Menu Plan Monday!

It's my first time ever participating in "real" Menu Plan Monday hosted at the Organizing Junkie. She has a great website, and I am excited to see some new recipes there.
Here is my menu!

Monday: Enchiladas(never got to them last week)
Tuesday: Leftovers: (Bbq Sandwiches or Enchiladas)
Wednesday:Easy dinner(Brian is gone)
Thursday: Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup
Friday: Indian Food(at neighbors)
Saturday: Free Night(there is always a missed meal)
Sunday: Ricotta Pasta with Spinach

That is all. you can find WAYYYYY better menu plans at the link above. I am not all here today! Darn time change!

mmmm...Ribs

Well, i have snuck a few tastes of the crockpot ribs, okay, maybe it was an entire rib. I ended up using boneless, because they were on sale, and MMMM. they are yummy. is anyone else having a problem with my lack of capitalization? Well now. Anyway, I turned the crockpot to warm about 3 hours early. They are clearly done now. my crockpot cooks faster than normal I think. I am going to have problems staying away from them. I hope they dont dry out before dinner. I also think I will put out some BBQ sauce with them, even though they taste great without it. Okay, can anyone tell I am hungry? Is anyone there...hahaha...that is really the question.
Sooo...I decided to get The Love Dare on my Kindle. My dad got me that for Christmas, and it only came last week. It is pretty cool. The Love Dare is my first Kindle book. I have to keep my journal seperately. There is a space for it in the book, but because it is digital, you cant use that part. Anyway, it doesnt matter. It is pretty neat. I am going to get a book that both my husband and I will both read...I think Angela's Ashes actually. That will be the hardest thing for me about the Kindle...not getting my books for free from the library. BUT, the fact that I can get it in an instant is pretty cool. Anyway, back to The Love Dare. It is great so far. I really appreciate the challenges, or "dares". It has been somewhat hard, because baby doesnt like to sleep at night, but it seems as though God is providing the grace I need day to day. (Let's not talk about yesterday though...eeek). Wow, very random today!!
My brain must not be in "blog" mode.
I also decided to do Women of Grace again this Lent. I am looking forward to it. I am hoping to go into the study without expectations since I have done it before. I hope I can see things with a fresh take. Several family members and friends are also doing it with me, most for the first time. I hope they like it and get alot out of it too.
Oky Doky. That is about all...oh wait...no it isnt. I have a great friend and also a SIL (2 diff. people)who have been trying to sell their houses, one who has had it on the market for a loooonnng time. Please say a prayer that they can both sell soon!! thanks Peace.

Menu Plan Monday!

Just getting on the ball this morning!!
Monday: Chili
Tuesday: Lasagne and salad
Wednesday: Ribs in the crockpot, with rice and spinach salad maybe?? Never done ribs in the crock, but there is a first time for everything!
Thursday: Enchiladas
Friday: Rosmary-Lemon Salmon with Brocolli
Saturday: PIZZA for kids--Terri's party for us(making a baked Brie)
Sunday: Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

NOW....I need to make my shopping list and get to the grocery...blasted snow!!

Here is a giveaway!

I found this ring sling giveaway HERE. Like babywearing...I do! Click on the link to enter at the Coco Cafe.

Lenten Devotions

I have been contemplating what to do for Lent this year over the past week or so. I really want to do something devotional on a daily basis. And if I am honest with myself, I know it should be something already structured--not something I have to add the structure to, as I KNOW I will fail. I did Women of Grace about 2 years ago, and it was probably one of the most spiritually fruitful "studies" I have done in my life. It was deeply changing, and i really do long to do it again. Or rather, I long for that spiritual depth. There is another study that has come to my attention: The Love Dare, it is connected with the movie Fireproof, which I have not seen, only heard about. I guess it has a series of devotional challenges that challenge you to be a better spouse, in order to build a stronger marriage. Another devotional study I have participated in before, that I am considering jumping back into, is Light Weigh. It combines Catholic spirituality with proper eating habits. It helps to bring discipline both spiritually and physically. So with all this to consider, and I am open to other ideas, I am not sure which I will do.
I have not decided what, if anything, I will give up. Probably something like reading on Fridays. I LOOOVE to read, so this is always a particularly hard thing for me. Also, I really like adding things to my daily routine, it works well for me. For instance, the year I did Women of Grace, I also started awakening about an hour before my kids to have QUIET devotional time with my Lord. With the new baby, I am not sure if I will realistically pull that one off. But with the suggestions from confession the other day, and whatever I decide to do, I will be good.
That is all for now.
Well not quite...here is a cute family idea for welcoming Lent.

The blessing of Good Holy Priests

I had the greatest confession yesterday. It was an unexpected gift really. I was at my homeshooling co-op, and there was a visiting priest offering Mass. That is not abnormal, as there are several different priests who offer Mass from week to week, it is always changing. However, every few weeks, the priests are kind enough to offer confession to both the moms and children who are of age. This weeks was one of those weeks. One of the moms who was coordinating the confession schedule came to the nursery to see who wanted to go. I figured, I would, seeing as Lent starts next Wed. and it had been a few weeks since I had been able to go. So I took advantage of the Sacrament. When I have gone to confession recently, I have not had the privilege of getting good advice, or spiritual counseling. Oftentimes, the priest, while giving some needed advice on how to better live out your vocation, or avoid sin or the like, is unable to really spend a lot of time giving deep spiritual advice. I am sure there are many reasons, one being that there is usually a long line of people waiting, so unless one makes a special appointment, there isnt that kind of time. ANYWAY--back to my experience. So, this seemed a rare gift when the priest sort of "saw to the heart of the matter." He really led me to see where and how I could make changes in my day to day living. i think for a mom, it is hard sometimes to "find" time for the most important things. He really encouraged me and gave me concrete ways to do this in my life. I am grateful. I am so grateful that he didn't just absolve my sins, although, that is of UTMOST importance, I was glad that Christ was able to use him to help me see where he was calling me. I think the Sacrament of Reconciliation is so misunderstood. It is truly a gift, a merciful and wonderful gift. I only wish more people would take the gift to heart. What a beautiful Church we have. What a blessing to be able to meet God in His Sacraments.
One thing that is so simple to do, but I have often forgot, is to pray the Angelus at noon(see copy of it here):

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .


Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

So, today, I am grateful for good holy priests. Priests who take the time to HEAR what you are saying, and also HEAR what Christ would have them say to us! Let us not forget to pray for our priests!

My eyes are bwoken...

I dont know what it is, unless I do and it is the computer, but my eyes have been killing me since yesterday. Especially my left eye. I have either 1)been on the computer WAYYY too much *check*, 2)had a SEVERE lack of sleep *check*, 3)have some major eyelash in the eye issues, or 4) all of the above. Seriously though, my eyes huuuts...as Maddie would say. Anyway, I could probably remedy that by not using the computer tonight, but really I havent been on all day, and it has hurt, or get more sleep, but lets be honest, that is not going to happen for at least a few more months.
So, the Thai Curry Chicken did not turn out as good as I had hoped. My husband pretty much hated it...It went something like this:
Me: what do you think?
Brian: I am not real hungry (moving the food around the plate) I dont think this all would fit into a mug(referring to smaller portion eating)
Me: Whatever, you hate it dont you?
Brian: No, no, it is just a lot, you gave me a lot.
Me: you are rude(this was wrong, I admit, as I have told my husband to tell me when he doesnt like something or I will make it 100 more times, where he will have to stuff it down somehow)
Maybe if I added more of this and that you would like it more...
Brian: Yeah, maybe if you totally changed the recipe, like added taste, I would like it.
Me: again...you are RUDE
Brian: laughs and knows I am not all that mad at him...after all, he can't help it if he didnt like it!!

Now, I admit, the recipe suggested cooking on HIGH for 5 hours, which I thought would be too much, but apparently, her dish came out fine, and delicious--not so with mine. It should have been more like High for 3 hours or something...DEF. not 5. Veggies were way too soft, and the dish needed more spice/curry paste, and more soy sauce, and heck more Brown sugar too. I think If I did all these things it would be good. So here's the question, do I try again? or do I let it die. Maybe I will try it again, and tell him it is something different. That is the only way I will pull it off I think.
Anyway, I will wait awhile to try it again.