7 Quick Takes (Vol. 43)

 -1-

I've taken on a ton of commitments recently.  I think subconsciously, it's because I want to take advantage of this time when I'm not pregnant, and actually have the energy to do things.  Oh, and because my pleasant little Linus not only happily drinks from a bottle (which his older sister never did), but has also started on solid foods recently, which means I can sometimes leave him with Tom when I go out!

I'm part of a weekly Endow study group, a bi-weekly Catholic moms book group (currently reading The Seven Storey Mountain), another monthly study group with women from my church, and I host a monthly discussion group at my house.  I'm also participating in biweekly "craft nights" (to finally finish the mittens I started knitting for Tom two years ago), take Sly to two weekly catechism programs, and go to occasional other activities with my Catholic moms group...and then there are all the various doctors appointments, errands, trips to the library, grocery shopping, etc. that has to happen.  Oy!  A number of these activities are in the evenings, and my husband has been really awesome about letting me leave the kids with him and get out of the house.

Some days get rather hectic, but really - I like being busy.  I'm happier when I have a full schedule.  And despite being "shy", I'm a definite extrovert, and it's been excellent to have all these opportunities to be with other people.

-2-

And to add to the packed schedule, the other night I joined a local quilting class/group that's starting up in my community.  They meet two evenings a week, and I'm really looking forward to learning some new skills.  It's just me and three middle-aged women, plus our (middle-aged woman) instructor.  We pick our own fabric, but we all work on the same pattern.  Our first project is going to be a baby quilt, and part of it has to include appliqué work.

 -3-

Last weekend, the temperature dipped into the cold zone, spurring me to switch out my summer clothes for my winter ones.  All my winter skirts were stored in a box at the back of my closet - many of them made from wool, or other thick materials.  I had followed the advice you read in so many magazines about rolling your clothes instead of folding them.  Bad idea.  I might as well have just wadded all my skirts into balls, they're so wrinkled!  Definitely going back to regular folding when I pack them away next time.  I'm going to have to iron almost all of them now, and my "ironing pile" is still full of summer stuff that I haven't gotten to yet!

And speaking of breaking out the winter clothes, Stella was put into footie pajamas last night for the first time since last winter.  She had an absolute meltdown about the feet, and screamed and clawed at them for a good twenty minutes.  Anyone else's toddler do this?

-4-

For the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Tuesday, I helped the kids make some chocolate chip (and butterscotch chip) Rosaries, as suggested on Catholic All Year.

But we used mini chocolate chips for all the decade beads, because using the full-size ones would have been way too much chocolate before bedtime.

picking out all the big chips first

-5-

Speaking of the Rosary, our nightly prayers have definitely been enriched since we got this beautiful Rosary book with depictions of all the mysteries.  There's not much room left on the top of our home altar, so the small sized one was perfect for us.  Sly has really enjoyed flipping the pages while we pray to see what the next mystery is, and explain to us what's happening in each painting.  And I find it's also improved my ability to focus on the mystery and pay better attention to my prayers.

Anna, a regular commenter here, makes these stand-up booklets along with her husband.  They are creating various resources that use sacred art to teach and inspire people in the Faith.  Please consider supporting this great family business.

-6-

I often get a little disappointed when there's "dessert" that doesn't involve chocolate.  You know, like fruity desserts (pies, crisps, etc.) or the ubiquitous loaf cakes that every woman seems to serve at every event ever (pumpkin bread, banana bread, nut bread, etc.).  Don't get me wrong, baked goods are always welcome.  But as I've said to Tom, only half-jokingly, one of my personal mottos could be "if it's not chocolate, it's not dessert!"

A friend posted a recipe for cobbler the other day.  But not just any cobbler - chocolate cobbler!  So I whipped one up the other night, just because.  It was pretty darn good.

-7-

Every time I go to the supermarket, I have to get myself a (chocolate-frosted cake) doughnut in the bakery section.  Those of you with a true sweet tooth know what I'm talking about. Tom doesn't share my affinity for baked goods.  He has even dared to suggest that I don't need to give in to the urge each time I pass the bakery section.  But the other night I was vindicated.  I made a quick stop at the store for a couple ingredients I needed, and the guy bagging the groceries for me said "wow - only one doughnut?!  You must have a lot of self-control!":-)  Ha!

[I like that three of my Takes today were about eating chocolate]

Quick Takes is hosted at Conversion Diary

Meatless Fridays (Vol. 1)

Gina at Someday (Hopefully) They'll be Saints has started a new link-up to share tasty meatless meals, and I thought I'd jump in this first time around.

I've been eating meatless on Fridays for a while now....probably since 2005 or so, when I finally learned that Catholics are still supposed to be abstaining every Friday of the year (from meat by default, but in the US, you are permitted to substitute a different penance).

My husband is like many men, and wants to eat meat - and lots of it - at every dinner.  On nights we can't have "real meat," he's going to want to eat fish.  So for most Fridays during our marriage, I've made fish sticks and pierogies for dinner, at his request.  Fish sticks aren't bad, though we would love to have higher-quality fish sometimes.  But because of the price, it has to be reserved as a special treat for us.  After years of fish sticks, I'm starting to get sick of the same thing every week.

Now that we've gotten over the "hump" of adding another baby to the family, I've found myself with more time and desire to cook better (i.e. healthier, more "from scratch") meals.  I've been trying to slowly get Tom used to the idea of eating a couple meatless dinners a week - at least one of which doesn't include fish either. So I've been trying out some new recipes... 

I really love the cookbook, Twelve Months of Monastery Soups for meatless dinner ideas.  I still haven't tried many of the recipes (though my goal is to make one new soup each week over the next few months - we'll see how that goes!).  The few meatless soups we've tried, though, have all been shockingly delicious!  I mean, you look at a recipe and it's basically taking vegetables, water, salt and pepper and throwing it in a pot.  You boil it, simmer it, stir it.  You would think it would be so bland and flavorless, but each time, you're left with the most delicious pot of soup.  No meat, broth, or bouillon necessary!  It's amazing!  Then just add some good crusty bread, and it becomes a very comforting and tasty meal.

And now that I've made you eager to hear more about these amazing soups...I'm going to just change gears and give you a completely different recipe.  Maybe I'll share some soup recipes on future Fridays.  Today, though, I'll share the meal we'll be eating for dinner tonight.

Fettucine Alfredo
12 oz. uncooked fettuccine
3/4 c. butter
1 c. whipping cream (or heavy cream)
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional...and I don't think I've ever added it)

1. Cook fettuccine, drain water, keep noodles warm.
2. Meanwhile: melt butter in Dutch oven over low heat.  Stir in cream and pepper.  Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir frequently.
3. Stir in cheese.  Cook and stir until cheese is just melted.
4. Stir in noodles until coated. (add nutmeg now if desired).  Enjoy!

I'm planning to cook some broccoli to throw in, and probably do a spinach salad on the side.  Grilled chicken would also taste great in this on a meat-friendly day.

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 39)

-1-

August is a big birthday month for our family.  We have my birthday (today), then Stella's birthday tomorrow, and Sly's ten days later.  I wish we were all more spread out throughout the year, so we could celebrate each person better.  It's hard to make the time and effort to throw each of us our own shindig.  And we can't ask Tom's parents and sister to drive out to us two weeks in a row for the kids' parties.  So for as long as I can get away with it, Sly and Stella will continue having combined birthday parties.  So far, no complaints from them!

-2-

I admire the fun themed birthday parties some parents throw for their kids - which seem to get increasingly creative and elaborate each year (or maybe it's just the Pinterest effect).  They're fun, kids enjoy them (I think?), and some parents mothers really get a thrill out of planning them.

I find myself somewhere in the middle, though.  It can turn into more stress than its worth, at least if the kids aren't old enough to really appreciate it.  When Sly turned one he had a rubber ducky-themed party, and when he turned three and Stella turned one, they got a Beatrix Potter party (the in-between year was when Stella was just born, so Sly's birthday just got tacked onto Stella's baptism party).  So I decided that unless one of the kids is really itching for a particular party theme, I'm just going to make things easier on myself, and not do one.  I asked Sly what he wanted at his party.  He said, "cake, balloons, and party hats."  Just Good old-fashioned birthday stuff.  And you know what?  That's plenty to make a kid completely happy!

-3-

 So the kids' "theme" this year is going to be just that: "Good old-fashioned birthday"!

It will be easy on me, yet still festive.  Colored balloons, two cakes, ice cream, party hats, party blowers, plastic tablecloths, paper plates, maybe pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey (?!).  It will be so uncommon that it will seem like a novel idea, right? 

Anyways, the kids are only turning four and two years old, so it doesn't really matter.  They'll love it no matter what.

 -4-

Myself, on the other hand, will be turning the big 3-0.  Yikes.  I haven't given much thought to the fact of rolling over another decade.  But something tells me my thirties will fly by much more quickly than my twenties, which seemed to last an eternity.

-5-

So do you want to see what we're giving Stella for her birthday?  Because I'm so excited about it!  It's an Ergo doll carrier.  It's even the same fabric as my real Ergo that I use to carry Linus (and Stella herself, sometimes, when she really needs to settle down). 

I have visions of us going out in public with me wearing Linus, and Stella wearing her doll in her little matching carrier....and the crowds just fainting away from the adorable-ness....

-6-

I have finally found a foolproof way to make vegetables taste delicious (and not just palatable).  I grew up with a very limited veggie selection.  Pretty much just green beans, peas, and corn (which is really a grain anyways).  I've tried for years to expand my palate and get myself to like more vegetables.  But it's hard to develop the taste for some of them.  I'm fine with most things if they're cooked into a soup, stew, or casserole.  But most days, a big ol pile of soggy (i.e. boiled or steamed) veggies as a "side dish" is just not appetizing to me. 

But I've discovered roasting them.  I just cut up some veggies (whatever I have in the house - beans, broccoli, onions, brussels sprouts, peppers, mushrooms, etc.), mix them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices of my choosing.  Then I stick them in a 450° oven for 15-20 minutes.  Absolutely amazing every time!

The trays of vegetables are in the background.  The vat of olive oil and the pound and a half of bacon were for another portion of the deliciously fatty meal I was cooking ;-)

-7-

I found this down in the basement the other day.  Just in case I wasn't sure who it was that transferred most of the cat's food to the water dish, the culprit helpfully left some evidence at the scene of the crime...

Quick Takes is hosted at Conversion Diary

The Perfect Pie Crust: Revisited

I wrote two years ago about my search for a really good pie crust recipe.  I hate to say it, but the search goes on...

About once a year, I settle on a new recipe for my pie crusts.  I've just started using yet another recipe.  But I'm still not satisfied.  I still don't feel like I've found the perfect one. 

The key factor in pie crusts seems to be what sort of fat you use: butter, shortening, or lard.  I've also heard good things about recipes that incorporate vodka (which, as it evaporates during cooking, produces a nice flaky texture). 

I've had success with shortening recipes.  They're typically easy to work with and reliable.  Most just don't seem to have a really memorable flavor. 

Some people swear by all-butter crusts.  The difficult thing with them, though, is that you have to keep the butter and all the implements you are using very very cold.  Many of the pies I bake are during the summertime (when fruits are ripe), and since we don't have air conditioning, keeping things cold is impossible.

Here's what our usually-solid coconut oil looked like today, when the temperature was in the high 80's: total liquid.

[note that it's still unopened.  I've never used actually coconut oil before, but I know a lot of people love it, and it was a great price.  So what should I do with it?]

My cousin shared her secret for great butter crusts: she keeps her butter in the freezer.  Sounds like a smart idea. If anyone has a great all-butter crust recipe, please share it!  I'll try it out when the weather cools off.


***

The last couple times I baked a pie, I tried out a new lard-based recipe (lard is totally not as gross as it sounds.  I cook with it often, and it's very versatile) from my ever-reliable 1969 Betty Crocker's Cookbook. 

8- or 9-inch Two-crust Pie
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. lard
4-5 T. cold water

Mix flour and salt in bowl.  Cut in lard.  Sprinkle in water, and mix until dough almost cleans sides of bowl.  Shape into two balls and roll out on floured surface.

Tom loves this crust, and my Dad thought highly of it as well.  I will say, the texture is pleasantly crispy and flaky.  But I still think it could be better!

***

Not matter what recipe I use, there are a few tools I've found indispensable for making a good crust: a cloth to roll the dough on, a stockinet cover for the rolling pin, and a pie crust shield for baking.

Allow me to step you through my process....

I use a clean linen dish towel as my rolling surface, floured generously.  The dough does not stick at all.  Try it sometime!  And the rolling pin covers are really cheap.  You can usually find them at gourmet-type stores (or online, of course).

Always pat the dough into a flat circle with your hands before rolling.  This gives you a much more evenly-shaped crust.

As you pick up the crust, roll it over the rolling pin to transfer it to your pie pan.

 

And then fill the bottom crust with whatever.  Today I made a beef stew pie with my leftovers from last week. 

 

Have you ever done this?  I purposely make a lot of beef stew so that we will have leftovers and I can make this pie.  Beef stew always tastes better a few days later, because the flavors have had time to mingle.

A rough recipe for beef stew pie:  

Scoop just the "chunks" (the beef and veggies) into the pie crust.  

Reserve the sauce to heat and pour on at the table as gravy (you may have to stir in some cold water+ flour while it heats, if it's too thin).  

Put the top crust on, and bake at 450° for 35-40 minutes (cover the crusts until the last 15 minutes).

After you roll out and crimp the top crust, use the leftover dough to create fun decorations (or allow an eager child to help).

 I just use a fork to crimp the edge, cut a few vent-holes in the top, and let Sly place the decorations.

Then comes the ever-important pie crust shield (which I remove 15 minutes before cooking time is over) to keep the edges from burning.

 And it's ready to serve!  (al fresco tonight, since having the oven at 450° really warmed up the house).

Yum!

Do you have any pie crust tips or secrets to share?

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 31)

Joining in the action, as I only do about once a month...

-1-

 Easter lily in October!

We got a lily last Easter to decorate the dinner table.  After it had finished blooming, I moved it to the front porch to join our other potted plants, since the leaves were still nice and green.  Over the summer, the original plant slowly died, but it left some babies behind in the pot.  One of those babies has gotten huge (it must be at least 2 feet tall!), and just the other day, decided to bloom!  It's back on the dinner table, since the nights have been getting chilly.  It's so strange to see and smell a flower that I so much associate with spring.

-2-

I whipped up a batch of this homemade pumpkin cream for my coffee the other day.  Once I realized last year that most store-bought "creams" were really just flavored corn syrup, I've been trying to stick with regular old half-and-half and sugar for my coffee (I don't have an issue with corn syrup per se, but I prefer the real stuff!) .

If it looks kinda like Caesar dressing here, that's only the salad dressing bottle fooling you!

Here's the amended version I used - none of which was organic as in the original recipe:

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3+ tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice + extra cinnamon

4 tablespoons Maple Syrup Corn syrup [ok, so I still used corn syrup.  I just hate maple flavor]

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk milk, cream, pumpkin, syrup, and pumpkin spice together over medium heat. When it gets steamy remove from heat and add in the vanilla. Use a strainer to transfer the cream into a jar or pitcher [removes a lot of the excess spices]. Let it cool down and chill it the refrigerator. 

I realized after the fact that I probably could have avoided buying whipping cream, and just used *two* cups of half-and-half, since that's exactly what I ended up making by mixing cream and milk.  Duh.  Oh, well.  Also, I suggest mixing up your own pumpkin pie spice (look up recipes online), since it's way cheaper than buying it.  The pumpkin cream was pretty tasty, but not as sweet as the store-bought ones.  I still added a little bit of sugar to my coffee to make it nice and unhealthy :-)

-3-

My cousins are teaching me to quilt!  I ended up going the expensive route and buying a "jellyroll" of pre-matched fabric for the first time around.  I just don't have a stash of spare fabric built up yet, and I really don't know what I'm doing.   I'm going to make a quilt for Stella, since Sly already has one that a friend gave him for his baptism.  I picked what I'm hoping is a simple pattern: Pandora's box.  Pretty, right?

-4-

Quick question for other parents: I think Sly has reached the minimum weight/height to be moved up to a booster seat in the car.  Are there any advantages to using one now, or should we just keep him in the convertible car seat until another kid needs it?

EDIT: I since found out that it's considered safer to leave them in the 5-point harness until they are 4 years old (and in some States, illegal not to).  But I don't have another Quick Take to take this one's place, so I'm leaving it.  ha!

-5-

I was all gung ho [spellcheck isn't liking that expression] about celebrating the liturgical year in July.  But with the exception of The Assumption in August, I've been pretty bad about sticking with it ever since.  There were two special Masses (one in the new rite on Oct. 1st, and one Latin Mass on Oct. 3rd) for St. Therese that I was hoping to get to this week, but things came up both evenings that prevented us.  The best I've managed to do is tell Sly on a few occasions, "Do you know what feast day is today?!"  and then asking him again before bed if he remembered.  Ugh.  

I think I need to go re-read Around the Year with the Trapp family and The Year & Our Children for inspiration.

-6-

I went to a children's consignment store to try to find some black dress shoes for Sly.  They didn't have any, but I was suckered into picking up winter boots for both kids.  Stella can't even walk yet (13 months and growing!  Come on, little girl!), so it's hard to picture her really playing in the snow in a few months...but they were cute, and only $1.50.  I couldn't resist!

-7-

I've been asking other moms I know - who have been pregnant during the winter - how they dressed for the cold weather while pregnant.  Both my kids were born in August, so all my current maternity clothes are designed for very hot weather.  Most of the women have given me the response "I was so hot even during the winter that I just wore short sleeves the whole time - you should be fine with what you have."  Forgive me for my skepticism, but I know that I am one of those people who is always freezing in the winter even when everyone around her feels that the temperature is pleasant.  I do expect I'll have to supplement my maternity wardrobe to some extent.

I looked through my winter tops, and unfortunately, they're mostly tight-fitting things like turtlenecks or fitted sweaters.  I don't think any of them will work for me very long at all.  Another issue is that my standard winter "bottoms" are a long skirt with thick tights underneath.  I *might* have enough elastic-waisted skirts to scrape by....but I know my tights won't be fitting anymore with the big belly.  Maternity tights cost $20 a pair, which is out of our price range....maybe I should just wear sweat pants under my skirts all winter, and tuck them into boots when I go out of the house so no one knows!

Quick Takes is hosted at Conversion Diary

Monday Musings, May 6th

Right now...
Sly is in his room for a "nap" (i.e. talking to himself, banging, and playing with toys), Stella is asleep on the Boppy in my lap, and I need to get back to cooking and cleaning, as we are having dinner guests!

This weekend...
My mother-in-law was visiting. We treated her to a home-cooked steak dinner on Saturday, to thank her for doing our taxes for us again this year (she does it for a living, and is always happy to take care of them for us as well).

Stella got her first tooth, finally.  Sly has been copying me, and calling her "Stella one-tooth."  He keeps asking to "feel her little toothy."

I baked some banana cookies on Friday which were fantastic.  We didn't have orange zest, but I doubled the vanilla to make up for it.  

I started caring for my hair according to Curly Girl.  I had heard of this book from a few different people who all claimed it changed their lives.  It explains how to care properly for curly hair in a way that keeps it healthy and looking beautiful.  I always figured it wasn't for me, but when I picked it up last week at the library, I saw there was a section for wavy hair as well.  That's what I have, though I've always used a blow-dryer and a brush to smooth out the waves.  I decided to just go for it, and let my hair do its natural thing for a little while.  Here are the results from day one:

The book says that sometimes, more curls will form after a few weeks. I'm gonna try to stick it out and see what happens.

We needed new tires on the car.  It cost over $500, and that was for the cheapest ones.  Ugh.  And we might not even have the car too much longer.  Should I happen to get pregnant again, we'll need to trade it in for something bigger.  But Tom and I had a rare rare opportunity to spend a few hours alone while we waited for the tires to be put on.  My MIL stayed home with the kids, and we got a chance to walk around and shop for Mother's Day gifts.  Did you know that that's next Sunday?!  Because I sure didn't.

We also got our morning glory seedlings all planted in planters set along the base of our porch again.  We used twice the amount as last year, and mixed the blue and red ones.  We could potentially have some very pretty results come August.

Some plans for the week: 
Having some friends for dinner tonight, joining a friend and her little man for lunch on Wednesday.  Possibly taking the kids to library story time.  They do such a nice job at those, telling stories and singing songs with the kids.  It's like preschool, or at least what I remember of it.  But Sly is always the only kid just sitting there, refusing to do anything. He claims he enjoys it, though.

I also hope to finally finish painting our kitchen table.  That's been in the works for over a week now, and I hate not having a table in there!


If I find some time for myself, I would like to...
Turn some tanktops into nursing tanks! 

source

Basically, it would just be a way to add stomach coverage so I feel comfortable nursing without a cover in public (this is my goal!  I want to be an apostle for making nursing seem "normal" again, but I still don't like my flabby tummy showing to the world...).  The only difference between these and just wearing a normal tank under a shirt seems just to be that you cut down on the number of straps on your shoulders. 

While I'm at it, I'm also going to cut out the elastic bands from those stupid "built-in bras" that so many tanktops have.  They are designed, I think, for people who are much smaller in that area than I am (especially while nursing), so they just dig in very uncomfortably on me in all the wrong places.

Prayer intentions for the week:
Some friends who are experiencing infertility. 

Something that makes me smile: 
Watching my kids play together.  No one can get Stella to crack up as well as Sly can.  He just has to make a funny sound, or pop out from behind some object, and she bursts into laughter.  So sweet.

Monday Musings is hosted at Patch O'Dirt Farm

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 27)

I just remembered 7 Quick Takes Friday, and I don't think I'll have the time to think up and write about seven things (it's close to midnight, and I gave up internet on Fridays!).  But I'll see how far I get...

 -1-

A fellow mom from my Catholic Moms Group invited people over to bake pretzels the other day.  We used a recipe from another mom in the group.  They were SO delicious.  I ate two pretzels there, then went home and immediately printed out the recipe to make another batch to accompany our (very disappointing homemade) minestone soup at dinner.  I ate four at dinner, and another one later as a snack....and two more as a snack this morning.  But hey! Pretzels are a traditional Lenten food...so I was actually being devout somehow...not just gluttonous as you might be thinking.

-2-

But seriously, make them.  They're delicious.  Don't skimp on the salt.

 -3-

 On Wednesday, I was pretty glued to EWTN, waiting to see if we would have a new Pope.  The time between the first sighting of white smoke and the presentation of Pope Francis was about an hour (thankfully, BOTH kids were napping at the time, so I was able to hang around waiting impatiently).  I didn't want to leave the room even for a second, so I had to find a way to feel productive while I sat and waited.  I pulled out the iron and finally got through most of the ironing pile. 

We have a Pope now, which is good.  I'm hearing such mixed reports on the man, and I've decided I just can't - and probably shouldn't - make any judgements.  But he needs all our prayers, so that will be my focus for now.

 -4-

Some toddler stuff...

Sly held up a thermometer the other day and said "That's for hurting your bum".  haha

Sly watches Sid the Science Kid on PBS some mornings (sort of an annoying show, if you ask me, but it's on at the perfect time of day for me to get certain things done, so I use the rely on the electronic babysitter...).  Anyways, he's been learning all these science-y vocabulary words and concepts.  He comes up and talks to me about things like "water systems" and "habitats".  I doubt he understands much about them, but...as a former biology teacher, and hopeful future homeschooling mother...I don't know how I feel about the fact that he learned all this from tv first.  Maybe I should just be glad he's learning it.

 -5-

We visited Tom's parents last weekend, and on the way home, passed through Lancaster, PA so we could go to Mass on the way.  I've never been there before.  Parts of it were ridiculously touristy.  This sign pretty much sums up the extreme exploitation of the Amish we saw in parts:

"Not just stuff...Amish stuff" 

But we drove through the actual town, and it seemed very nice and more geared towards residents.  I'd love to explore the whole area sometime.  There were many big old houses, and lots of rolling countryside.

-6-

 Do you love General Tso's/Orange chicken, but don't have the money to order take-out?  I mentioned this before, but it's pretty easy to make at home.  Cut up chicken into chunks (white or dark meat, as preferred), dip in beaten egg, dip in coating of your choice (I used a store-bought chicken breading mix, but you can do flour and bread crumbs) - double-dipping each piece will make it crispier -, then fry in a pan using the fat of your choice (I used corn oil).  Toss with an entire bottle of store-bought sauce.  Not at all healthy, but it's certainly delicious!

 -7-

  Because I'm running out of time, and can think of nothing else very interesting...let me just share a little tidbit with those of you who might not be familiar with the phenomenon of an unenclosed basement toilet (or "Pittsburgh potty" as I've heard them called).  I'm not sure if this is common outside Pittsburgh or not, but I've certainly seen (and used) my share of them around here.  They tend to be in older houses, and I have suspicions that in some cases, these may have once been the *only* toilets in the house.  Nowadays they usually serve as a backup in case of emergencies (the regular toilet is broken, someone's hogging the bathroom and you really gotta go...).

Some people hang a curtain in front of them, or build a little wooden surround kind of like a stall in a public bathroom.  At our house, whoever originally put in the toilet decided that privacy was for sissies.  It's right at the bottom of the basement stairs so you can be in full view of anyone looking down.  

 

I reached seven - alright!

Quick Takes is hosted at Conversion Diary

Pierogi Party!

A couple weeks back, we invited some friends over to make pierogies with us.  I've eaten plenty of Mrs. T's and similar frozen ones in my lifetime, but have never actually had a homemade one before (despite being from Pittsburgh, I have no Eastern European ancestry).

It helps to have a lot of people making them at once, which is why a lot of people hold parties for making them.  The process was much easier than I expected, and we all figured managed to figure it out with no previous experience.  I made all the dough.  I used this recipe, and I think I ultimately made six batches worth. It was simple, easy to work with, and tasty (but as I had to yell at one of the men when he took a crack at mixing - "don't overwork the dough!!").  I had each friend/couple who attended bring one bowl of a filling of their choosing. 

We ended up with: potato+cheese, potato+onion, potato+garlic, smoked chipotle sweet potato, potato and walnut cream cheese, and prune.

rolling out the dough, cutting it with a shot glass, and rolling again

Tom and Rosemary manning the filling station

sealing up the pierogies

At the end of the afternoon, we cooked up a big batch and got to taste them all.  And everyone was sent home with about thirty-five pierogies for their freezers.  They'll be a great meat-free food for Lent.  I hope to make this a yearly tradition!

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 22)

Yes, I know it's Sunday now, and this is very late.  I wrote "takes" #1-5 early last week, before we went to visit the in-laws for Thanksgiving.   I intended to finish up the last two on Friday and post them while there, but their computer was being frustrating and didn't let me.  So I'm finishing it up now!

- 1-

 Sly and I have been on a little crafting kick.  I find it's a good way to keep him calm and out of trouble, and also to provide me with a more interesting way of entertaining him than just reading the same books for the one thousandth time.  I've been digging back into my memories of kindergarten for inspiration.  Last week, we did the classic "hand turkeys" for Thanksgiving.

Sly wanted lots of feathers on his baby turkey.

-2-

We also tried playing with some clay I discovered in the craft cabinet.  I thought it might be a disaster, but Sly was good with it, and didn't make a mess at all.  I showed him the gist of how to work with clay, and then asked him what he'd like to make.  He said a kitty.  While he worked to mould* his little ball into a kitty, he narrated what he was doing: "Make a paw.  Make a tail.  Make a bum."  haha!  I was pretty impressed at his understanding of all the parts that make up a cat.  But in case you start thinking I have a child genius on my hands, let me just show you the results of his cat-moulding...

hmm, yes - indisputably a bunch of cats...

-3-

Speaking of cats...I took a picture recently of one of my poetic masterpieces made with our ancient Magnetic Poetry set (remember when those were cool?) which we have on the metal cabinet we use as a pantry.

And I made it the cover art for my facebook page.  Oh yeah.

-4-

I am trying really hard to get all our Christmas shopping done before December.  It would be so nice to just have a low-stress Advent for once.  I remember when I was a kid how much I LOVED Christmas shopping.  Of course, my parents gave me the money to buy gifts for themselves and for my brothers, and since I was a kid, I felt zero pressure to pick out the "perfect gift" (actually, it's probably just that since I was a kid, I was delusional enough to believe that whatever I had picked out was perfect).  But now, gift-giving is incredibly stressful to me - the huge cost, the need to think up something the other person will actually enjoy.  Sometimes I wish I could say, "how about we just stop giving each other gifts" to most of the people in my life.  Sometimes you can get away with that.  But with most people you can't.  Sigh.

-5-

Stella Update:
I think Stella's in that stage you hear about where babies don't understand that they have a being distinct from their mother....you know, that mom is actually a part of them.  Which means that sometimes when I walk from the room, a previously-content Stella will suddenly burst into tears.  It's sad but also sorta sweet.  As long as I'm nearby, though, she's usually happy to just watch me and smile.

We've started to put her to bed a bit before our own bedtime, which means for the first time in months, there's actually an hour or so each day that's entirely kid-free!  I cannot WAIT until her and Sly both go to bed at the same time :-D

-6-

We were invited to brunch at our friends' house this morning [Sunday].  When I heard they were serving waffles, I was a bit disappointed, since I don't eat waffles.  I also don't eat pancakes or french toast.  And what do you think is the common denominator between them all?  Maple syrup.  Which I think is disgusting.  And you can't eat any of those foods plain, because they're too boring.  So I just don't eat them at all.  But my friend had made a special recipe along with the waffles: apple cider syrup (as shared on the inimitable blog Shower of Roses)!  So delicious.  So non-maple-y.  I've honestly never eaten a whole waffle before today.  It even got me talking about picking up a waffle iron next time we're at the thrift store (something we swore off for the rest of the year, after going a little too bargain-happy over the weekend), and making them at home.  Tom was thrilled too, since he hasn't eaten waffles either, since he married me.  ha!

-7-

Today we went to Mass in a different city, since we were on the road and visiting abovementioned friends.  A little before Mass began, a family began to stream into a pew a couple rows ahead of us.  I was only vaguely aware of them, but I got this weird feeling like I recognized them from somewhere.  I took a closer look, and I realized: I follow that mom's blog!  I've seen a million pictures of those kids, and read all about their goings-on for the past year!  I'm not going to say whose blog it was, but they are one of those families whose blog just leaves you in total awe.  It was so jarring to see them in real life.  I know this sounds silly, but until that moment, I never thought about the fact that they are real people who have a life beyond just the little glimpses they share online.  I prayed (literally) for the courage to go introduce myself afterwards.  It was a little awkward for us all, but I'm glad I did it.  I think it's really easy to let yourself feel intimidated by some of the other people out there in blogland, who seem to be doing parenting, homemaking, life, better than you are.  And I know I tend to think of certain bloggers as faultless sources of information and opinions.  But somehow, just knowing that one of those "superstar" bloggers who I read is really a REAL person who goes to a real church on Sunday, and with people who I actually do know in real life (and not some mythical church where everyone is already a saint)....helped to bring me down to earth a bit.



*Spell-check is telling me it should be "mold", but I always thought when it meant "the action you do with clay", it had a 'u' in it.  Dictionary.com confirms that there are two accepted spellings.  So I'll stick with "mould", I guess.

Quick Takes is hosted at Conversion Diary