Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 1 29 oz. can pumpkin purée (or 2 – 15 oz cans of organic pumpkin)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups almond milk (can substitute with milk of choice)
- 5 cups old fashioned oats (I used gluten free)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Whisk in the milk.
Mix the old-fashioned oats into the pumpkin mixture. Coat an 9×13 baking dish with coconut oil or butter. Pour in the pumpkin oatmeal mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until the center no longer looks wet and the edges are lightly golden brown.
Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with homemade whipped cream and maple syrup. Milk, yogurt, nuts, would all make great toppings too.
Lisieux For You

Nail polish is the only cosmetic you can see and enjoy without looking in a mirror and the girls and I love that all of the nail polish is named after the saints (including the Little Flower!), Biblical events, and Catholic tradition! (Read more fun facts here.)
Be Yourself!: A Journal for Catholic Girls
One of the gifts our oldest daughter received for her 14th birthday last month was the brand new release from Gracewatch Media: Be Yourself!: A Journal for Catholic Girls by Amy Brooks.
It is such an inspiring and unique journal for Catholic girls, filled with places to “color, doodle, write, create… & make this journal your own!” It was an immediate hit with the birthday girl, and her sisters too! I love the “Saint Spotlights” interspersed throughout the journal, as well as all the bible quotes, prayers, challenges, and writing prompts perfect for young girls.
One of the awesome things about the publisher is that they allow you to look through a PDF preview of the whole book on their website to make sure its the right choice before you make a purchase.
Note: I was given this as a sample/review copy from the publisher but have already ordered another journal to give to our 12 year old this upcoming December. I’m keeping it in mind as a possible gift for some of our goddaughters as well!
“Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire!” Those words are at the heart of Be Yourself! A Journal for Catholic Girls, which is designed to help girls explore their identity and purpose in life in light of the wisdom of the Catholic Church, including half a dozen female saints.
Ora et Labora

Jane Austen Birthday Party

It is a truth universally acknowledged that…
…. some of the best parties are birthday parties!
At the end of August we celebrated our oldest daughter’s 14th birthday with a Jane Austen birthday party, focusing on the birthday girl’s two favorite Austen books: Pride & Prejudice and Emma!
This brand new high schooler of ours decided to join the local high school’s soccer team and ended up having daily doubles every day the week of her birthday – Run like Mr. Collins just proposed! 😉
In between her first practice and her second I took her to town for a birthday coffee and to stop at the store for some party food. While she was at her second practice we all worked together quickly at home to bake a cake, decorate, and pull together some party appetizers for a movie night. We started with the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice and then watched Hallmark’s modern day spin off Unleashing Mr. Darcy. Even with very little preparation ahead of time it all came together!

Pride & Prejudice Inspired Birthday Banner

The night before the birthday party I was up late with the baby, as usual, and ended up making a last minute birthday banner. You can download and print my document here if you’d like to use it too.

During her morning soccer practice I cut it out and hung it up. Everything takes at least ten times longer than it did before this cute little baby arrived, but the party decorations came together

While I baked the cake our 12 year old helped decorate and update the letter board.


Emma Inspired Birthday Cake

My bundt pans have saved me so many times lately when I don’t have the time or energy to be very creative but still want to pull together something special…
I’ve used them for Chronicles of Narnia, Snow White & Rose Red, When Calls the Heart, and Ranger’s Apprentice Birthday Cakes.
For this birthday I used my Nordic Ware Cathedral Cake Bundt Pan and placed it on top of 2 – 9″ Round Cakes, decorating it with fresh flowers, some frosting, powdered sugar sprinkles, and grapes.

It was inspired by this cake from the BBC version of Emma. What do you think?



Pride & Prejudice Movie Night Party Appetizers

Longbourn Layered Dip
The Ladies of Longbourn are diverse in their character. Some are lighter in substance while others are more complex, just like the layers of this dip.

Mr. Collins Cheese-ball
While its namesake is cheesy you may find this savory treat a little more sensible. Served with crackers.

Lady Catherine Kabobs
Her ladyship has been known to pierce through sweetness much like bamboo skewers pierced through fruit and cake.

Pemberley Salad
Almost as delightful as the grounds at Pemberley are the greens of Pemberley, especially when paired with pasta, chicken, and a creamy balsamic dressing.

Darcy’s Decadence
A warm, rich, and chocolatey dessert fit for a man of good fortune.
Served with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Lydia’s Lemony Libation
A sparkling lemonade and white wine punch.
Like Lydia it’s sweet but a little tart.
(Update: We made our punch with lemonade concentrate, 7-up, and vanilla ice cream. No wine included!)
Party Time

“I love you most ardently” 💕
#littlemissausten #prideandprejudice #allreadyforhersistersparty #hurryhomedaddy
I ordered the onsies here. Isn’t it perfect?!
Here’s the link for our favorite heart swaddle and Baby Lit Board Book too.
I shared a video of her squeaks and squeals over on Instagram.

I love how our seven year old is always on her tip toes! I often don’t even notice until I look at the picture later…

I love having teens!



Birthday Gifts

I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library…
The birthday girls gifts were basically a mix of (much needed) clothing and books:
- American Eagle Flannel Shirts & Nike Fleece Skirt (like her sisters)
- Jean Skirt • Pride & Prejudice Graphic T-Shirt
- Twist Gray Knit Infinity Scarf
- White Lace Dress (for her upcoming Confirmation) and Green Dress from Macy’s
- Lizzie and Emma Prints from Sleightholm Folk Art
- Jane Austen Doll Dress (I won it in a giveaway a couple years ago!)
- Pride & Prejudice Notebook
- Just Bloom Planner
- Marrying Mr. Darcy Card Game (I want to get her the Emma Extension for Christmas!)
- Pride & Prejudice Coloring Book
- Be Yourself!: A Journal for Catholic Girls

Some of her gifts doubled as party decorations, including her new set of Jane Austen books. I’ve had quite a few of the Austen themed gifts stashed in my closet for years waiting for one of the girls to have a Pride & Prejudice Birthday. So glad to finally pull them out!


I love that all my girls still love to play with paper dolls. This Pride & Prejudice set is the newest addition to their collection.


This loving big brother is the reason I was able to finish the birthday cake and be able to take any pictures of the party! He is one of the few people she allows to hold her when she’s upset.
Fourteen Candles

Completely, and perfectly, and incandescently happy…
Happy Birthday!
Mr. Collins Cheese-ball
I’m working on a post with all the pictures from our 14 year old’s recent Jane Austen themed birthday party. In the meantime here is the recipe for the “Mr. Collins Cheese-ball” that Chiquita made as one of the appetizers for her older sister’s birthday and movie night!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3 green onions, chopped (whites and greens)
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
Directions:
Mix the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, onions, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt together until well-combined.
Turn the mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, cover and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.
Place the chopped pecans on a small plate, remove the cheese ball from the fridge and gently roll in the pecans, helping them to stick to the outside of the cheese ball.
Serve with crackers.
Three Months
Bargain Priced Books :: Highway to Heaven Series:
Last night I was so excited to be able to order a hardcover copy of the recently republished First Grade text in the series Highway to Heaven Catechism series at an incredible 80% off!
Produced by the Marquette Univerity Institute of Catechetical Research under the editorship of Edward A. Fitzpatrick in the 1930’s, this series of Religion textbooks is a breath of fresh air. Unashamed love of the Catholic Faith is evident on every page.
Full of large, 2-color illustrations, The Book of the Holy Child is the First Grade text in the series. Teacher’s manuals and Student Workbooks will be coming soon from St. Augustine Academy Press!
Read more here…
Unfortunately the flash sale offered by Amazon didn’t last long and the books are currently back up to full price. However, the publisher is now having a sale, offering the books at the steepest price cut they could possibly offer without selling the books at a loss.

Our Lady of Fatima {100 Years Later}
On the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta

Saint Teresa of Calcutta dolls from Catholic Folk Toys and Almond Rod Toys































































0 Comments