of these.
- Don’t forget the beautiful Pentecost coloring page to be found in Fenestrae Fidei: A Coloring Companion for Catholic Mosaic!
- Even more great resources for Pentecost can be found here!
- Go fly a kite! Wind is one of the symbols of Pentecost, so what better way to experience the wind than to fly a kite? If a kite is too much work, Pinwheels would be fun too!
- Play “Who Has the Fire?”
Who Has The Fire?Introduce game: What flickered around the disciple’s heads, but didn’t burn them? Fiery flames.
Need: Orange construction paper balled up to be the fire.
Directions: The children sit in a circle close together. The child who is “It” stands away from the circle and hides their eyes while the fire is passed around. When “It” says “STOP!”, the child holding the fire hides it (under their leg, up their sleeve, etc.). The child who is “It” guesses who has the fire. The child who had the fire is now “It”.
Wordless Wednesday ~ On Grandpa’s Tractor
Ascension Pancakes
In addition to our Ascension Thursday Picnic, we also celebrated the feast of the Ascension this weekend with Ascension Pancakes using our favorite recipe for homemade Buttermilk Pancakes. I actually did not eat any of them (I’m trying really hard to cut back on carbs, dairy and sugar.) but everyone else enjoyed them very much!
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup milk
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it’s ready!
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it’s just blended together. Do not over stir! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Soldiers for Christ
~ St. Ambrose
Our Sixth Good Shepherd’s Garden Party :: Oh! What a Beautiful City!
Yesterday afternoon, after Mass, we had our sixth Good Shepherd’s Garden Party! While the girls and I were busy making the Chocolate Covered Strawberries and other goodies, Hubby fired up our grill and made hamburgers for the first time this year! It was a nice and relaxing (with Handel
that Twinkle Toes received in her Easter basket!
Our little Rose was having so much fun sitting up in her bouncy seat and trying to grab the corner of the table cloth. It won’t be too much longer before she will be joining us for meals (not that she isn’t usually sitting in my lap most of the time anyways). I can’t believe that she is 5 months old already. . . We are enjoying every minute with her, and they are all flying by way too fast!
I hope you enjoy this last week of the Easter season!
What a week!
I had been saving to purchase for a very long time! Oh, and it goes perfectly with one of my Mother’s Day gifts
from Hubby! 🙂 
at the baby’s check-up as a “thank you” for breast-feeding Rose for (not quite) 6 months!?! I’ve never needed any encouragement to nurse, but do love my wrap and was excited to receive another in a different color!
I also was able to stop by and see my niece again while I was in town. She is still tiny, but seems so much stronger every time I see her!
Ascension Thursday Picnic ~ 2010
Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches
(It is traditional to eat some sort of bird since Jesus “flew” to heaven.)
Strawberries & Grapes
(The fruit represents Christ, the first fruit of all men.)
Cream Puffs
(Symbolizing the clouds that were in the sky.)
Sparkling Lemonade
(Chosen for the “rising” bubbles.)
My children all love to quote the Sound of Music
Happy Ascension Thursday!
Good Shepherd’s Garden Party :: Plans for Week Seven
“The Heavenly Zoo”
This Week’s Good Shepherd’s Garden Party Menu
Deer Cupcakes
Lucky Lion Lemonade
Beehive Baked Pears
Pelican Toasties
Phoenix-Tail Shrimp
Decorating Ideas
Peacock Feathers
Water Fountain Centerpiece
Recipes and Suggestions
43. The Water
A pitcher of water would be simple and work just fine, but since we do have another drink suggestion, you could also decorate the center of the table with a small water fountain.
and/or Pitcher of Water
44. The Deer
(I mixed Milk Chocolate with White for a lighter brown)
45. The Lion
Our first thought was to make Lion cupcakes, but since we already have deer cupcakes, we decided to go with this fun sounding drink that Charlotte found from the San Diego Zoo.
3 to 4 scoops frozen vanilla yogurt
1 can frozen lemonade
5 to 6 ice cubes
1 cup lemon-lime soda
Whipped Cream
Chocolate Sprinkles
Fill a blender with frozen yogurt, add frozen lemonade, ice cubes, and soda.
Hold lid TIGHT! Blend together. Pour into cups and top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, to make your lion’s mane.
46. The Beehive
Here is another unique idea Charlotte found online, from The Feast Within, to symbolize the Beehive!
Ingredients:
Pie Crust
2 large Comice or other pears, firm ripe, washed unpeeled
1/2 cup Walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup Pistachios, toasted
1/4 Honey
2 Tbs. of vanilla scented granulated sugar (put your rinsed and dried vanilla beans -or a fresh one-in a canister of granulated sugar after other uses)
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Allspice, Cloves, and Cinnamon
Zest from a Small Lemon
4 Tbs. Cream Cheese
Directions:
Toast the nuts. Wash and dry the lemon and zest it. Place the honey in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat until it boils. Add the nuts and stir to coat. Add the zest and salt and spices and cook until the honey is thickly coating the nuts. Wash and dry the pears. Using a melon baller, remove the blossom end and make a small cavity by removing the core of the pears. Spoon the nut mixture in and then plug the bottom with about 2 Tablespoons of cream cheese- depending on the size of your pears. Set aside. Roll your pastry dough out to a rectangle about the height of your pears and 2 x the circumference. Cut into strips about 1/2″ wide. Wrap the pastry around the pear starting from the bottom side and slightly overlapping each go round. Use a little water join pieces as needed. Wrap all the way to the top and place strips on the bottom to cover. Completely encase the pears in the pastry. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about an hour or until the pastry is golden and the pear is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Cool slightly, cut open and serve with vanilla bean ice cream, a caramel sauce or creme anglaise as desired. Serves 2-8 depending on your appetite!
47. The Peacock
You can find Peacock Feathers, to decorate the table, at the craft store.
48. The Pelican
We had a hard time coming up with something, other than a Pelican Shaped Cookies, until Charlotte was inspired by a loaf of French bread in her kitchen and came up with these perfect Pelican Toasties!
Pelican Toasties
49. The Phoenix
An Easy alternative to the recipe below would be to just pick up a Shrimp Cocktail platter from your local grocery store.
1 pound medium-size or large raw shrimp
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash white pepper
1 cup water
Salad oil
Dipping sauces: catsup and hot mustard or sweet and sour kumquat sauce
Salt-pepper mix
Shell shrimp, but leave the tail sections on for handles. Devein, wash, and pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add water and stir until batter is smooth. In a deep pan, pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches and heat to 375 F on a deep-frying thermometer. Holding shrimp by the tail, dip into batter so it covers shrimp but not the tail, then lower into hot oil. Cook several pieces at a time without crowding, turning occasionally, until crisp and light golden (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.
50. The Dove
We decided to include a menu suggestion for Day 50, Pentecost Sunday, to this final Garden Party. You can find additional ideas and recipes for celebrating Pentecost Sunday over at Catholic Cuisine.
Shopping List
Fresh Produce:
2 large Comice Pears
Small Lemon
Dairy:
Cream Cheese (4 Tbs.)
Cheddar Cheese
Whipped Cream
Meat:
*1 pound medium-size
or large raw shrimp
~OR ~
Shrimp Cocktail
(If you purchase a premade Shrimp Cocktail, exclude all items marked with an asterisk.)
Frozen:
Frozen Vanilla Yogurt
Frozen Lemonade, 1 can
Bread:
French Bread
Spices:
Salt
Allspice
Cloves
Cinnamon
*White Pepper
Baking Supplies:
Cake Mix + ingredients for Cupcakes
Chocolate Frosting
White Frosting
Chocolate Chips (3 per cupcake)
Chocolate Sprinkles
Pie Crust
vanilla scented granulated sugar
Honey (¼ cup)
Walnuts (1/2 cup)
Pistachios (¼ cup)
*all-purpose flour
*baking powder
*Salad oil
Snacks:
Pretzels for Antlers
Gold Fish (one each, optional)
*Dipping sauces
Cookies & Sweets:
Dove Candy
Beverages:
Lemon-lime soda
Other:
Water Fountain Centerpiece (optional)
Peacock Feathers
Wordless Wednesday . . .
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