November 2011 Archives

We're just about ready to leave for a week at my family's in So Cal so the blog will be a little more quiet than usual.

However, I hope that you have a blessed Thanksgiving! You are in my prayers, please pray for me too!

xoxo,
B.

It's been so busy lately that I hardly have any time online to blog or catch up on my google reader. I had a few moments this morning and I saw that Hailey started a "Heart of Gratitude" 14-day challenge for your husband. I looked at the date to see when it started and I realized it was today, November 9th, which is a special date for me and Brian.

It was thirteen years ago on November 1 when a young man left the seminary after a year and a half stay. He had discerned that it wasn't his vocation and felt God calling him to a new chapter of his life. He thought about marriage but he had dated before and it never really worked out. He recalled reading about a new Catholic online dating service (AMSCOL) and gave them a try, filling out their questionnaire that day. Later he knelt before God and humbly poured out his heart. He told God that if he was called to the vocation of marriage, then God would have to place the girl on his doorstep. With a resolved sigh, he began the first day of his novena trusting that it was all in the hands of Our Lord and Our Lady.

Meanwhile, a young girl (although she felt old at the time) was ready to give up on finding "the one." A month earlier she took one last ditch effort and joined a new Catholic online dating service (AMSCOL) She wrote a few guys but it was just friendly. Then she saw a new post from a young guy that recently left the seminary. His profile answers made him sound like a funny, holy, incredible man of God. She knew it had to be a fake. She wanted to write him but felt he was way too holy and good for her. Instead she printed out 7 or 8 profiles of guys she considered writing. She took them to her sis and asked her which she should write. Her sis looked them over and handed back the profile of the young man and said, "Write him."

So on November 9, 1998, the last day of the young man's novena, the young girl wrote him her first email. God placed the young girl on the virtual doorstep of the young man. Thirteen years and four kids later, despite the ups and downs of married life and parenthood, they are still hopelessly in love. (To read the longer version of this story, you can go here.)

You know, when I was dating Brian, my mom would always half-jokingly say that "he has to be a saint to put up with Bobbi..." Like I was some kind of volatile, overly emotional crazy girl. (I can hear my sisters saying, "Shocker.") Seriously, I'm not that bad but Brian does put up a lot with me. Let's face it, girls in general are complicated and each brings their own brand of crazy into the mix. So I'm all for showing my hubby some gratitude for being the incredible man that he is. And I think it's providential to begin on the anniversary of the email that started it all!

Let the gratitude begin!

Day 1: A Day of Prayer.

One of my family's favorite bread is Banana Blueberry Bread. I found the recipe in a much loved cookbook Pillsbury Best Muffins and Quick Breads Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from America's Most-Trusted Kitchen that I received when I got married. I especially like this one because it is lower in fat. Here is the original recipe and my modified version.

Original Recipe

-- 1 cup sugar
-- 1/2 cup oil
-- 3 mashed ripe bananas
-- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
-- 1 teaspoon vanilla
-- 2 eggs
-- 2 cups all-purpose flour
-- 1 teaspoon baking soda
-- 1/2 teaspoon salt
-- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Modified Recipe

-- 3/4 cup sugar
-- 1/2 cup oil
-- 3 very ripe bananas
-- 1/2 cup apple sauce or vanilla yogurt
-- 1 teaspoon vanilla
-- 2 eggs
-- 1 cup all-purpose flour
-- 1 cup whole wheat flour
-- 1 teaspoon baking soda
-- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
-- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-- 1/2 teaspoon salt
-- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Directions:

1. Heat oven 350. Grease and flour bottoms only of pans. (I use nonstick spray and skip this step.) In large bowl, combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add bananas, yogurt, vanilla and sugars. Blend well.

2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to wet ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into pans.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes (for mini-loaves) and 60-70 minutes (for a regular 9x5 loaf pan) or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled. (Make sure to cool on a wire rack to avoid bread getting soggy.) Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator. (I just realized it said store in the fridge. I never have. It's gone before it gets a chance to spoil.)

I made this bread the other day but we were out of blueberries so Brian asked me to use chocolate chips instead. Chocolate?? You don't have to ask me twice! It was even yummier. :-)

Here are my "helpers" in the kitchen. ;-) And the finished product.

I was so excited to hear that one of my favorite bloggers, Hailey at Betty Beguiles, has a new book coming out in spring. It is titled Style, Sex, and Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter and features many of my favorite Catholic female writers, including Simcha Fisher, Danielle Bean, Rachel Balducci, Betty Duffy, Jennifer Fulwiler, Rebecca Teti, Karen Edmisten, Anna Mitchell and Barbara Nicolosi. How cool is that?

Here is a summary of the book.

In Style, Sex, and Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter, ten of the top Catholic female writers come together to offer tips, encouragement, and a bit of humor for their sisters in the trenches of daily life. From the difficulties of fitting in prayer time to the impact that lots of babies have on intimacy to the unique challenges of the single life, each author digs deep into the issues that real Catholic women think about. With the tone of a group of gals gathered around a bottle of wine, it is sure to be a hit with all Catholic women, whether they need practical tips in areas in which they struggle, words of encouragement, or just a bit of entertainment after a long day.

Although the book will be released in March, preorders are available at Amazon today. You can get in line after me. ;-)

Since I never posted the kids in their Halloween costumes I thought I'd do it for this week's PHFR. Although, I think the "pretty" would have to be changed to "cute" this week. :-)

Ever since Bella was a cat last year, Andrew had his heart set on being a feline of some sort. We settled on a tiger.

Since Andrew was a tiger and Matthew a lion, John Paul was going to be a circus ringmaster. However, it was really cold that morning and he needed to be bundled up, so he was a Green Bay Packer fan instead.

My cuties.

Matthew spent his first Halloween as a lion. Special thanks to the thrift store where I found this costume for $3. (I am finally taking spendthrift advice from my sis. LOL)

I added this since I rarely post a pic of my sweet hubby. There were a few parents at Andrew's school dressed up. One young couple was in full costume as Cinderella and Prince Charming. When my brother asked why we didn't dress up, I told him we did. We are the "before" picture" and the prince and princess are the "after." ;-)

Keeping up with this year's Angry Bird theme, Bella decided to be an angry bird vet. After all, someone has to patch them up after all that crashing into towers,trying to get those evil green pigs. LOL!

The kids were slowly coming down with a bug and a couple days later they were knocked out by illness and fevers. Poor little guys.

I first heard about Roma Downey's (did you know she was Catholic?) new DVD Little Angels at CatholicMom.com. The site has background info and is also running a contest to win an autographed copy of the DVD. (I entered!)

Here is the introduction from LittleAngels.com.

Discover the joy of learning and friendship with a heavenly new collection! From Executive Producer Roma Downey ("Touched by an Angel") and Writer Phil Lollar ("Adventures in Odyssey") comes the much-anticipated faith-based educational series, LITTLE ANGELS, soaring onto DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

LITTLE ANGELS is an animated DVD series created exclusively for preschool-aged children to teach not only practical learning skills, like ABCs and 1,2,3s, but also to introduce them to the spiritual, moral and ethical principles of the Bible. Of course, we think it's terrific! (We might be biased...) But don't just take our word for it - for the first time in their organization's history, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) has awarded a Seal-of-Approval to LITTLE ANGELS.

And here is a sneak peek. :-) It looks cute and educational!

Here's a quick peek at our Halloween costumes this year.

Bella was an Angry Bird vet.

She bandaged up the birds that were hurt fighting the pigs. LOL.

Andrew the Tiger.

John-Paul the Packers fan.

Brothers

Matthew the Lion.