St. Ignacio's Nachos

Why nachos for St. Ignatius? Is it OK to quote myself?

... the dish we now know today as "nachos", which come in many variations and flavors, was originally served by a chef in Piedras Negras, Mexico as a simple combination of fried corn tortillas, melted cheese and jalapenos. It was named after that chef who was baptized Ignatio Anaya (named for St. Ignatius no doubt) but known to his friends and family simply as Nacho.

Go read the rest of the story over at Catholic Cuisine (which is the excellent resource/brain child created by this sweet lady) and also Mary's excellent post on St. Ignatius of Loyola's heritage. I thought I would point to them here in case anyone wants to join us in our nacho festival or maybe have a Basque bankete of their own. I don't remember why we didn't celebrate on the 12th (probably illness), but we didn't so I think we will try for today. Enjoy!

Big Reveal~ Part 2

My apologies for not explaining in the previous post that we aren't quite finished with everything yet. Kimberly mentioned that the room had a monastic feel to it and I can see why she might think that. It gave me a chuckle! We are not completely finished in this space. There are still pictures to hang, other decorations to display but the major work (painting, electrical, flooring) is done.
And speaking of electrical, this is my favorite spot in the house now. We replaced an old, ugly mushroom light that didn't actually work anymore with this fun, funky thing. I love it!!! BTW... when I say "we replaced it" I mean Husband hung out at the top of the ladder for a few hours while I peeked through my fingers until he was done. I don't like heights.

I did help figure out how long the chain should be. Look at the pretty design it makes on the ceiling! I'm silly, I know.

Here are the book shelves I have been talking about. I discovered the best way to clean out books. First, take them off the shelf, and move them into another room for about a month. Then, ask yourself if you really want to dust each one and move them all back into the room they belong in. I think we ended up giving a quarter of our original stash away. But, we made so much room that I was able to eliminate my curriculum shelf.

These color coded fabric cubes were repurposed to hold each child's school materials. Some workbooks, math books, puzzles (for BigBoy). They can be transported to a closet whenever we have company over. For now, I am fine with them filling up the space under the bar since I am too scared to buy barstools. I have tipping nightmares. Did I mention I hate heights?

Previously, our living room wasn't being used as a room to live in. It was a place to hold the stuff that couldn't go in any other room. The ugly, broken chandelier that sat over the supposed-to-be-formal-dining-table-but-we-use-it-as-a-learning table looked awkward, like earrings on a pig. Now it is cozy and warm. A place to read books, do crafts, or play a song with St. Cecelia within prayer ear shot. A nice payoff for all the hard work.

The Big Reveal!!!

Before...

During...

And finally, AFTER...

That monster over there is a corner computer armoire that works so much better in this space than the old big box we were using. The old piece was smaller than this one but because it didn't nestle up into the corner, it took up more floor space than the new one.

This desk was retrieved from the spare room and fits perfectly over here bathed in the light from the window. It's useful in holding our school supplies and allowing for a place for someone to do some alone work if they need to. Eventually, I'd like to replace the table with a round one that has two leaves so that we can adjust the size according to our need.

The couches were put back in the same places but the uncomfortable overstuffed cushions that pushed you forward no matter how much I let my children jump on them to flatten them out are gone and replaced with some flatter ones we had in the playroom. These pillows knew how to cave to my sweet little bundles of outside force. I put a clearanced slip cover on the loveseat to see how it would look and Husband liked it so it stayed. I'm not worried about finding one for the sofa. We aren't sure if it's staying.

There are still some things to do but they are minor. This room needs some splashes of color and I have one great big wall that is in desperate need of a visual breakup. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Holy Cow! It's High Noon!

"What a woman wants is to be treated like a queen
By a man who deserves to be treated like a king."

A kingly breakfast in bed with homemade cards and cinnamon scrolls. Take the Sunshine Scone recipe, add a little more flour, roll up cinnamon and brown sugar inside and ~voila! BTW: Matilda's definition of a scroll~ a cross between a scone and a cinnamon roll.

And...

...HOLY COW CAKE! No, really. That's what it's called and for good reason. If you have ever had a trifle, this cake is like a slice of chocolate toffee trifle. Husband gets to choose whatever dessert he wants for his birthday and he always goes for the ones with the tastiest morsels of yumminess over fancy decoration. Carmel infused chocolate cake with a cream cheese whipped frosting and chopped up Heath bars scattered about and hidden in all the nooks and crannies. This is from the Cake Mix Doctor which is one of those recipe books that everyone should own. Mine was a fabulous gift from my MIL. Whenever I decide to declutter my kitchen, I look through my recipe books for the ones that aren't really pulling their weight; this one always gets patted, winked at, and put right back where it belongs! ; )

And now for the contest...

Some of our favorite answers included Bartholomew, Rocco and Joachim (since he is co-saint with St. Anne on Husband's birthday) but I am afraid that when Husband was 10 years old and being confirmed, St. Andrew was the name that won out. I asked him why St. Andrew and he said it was because that was his Dad's confirmation name and... he was the quiet brother. (Soooo like my shy hubby!) I've been told that his three older sisters did the talking for him his first few years of life!

Since nobody guessed St. Andrew, I decided to put the names of everyone who guessed in a hat and let BigBoy pick one (hey, it's my contest and I can change the rules if I want to). And now, the winner is.....

Drum roll please...

He is such a ham! Congratulations Mary G.! If you will send me your snail mail address I will get this book on it's way. And thanks to everyone for their kind birthday wishes for my man! He is shy, but he definitely appreciated them. Thanks for playing!

Let's get this party started!

Today is my sweet husband's birthday and I wanted to celebrate this wonderful man and his special day with a little fun. We are doing some serious book shelf purging around here trying to condense 5 bookcases down to 3 and last night, surrounded by stacks and stacks of treasures, I found two copies of Helen McLoughlin's My Nameday: Come for Dessert. Now you can find the entire text of this book over at the EWTN online library but, if you are like me and love the feel of a weathered, well-loved text flitting through your fingers then you're in luck!

*If you want to play, all you have to do is guess my husband's confirmation name saint and I will send you the extra copy. I will keep the contest open until Monday at high noon (Texas time). If there are multiple correct answers, I will put those names in a hat and choose a winner. If there are no correct answers by Monday afternoon, I will offer a hint and the first person to answer correctly wins the prize.

*Sorry, family members...you can't play! You can, however, borrow the copy I'm keeping anytime you want.

Have a great weekend! We are off celebrating! : )

Best line I've heard all day

"Grace is the Melanie Wilkes to the world’s Scarlett O’Hara..."

Go read the rest here. Thanks to Elizabeth for passing it along. Now, I haven't experienced with my four some of the criticisms that this funny lady has with her twelve, but I remember the looks, stares, and gawks of disgust when I had three under three. Not fun.

I thought this was a very interesting article and thought provoking too. I wondered whether or not I had ever been guilty of isolating someone up on a pedestal. I hope not and if I have, I apologize! As I see it, part of the problem for the extra large families like Jenni's arises from the fact that there are some mothers of many children who ARE trying to prove something and sadly, you've probably all run into one in some form or fashion. I know I have.

And those proud, pitiful women ruin it for everybody else. Their vicious tongues and condescending smiles make it hard to trust those who are more pure of heart and intention. It is our job... everyone's job, including those of us with what use to be considered big families, now apparently just average, to apply the appropriate solution this wise woman offers whether the situation be talking to a mom of three who's secondary infertility is a hidden cross that she carries quietly or standing in line behind a family of 10 vibrant personalities just trying to get home before the ice cream melts. Extend grace.

...it believes the best even when it doesn’t understand, and is humble enough not to insist on explanations. I don’t know of a single situation where it wouldn’t be welcome.

Dinner with Bill Cosby

Mom is great! Give us the chocolate cake!

Oh alright, so it's Chocolate Zucchini Bread. People...there is protein, whole wheat flour and vegetables in there. The one with the frosting did not get served for dinner; it is going to the bereavement committee. Don't tell my kids. Right now, they think I'm awesome!

What she said...

I have no spark in July. We endure July.... It's still hot in August, but in August we can see the end. It's actually still hot in September, but it's all mental, friends. We can hope for a cold front.

Here, my friend of the heart (and heat), is the one little sentence that my husband whispered into my ear before he left this morning. You may cling to it, as I am, in the hope of Fall's early arrival...

Cowboys training camp starts today!

If they're playing football, Fall is on it's way.

Re: Fiddler on the Roof

In the combox, Ouiz said:

I tend to look at it more from the angle of "what did Chava do?" rather than "why is Tevye being so mean?" He is willing to bend in those areas where the normal response is merely cultural, but when Chava does something that hits him deep within his soul, he says no.

I hope I'll be able to watch it with my children as they get older, and have these conversations with them...

I wanted to continue this conversation but was (happily) side tracked for the past couple of days. I agree with you Ouiz and in fact this is what I was referring to when I mentioned the valuable lessons that could be learned from this beautiful movie. Here is the problem I had when I was watching it with my daughters (age 9 and 7)... in the eyes of the children, the three oldest daughters were the sympathetic characters; not Tevye. Tevye yelled. Tevye ranted. Tevye turned his back on Chava and Fyedka. He was sometimes the comic relief, but altogether, not a very likable character. They were already, without seeing the end of the movie choosing which daughter they liked the best (and yes, one of them chose Chava).

I have not read the original stories in their entirety but I have read the play, Tevya and His Daughters, and one of the most noticeable differences is that in the play, Tevya is most definitely the sympathetic character. So the messages that the play sends are related through him.

Some other differences include:
1. The play only covers the marriages of the first two daughters.
2. Hodel and Perchik are married before he leaves. She stays with her parents until she goes to join him in Siberia.
3. Chava is not dealt with in the play at all. It is alluded at the end of the play that she has an interest in a writer who doesn't exactly have a very Jewish sounding name. Tevya simply says, "So what will happen there, I leave to your tender mercies." In the original stories, She does marry a Russian but later returns home after he beats her.

I studied Theater in college and the one thing that I always find very interesting are the changes that are made to a movie or play if the story is adapted form an original source because in the world of drama, be it the stage or film... EVERYTHING is a choice. Nothing happens by accident. Sometimes by examining the changes, the motivations behind the choices are revealed. Sometimes I am intrigued by what I find and sometimes I'm just sad.

Mosaic Meme

Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. Favorite food?
3. Where did you go to high school?
4. Favorite color?
5. Celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you?
12. Hobby?

This sweet lady will tell ya how to do it! This one was too pretty not to try.
***************************************************
Credits: 1. Uptown, 2. i love jeff. and watermelon., 3. Checkmate, 4. The Chesil Beach at Portland, 5. Mandy Patinkin, 6. Peppermint Mocha at Mosgo's, 7. Rural coastline of Wales, 8. Blueberry Lemon Cake, 9. Beloved, 10. Faith Family Friends, 11. multifaceted, 12. Multicoloured Crocheted Bag

Word

You know what this is and you know what to do.

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your significant other? Sweetie
3. Your hair? Blech
4. Your mother? Sentimental
5. Your father? Redneck
6. Your favorite thing? Crafts
7. Your dream last night? Chased
8. Your favorite drink? Tea
9. Your dream/goal? Heaven
10. The room you’re in? Playroom
11. Your church? Catholic
12. Your fear? Loss
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
14. Where were you last night? Conference
15. What you’re not? Patient
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? Vacation
18. Where you grew up? TX
19. The last thing you did? Type
20. What are you wearing? Earrings
21. Your TV? Funny
22. Your pets? None
23. Your computer? Mac
24. Your life? Content
25. Your mood? Sleepy
26. Missing someone? yes
27. Your car? Honda
28. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
29. Favorite store? Online
30. Your summer? Hot
31. Like(love) someone? Sweetie
32. Your favorite color? Blue
33. Last time you laughed? Brunch
34. Last time you cried? Morning
35. Who will re post this? Babs?

I'm done!

Where I've been...

What I've been doing...

For Suzannah...

I told you it wasn't just a prop and it did get really slow after you left. It may not be pretty but it is proof that all you need to learn how to knit are needles, yarn and a good book. (Not to mention multiple friends willing to teach you and too much time on YouTube.)

**The title of this post refers to the fact that spending 16 hours in a room with every homeschooling resource you could imagine means that I now have everything I need for next year save one little online order. Say it with me... WOO HOO!!!

Deep thoughts

Have you ever thought that someone was trying to be like St. Therese the Little Flower...

...and that made you the grumpy nun?

Sigh.

Cleaning House

Blogaphorically speaking, that is.

I just took a look at my draft folder and thought woah... what the heck happened here?
So here goes:

1. LINKYDOODLES
Not to be missed if you haven't devoured them already:

Why Bother?

What About Teenagers? (we still have three years, we still have three years, lalala, not gonna think about that, lalala)

Question Authority

It's 3 A.M. From my favorite red head!



2. FRIDAY FUN

h/t: My twin and Princess Leia



3. MEME GUILT
Barb tagged me for this meme ages ago.

FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD

waitress at a tiny, little, hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant -- in high school and college

elementary school Drama teacher in the hood (seriously... South Dallas, gangs, guns, thugs, loads of drama!)

parts counter assistant for a boat dealership which was a promotion from being receptionist (In my experience, when your Dad is one of the owners of the company you work for, it doesn't mean you get to live like Paris Hilton. It means you do whatever job he tells you to and if you do a good job. he might bring you some lunch!)

office manager for the same boat dealership, different location (see above!)

4 PLACES I'VE LIVED:

Austin, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

Irving, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas (sensing a pattern?)

4 PLACES I'VE BEEN ON HOLIDAY:
Thunder Bay, Canada

Monroe, Louisiana (hang on...it does get more exciting.)

Seattle, Washington (Honeymoon counts, right?)

Edinburgh, Scotland (when I was a student in Rome, we were allowed a ten day holiday to travel where ever we wanted to go. I went to Scotland. It was wonderful!)

4 FAVORITE FOODS:
Stir-Fry anything!

Tex-Mex

Chicken Alfredo

Summer fruits (watermelon, blueberries, cantaloupe, strawberries)

4 PLACES I'D RATHER BE:

Sitting in front of my sewing machine.

On the couch with a good movie and my sweetie.

In the rocking chair crocheting a blanket (I wish it were cold enough to need one!)

In the kitchen baking something yummy. (In other words, nowhere else but here!)

Consider yourself tagged if you want to be!

Whew!

Update from below

Confession time: Yesterday, I made a big mistake. Number 3 on my list turned out to be a great big bad idea for a couple of different reasons. First, I loved that movie. As a girl, I remember dancing around and singing the songs and just delighting in the characters and their stories. I remember thinking it was incredibly romantic when Hodel leaves for Siberia to marry Perchik with some vague feelings of "well that's sweet that she is going to miss her papa". But there are significant differences between my daughters and myself that I should have thought about. Maybe those three days of songs in my head were God's way of telling me to think it over. Obviously, I missed the message.

My daughters still cry when they think about growing up and leaving someday. Sunshine, not as much, but Shortcake is my sensitive little one who says that if she has to move out then she wants to live right next door and come visit us with her twelve children every day. I am totally in favor of the idea! But you see, I never felt that way about my family. Life wasn't always pretty there (as some of you know) and from my earliest memories, I dreamed of leaving. I tolerated high school always with an eye to college and getting out. I cried when I thought that I would have to go to school in town because that meant living at home. I know I am not the only one, but it never occurred to me that these experiences might have colored my perception of the things I enjoyed.

Also, for the first time, I watched this movie that was such an important part of my childhood, through the eyes of someone who truly loves and (mostly) understands her faith. I started thinking about half way through what if this was a story about a Catholic family? Slowly, each of the three daughters starts breaking away from the traditions of their family. Tzeitel and Motel gave each other a pledge, Perchik and Hodel dance together in the wedding scene inspiring others to as well after the Rabbi confirms it isn't a sin and then go on to engage themselves to each other without asking Tevye's permission to marry. But then there's Chava. She marries outside of her faith and Tevye draws the line. That is until their world is torn apart and they all have to leave. Acceptance is offered under his breath and everyone is satisfied. (Aside...if you are interested in the real story of Tevye the milk man, read Tevye and His Daughters. Chava returns to the family after her Russian husband beats her.)

The lessons here are valuable ones and even ones that I don't think the director necessarily intended (it was 1971 after all) but not ones that my daughters are ready for. When I heard Sunshine say, "but why can't he change his traditions for just one time" I realized it was time to turn it off. They wanted to know why Hodel left and what happened to Chava. We talked. They wept. We hugged.

We might be able to watch it together someday. The characters are still very rich and the music still makes me smile. The movie is the same, but I am changed. I don't know that I will be able to enjoy it with them the way I did as a child. And I'm OK with that. I kind of don't want to now.

Walking away from my past and the lessons I was taught was what I needed to do to become the person I am today. My children don't know that world and I thank God daily for the goodness of that gift!

Unspectacular Me

The fiery Red Cardigan tagged me for a meme and I couldn't refuse... because people, she is a REAL redhead and she knows where I live! So, these are the rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

And here are my unspectacular quirks:

1. Webster defines the word quirk as "a peculiar trait or idiosyncrasy". I use some sort of dictionary device at least 10 times a day. Most of the time, it is double checking what I am already relatively sure of but sometimes it is to look up something new. You would think that with this penchant for reference assistance I would have the vocabulary of a lifelong scholar, but sadly, my brain is like a sieve and most of the words I look up run through it faster than water which is what makes me click on that permanent dictionary widget on my desktop again and again and again.
2. I bite my lip when I am thinking. My mother does the same thing only she is trying to keep those thoughts contained whereas I am usually just "chewing them over".
   
3. I have rules about which foods are allowed to touch and which ones aren't. Don't get me wrong. I am not Monkish about it. I have never attempted to enumerate (yes, I just looked that up) them. Let's just say, I know them when I see them.
4. Most of the time, when Red gets the heebie jeebies from pierced ears, it's my fault. But all she has to do is pop in a contact lens and PAYBACK! Eyes give me the willies. I am very grateful that none of my children have ever required an eyelash extraction while their father wasn't at home. It's true! God knows me too well. I don't like to touch eyes, mine or anyone else's. I don't like seeing people touch their eyes. I would rather not think that some people have a tiny piece of plastic attached to their eye all throughout the day especially if I have to look them in said eye. Moving on...
5. I hate spitting out watermelon seeds. From the time I was a teenager, I remember cutting up a whole watermelon and removing all of the seeds before cubing it and putting it in a bowl in the fridge. Nowadays, I just buy seedless.
6. I have to preview scary movies or anything with potential jump scenes in fast forward so that I know where they are. I don't like surprises and I have never liked to be scared. My "best friend" in elementary school showed her affection for me by hiding behind corners and jumping out at me making me scream. With friends like that...
   

So there you have it. More about me than you ever wanted to know. Let's hear about you. Let me know if you decide to play.

Wednesday Thoughts

1. A special pancake breakfast is a great way to celebrate finishing the first year of a new math program that we didn't hate, or cry about, or throw on the floor in anguish. Can you say SUCCESS!?! Math-U-See, I-Thank-U!

2. Just because a ten year old boy might be a little embarrassed to order a Funny Face pancake, that won't stop him from eating eat it...plus your bacon. And half your eggs.

3. Hulu read my mind. Fiddler on the Roof is the Hulu Days-of-Summer pick for today and I have been singing Matchmaker in my head since Sunday. Guess what the girls will be watching while the boys are off fencing tonight? Dear Yenta, see that he's gentle. Remember, you were also a bride... I feel 12 years old again!

What's going on in your part of the world today? Feel free to leave your thoughts for today below!

July Book Club

On each mapleleaf plate stood a cupcake
with raisins, several grapes, and a handful of

wild hazelnuts. Pg. 135

This month we had a Canadian Summer (I can dream, right?). Our stinkin' hot temperatures were tolerated a little bit better by immersing ourselves in the second adventure of the Mitchell family which finds them in a Canadian cottage making new friends and learning how to live in the rural town of Ste. Felice. Although most of the kids agreed that they enjoyed this story even more than the first, there just wasn't a whole lot I wanted to explore and frankly, my sinuses are having a terrible time coping with this season... so I kept the meeting pretty low key.

So, unthinkingly, they left the path and crashed

through brushwood and ferns in search of a bear
cave. But ne-er a one did they see. Only big round
blueberries which they commenced to eat. Pg. 76

We talked about their favorite parts of the story, favorite characters, anything that they found confusing or had questions about. Since this was our third Hilda van Stockum book we discussed her writing style and how bits of her real life have made their way into her stories. Did you know that the character of Uncle Jim was written in memory of her own brother?

Mother baked four huge cakes with maple sugar
icing, many panfuls of doughnuts, and a deep dish
of raisin cookies. The children popped lots of popcorn
and sprinkled it with salt and butter. Pg. 172

All of the food (blueberries, grapes, dipping pancakes with maple syrup) was referenced somewhere in the book and the activity was making our own maple syrup which the children got to take home in a bottle with a self-designed label. Next month is the final installment. The children were all thrilled to hear that the Mitchells are expecting twins!

Meanwhile Mother had taken care of dinner.
It was simple but good. Mother’s specialty was
fluffy pancakes drenched in maple sirup. Pg. 71

Friday Fun

My kids made superhero personas for themselves a few years ago and have slowly been developing their storylines. Well, today, there was a superhero convention going on in The Professor's room. And every superhero needs a special shield. He wasn't wearing his mask so we had to protect his identity. Say "hello" to Kitty Man!

Which superhero are you?

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Scarlet Bolt Your Superpower is Waking Through Walls Your Weakness is Garlic Your Weapon is Your Slime Tentacles Your Mode of Transportation is Flying Saucer

What's your Superhero Name?

AND, just for fun...

You Are Best Described By...

San Giorgio Maggiore, Twilight By Claude Monet

What Famous Work of Art Are You?

Speaking of works of art, we call this series... Cleaning Out the Marker Box.

Have a lovely weekend!