No Pics!

Sorry - this meatloaf was so good that there was not time to take any pictures. Maybe next time I whip it up.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground burger (used the 20/80 mix although I prefer the 10/90)
1 box Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix ( 2 pkgs)
1 cup (already steamed) brown rice
1 jar beef gravy or about 1 - 2 cups left over gravy.

I put my rice to cook in our ** rice cooker/steamer, a device we have had since Gabriela was an infant so it is 17 years old and still going strong - knock on wood.

Once it was ready and cool enough to handle I mixed 1 cup of (cooked) rice to 2 lbs of (raw) ground beef and then worked in two bags of the Lipton Soup mix.

I was working on memory here. The first time we ate this meatloaf was 24 years ago and I have not made it in years or more accurately in over a decade so there were several children anxious to see what this mysterious thing called meatloaf was going to look like, never mind taste.

Once all the ingredients were well mixed I patted it into a loaf pan and poured a generous layer of the gravy over it. Inserted it into a preheated oven set at350. Set the timer for 30 minutes as I had no clue how long it would take to cook.

We rolled into the oven, strategically placed here and there, 12 potatoes that had been duly poked by Gabriela, the chef's assistant for that night. Not only had they been poked, but they had been generously rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Next time I think I will add the salt and freshly ground pepper to the oil and then rub it on the potatoes and see how that works.

Then I hopped online to see if my estimation of 30 minutes was a good one and determined it might be better to give the loaf a good 50 minutes to bake in peace before I started poking and prodding it to see if was ready.

On the ding of the timer we pulled out a steaming hot loaf and carefully, but quickly placed the pan upside down on a cookie rack set over a tray to catch the fat. I had read of a great idea (after I had already placed the pans in the oven) that one website suggested and that was of buying some cheap loaf pans, poke holes in the bottom so that the fat drains out while baking - into another larger pan of course.

By then even the largest of the potatoes were ready, the salad had been thrown together and placed on the table. The hungry crew gathered and in no time at all there were only a few slices of the loaf left and these were eagerly consumed the next day at lunch time by the ones smart enough to remember before anyone else that there was left over meatloaf in the fridge.

Now I can imagine you all sitting here scratching your heads and wondering what size of loaf pan was this, that it fed this crew and had a few slices left over. Well here is my confession - I actually made two loaves but as most people will not be needing to feed a crew of twelve on the average week night, I only posted the recipe as for one loaf. It was an incredibly easy recipe to make, and easily duplicated so that I actually had two loaves in the over in under 20 minutes from start to finish.

The only thing I might change is to use only one bag of Lipton soup mix per two pounds. When I try that, I will let you know how it fared. And of course, had I had left over gravy that would obviously have been my first pick as a gravy!

I never cared for meatloaf as a child, in fact I detested it as a child as well as an adult so when a friend brought this to the door as a care package meal after Jennifer's birth, I gulped and put on a big smile and graciously thanked her, while wondering how many meals it would take Hugo and 15 month old Aimee to finish off this huge loaf! Perhaps sensing my discomfort, though I was hoping she did not as it was so gracious of her to have brought us a meal, she quickly explained that her meatloaf was not like most others. Intrigued I asked what made it different. She explained about the rice and the gravy and I was hooked. This I had to try - esp if it had real gravy on it.

Later that night we feasted on Cathy's meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans. It was an instant hit with the "whole" family, that is the three of us that had teeth and could chew. It became one of Aimee's favourites, especially with green beans.

Time marched on and as my confidence as a cook grew along with my repertoire of recipes, this one eventually fell to the wayside and was forgotten, I don't know if even Aimee remembers it. But a few nights ago, we were sitting around the dining room table talking and something triggered my memory so I told the kids all about meatloaf and they were curious to try it. They had read about it often in books and wondered what it was.

Now they know... and they loved it. If you try this recipe, let me know what you thought and how your family enjoyed it. While doing my research online to help me to determine how many cups of rice to mix in with the beef, I came across several interesting ways to make meat loaf - including adding in grated potatoes and carrots. I might try that some day!

(** Note: I do not know the brand of my rice cooker but this one, being sold at Target, looks the most like ours and falls into about the same price range that we paid 17 years ago. One of Hugo co-workers, originally of Vietnam, had his mother find us one in Montreal, and he picked it up while visiting her and brought it back for us and cooking rice has been a dream ever since!) Read more!

Catholic Face Book?

Check this out! Read more!

Father's Day

A glimpse of the past years as a father...









There were so many more pictures I wanted to add but started having problems with my neck (old whiplash injury) and then there are the Daddy pictures from with the other older children but they are in albums and as you all know - my scanner is not yet where I can use it.

Thank you Hugo for being a great husband and a wonderful father and for being there whenever we have needed you.

Love
Christi Read more!

Ooops did it again!

Open line Saturday came and left - without a post AND I had a question from a reader too! Well - I will just have to write that this week sometime and post it next Saturday. My excuse? Well, lets say it is a combination of vacation time that is coming to a close all too soon, a double date last night with my husband and our married daughter and her husband and a bit of fatigue caused by some of the health issues I am dealing with at this time.

I will tell you though that it was a lot of fun meeting up with John and Jenny and having dinner out with them and simply enjoying being with some of the adult children. It was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it. I have days when I really miss my adult children and now and then I either get to have a great chat that lasts for an hour with one of them or this new experience - double dating and I realize that while they have left home, they are still very near to me. Read more!

Fun Friday...

... with something fun by one of the kids just hasn't happened yet because my scanner is still at the warehouse largely because we can't decide where we would set it up, once brought home.

So instead I will share a funny conversation with, whom else but Elsa, from a few days ago. Again - it involves the stairs. This time we were going down the stairs.

Me to Elsa as she blithely springs from step to step her little baby toes barely curling around the edge of the step before lifting off for the next one.

"Slow down!" I admonish her. "I don't want you to fall!"

"Ohhhtay" she responds and then rather than springing from step to step she began to grip the edge of the step with her toes like a monkey while grasping the railing. In this fashion she stretched her body as far down the railing as her body could physically reach and then let her toes relax so that her feet slumped to the next step where she repeated the exercise. I, in misery, watched this gymnastic feat holding my breath lest she fall.

Finally we reached the bottom step which she sprung off of lightly and I, still tense from watching this incredible feat, called after her in a (somewhat) teasing voice:

"You just live to make mummy worry don't you? I guess you think that's your job, eh?"

"Yup!" She answered me, her little red curls bouncing as joy and energy emanated from her little body as she danced into the dining room.

And it is my job, for now. And before I know it that job will be done - more or less. I will always have the job of praying for her. But all too soon the daily errand of watching closely behind her, scooping her up when she falls and wiping her tears when her feelings are hurt will be done. Oh sometimes she will call and her tears will flow over the phone, but for the most part she will be independent, standing on her own two feet and she won't really need me any more. So I think I will go find her now and see if she might like me to read her a story. Something I don't do enough. See you tomorrow for open line Saturday. Read more!

Photos from the past...

I am only going to post one photo today. It is that of Benjamin with Gabriela and Jennifer. Jennifer is now married and happily settled in a small NC town. Gabriela, of course, is still home and enjoying her younger siblings. Benjamin is now 11 and still enjoys attention! But don't we all?

I have a funny joke to share but will try to see if I can pull off a video of it with one of the kids telling it. However, given the current shape my neck and back are in - I am keeping my time online to a minimum as sitting at this desk seems to especially exacerbate my neck injury and right shoulder. As always - I am open to prayers for healing. Read more!

OUCH

Stiff neck, sore back, hot one moment, cold the next, then hot again. Then...

Two small pills...

and in short time


I am




not really

fit to

p
o
s
t

a n y t h i n g....

Hope to see you tomorrow! Read more!

Trying to remember this...

"You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him."

St. Teresa of Avila

Read more!

Saint Anthony's Feast Day (This Coming Friday)

Here is a lovely website where one can find three different essays on the spiritual career of Saint Anthony. Saint Anthony has long been a favourite saint in our family and especially of mine. He has been wonderful to us in his frequent answers to our requests for his intercession when looking for something lost. Recently our daughter, living in Ireland, called home at 1:30 am, her time, to ask if her brother Noah would please ask Saint Anthony for prayers to assist her search for expensive missing concert tickets - and the concert was the next day. She and her room mates had just finished tearing the house apart in a frantic attempt to find them.

She requested for Noah's specific prayers as it is often joked that he has a hot line to Saint Anthony. Recently Noah shared what he thinks is his secret for getting such good and usually very quick results when he asks Saint Anthony to assist us with his prayers. Apparently if Noah offers to pray a set of prayers or to make a sacrifice of some sort, Antony never fails in his assistance. This makes sense given Saint Anthony's zeal for the conversion of sinners and his desire to preach to his religious brothers. Wat would motivate him more than the opportunity to oblige someone to spend more time spent in communion with our Lord, through prayer.

With that in mind, I not only asked Noah to pray but I too offered five rosaries to be prayed should Saint Anthony's intercession should be successful. It was and in an unusual way. I suspected that the tickets had probably been thrown out and at about 1:30 am (Aimee's time in Ireland) an email came in announcing that that morning a call to Ticket Master had achieved the release of two more tickets - despite the policy to not not do this. They had been able to attend the concert and really enjoyed themselves.

I am slowly whittling down my fee of five rosaries.

Post script - I originally thought that TODAY was his feast day, as I thought it was the 13th. A dear friend pointed out to me that his feast day was on the 13th and I thought - umm yeah and today is... quick glance at the calender showed me that it was the TENTH. But hey - given that half the time I don't know how old I am (and apparently I am in good company) how can I possibly be expected to know the day's date? Not knowing ones age can be a problem in the ER though. Read more!

Strawberry Fiesta

Today is Baking Monday, but in this heat who wants to bake? (Our high was about 39 c or 102 f) However, I have discovered a most delicious, cold, smooth, and refreshing drink I have been making almost daily. Feast your eyes on the details of this delicious combo that I will admit I have ripped off from watching closely how a national franchise makes their yummy strawberry drinks.

Now this franchise uses a processed strawberry mix that has, who knows, how many calories. They add it to a cup full of ice until the cup is filled to the brim with both the ice and this liquid berry mix. I on the other hand do not use ice cubes - opting instead for individual frozen strawberries that I have purchased in bulk from my nearest and dearest Aldi.

So here is my version of a delicious Strawberry smoothie!

Choose a large cup or mug. I like to use my Got Monks travel mug.

Fill to the brim (loosely, not packed tight) with frozen strawberries

Then add milk (2 %, whole or half and half or variation there of, essentially to your liking. I often use half and half) until the cup is filled.

Pour the strawberry milk combo into your blender.

Add to this 1/2 cup low fat (huh and she is adding half and half?) organic vanilla yogurt.
(I use a soup ladle to scoop the yogurt out of the plastic container. This measure 1/2 a cup)

Most days I have added less than a 1/4 cup of raw cane sugar - not processed white sugar. (Originally I was measuring this as two small fistfuls but finally measured those fistfuls and now know for certain that it is less than a 1/4 of a cup.)

Today I made it sans sugar. It was good but not as tasty as with it - in my humble taste buds opinion.

Hit the grate ice button until the strawberries are well broken up and barely discernible. Then blends for a few more seconds. Pour into your cup - and you will have more than you can fill the cup with. Just as this national franchise always does!

Pick up your favorite magazine, current novel you are reading, sit back and enjoy. YUM! Read more!

A most disturbing article...

...from the Catholic Exchange. In this article we see the comparison made of the Canadian justice system to that of the tribunals of Stalin's Soviet Union as well as Mao's China. Most disturbing and sadly - quite accurate. To read the article - click here. Read more!

Open Line Saturday ... on Sunday!

Oppps! Saturday quite got away on me - but I did get some pics to go along with the post. Just didn't get the post written.

So last Saturday you were left hanging, wondering how I have resolved the problem of never having enough towels for bath time no matter how many times I washed them in a week. Heck, I could wash two loads in a day and they could be all back in a laundry basket before bedtime.

It took a couple of steps to resolve the problem. The first was to buy each child a special towel so that it was easy to identify whose towel was whose. This took care of a lot of problems especially the "name that towel" game as in WHOSE towel has been left on the bathroom floor??? Now there is no guessing. The culprit is immediately identified either by colour or cartoon character.

This solution was not as expensive as I dreaded. For the youngest two I purchased each a lovely colourful beach towel. I believe the price was under ten dollars each. For the next four rungs in our ladder of nine currently residing at home I discovered a lovely purchase at the local super store to the tune of about 5 dollars a piece and there was just the right number of colour selections. Again - they were beach towels. The next two on the ladder were my teen aged young ladies, so I splurged a little and bought them each a set of organic cotton towels complete with bath towel, hand towel and face cloth. Sad to say the price more than the advertised label of organic caught my attention - less than 24 dollars a set.
The oldest, our 21 year old son, brought his own hunter green bath towel when he returned home this summer to pursue some college courses at the local college, so no expense was needed there. That just left my husband and I. However, my recent additions of colour coded bath towels suddenly opened up a whole new gaggle of unclaimed towels to pick from.

None the less, I was still often finding Hugo and I sans a towel when one was needed. This was due to another problem that needed to be resolved before he and and I could begin to enjoy the luxury the children were now experiencing - an available towel whenever needed.

The problem? Broken drain pipes under the sink. For months we had not been able to drain the kitchen sinks properly and knowing our land lady as not in a very good financial situation and yet had been very patient with us when we were often behind in our rent the past year, we were not anxious to bother her with this current challenge. But when the bathroom drains went upstairs we decided it was time to let her know.

Suddenly I know the joy of being able to pour a stale cup of coffee down the kitchen drain without the worry those few ounces may have caused the pail under the sink to over flow, requiring ... towels for the clean up. THIS is where the currently freed up towels were being put to use, often leaving the towel cupboard bare. We all tried to remember to check the pail before dumping liquid down the sink, or while washing the huge piles of dishes that need to be washed daily in our home. Still we experienced an overflow almost daily, and sometimes more often. Occasionally the odd bucket was overturned on its way to be dumped down a a working drain. This was known to sometimes to cause the flowing of more liquids - tears of frustration.

Now that that difficulty has been resolved, the hot weather is upon us and my solution to towels, towels, towels everywhere and yet none to be had is about to face its final test to see if I have the definitive solution or not. Can my stack of colour coded towels meet the demands of daily pool play and shower time? Only time will tell. I'll let y'all know when the verdict is in.

(Pool Pics below) Read more!

Pool Pics...

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Prayers Please

I have two prayers requests: one of thanksgiving that Holly Marie from Good Remedy has come though her cleft pallet surgery with flying colours and is already home! If you wish to meet Holly and her lovely family click on Good Remedy above.

My second prayer request is for a family I have not met but that my neighbour knows. The two families attended the same preschool group last winter and they are from our neck of the woods here in NC. Their beautiful baby girl was born this spring, with seriously damaged heart. This family has been through the mill, several times, since Grace was born. Now it has been finally decided that a heart transplant is Grace's best hope for survival. And that is what it is all about - survival. This baby has been fighting daily for her life. To meet Grace and her family and to read their prayer requests click here.

Another baby who could use prayers of thanksgiving as well as continued prayers for help is my daughters god father's granddaughter. She was born in March weighing just over a pound and is now closer to eight lbs than seven! Is that not amazing. At this point they are looking at June 11th, the baby's due date, for release from the hospital. However, she is being released still on oxygen and on a feeding tube - not ideal conditions so please keep this new family in your prayers as they face the challenges of caring for a still somewhat fragile, but incredibly beautiful baby. To read her story click here. Read more!

Photo Thursday

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Photo Thursday continued...

Fonzie was a one of a kind dog and it was with great sadness that he had to be put down in the fall of 2003. He was six and his boy, Jonathan, was 18.

Fonzie joined our family in the spring of 1999, when he and his nine siblings were born in our kitchen. Their mother, Caila, was our Bouvier whom we had hoped to show and eventually breed. However, her breeder and we came to the conclusion that she did not meet the qualities one needed for breeding. It was decided that she would be spayed but upon hearing this through the grapevine, it appears that Caila did not agree with this decision. She slipped out one night and met with the Golden Retriever, Raleigh, who lived down the road. And we were blessed with a litter of ten handsome puppies. This was Caila's only litter as we managed to get her spayed before she had thoughts of more. After their little rendez vous, Raleigh ceased to visit and never did meet his five sons and five daughters.

They were a lovely litter but the Fonz was the man! We still miss him and his mother, who passed away in May of 2006 at the age of almost 13. Read more!

Are we streaking or walking....

Me to 3 yr old Elsa as she scooted past me on the stairs in her birthday suit:

"Hey Elsa - you need to get some clothes on - you can't be running around naked!"

Elsa "But I is walking, not running Mummy!"

Ah - that makes the world of difference - no? Read more!

Prince Caspian

After much thought, I have come to the conclusion that this review cannot follow the style of review that I normally use. This is because the typical viewer will already know the plot from having read the book and readers of my review are looking to learn how closely the movie is following the original story.

My real dilemma is how much of the actual movie do I expose in sharing how closely it does or does not follow the book without spoiling the adventure of watching it in person.

Sadly, I simply have not had time to return to the theater to watch it a second time despite my promise to do so I do not have a really fresh impression of the movie and typically I am reviewing a movie in DVD with the ability to re-watch scenes that are pertinent to my review. Obviously this is not an option.

One of the questions most prevalent in my mind that a reader wanted to know was how much was Aslan in the movie compared to the book. My initial reaction while watching the movie was that Aslan was in the movie about the same as in the book. However in re-reading the book I realized that there are two scenes late in the book involving Aslan that have not been included. These are rather fun and involve some characters that as Lucy says “I wouldn’t have felt safe with Bacchus and all his wild girls if we’d met them without Aslan.” Apparently Bacchus, his wild girls and Silenus are individuals that MR Tumnus told the girls about ever so long ago. Another scene with Aslan and the girls that is dropped is that of the three of them flying through the countryside. I think it would have been a fun addition to the movie. In particular I think this could have been a very funny scene that would have really appealed to the younger member of the family.

Here is a small segment of it:

Aslan and the girls come across a school filled with children especially a group of boys who “looked very like pigs” The teacher is a tired looking young girl who attempting to teach arithmetic to her inattentive pupils. When she catches a glimpse of Aslan “a stab of joy went through her heart.” Ultimately the teacher joins the group of revelers that Aslan, Lucy and Suasn have been gathering over the past few pages. And the little boys “ it was said afterward (whether truly or not) that those particular little boys were never seen again, but that there were a lot of very fine little pigs in that part of the country which had never been there before.”

There is one change that I did not care for and that is the relationship between Prince Caspian and the high King Peter. I will say no more so as not to spoil the plot line for future viewers. Once you see it - you will understand my disappointment.

While there are many deviations from the book, including the addition of a battle not in the book I would have to say, in conclusion, that one can really enjoy the movie especially if you attend with the intention of simply taking pleasure from watching what is a great family/action movie that is both clean and gripping. In this respect, the fact that I had not re-read the book before attending the movie probably enhanced my experience. Instead of constantly comparing the two, I simply sat back and enjoyed the movie as well as watching my two young ones and their reactions to it. I hope those of you who do attend the movie enjoy it as much as we did.

(Please also note that while we brought Emma, 5, and Nathaniel, 7, to the movie and they had no problem with the battle scenes, please keep in mind that these scenes are intensive. Also remember that Nathaniel and Emma, being the younger children in a family of a great mix of ages, have been far more exposed to movies with battle scenes than my older children had been at their tender age. The scenes are not gory but are intensive, and parents might wish to view the movie first before determining what age range in their family is appropriate to view the movie in the big screen which is very different experience from viewing at home on the tv screen. ) Read more!

Cranberry Muffins

We enjoyed these muffins last week. They were absolutely scrumptious! I have been dreaming about them all week. Anna discovered the recipe as she wanted cranberry muffins but was not crazy about the recipe we usually baked. The creme le creme is the streusel-toping. It just makes these to die for muffins! Now Anna made a slight change in the recipe as you should be able to tell by the title. We used cranberries instead of blue berries and, drum roll please... we used canned cranberry whole berry jelly.

Now, if only Anna was feeling like baking again despite the 27 degree (celcius) temperatures and the fact that I have only just turned on the AC in an effort to conserve money. I don't know about you - but my tummy is grumbling. A little later a picture of these muffins will be added. (Only five on the plate as I was barely able to snap a photo of them!) Behind the plate of muffins is a bouquet that was the joint efforts of Noah (13) and Bethany (10). It was created out of plants found growing around the yard.

Berries and Yogurt Muffins

• 1/2 cup plain, vanilla, or lemon yogurt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup fresh red raspberries or blueberries ( OR substitute this cup of fresh berries with 1 cup of whole cranberry sauce)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional (We did not add nuts due to allergies)
  
• .
• Topping:
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• Dash cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons softened butter

PREPARATION:

Heat oven to 400°. Lightly grease and flour muffin cups or line with paper or foil liners.

In bowl combine yogurt, milk, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, melted butter, and egg. In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Combine the mixtures, stirring only until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in berries. Spoon into muffin cups.

In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Top muffins with crumb topping.

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes about 12 to 15 muffins.

_____________________________________________________________
Anna used our Texas muffin tins and had to bake the muffins longer. (We went the grease and flour route.) We find muffins of this size extremely filling and a great way to serve an easy breakfast., especially when planning an early morning departure. Of course, she doubled the recipe as well. Read more!

Nothing to do with food, or baking...

..but very important none the less. An online magazine has a poll going on. To answer the one and the only question in the poll "Should parents need teaching credentials to home-school their kids?" , click here.

Interestingly the article that accompanies the poll is titled "Should Homeschool be illegal?" Results of the poll at this time (8:24 am EST) is 91% declaring no - parents do not need credentials. BTW 15,434 people have voted no compared to the 1553 who voted yes.

Hopefully a few more home school families will vote and leave a comment so that the one currently at the top will get pushed down. This person was obviously too emotional to proof read her comment before clicking the send link! I can just feel her blush once she re-read it after it posted!

Good Luck voting! Recipe and photo to come later today, but now I must away to my duties of the morning... one more lesson plan to update, new chores lists as per a suggestion that was fielded this weekend, and ah, cough cough, a long promised review, call to the real estate agent, a few bills to pay (ouch) and so on. You all know the drill.

See you all around the fountain later today! God Bless!! Read more!