It is not often that I get to watch hockey. Today the Red Wings are on national television and Joshua made an antenna so we can watch it. He is my hero.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13: 1 -8
7 Quick Takes – Rookie Edition
1. Hey, lookie me, I’m trying this out.
2. I am now 34 weeks along (we think) and am preparing for the arrival of this little one. For me it means pulling out the bin of newborn boy and newborn girl clothes and keeping them close at hand, making sure the homebirth supplies are here and accounted for, and trying not to freak out over the idea of labor. I will also be needing to wash the newborn diapers and reorganize the changing table. We are going to move that to the hallway upstairs then put the cradle in our room. I have also realized that we will need a naptime place for NewBaby, so I will set the pack n play up in the office, so I can be close at hand, but the baby can be safe from loving siblings.
3. Speaking of new baby, as I’ve discussed in previous posts, I do not produce enough milk to feed my babies. I’ve been reviewing my options this this baby and have decided to go with a different supplementing system this time around. I am also blessed with a milk donor as well. This will make our dependence on formula less, which is good, both because of the benefits of breastmilk as well as the cost benefit of not having to buy formula.
4. This Sunday we are (finally) having our Fish Taco cook off with Joshua’s boss. We’ve only had this idea for nearly two years now and planned a few times, only to have something come up. Â I plan on winning, but I will tell you that my attention will be elsewhere as the Wings are on national television this Sunday and I have priorities people*. Hockey will almost always win out. 😉 No, I have a plan, I won’t cook the fish until we get to their house, I will make the tortillas during one intermission and roll them out and cook them during the next intermission. The sauce can be made ahead of time, so I am good there. I’ll let you know how it all turns out.
*Joshua is building an antenna for me, so I can watch the game, as we don’t actually get any channels on our computer/television.
5. This morning Joshua asked me if I was finally able to get to sleep. I went to bed at a decent hour (1030) but tossed and turned for a good part of the night. If it wasn’t just needing to roll over (which now requires being somewhat awake to do), it was itchy feet and legs, or the need to visit the bathroom. Any suggestions on itchy feet and legs in pregnancy?
6. When we were sick in January, I did all sorts of research on supplements and how to make our diet healthier without breaking the bank. Since I do almost all the cooking at home and we use the best ingredients for our budget, I was thinking vitamins. We started with adding vitamin D3, and I started taking a pro-biotic as well. We seem to be doing well, but mostly I am happy to say I’ve not missed a single day of popping my vitamins. I have also added red raspberry leaf and a calcium-magnesium supplement as well. The kids have done a great job of adapting to taking their vitamin and take it with no problems. I’ve actually had to tell Benedict no a few times when he asks for seconds!
7. Our co-op order is due on Monday. I love the co-op we use to get our wheat and grains. $40 for a 50 pound bag of organic hard white wheat? Yes, ma’am! That will last me about four months and that $40 is what I would probably spend on flour at the store in the same time period. Each quarter we add something else to our order, aside from the wheat. Last quarter it was oats, corn (for cornmeal), and beans. This time, we will order brown rice, yogurt starter, and probably kefir grains.
For more 7 Quick Takes, check out Jennifer’s blog.
Thankful!
I saw that my parish website had been updated and clicked over to see what was new. To my joy I saw this announcement:
This Lenten Season we will have our communal recitation of the Stations of the Cross every Friday in English immediately following our Friday 5:30 p.m. Mass. Then we will have Eucharistic Adoration from 6:30-7:30 p.m. during which Fr. Justin will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Confessional. Following adoration, we will have the praying of the Stations of the Cross in Spanish.
Every Friday in Lent: Mass, Stations, Adoration, Confession! We already go to Mass every Friday as it is, so adding Stations and Adoration won’t be too hard for us. The hardest part will be for me to make sure the kids and I eat before we leave.
What a blessing though, this will be for our parish community and our family. Deo Gratias for faithful priests and the availability of the sacrament!
Strive for Peace
Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled. – Hebrews 12: 14-15
A Home School Success
We started with teaching Margaret to read nearly a year and a half ago. It’s not been an easy road either. Many days a reading lesson ended in tears (on her end) and frustration (on our end). She struggled to remember words she had just learned earlier in the lesson (simple words like to, for example.)
I finally stopped doing actual reading lessons and we just started working on her phonics and having her sit with a book each day to practice reading. This has actually improved her reading skills and now she is able to do much of her school work on her own. She will actually grab a school book and start working on a lesson in the evening or on the weekend.
I am very proud of her.
Jungle Gym Papa
What else are papas for?
Television and Commercials
If I had a nickel for each tweet or facebook status I read last night that complained of the commercials and then the halftime show for the Super Bowl, I think I could probably buy a nice cup of coffee at the local coffee place today.
The commercials were too sexual, too misogynistic, too vulgar. Then the  half time show, too sexual, too misogynistic, too vulgar. Well, I wouldn’t know, I didn’t watch at all, I just checked my facebook and twitter and saw what people were saying. It is pretty sad that is what advertising has been reduced to.
What is even sadder is that people continued to watch the game, even though there were commercials that were so awful they required a tweet or a status update about the awfulness of it.
People, you aren’t controlled by your television and it does have an off button. If you find something offensive, turn off your television and send a message to the advertisers, the networks, and the world. The message that you are better than the garbage they are showing and that you will not tolerate that in your home.
Women, remember, we are the standard bearers of society. We are the ones to set the example of morality in the world, if we don’t who will?
To quote something I said last fall:
…we are called to strive more deeply to live our faith as faithful women of the Gospel! We are the standard bearers of morality in society. We must stand up to that call and live our lives our in accordance to the Will of God. We must also set a joyful example for those around us and in living that joyful example, help bring them to the wonderful teachings of Christ.
A thought I shared with Joshua last night: How many people even cared about the game last night? How many people tuned in just because it was Super Bowl and not because “your team” was playing? Why are you willing to put your soul, or the souls of your husband and children, in peril just to partake in the “biggest sporting event of the year” tradition?
St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.
More Spring in the South
Thankfully the weather has taken a turn for the cooler, so today we got outside and worked on the yard a bit. Well, to be honest, I went to pick up a five gallon bucket of honey with the two younger kids, then came home and supervised the burn pile. However, it was nice to sit outside, soak up some sun, and relax.
Last weekend we planted some seeds inside for seedlings and they’ve been sprouting!
I also wanted to share pictures of the honey I bought today. It is super yummy and yes, we will go through this whole bucket. This is our third five gallon bucket we’ve bought, the last one took us just over two years go through.
Coconut Shrimp!
I made coconut shrimp tonight for dinner and boy was it good!
Easy Coconut Shrimp
Prep time
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
20 mins
A delicious and healthy version of Coconut Shrimp!
Author:Â Wellness Mama
Recipe type:Â Main
Cuisine:Â Seafood
Serves:Â 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 pound of tail-on shrimp (tail off will work too, they just look fancier with tails)
- 1 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup almond flour (I used AP)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, salt and pepper
- 1-2 cups of coconut oil (or tallow or lard) for frying (I used peanut oil)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- optional: 2 tablespoons honey (so optional I didn’t even think to use it)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil until hot enough to fry.
- Wash, de-vein and peel shrimp (leave tails on) or you can buy them this way.
- Beat the eggs with about a teaspoon of water and the garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Mix the shredded coconut and almond flour.
- Dip each shrimp into the egg and then into the almond flour/coconut until well coated and quickly place into pan of oil.
- Cook approximately 3 minutes per side and don’t touch at all between flipping them.
- When done, remove and sprinkle with salt.
- Optional Sauce: I use fresh pineapple, the cream from the top of the coconut milk and a little honey to make a pina colada dipping sauce (favorite) OR Blend fresh mango with a splash of vinegar and some olive oil for a mango sauce (pictured).
- Enjoy!
I did not make a dipping sauce to go with it, mainly because it was 85 here in South Georgia and I am 32 weeks pregnant, my energy levels were at zero! I did take some of the oil (after frying the shrimp in it) and put it in a saute pan, heated it, added some leftover rice and a can of peas for the side dish, not bad.