October 2009 Archives

Now that the weather is cooling down, it is the perfect time to dust off the slow cooker and whip up some tasty meals. I asked my sis EML to send me her fave recipes and she did. So now I'm sharing them with you! The charizo one looks really yummy although I have to tone down any spiciness right now or else JP will let his disapproval be known loud and clear. ;-)

Slow Cooker Lentil and Ham Soup (Bobbi's note: I think I'll try this one first.)

Slow-cooker Turkey Chili

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
I added some cooked chicken and cheese to each bowl when I served it.

Peppered Beef Soup

These three aren't slow cooker, but they are good and I assume you could throw everything in the slow cooker and cook it that way.

Devilish Chorizo Chili with Hominy

Minestrone
Edith LOVES this soup. (Bobbi's note: Edith is my adorable niece.)

Potato Broccoli and Cheese Soup

www.southernliving.com has a slower cooker section that has some good recipes.

This site ( crockpot365.blogspot.com) also has some good recipes.

Enjoy!

With all the talk around the H1N1 vaccine - and child vaccines in general - I found this post at Momopoly very timely. (Thanks to Danielle at F&F for the heads up.) As for us, we have vaccinated the kids but we found a doc that does a delayed schedule so they don't take so much at once. We are still debating about the H1N1 and will talk to our doc about it on Wed. We'll see how it goes.

The site has been getting a lot of search engine hits from people looking for All Saints Day costume ideas so here is the link to an old post at RoL for saint costume ideas and pics of Bella and Andrew in their costumes.

Courtesy of The Simple Womans Daybook.

FOR TODAY...October 12th

Outside my window... cold and gray with a storm approaching. (I'm looking forward to some rain but the tree toppling wind, not so much.)

I am thinking... about the 43 more days until I leave for So Cal to visit my family. (Familia and Disneyland, here I come!)

I am thankful for... John Paul sleeping six hours straight last night. (Insert happy dance.)

I am wearing... black knit pants, white tank, worn out black zipped sweatshirt jacket. (Don't tell Stacy and Clinton!)

I am remembering... that I need to email T and see how he's doing. (Say a prayer for him.)

I am going... to get some shopping done when Brian gets home. (Daddy needs some alone/bonding time with JP and Mama needs a breather.)

I am reading...The Shadow of the Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman ( So far I'm really enjoying it.)

I am hoping... to get ALL the laundry and ironing done. (Hey, I can dream, can't I??)

On my mind... how much smoother the day goes when I start the day with quiet prayer with Our Lord. (Well, the day is actually just as chaotic. I am just better equipped to handle it.)

Noticing that... I am in love with my iphone. It keeps me close to those I love when they are far away and I have all my info on there - from my shopping lists, to my baby feeding tracker to my digital prayer book. (That is when I can get it away from Andrew who wants to watch Thomas the Train on it.)

Pondering these words... from a priest during confession, "Make your home a piece of heaven on earth." (Touche.)

From the kitchen... scrambled eggs, wheat toast and fruit. (Followed by a candy kiss?)

Around the house... autumn decor. (I love fall!)

One of my favorite things... these quiet mornings with Bella at school and the boys still snug in their beds. (But enough of this, back to the laundry.)

From my picture journal...This picture is a month old now but it is one of my favorites of John Paul and his big eyes.

Here's a cool site to check out when you want to combine your love of cooking with your love of the Catholic faith - Catholic Cuisine Blog.

When you are done there, head over to Fr. Leo's Grace Before Meals.com.

Check out this new movie about Our Lady of Fatima coming out on October 13, 2009. It looks really good! For more details about screenings in your area or the DVD, visit http://www.the13thday.com.

Sorry for the absence of posts but family life has been all consuming! I'll catch you up to date using....

Tiny Treasures Tuesday is dedicated to celebrating the lives of your children.

Happy Birthday, Bella!! It's hard to believe that my baby girl is now eight years old. I can still remember the day I found out she was growing in me. We spent a year trying to get pregnant but with no luck. Then at the end of December/early January we went on a pilgrimage to Rome. I remember at one cathedral we lit a candle and said a special prayer asking God to bless us with a baby. Two months later, on Valentine's morning, I finally had a positive pregnancy test. I went into the kitchen and told Brian to close his eyes and I would give him his Valentine's gift. He did and I placed his hands on my stomach and told him to open his eyes. It took a minute for it to register but he understood what I was telling him. Tears of joy flowed from both of us. And we're still thanking God for his miracle of life.

I've been the most worried about Andrew and how he would adjust to not being the baby of the family anymore. It was a little rough for him the first few days but I think he has adjusted well. We have been making sure he is given lots of love and attention and extra playtime when we can. He loves to "help" me in the kitchen so today we made some banana-carrot bread together. It was a bit messier than I would have liked but he loved it! And my reward was when he rubbed my arm and laid his head upon me. His silent "thanks, mom" was worth the mess. :-)

What can I say, I am in love with my little guy. Granted it has taken some time to get a routine down and I have to accept that I cannot get on the computer or take a shower until Brian comes home and the late nights will sometimes leaving me crying because I am so exhausted... but in the end, I love my little guy. And taking care of him, and the kids, is just what I need to work on my selfishness and impatience and pride and whatever other vice you want to name. Right now my role as mom (and wife) is the greatest tool God can use to form me into the person he desires me to be. And just when the forming gets tough, God sends some encouragement, such as John-Paul's first smiles. So cute!