My Daybook: August 29, 2012

by | Aug 29, 2012 | | 21 Comments

Outside my window…
it has been chilly, though not as cool as it was over at the coast this past Sunday, with a high of 55.   We were very glad we had checked the forecast and wore sweaters.  Here in the valley it has been around 80 during the day and dropping to the 40s at night.  It’s definitely starting to feel like autumn.

I am thinking…        
about my kid’s teeth.  I took the four oldest in for Orthodontic evaluations last week and both Captain and Twinkle Toes are in need of braces now.  Twinkle Toes is the most urgent, and if she has braces, in two phases – beginning right now for a year and then again in a few years – we should be able make room for the teeth that have nowhere to come in, and avoid pulling permanent teeth and oral surgery in the long run.   We then found out, yesterday morning when I took them to the Dentist for Cleanings and Exams, that they both need quite a bit of Dental Work before the braces go (Captain needs four fillings to correct defects in four of his molars, and Twinkle Toes needs quite a few sealants.)  They also had the impressions made at the Orthodontist yesterday morning.   If everything falls into place, their braces are scheduled to go on next Wednesday!

I am thankful… 
that the Dentist and Orthodontist are both willing to work with us and allow us to make small interest free payments each month, with larger payments at tax time.  Still, we are really nervous about the cost.  It isn’t exactly in our budget…  I’m also thankful that the only cavities that were found, happened to be on Rascal’s last couple baby teeth, and those should be falling out sometime this year!

Learning all the time… 
Yep… It is definitely time for our family to seriously consider any options we might have for Dental Insurance.

Celebrating the liturgical year… 
today is the feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.   We don’t usually do much to celebrate this feast in our home, since we have a birthday tomorrow, but we will read a short story at dinner time as usual.   Still, there are so many cute ideas from some of the other contributors over at Catholic Cuisine… One of these years I really need to try a few of them!

From the kitchen… 
Gluten-free Carrot Cake made with Spice Cake Mix. Yum!!!

I am creating… 
plans for our Little Flower’s Mother/Daughter Tea.  Since we meet through the summer to complete Wreath IV, we decided to have our tea on September 8th, our Blessed Mother’s Birthday!

I am working on… 
being creative with our budget and looking for areas we can cut back.

I am going… 
to try really hard to limit our trips to town to save on gas.  This means that the boys won’t be able to play hockey this year, but they are very excited about taking a Lego Robotics class instead, which will be just once a week and only 5 minutes from home.

I am hoping… 
that we are able to enjoy our sunflowers for at least a little while before it starts getting too cold.   It’s taken them all spring and summer to finally bloom.

I am reading… 
about one of my little brothers!  There was quite the article in the paper this past weekend about him, and one of my neighbors dropped it off for us to read.  If you’d like to check it out you can do so here:  Different Strokes

I am praying… 
for a special intention.

Pondering these words…
from St. Rose of Lima, whose traditional feast day is tomorrow:

“Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggles increase.”

I am listening…  
to Liberty Kids.   The kids are watching an episode in the living room.  We recently cancelled our Netflix subscription, but thankfully we do have the whole collection on DVD.

Around the house… 
Bud sure loves to crawl and explore.  His latest favorite thing to do is pull books off of the bookshelves.  I’m thinking he got the idea from his godsister – that little Cupcake Cutie, who is going to turn one already this weekend!

One of my favorite things…  
Gymboree’s beautiful sweaters for my girls!  I’m trying to decide between the Gem Button Cable Sweater or the Butterfly Button Diamond Knit Sweater to give Twinkle Toes for her birthday.  (They are on sale right now, plus I have an extra 25% off coupon!) Poor girl, she usually ends up getting mostly “back-to-school” clothes and new books on her birthday each year! Not that she minds… 😉

This week’s plans…

  • Dentist Appointments & Orthodontist Appointments Tuesday Morning
  • End-of-Summer Ice Cream Social and Park Day Tuesday Afternoon
  • Mom’s Night Out Tuesday Night
  • Celebrate Twinkle Toes’ 9th Birthday on Thursday
  • Friday morning Mass
  • Older boys attending a friend Birthday Party Friday night
  • Saturday Morning Grower’s Market
  • Sunday Mass
  • Hubby has an extra long weekend for Labor Day!!!

A little peek at my day…

Let’s Travel Back to the World of the Vikings!

by | Aug 29, 2012 | , | 5 Comments

*This post has been sitting in my drafts folder since the fall of 2010…  I’m just going to post it now as is.  

What the Boys Read:
Who Were The Vikings
Vikings: Dress, Eat, Write and Play Like the Vikings
Leif the Lucky
Viking Raiders
Viking Ships At Sunrise

Our Family Read Alouds:
Founders of Freedom  Excerpts (suggested in Connecting With History Vol 3) Read by Dad & Mom during Dinner
Twelve Bright Trumpets Various Stories Read by Mom
Son of Charlemagne (with Hillsides Study Guide) Read by Daddy
Beorn the Proud (Living History Library) Read by Mom

Added to Timeline:
800 – Charlemagne is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope St. Leo III
861 – Norsemen discover Iceland
903-935 – St. Wenceslaus, martyr and patron of Bohemia
962 – Pope John XII crowns Otto I the Holy Roman Emperor
c. 1000 – Leif Ericsson discovers North America

Crafts:
Make Viking Ship from Crayola

Worksheets and Coloring Pages:
Viking Worksheet (for my younger students)
Color Viking Warrior in Dover Coloring Book Knights And Armor (boys)

Other Reources:
BBC – Vikings
Nova Online

After studying the Vikings, Captain added the Playmobil Viking Longboat to the top of his “Christmas Wishlist”…  I was so disappointed to see that the Viking line had been discontinued! (Updated to add: He was very excited on Christmas morning.)

A Sunday Drive

by | Aug 27, 2012 | , , | 36 Comments

Subtitled:  A Latin Mass, Whale Watching, and fun at the Beach! 

Our family loves the Latin Mass.  The only problem is, it is rather hard to come by where we live.  In fact, we usually have to have a baby in order to get a Latin Mass around here! (ie: My brother-in-laws’ fly out to baptize the new little one, offering Mass while they are in town.)   The closest parishes that offer the Latin Mass (or rather, Extraordinary Form) are 3 hours north and 5 hours south, with a couple mountain passes to cross each direction.  As much as my husband would love to move, it just doesn’t seem to be in God’s plan for our family at this time.

Recently we found out that there is a priest about 2 1/2 hours away, in another state and diocese, that is now offering a Latin Mass every Sunday!  The only problem is that it begins at 8 a.m.  Rather early, when you have that far to drive with an over full van load of kiddos and a baby that doesn’t sleep through the night.  We discussed making the drive again this past Saturday, but I just said I don’t know how it could even be possible, without going over the night before, so we didn’t even bother to prepare or set the alarm… However, amazingly, the baby woke us up at 4:25 yesterday morning, Rascal was already awake as well, Hubby felt abnormally rested, and we decided to give it a shot.  We woke the rest of the kids up, got dressed for Mass, packed a bag with extra clothes and snacks, and were on our way by 5:45.   We made it to Mass with 15 minutes to spare!

As we pulled up to the church, not seeing another car or person in sight and wondering if they still offered the Latin Mass, the pastor walked out of the rectory with a visiting missionary priest (who is headed to Bolivia today) and welcomed our family!   We had been expecting a low Mass, but the visiting priest was able to play the organ and sing the responses, so we were blessed with a beautiful sung Mass!

After Mass we visited some more with the pastor and he invited us back to the hall, following his English Mass, to attend a reception for their newly ordained deacon and to meet some of the other parishioners.   In the meantime we went to pick up a couple coffees and breakfast for the kids.

After attending the cake reception at the Church, some of us changed from our Mass clothes, and headed to the beach.  A trip to the ocean was on our “Summer Bucket List” and we were all so happy to finally be able to check that off our list!   When we pulled off the highway we couldn’t believe our luck when we spotted a whale just off the shoreline!!  (What a perfect way to kick off our new school year, and our study of Swimming Creatures!) 

If you look closely at the following pictures you can see a little glimpse of the whale spray/blow in the first two pictures, and the top of the whale in the third.   I wasn’t successful with getting a picture of the tail when diving, but the kids were so excited to see that.   This was the first time any of them actually got to see a whale that wasn’t in captivity!  Very exciting, for sure!

We then spent the rest of the afternoon having a blast on the beach!   And, yes, I am going to share a whole ton of pictures, as usual… It was Bud’s first trip to the ocean, after all!  🙂

We spent  a little more time watching the whale before it was time to head home… The kids were all sad to leave – even if they were quite tired! 

Hopefully it won’t be too long before we are able to make the trip again… However, with the cost of gas and over crowded mini-van we won’t be able to go too often.  In the meantime, we will just continue praying for a local (and frequent) Latin Mass.

In Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

by | Aug 25, 2012 | , | 2 Comments
Lemon-Lavender Cookies to celebrate Our Lady’s feast
Lavender:  Mary’s Drying Plant
The Legend of Lavender

After Mary had washed Jesus’ clothes and was looking for a place to hang them to dry, she saw a gray bush of lavender and on its branches she spread the snow-white baby clothes. The sun and the wind dried the clothes and when Mary came to gather them, the clothes smelled sweet and clean and the bushes were fragrant with a sweet scent that lavender now has. It is said that the fragrance which came from the earthly body of the Son of God was transferred to the plant, giving it its unique scent.  ~ Source

Lavender was said to be one of the plants most loved by the Blessed Virgin because it represented purity, cleanliness and virtue.
Lemon Lavender Cookies

I purchased the cookies pictured above at a local Lavender Farm last week, and they were a perfect afternoon treat to give the kids on the (traditional) feast of the Immaculate Heart this past Wednesday, after sharing the legend of lavender with them.

Since the whole month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and since I happened to pick a bunch of lavender as well, I think we might try and make some more of our own using a recipe from Better Homes & Gardens.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon dried lavender buds, ground with mortar and pestle
  • 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, ground lavender buds, finely shredded lemon peel, and salt. In a large mixing bowl beat the 3/4 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-inch-long log. Wrap log in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill for 2 to 24 hours or until firm.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut roll into 1/4-inch slices.  (We will probably then cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter.)  Place slices 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.  Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Optional Frosting & Garnish:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Dried lavender buds 
Thin strips of lemon peel

In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and the milk. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a frosting of spreading consistency. Spread frosting on tops of cookies and, if desired, garnish with additional lavender buds and thin strips of lemon peel.

Note:  If frosted, place in single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months; thaw and frost.

Elana’s Pantry also has a recipe for Gluten Free Lemon Lavender Cookies!
The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and suffering of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, the reunion of all Christians; I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

My Daybook :: August 21, 2012

by | Aug 21, 2012 | | 21 Comments

Outside my window…
The boys are in the process of cleaning the deck. The kids have been eating outside alot this summer and it shows.  They just finished moving all the furniture and are now hosing it down before they get started with the scrubbing.  It’s a good thing they changed into their swim suits. I think they have gotten more water on themselves, than they have on the deck…  😉  At least they are having fun!

I am thinking…        
about all the half finished blog posts in my drafts folder.  A couple of field trips from this last year, recipes, lap books, and state-by-state posts, to name a few of the forty.  The last post (letter Z) from the girls’s fun Along the Alphabet Path is still in there too.  I’m trying to decide whether I should attempt to finish them, or just delete all the drafts.

I am thankful… 
The kids and I were trying to kill some time in town on Saturday, so I decided to go to Staples and splurge on some Martha Stewart Office Supplies.  I had no idea that it was “Teacher Appreciation Day!” I was so excited when the sweet girl at the checkout asked if I happened to be a teacher and then gave me a gift bag while scanning a 40% off  ENTIRE Martha Stewart purchase coupon.  She let me keep the coupon and I’ve already started making a wish list for when I am able to go back for a few more goodies. Yippee!

Learning all the time… 
We are soaking up the sunshine and enjoying every last minute of our summer break.  September is nearly here though, and I have been spending a little time each day getting ready.  I stocked up on some candy to make the kids each another Patron of Students Back-to-School Treat, and I also went to the dollar store for more poster boards and white tissue paper for our Schultutes.

Celebrating the liturgical year… 
tomorrow is the feast of the Queenship of Mary and the traditional feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.   We’ll be out all morning, but I do have a little bag of Lemon-Lavender Shortbread Cookies that I bought for the kids when I was out Friday night.  I was excited to see that the cookies even happen to be heart shaped!  Perfect!!

Lavender was said to be one of the plants most loved by the Blessed Virgin because it represented purity, cleanliness and virtue.

From the kitchen… 
Hubby was at work on Saturday so I ended up taking all the kids to the Grower’s Market.   We came home with all sorts of goodies including a 25 pound box of apples, another box of peaches, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, chard, onions, and a variety of garlic.  The garlic lady even sent us home with a bag of complimentary plums “for having such a beautiful big family.”  Everyone seemed to be in an extra good mood on Saturday!

I am creating… 
a couple new pages for this blog.  One for Homeschooling and one for Books, Books, Books.   I’m not sure how many of you actually even use the seasonal book lists that I try and rotate on the sidebar, but I’ve been considering deleting that sidebar altogether and creating permanent lists for each month.  I’m just not sure yet.

I am working on… 
a few social media icons so streamline and replace some of the links I have in the left sidebar.  As I simplify and declutter our home, I’ve been feeling like this blog needs a little decluttering too.

I am going… 
out with friends!  On Friday I went out with my sister Julianna, sister-in-law Meagan, and two of Meagan’s friends, to celebrate Meagan’s birthday.  We packed a picnic (or rather ordered dinner to-go) and headed to a “Girl’s Night Out” at a (somewhat) local U-pick Lavendar Farm.  Apparently it isn’t the “popular” place to be on a Friday night, and we were pretty much the only people there, but it was a fun night filled with laughter.  I have another “Mom’s Night Out” next week with some of the Catholic Mom’s from our Homeschool Group and/or area Churches.

I am hoping… 
to finish cleaning and decluttering our school room this week.   I’ve already removed the table (the room just isn’t big enough for it) and organized most of the bookshelves.   I still have one big stack of paperwork to sort through and a few more shelves but, after filling up two big trash bags, it’s finally starting to feel organized.

I am reading… 
lots of books about books! It’s just that time of year.  One of my new favorites is Reading the Saints.  I’ve had this book on my wishlist for a couple years now and finally was able to add it to my collection.  I haven’t been disappointed, it seems like it is going to be another excellent resource for my ever growing collection!

I am praying… 
for wisdom and guidance as I finalize our plans for the coming school year, choose reading material, and create a new schedule to use as a guide for our days.

Pondering these Words…
from Fr. John Hardon:

“A thousand lifetimes would be too short to read everything readable.  Nor is everything in print worth reading.  Common sense, not to say enlightened prudence, tells us we must be selective.  The secret is to know what to read.”

I am listening…  
to Rose ask for another sticker.  I’ve attempted potty training again today and she just made it to the bathroom on time, after quite a few accidents this afternoon.   It’s been a rather long day, but we are making progress!

Around the house… 
We have only used the babies crib once or twice this year, and I don’t even know why I bothered to move the mattress to the highest position before Bud was born.  He did have fun playing in the crib yesterday, while I sorted through the 3-6 month baby clothes to store, however he quickly figured out how to stand up and lean over the side.  Time to lower the mattress!

One of my favorite things…  
watching my babies crawl around and explore.  So, so cute!

This week’s plans…

  • Orthodontist Consultations on Wednesday
  • Dentist Appointments on Thursday
  • Mass on Friday
  • Saturday Morning Grower’s Market
  • Mass on Sunday

A little peek at my day…

Spending time (last Friday) with my little sister Julianna while she was in town visiting…
It’s actually her 24th birthday today!  Happy Birthday sis! 

Little Flowers Girls’ Club ~ The Gift of Fear of the Lord

by | Aug 17, 2012 | , | 11 Comments

A couple weeks ago we had our 7th Little Flowers Girls’ Club meeting for Wreath IV, which completed all four wreaths of the Little Flowers program.  It has been a busy four years and the girls have grown so much, both physically and spiritually!

Anyhow, about this last meeting, which focused on the Gift of Fear of the Lord and St. Maria Goretti… Well, for the first time, I was not prepared!   I put off getting ready until late the night before, when I started putting together my notebook page. I baked cupcakes in the morning, but the baby was so fussy I wasn’t able to get much else done.   Thankfully I was able to print coloring pages and the craft printouts while holding him, and the lap book supplies were waiting in a file from the beginning of the year when I printed them all out.

Twenty minutes before the meeting I still needed to put together a sample notebook page, and decorate the cupcakes!  Aahhh!!  It didn’t happen.   I figured, after 4 years of making notebook pages, the girls really didn’t need a sample page – they know what to do, so I started on the cupcakes… More on that below!

Rose wanted to know where her Sash and Lap Book were… In a few years, Rose, it will be your turn!  

I still can’t believe that we have completed all four years!  It has been such a great experience for my girls.   I’ve really enjoyed leading our group and am really sad to see it come to an end but, honestly, I am looking forward to a break.   It’s been a lot of work, but worth every minute!   {and just think how much easier it is going to be, in a few years when it is time for me to start a Little Flowers Girls’ Club for Rose! I always wished I had something like my plans to use as inspiration and notebook pages all ready to just print!  lol}

~ Coloring Pages ~
~ Wreath IV Lap Book ~

I had the girls all come an hour early to this meeting, so we could spend time finishing their Lap Books.  They all turned out lovely, and will make such nice keepsakes from the year! 
Here is an overview of what was completed:

Additional Resources:

Movie Suggestion from Member’s Guide:

~ Notebook Pages ~

For the notebook pages, I used the motto for Fear of the Lord, a traditional prayer to St. Maria Goretti, an image of St. Maria Goretti, a definition on the gift of Fear of the Lord from My Catholic Faith, along with a short prayer for Fear of the Lord, with an invocation to St. Maria Goretti.

You can download my document here.

Here are all the girls’ completed notebook pages:

~ Craft ~

Since this meeting focuses on St. Maria Goretti and the gift of Fear of the Lord, we made Spiritual Bouquet Cards.  Each of the girls took these home to complete (offer prayers, etc) over the next month, and will give them to each of their Mothers at our Mother/Daughter Tea on September 8th.   

Supplies:
  • Spiritual Bouquet Cards by Alice Cantrell printed on white card stock
  • Scissors and Hole Punch
  • Ribbon in various colors (yellow, pink, green, lavender)

I ended up reading the article on “What is a Spiritual Bouquet?” to the girls, from our latest edition of St. Mary’s Messenger.  What perfect timing!

~ Snack Time ~

Saintly Symbols Cupcakes :: St. Maria Goretti
Chocolate Cupcakes (baked in silver liners), sprinkled with powdered sugar, and topped with mini lilies made with mini marshmallows, mini yellow M&M’s, and a slice of a green gumdrop

Originally I had planned to make the Flames of Forgiveness Cupcakes that I had come up with last summer for our Saintly Summer Fun with friends.  However, when I went to get out the white candy melts for the candy and found that I didn’t have any – just every other color, which doesn’t really work for white lilies representing purity… Oops!   I searched my cupboard to see what else I could decorate cupcakes with for St. Maria Goretti, and came up with a few green gumdrops, a partial bag of mini marshmallows, and a bag of mini M&M’s.   I skipped making frosting (not enough time), sprinkled the cupcakes with powdered sugar, and homemade mini lilies.  
To make the lilies I flattened a mini marshmallow with a roller, pinched the two sides of one end together, placing a mini yellow M&M inside and a slice of green gumdrop for the stem/leave.  
St. Maria Goretti and St. Therese must have been helping me out… I thought they surprisingly turned out really pretty, despite my lack of time and organization!  They are very simple, but aren’t they cute? 

~ Group Photo ~ 

Grant me the Gift of Fear of the Lord that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation.

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us! 

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

by | Aug 17, 2012 | , , , | 7 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

{pretty}

© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
We were very blessed to be able to attend Mass at Rascal’s godparents home on the feast of the Assumption, offered by Father Carmelo.   
{happy}
This week’s Mexican Polenta Pie.   My new favorite, for sure!  

The girls made Charlotte’s Ptasie Mleczko this week, to celebrate the feast of St. Maximillan Kolbe!

{funny}

Bud seems to wait for a special occasion for his teeth to come in!  The first tooth popped out during Captain’s birthday party. The second (top right) arrived during the Wedding Mass of a friend.  And the third (top left) finally broke through yesterday, during Mass on the feast of the Assumption.  He has been much happier today!

{real}

The last couple days I’ve been working on cleaning and organizing our school room for the new year.  Today I decided to round up all the unused paper and file folders from around the house to see what I needed for this coming year.  Um… I think we are good!  Apparently I tend to hoard paper…

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment


Little Flowers Girls Club ~ Notebook Pages

by | Aug 16, 2012 | | 1 Comment

I’ve had quite a few emails lately letting me know that my “Faith” notebook page over at Scribd hasn’t been working properly. I’ve emailed some of you my file directly, but my online time has been limited and I wanted to let the rest of you know that I finally uploaded a revised document, which seems to have fixed the problem.  I also just uploaded the Notebook page for Wreath IV’s Gift of Piety – which I somehow missed doing when I shared our meeting.  We had our final Little Flowers meeting a couple weeks ago, and I am hoping to blog about that meeting sometime soon, but in the meantime I also uploaded our Notebook page for Fear of the Lord as well, so that completes my “Notebook Pages”  for all four Wreaths!

These Notebook pages ended up being such a great supplement to the program and I have been more than happy to share them with you all.   I’ve compiled the Notebook Pages for each Wreath into a “Collection” folder over at Scribd. (You can also find the direct links to each page in this post.)   Here are the links:





Note: All of these documents are © Shower of Roses.  Permission is granted for them to be printed and used within your own clubs, or for personal use.   However, I do ask that they are not re-published online, and that if you link to them on your own websites and/or blogs that you link to my original posts, and not directly to Scribd.  Thank you! 

Mexican Polenta Pie

by | Aug 15, 2012 | | 9 Comments

I’ve been craving this Mexican Polenta Pie ever since I had multiple servings tasted it at our friends 4th of July Party/Potluck.  It was soooo good!  Thankfully my friend Michele emailed me her recipe and I was able to make it recently for dinner.   Oh boy, is it delicious!  I’m making it again right now, for a potluck after Mass at a friend’s home this evening, and thought I’d take a second to share the recipe with you all.  Happy feast of the Assumption!  🙂

Mexican Polenta Pie

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoonsolive oil
1 pound uncooked ground turkey
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoonground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup bottled salsa
2 16-ounce tubes polenta
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a 12-inch skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil until tender. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break up the meat. Add beans, undrained canned tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer gently, uncovered, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cut 1 tube of polenta into 1/2-inch cubes and press evenly into prepared baking dish. Halve remaining polenta lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over polenta in dish. Top with meat mixture. Arrange sliced polenta over meat; sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

My Daybook: August 29, 2012

My Daybook: August 29, 2012

by | Aug 29, 2012 | | 21 Comments

Outside my window...it has been chilly, though not as cool as it was over at the coast this past Sunday, with a high of 55.   We were very glad we had checked the forecast and wore sweaters.  Here in the valley it has been around 80 during the day and...

A Sunday Drive

A Sunday Drive

by | Aug 27, 2012 | , , | 36 Comments

Subtitled:  A Latin Mass, Whale Watching, and fun at the Beach! Our family loves the Latin Mass.  The only problem is, it is rather hard to come by where we live.  In fact, we usually have to have a baby in order to get a Latin Mass around here!...

In Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

In Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

by | Aug 25, 2012 | , | 2 Comments

Lemon-Lavender Cookies to celebrate Our Lady's feastLavender:  Mary's Drying PlantThe Legend of LavenderAfter Mary had washed Jesus' clothes and was looking for a place to hang them to dry, she saw a gray bush of lavender and on its branches she...

My Daybook :: August 21, 2012

My Daybook :: August 21, 2012

by | Aug 21, 2012 | | 21 Comments

Outside my window...The boys are in the process of cleaning the deck. The kids have been eating outside alot this summer and it shows.  They just finished moving all the furniture and are now hosing it down before they get started with the scrubbing....

Little Flowers Girls Club ~ Notebook Pages

Little Flowers Girls Club ~ Notebook Pages

by | Aug 16, 2012 | | 1 Comment

I've had quite a few emails lately letting me know that my "Faith" notebook page over at Scribd hasn't been working properly. I've emailed some of you my file directly, but my online time has been limited and I wanted to let the rest of you know that I finally...

Mexican Polenta Pie

Mexican Polenta Pie

by | Aug 15, 2012 | | 9 Comments

I've been craving this Mexican Polenta Pie ever since I had multiple servings tasted it at our friends 4th of July Party/Potluck.  It was soooo good!  Thankfully my friend Michele emailed me her recipe and I was able to make it recently for dinner.   Oh...

Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


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Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

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