A Confession in 7QT

Linking up with Kelly for the final Linktoberfest.

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This year has been a scattered year.  Lots of goodbyes and figuring out where I fit in the world.  Tons of waiting for a new house, while trying to be contented in the old one.  Times of not knowing what to pray for and many occasions of not really knowing what I want, but hoping that it is exactly what God has decided I want.

I've lost my focus, perhaps I never completely had it, but it is surely lost now.  I've realized that this blog has lost it's focus, too.  As I have journeyed this crazy road, my blog has ridden the immense rollarcoaster along with me.  I don't know if that is all bad, but, I need to refocus and get back to my original mission. 

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I've decided from here on out, I will publish all controversial and BIG topic posts on Catholic 365 instead of here.  I still want to write the posts God gives me, but since He has provided another outlet, I think it more appropriate to use it in this way.  I will still link my Catholic 365 posts to my Facebook page, so if you are interested in following both blogs, please like my page.  I will love you for doing so!

3

Before Christmas arrives, I promise to finish my Works of Mercy Bouquet series.  If you are looking for Advent service projects for your family, these posts may be a great place to start.    

4

After the new year, I am going to start publishing my original plan for this blog, namely the Veils and Vocations program.  It will come out in five session segments.  Veils and Vocations, as I envision it, will be a meet up for girls to explore the different orders of consecrated vocations around the world.  I want this to be a fun club type endeavor that teaches faith and opens the girls hearts and minds to the possibilities for them within the Church.  No more complaining that women aren't important in our Church!  They are and I will prove it!

5

Along with my mission of serving girls and their mothers, I am working on a booklet/e-book/webpage /still haven't figured out the medium for pre-teen girls and their moms to share about the menstrual cycle.  I know there are books out there, but I haven't found anything that is just what I want to present this topic to my daughter, so I am writing my own.  I want a book that presents the facts and is honest, but is wrapped in the love and faith of the Church.  I am excited and can't wait to sit down and actually get the ideas in my head onto paper  on my hard drive.  

6

Do you remember my Mother/Daughter retreat series?  Well, it is time for a new one.  I am developing a series entitled "I am Loved!" that will debut this spring.  I am very excited.  The ideas have been spinning in my head for months.  This will be a series for girls 12-14 years old.  Please stay tuned.

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So, I need a seventh take to link up with Kelly and I have already set forth a pretty ambitious plan.  Instead of promising more, I have a question for all of you.  What would you like to see in a book or retreat for a adolescent girl and her mother?  Topics?  Faith perspective?  Questions to answer?  Issues to be addressed?  Whatever you would like to get, I want to know.  Please comment below or email me.  Thank you and God bless!    

When Life Gives You Lemons in 7QT

Linking up with Kelly again for my second post of the week--yay, I met my goal!

 1

As I have hinted in my past posts, we are in the never ending joyous process of purchasing a new home.  We had chosen a small, but reputable,  Christian mortgage company thinking we should support that type of business and feeling like we could be confident that they were using the money wisely and honorably.  WHILE I cannot speak to the way that the money is used, the service we received was anything but lovingly Christian.  After our closing was delayed by TWO MONTHS, the loan officer requested that we again extend it and submit another pile of papers, I think they needed wallpaper for a new office for we surely supplied enough paper to do so.

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Anyway, we knew we had to find another way.  We thought and prayed and were blessed with an alternative route.  We were able to borrow money from our 401K's at a rate of 6% over 10 years, but here is the bonus, 4% of that goes back into our accounts which means they will actually be making money instead of losing it!  We still had a gap, and we prevailed upon our family to find a few people who would lend us $5,000 each to be paid back over five years at the rate of 2%--a win for everyone, what bank is paying 2%??

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However, we still needed a small amount to close the gap and cover closing costs, now that all our cash for moving and closing had been thrown into buying the home.  It just so happened our three little investments children had the exact amount we needed.  Can I hear an AMEN!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good!

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Enter the homeschooling lesson, because when life gives you lemons, you create a unit study.  We had already been learning about wise money choices and building businesses.  Why not learn about compounding interest and loan agreements???  Hmmm, we might be onto something.

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I checked If You Made a Million out of the library and also found this website to explain earning interest to kids.

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Then there is this video 

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Lastly, I typed up loan agreements to fill out and sign with each of the children.  So that it's all legal and everything and to add to the learning experience.  I will be sending a copy of the loan agreement to all my subscribers next week.  You don't have to borrow thousands from your child for this lesson, you could start with $100 or even $10.  The importance is them understanding that when one borrows money it costs money and has to be paid back on a schedule, and also the wonder of compounding interest, no matter the pathetic nature of bank investments these days.  I am hoping it will encourage the children to think more about what they do with their spending cash and how they can plan for the future.  Please remember to subscribe, if you haven't already.  Thanks.

 

 

Healthy Breakfast Ideas in 7QT

Linktoberfest continues. Last week, I shared my menu planning strategies to eat healthy on a tight budget. This week I am featuring my breakfast plans, since I have taken on that meal as a project to better plan and ensure the kids are getting better nutrition first thing in the morning.

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First, I make sure to purchase the following items to have on hand to round out breakfast and fill gaps between when I get to actually make something. We always buy boxes of raisins, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, organic mini shredded wheat (plain), organic vanilla yogurt, and oatmeal. A couple times a month I cook up an egg for each child.  Having easy nutritious items on hand really helps during busy weeks.

2

A favorite 're pie of ours is "breakfast cookies."  Perfect to make with overrule bananas.  If I end up with an over ripe banana or two, I stick it in the freezer, once I have about six, I make cookies.  I base the cookies on this recipe.  However, I alter it based on what I have on hand.  Instead of the applesauce, I put in two tablespoons of flax meal soaked in one cup of water. I also cut down the dried fruit and add in some sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

3

New this month are these paleo pancakes that I can't wait to try.  I plan on adding flax seeds, cinnamon, and some unsweetened coconut flakes. I am going to make a big batch on the weekend, then we can just heat up as needed.  I have six large plantains waiting for yumminess!

4

Another experiment is Chia pudding.  I'm not sure what extras I will put in this, depends on what's still available when we get there.  We have a steady stream of Autumn Berries right now, so they may make an appearance.

5

My children really like muffins, but I rarely buy them.  Now that the weather is cooler, it's time for some baking.  I am going to make these muffins, but sub in garbanzo flour for half the coconut to up the nutrition.  So, I will be using two eggs, plus two tablespoons of flax meal soaked in a cup of water.  Also, we are adding Autumn Berries to these, so I am cutting the maple syrup down to 2 Tablespoons, since the super tart berries become super sweet when baked.  I am so looking forward to these, making a double batch for sure.

6

Kelly wants to know my favorite blogger that I discovered on 7QT. Well, pretty lady, that would be you!  I first came across Kelly's blog when she guest hosted 7QT for Jennifer.  It is a blog I kept coming back to, and the one that I follow the most regularly.  Thanks, Kelly, for a great blog and hosting all of us blogging ladies each Friday.

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Speaking of Kelly, I joined her accountability group on Facebook.  I set a goal of two posts this week and reading five chapters of the book I reviewed.  This is post #1 and it's Friday....gotta come up with something else, and quick!  :)

Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget in 7QT

Linking up with Kelly again for Linktoberfest.  This is my two millionth somewhere around thirteenth post of Seven Quick Takes, although I sometimes forget to tag posts, so it is probably more!

I am prepping my shopping list for our monthly grocery stockup.  My boys are bottomless pits and I am trying hard to come up with nutritious snack ideas and still stay within budget.  What's my budget, you ask.  Well, it's about $150 for the month, but since we need meat also, I am going to eek it up to $200.  In addition to the food I purchase tomorrow, we received a good amount of vegetable and a dozen eggs every week through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which cost us about $25 a week.  It's tight, but we are used to it at this point.  What I'm not used to yet is the volume of food my sons are able to consume on a daily basis.

I have always tried to feed my family well, but I am on a mission to up the ante and improve their nutritional intake even more--with no extra funds!  This is my challenge and I am taking you along for the ride.  I will be posting recipes that we make and how we stretch our meat to keep everyone satisfied.  Today I will start with how I am planning my meals for the month.

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I have found that giving each day a theme really helps in planning.  I only do themes for weekdays and try to make at least one day over the weekend a smorgasboard of leftovers, although, we seem to have less and less of them.  Here are my themes:

Monday- One Pot Meal/Something Easy

Tuesday- Beans

Wednesday- Slow Cooker Meal

Thursday- Eggs

Friday- Meatless  

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Once I have my themes, I fill in a dinner for each night on the calendar.  If there is something planned that we won't be home, I plan a packable dinner.  If we have an event that also will feed us, I do the happy dance!

Having a meal on the calendar makes getting dinner on the table so much easier. None of that 5:30 frantically searching the cabinets for an idea. This also saves me a lot of money because I can plan out ingredients so that they don't get wasted.  For instance, if I have two recipes that each call for half an avocado, I will plan them in the same week.  Less waste, less cost.

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I recycle leftovers into a new meal when planning.  This saves loads of money and makes cooking so  much easier.  For instance, if I plan to make a large pot of chili on Tuesday, I will plan a Mexican casserole for Saturday, then freeze whatever is left over and turn that into Chili Mac later in the month.  Likewise, when I make a chicken, we eat the roasted chicken the first night, use the left overs for something like Chicken Fried Rice another night, and freeze the stock made by the cooking chicken to make soup later in the month.  I have already taken one chicken and created four dinners from it.  This allows me to purchase meat straight from the farm.  The extra that I spend for natural, pastured raised meat, is made up by using the meat multiple times. 

4

We eat much less meat than the average family.  If I make a large steak for instance, that is the meat for the entire meal for five of us.  This definitely stretches our meat and allows me to get quality meat for my family.  We purchased an 1/8 of a steer in January (we split a 1/4 steer with a friend) and still have a little bit left.  We have eaten primarily the beef, with the exception of about 20 pounds of chicken that I purchased from the farm while they were having a sale.  We spent $320 on the beef, and another $65 on chicken.  That has been our source of meat for over 9 months!

Another thing to consider when purchasing meat, is that farm raised meat includes much less waste.  When I would purchase split chicken breasts from the grocery store it always had very thick skin and large deposits of fat attached to it.  Not only did this mean I was getting less meat for my money, but it also cost me time trimming the meat so that I could cook it. 

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So now, you have your plan and are spacing out the meat.  It also helps to stretch the meat.  We do this by adding wholesome ingredients that not only add bulk, but nutrition.  If I am making Dirty Rice--a family favorite--I will add an array of vegetables to create a more filling meal.  Last week when I made Dirty Rice, I added a turnip cut into small cubes, two sliced carrots, half a cut of pepper grass diced, and the corn cut from one cob. These were all random leftovers from our CSA pick up over the weekend.  One cob of corn is not much use for a family of five.  However, with those veggies added, I was able to turn one pound of chop meat and one cup of dry rice into a full meal that even allowed a bit of leftovers.  This also allows me to sneak in items that my picky Buddy would never eat on his own.  

Another great way to stretch meat is to add some beans, mushrooms, cooked quinoa, and brown rice.  These will bulk up a casserole or stretch a soup, can even extend a pan of taco filling.   

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Shop from a list and stick to it.  Once your menu is set, make a list of ingredients that you need to make all of the meals listed.  My lunches are loosely planned and adjustable based on leftovers available and how much running around we need to do that day.  This month I am beginning to plan breakfast to up the nutrition and make mornings easier to organize.  Instead of cooking breakfast everyday, which I really do not want to do, I am planning a weekly breakfast treat that I can spend a little time on Saturday preparing for the school mornings the following week.  This way the kids will start the day off well, be less likely to be searching for snacks as soon as I begin read alouds, and have no reason to whine at me that there is nothing to eat despite a kitchen full of food. (I will post my breakfast recipes next week.)

Make sure that you have every ingredient on the list of in your kitchen, and that every item on your list has a purpose.  We monitor and plan every item.  This not only allows us to stay on budget but reduces the random snacking and over indulging that happens every time anything extra is in the house.  So, the list is your friend in more ways than one.  If you are not used to being on a budget or shopping by a list, I encourage you to carry a calculator so that you can see what you are spending BEFORE reaching the check out. 

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Make the most of what you have around you.  A well stocked pantry helps in so many ways, but that isn't the only resource you can tap into.  Foraging can provide a wide array of delectables and also keep you on budget.  Right now, in our area, there are blankets of black walnuts covering the lawns, many wild greens sprouting around, and my family's new personal favorite, Autumn Olives, to pick by the gallon full.  Not only are these items free for the picking, but they are highly nutritious.  Autumn Olives have seventeen times the lycopene of a tomato. Make the most of what you have at your disposable, but please pick and forage responsibly.  Unless the item is invasive, only harvest a portion and leave plenty for the plant to continue to thrive and spread.  Also, do not harvest from areas near heavy traffic or where pesticides are used.  Lastly, make absolutely sure you know what you are eating!!  There are plenty of great books and websites to help with identifying friend and foe.

With a little bit of work and planning, it is possible to feed a growing family, healthy foods, even on a tight budget.  In the next few weeks I will share some of my favorite "go to" recipes that are healthy and inexpensive.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Five Favs: Homeschool Additions

How is your year going?  Can you believe we are already a month in?  Time is flying!!

Here are my favorite five additions to our home school this year.  Linking up with Jenna.

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Last year, I purchased Fix It by IEW.  One night, in March, I shot up in the middle of the night and realized that I had totally forgotten to use it.  I decided it didn't make sense to start at that point in the year.  Although, I am glad that I waited.  Cowgirl is better equipped to do the tasks and can complete the assignments independently.

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Speaking of IEW, Cowgirl began Phonetic Zoo.  I am so happy with the program.  She is doing very well and definitely learning.  The program is completely self contained.  She independently listens to the lessons, takes the test, and grades herself.  The pressure of learning to spell has completely dissipated and it is one less subject that I have to teach.  A win all around.  I may have to send Andrew Pudewa a Christmas card!

3

Science read aloud in the morning may be the best idea I have had this decade.  I always felt like we were behind on science and there never seemed to be time enough to get to it.  Adding science to morning meeting has been a life saver.  We get it in every day!  Yes, there are no flashy experiments, but I do plan on doing some, seem like a good snow day plan.  My favorite morning meeting science resource is the Catholic Science Stories for Little Folks.  I picked it up at a homeschooling conference for under $1.  I admit that I have learned a lot from those little stories, too.  

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On the topic of science, we joined a Forest School.  They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I always intended to take a nature hike each week, but let's be honest it never happened.  Spending three hours in the woods is exhausting, but the children are enjoying it so much and learning about so many creatures and plants just by being in the woods.  I don't know how I will feel about it come winter, but I am committed to making it to as many meetings as possible.  I think Miss Mason would be happy that my children begin their homeschool week out exploring nature. ( I also think that the two to three mile hike is the type of extra exercise I need but never make time for.)

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The Children's Dictionary we were using just isn't sophisticated enough for the level of vocabulary presented in Fix It.  Would you expect anything less from IEW?  So, we switched to a collegiate dictionary.  This posed a problem for my dyslexia child.  Very tiny print, multiple columns, it was all too much.  Enter the Merriam Webster Dictionary app.  It isn't perfect, but when it works it makes a world of difference.  It is like having a regular dictionary entry magnified to the size of my Kindle screen.  She still needs to decide on the correct definition to copy into her workbook, but is no longer spending a half hour finding the word.

The Problem with Kim Davis in 7QT

 I did not plan on posting today, although I miss writing--life has just been a little busy.  However, when I saw that Kelly was hosting Link-tober Fest with prizes, I had to jump on board.

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The biggest problem is it isn't a problem at all.  I bet you thought I would rail against the Pope or stand up for gay marriage advocates who feel slighted by this meeting.  The truth is we, as Americans, are making a common ant hill into Mount Everest.  No matter where you stand on gay marriage or Kim Davis, there really isn't a problem because the Pope meeting her changes nothing about Church doctrine, it changes nothing about the laws of America, it changes nothing about anyone's civil rights.  It was a conversation, a papal audience, common place--they happen all the time with people from all over the world, all different viewpoints, and all walks of life.

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Pope Francis has never pretended to play sides, he has always been open about his openness to everyone.  He is so well loved by even those who are against the Church because of his compassion and mercy.  Pope Francis has brought the papacy to the common man.  He has never asked any of those he embraces, dines with, visits, nor forgives about their political and personal outlooks.  He did not only wash the feet of criminals who support the views of the Church, nor did he only dine with homeless who share his political view.  While many would like to politicize his actions, and dissect his motives, his only motive is love and mercy.  It is a message he preaches with his words, but more importantly with his deeds.

3

Chruch doctrine precludes the support of gay marriage.  It is completely contrary to our beliefs and the laws of the Church.  While many have decided that Pope Francis has secretly, or even publicly, changed this, it has never changed.  The Church is the Bride of Christ, She walks with Him, not popular opinion.  No matter what you think Church doctrine should be, it is what it is.  And even though Pope Francis has been very welcoming to the gay community and compassionate as he is with all people, that does not change the fact that he supports traditional marriage and has said so in various statements.  {Please read all of the Pope's public statements in their entirety not just go by the blurbs picked up by the media!} 

4

Christ dined with sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, failures, enemies of his mission.  He went out and met Pharisees, Saducees, and worst of all, Samaritans, where they were and preached forgiveness and service to neighbor.  However, never did He waiver in the Truth of the Gospel, the foundation of God's Law.  Sin was still sin.  He may have sat at table with some of the worst sinners, but He never allowed that to change His position, nor allowed anyone to forget the need to follow the narrow way.  Nothing has changed.  Pope Francis is the Vicar of Christ, we are Christ's hands and feet.  Our mission is the same as it was during the age of the apostles, and our rules are the same as well.

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There is a difference between love and mercy; and acceptance and condoning behavior.  The Pope preaches mercy.  Mercy is a duty of all Christians.  We are to be merciful, most merciful to all.  We are to love and pray for our enemies.  However, we are never to condone, nor accept their sins.  We are to hate all sin, no matter how trivial, no matter how politically correct, no matter how modern.  All sin is evil.  Yet, we are all sinners.  In rejecting sin, we must first begin with ourselves, we must clean up our act before pointing the finger at our brother.  In love we must repent, because the Church and Christ are always willing to forgive us in unsurpassed mercy.   

We truly must hate the sin and love the sinner.  The opposite of agreement is not hate, yet in our country we have drawn a line in the sand.  You are either for us or against us.  There is another way, Jesus preached another way.   The other way is a way of love but reproof, a way of mercy but rules.  Christ came to save all people, but He first demanded they die to self and rise in HIM.  Dying to self means laying down whatever God has forbidden, and sin we find pleasure in, any personal preference that serves ourselves before God.  Jesus asks us to love our neighbor, but reminds us that love sets boundaries and rules, love disciplines the child that goes astray, but also chases after that child to bring him home.   The Greatest Commandment is "Love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself."  Loving God must come first, and that means following your conscience, abiding by God's Law, and being in the world but not of it.  Also, the greatest love of neighbor is to point him to heaven not to allow him to run amok and land in hell.

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I agree that the Pope often leaves a bit to much to interpretation, but this is not a case of that.  When Pope Francis visits prisons, do you not think that there are people there that Italians think are undeserving of mercy?  When Pope Francis visited Fidel Castro, do you not think there were Cubans who felt he was undeserving of mercy?  When the Pope met with mafia leaders, addicts, beggars on the street, the lame, the poor, the unwanted, the forgotten...wasn't there someone who thought they did not deserve it?  None of us deserve mercy, and this meeting was an act of mercy.  Everyone has their theories of what was meant by the meeting, what we should take away, who the Pope offended or should have offended.  However, in watching the Pope interact with the world, I believe this was a personal stop to spread his love and mercy as only Pope Francis can.   He came to the United States to spread his message of religious liberty, love for all people, and defense of the family; and I have a sneaking suspicion that while studying up on the current events and issues of our land, he saw a woman who tried to do what she thought was right and was kicked, beaten, and spat upon by the press and virtual world.  No matter if the Pope agreed with her actions nor her beliefs, he saw a human that was dragged through the mud and needed compassion.  He saw someone who was marginalized and villianized and needed to know God still loved her as He loves all people.  He saw someone in need of mercy, because our news outlets and social media do not allow mercy to be offered.

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The problems of the world and the Church are so much larger than who the Pope chooses to receive some simple words of encouragement.  Our brothers and sisters are being persecuted, tortured, heinously murdered, and raped half way around the world--yet we cry out that we need more, who have a safe bed to sleep in and a Church whose doors are always open.  We who send our children to school and out to play without fear, have so much food we fill bags of it to rot in landfills, and toss last year's fashion into the trash; we demand that our ideas be validated, that our enemies be persecuted, that we are forgotten and unsupported.  We have so much in this country, too much really, because we have lost sight of what a problem really is.  We have lost touch with what oppression really feels like.    

As a faithful, traditional, conservative, orthodox Catholic, I stand with the teaching of the Church that have been true for over 2,000 years.  I do not want our doctrine to change, our beliefs to be shaken, our Catechism rewritten. It is not an easy road to walk, but neither was the one to Calvary.  I do not support the national laws on abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, and contraception.   Yet, I love, and love deeply, people who subscribe to all of those practices.  I honor their personhood and dignity even though I despise their politics.  I warmly welcome them as family and neighbors, serving them before myself, but I will never condone their lifestyles.  All of my loved ones know where I stand, and even the powers of Hell will not change my mind.  Yet, each of them also know that I love them, truly love them, while hating their sin.  If I could I would convert them, but that is God's job, all I can do is pray and hope that everyone, including myself, will take that narrow path, and make it through those pearly gates, for I am sinner, but God still loves me!