Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Menu for this week

I love having a good menu for the week. It gives me something to look forward to!
Tuesday- stromboli-it was amazing! I have found the best whole wheat pizza dough recipe .
Wednesday- chinese steamed dumplings (ground turkey instead of pork)
Thursday- beef roast in a slow cooker with beer and veggies plus cabbage (a twist on corned beef and cabbage)
Friday- sausage lasagna. I'm going to try to substitute tofu for ricotta. The last time the lactose in the ricotta really got to me.
Saturday/ Sunday- leftovers and beef short rib stew

Monday, October 26, 2009

CBS Reports

You have to read this story. CBS uncovers how many h1n1 cases are really h1n1 or influenza. Shocker? http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/21/cbsnews_investigates/main5404829.shtml

Friday, October 23, 2009

Who wore it best?

Who hasn't met the pope?
There has been a lot of talk online recently about Obama's meeting with the pope and Michelle's veil. I wanted to put up a post comparing how first ladies and British royals have carried the veil and black dress tradition when meeting the pope. The question here is, who wore it best?

Here we see Mrs. Kennedy being escorted by a cardinal to meet the pope. This is probably due to the times and the fashion of the day, but kutos to her for wearing a long high collar dress. It's modest and still you can tell she's a woman. I love her long veil! She has a great hairstyle for the veil too.


Flash forward a few decades. Nancy Regan meets JP2 who (hands-down) wins the award for best looking pope ever. What I love about Nancy's look is the pill box hat that she wears under the veil, retro and classy. It's also a great way to keep the veil from slipping. Pin it to a hat pinned to your head!


Another picture from the 80's I think. Lady Di meets the pope. Props to her for her long sleeves! I'm still not a fan of the shiny fabric or the poofy shoulders... oh well. At least she's got the veil. I'm not really a fan of the veil and bangs though. What do you think?

Hillary meets the pope. In the 90's it seems it became ok to see the pope in a skirt that was not full length.  In this picture she's got the veil, which is great. I think this was early on in their presidency.


Here she is meeting the pope again, sans veil and sans dress. She looks much more masculine in this picture. Maybe if she styled her hair a bit that would have helped. Those were the 90's though. Remember that look? Jennifer Aniston-esque?


And here we have the current pope meeting the previous first lady. Modesty again! High neckline and long sleeves. I love the button detail too. The veil looks very sweet on her. Maybe bangs are ok for veiled brunettes? Jury is still out. I might get over it. I'm just upset I look bad with bangs :)


Finally, our first lady of the moment and pope of the moment, Michelle looks modest and trendy in this outfit. Hillary already set the short skirt precedent, and I think Michelle's skirt is longer. Man is she tall! I love the pointy flats... she is really tall. The best thing about this outfit is the belt. I'm impressed with the long sleeves and high neckline as well. I wonder where she found that blouse/ dress. My only critique of Michelle's look is that she should have worn a shorter veil. It's a little too habit-like. Perhaps if it were an airier lace it would have not added weight.

Who wins the contest? Jackie O for her style and Laura for her cuteness :)

Note: if you want to be a female politician wear long sleeves and high necks. It seems to be a trend. :-)

Dress design for Shabby Apple dresses

Dress design for Shabby Apple dresses

I'm calling it Bay Breezes. It's a retro but casual dress.
It's a square neck dress with a full skirt that has seams on the bodice to make it feminine. The sleeves are drawstring, so you can go from a shorter short sleeve to a longer short sleeve. This makes it perfect for spring because you never know if you'll be hot or cold! The best part of all is there are pockets hidden in the side seams! Boys have pockets in every garment they wear, and I've always been envious. Why not have a dress with pockets?
I was thinking a light cotton, linen or another lightweight fabric. If the color is light, the bodice may have to be lined.
For colors- anything but white on account of the fabric being too light. I could see this dress in a sky blue or brown. A springy purple color might be nice as well. I think it could work in many colors.


Dress design for Shabby Apple dresses
P.S. Please excuse the lack of artistic talent.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Blessed are the extroverts?

All my life I have been asked, "Are you always this quiet?" Other times, I have been outright branded as "quiet" or an "introvert." I always believed them. I thought it was my character flaw. I thought to myself, "If only if I could be more talkative, more interesting, more popular, better with people." Yet, people always talked to me. I was the person the outsiders turned to. The unpopular people were drawn to me. I made them feel comfortable, I think. I wasn't bad with people. That was not the problem and it was not my character flaw.
Instead, the problem is with society and the people who believe in it. There are those who believe in Jesus, but their religion is society. They keep society's commandments and worship her idols. They believe, "Thou shalt be outspoken and popular." They proclaim, "Thou shalt be loud and bubbly." Don't forget the age old adage, "If you make someone feel uncomfortable about the way they are living (ie if you don't drink at parties or don't join in gambling) then those who feel uncomfortable should make YOU feel uncomfortable and as if you are WRONG, because you obviously are, right?"
This is a lie. Plain and simple.
What did Jesus say? "Blessed are the meek. They will inherit the earth." (Matt. 5)
What is a meek, you say? A fuzzy animal that you make into a coat?

Let's review.
Meek-
1. enduring injury with patience and without resentment
2. not violent

Are the meek loud or are they quiet?
I'm not introverted. I'm not quiet. I am meek. I endeavor to speak when the Lord tells me to and not before. I know that the tongue is the part of the body that gets most people into trouble most often. It's hard to control. Sometimes you'd think it has a mind of its own (James 3).

Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who endure less than polite treatment. Blessed are those who obey God given authority. Blessed are the quiet and calm. Blessed are the less popular.

The ironic thing here? It is not just the non-religious or non-Christians in my life that accuse me of being quiet, it is the churched and the Jesus followers as well.


Satan is tricky. He's convinced us that in this age of "equality" and "rights" for everyone, that means we should all make our opinions known all the time, as loudly as possible. I'm willing to bet he is wrong. I believe, as Christians, we should be meek.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Ze Frank is hillarious.

Get ready for a shake up!

This should prove an interesting time in the English speaking part of the Catholic Church.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Beautiful Reminder-- Blessed are the humble.

From the Horse's Mouth

Do you think global warming is a huge issue? Or do you think it's a non-issue? Either way you should read what BBC has to say. Interesting stuff.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Happy Michaelmas!

Happy Michaelmas! Welcome to the fall. Besides it being the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, today is the day that marks the fall term in English schools. From now until Christmas is Michaelmas term. According to legend you better eat your fill of blackberries today because tomorrow they will be rotten. Satan comes and snatches them up or something :) It's a cute legend.

Here is Michael himself. It took me a long time to find a manly portrait. He's still got girly hair. Who says angels have long hair? The Renaissance strikes again!
Either way, I'm sure glad I'm on the right side of this guy :) His sword is intimidating enough.

Rev 12:7-12ab
War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.”

Hallelujah. Victory belongs to our God! AMEN

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Names of the week

This week I am putting up a couple names. I've been obsessing about them equally. It's a strange obsession because in the past I have had very few favorite names that start with 's.'

Sunniva- (soon-EEva) (sun-EEva) This is a Norwegian name that means "sun gift." It was derived from Sunngifu a name that reportedly belonged to an Irish princess, but the name has Old English elements. The story goes that in the 900's an Irish princess fled with her brother and maidens from the prospect of an unhappy marriage. They settled in a cave on the coast of Norway. After a while, locals found the cave closed off by a landslide. In the 11th century King Olaf Tryggvason came along and decided to excavate. He was reported to have found the saint's body intact and he built a church in her honor.
Here is a statue of Sunniva in the Bergen museum.



Siri- (See-ree) This is a shortened form of Sigrid, which means "beautiful victory." I always thought Nordic names were the worst out of all European varieties, but then I found out that they don't pronounce 'd' as harshly as we do in English. Here is a link to the Norwegian pronunciation of Sigrid.

Solveig- Another name that looks ugly but sounds quite pretty in Norwegian. It means "sun way" most likely, but also possibly "sun strength." A few ladies spell this name Solvei so that it is easier to pronounce for English speakers. An extra plus to this name is Grieg's Peer Gynt. Solveig's Song is beautiful.

Suvi- This is a Finnish name. It is the poetic word for "summer." It's pronounced here. I just find it beautiful!
So, four 'S' names. How to choose?!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Birthday dinner!

Happy birthday to the husband today! We'll call him "Tunes" here since he likes to play guitar and it seems like a manly enough nickname. :)
For his birthday I gave him three options and he went for the butternut squash and pasta, which surprised me. He chose well!





1 medium butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes
1 bag of whole wheat egg noodles
2 cups of milk
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
1 slice of provolone
Parmesan cheese
Breadcrumbs
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Toss squash in salt, pepper, olive oil and rosemary. Roast in 425 degree oven on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil for 30 mins or until tender. You'll have to turn the pieces over twice or so. Cook the pasta and drain. Make white sauce. Melt butter on medium low heat. Mix in flour and cook for a few mins. Add milk and cook on low until thickened. Take off heat and add in provolone. Stir well. Grease a 9x11 casserole dish. Put pasta in the casserole. Place squash over pasta. Pour sauce over everything. Top with breadcrumbs and a generous amount of Parmesan. Heat in 400 degree oven for 10 mins or until cheese is melted! Serve warm.

We had this meal with roasted onions and garlic. Roasting is amazing. I had never done it before.

Desert was great! "Tunes" requested cinnamon buns. I used chai spices on one batch. The blue icing was hazelnut flavored and the green was butter flavored. I think using flavorings other than vanilla really helps this plain icing. Next time I won't color it though.






I made this with the scraps that were left over.



Tuesday, August 25, 2009

This week's menu

This week's menu flip flops meat and vegetarian meals to save money.

Monday- chicken wings, pumpkin soup, and brown rice.
Tuesday- spinach and onion quiche
Wednesday- salmon alfredo
Thursday- butternut squash pasta
Friday- tuna risotto

I'll probably post pictures of the meals for you.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Attitudes and headscarves

"She wore a headscarf, but her attitude was just the same."
My sister was just telling me a story about a girl in her class who converted to Islam. Even though outwardly this girl appeared different, the way she behaved in class remained the same. She was reportedly rude and disruptive in class the whole way through despite her change in religion.
Now, I'll be the first to admit, changing your way of life takes time. Some of us struggle the most with what comes out of our mouth. For this girl it may have been easier to make a wardrobe change than an attitude change. I could understand that. However, there is another way to look at it. Maybe she wasn't converting to Islam because of an internal change. What if she was converting because Islam supported modesty in a way that she respected and yearned for?


This is where the Western church has been failing our women. Since the 1960's, churches all across the board (excluding the Amish and Old Order Mennonites of course) have been placing modesty on the back burner. Up until Vatican II it was imperative for women to have a headcovering and their shoulders covered in a Catholic church. After Vatican II, the church did not say headcovering was discouraged. On the contrary, I think the comment that is republished time and again that "headcoverings were not being discussed" is the simple truth. They weren't going to talk about it because they thought it was a moot point. Headcoverings are Biblical and traditional, and although they shouldn't be a stumbling block that keeps someone away from God, they should be encouraged. But this lack of information was interpreted as "the mantilla has been retired."  The rest is history.


A symbol of patriarchy? No, my personal decision:

I made the decision to wear a headscarf after reading 1 Corinthians 11. I feel the scripture is fairly clear that women should don headcoverings when praying or prophesying in public. Although others consider the verse that calls us to pray without ceasing and concludes we should veil without ceasing (see Anabaptists) I have not come to that conclusion just yet.


In my opinion, in 1 Cor. 11 Paul says that the headcovering is a symbol of woman's place in creation. She is under the authority of man who is under the authority of Christ. For those of you who are Christians but are wincing at that past statement, I understand where you're coming from. You think of discrimination against women, chauvinism, and abuse. Yes, in a fallen world those things happen (a lot), but I believe as a response to this we women should not strive to take the same place as men in God's plan for the church. Women and men are different and thus have different roles. It isn't that men are better; it's that they are different. Many people don't buy the nature not nurture argument, but I do. Do you think it plausible that monkey/humans would jump out of the jungle with the male saying to the female, "Now you're a girl, go do something feminine while I do something masculine"? Could the idea of femininity really have evolved in every society on earth independently? Ok, I realize this is going on a tangent... let's just say. I'm a supporter of femininity, and--

Yes, we should be submissive to our husbands. (Eph. 5:22)
Yes, men are to be in the authority positions in church (1 Cor 14: 34)

Does that make women less? No! Does it make us useless? Of course not.
Can modesty be a tool for evangelism? I think it can. Don't you think many women are yearning for modesty in this over exposed society of ours? You bet they are!

Do you think I've gone overboard? I'd love to hear your thoughts!






Thursday, August 20, 2009

Fashion inspired by the Renaissance


I think the dress in this painting is intriguing. It looks as though the sleeves are removable. What a great idea to take a dress from summer to winter! This is just a teaser. More about fashion later.

The name of the week

Bridget
Source: Anglicized Irish
Variations: Irish- Brighid, Bríd; English- Brigid; Germanic/ Scandinavian- Brigitta, French- Brigitte
, Finnish- Piritta, Welsh- Ffraid, Polish- Brygida.
Meaning: "exalted one"
Nickname: Biddy, Britta, Britt

Bridget is a wonderful place to start off this series. It is a name that has history and mystery.

In Irish this name is Brighid or Bríd. Both of which would be pronounced like "breed." Originally Brighid was a Celtic goddess. She is found all over the old Celtic world. She was the goddess of fire and poetry. In Roman Britain she was referred to as Brigantia. Representations of the goddess took an Athena-like form.


Christianity came to Ireland in a unique way. Irish traditions were not completely swept away from Roman traditions. Instead, the original Irish Christians took a lot of the culture with them when they converted. No one knows whether or not there really was a Saint Brigid. The life of Saint Brigid that survives has many stories that sound like they were influenced by the ancient pagan traditions. In these tales, Brigid displays her sainthood through hanging her clothing out to dry on a rainbow and other miracles. One thing that is certain. She was seen as a saint of the home and the abbey. The miracles that are attributed to her early life have to do with churning, milking, sewing and other household duties.


Brigid is thought to have founded a double monestary at Kildare in 470. Double monestaries are interesting. They would be built like a typical monestary for men, but they would have either a divided church with two entrances (one side for monks and one for nuns) that would be served by one priest; or they may have two separate chapels for the nuns and monks. Even though Brigid would have been the abbess of her nuns, there would have been a male authority in charge of the monks and essentially the nuns as well. Kildare Abbey became a great center of learning. The original abbey was destroyed in the 12th century, which probably means it was sacked Vikings. The following is a picture of the church buildings that stand on the spot today. By my approximation it is a late Medieval building. The abbey was again closed under the reign of Elizabeth I.



Even though much of what is known about Brigid from the lives is most likely legend, I greatly admire the Irish instinct to take their culture and traditions and rework them in a God-centered way. I don't think her pagan past makes Brigid unacceptable. Instead, I see evidence of enthusiastic conversion on the part of the Irish. Even the old gods must be converted to Christianity.

If you want to know more about St. Brigid here are a few links.
St. Brigid feast traditions from Fish Eaters
Catholic Encyclopedia
Information about Kildare Abbey
Behind the Name info
Not to be confused with St. Bridget/Brigitta of Sweden

French Onion Soup


One of my husband's all time favorite dinners is French Onion soup. I made this soup in the crockpot and it was so easy. The best thing about it is that it is a very flexible soup. I didn't really follow the recipe I had, so it's kind of my own and I don't mind posting it.

4 or 5 medium yellow onions or 7 small yellow onions
14 oz or so of beef broth or chicken broth
1/2 c. dry red wine
At least a slice of baguette or other small round bread rolls per person (I used three small slices of bread per bowl. We love bread.)
Gruyere, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg or swiss cheese. Mozzarella may be used to make it more kid friendly.

Slice the onions from pole to pole. Slice each half into wedges. Heat a large frying pan on medium with a splash of olive oil. Cook the onions in olive oil until softened. Transfer to a medium crockpot making sure to scrape all of the tasty burnt bits into the pot. Fill the crockpot with the wine and broth until it is between half and 3/4 of the way full. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hrs or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Ladle soup into ovenproof dishes like ramekins. Cover soup with slices of french bread or something similar. (I used homemade whole wheat rolls that I sliced longways into thirds.) Top bread with grated cheese. The traditional cheese used in this recipe is gruyere. However, if gruyere is not exactly budget friendly you have more options. Emmentaler is a great substitute with a similar taste to Gruyere. I have used Jarlsberg before as well. Both can be on the pricey side. Swiss cheese is what I used and it is much more affordable.

Adaptations:
Kids- Mozzarella can be used to make the dish more kid friendly. You may also want to lower the wine to 1/4 cup for the little ones or substitute a splash of real grape juice.
Pregnancy- I wouldn't put in the wine at all. The alcohol might get cooked off, but you can never be too careful. A good substitute for red wine in recipes is a good strong grape juice. However, it I wouldn't use much in this soup. It has more taste as a savory soup and the sweetness of certain juices might combat that.

The cultural and religious significance of this dish:
Lent- This dish would make for a great Lenten meal. You can substitute vegetable broth if you are very serious about avoiding meat.
France- Of course, it is obvious that this dish hails from France. There are many versions of onion soup in Europe. For some reason this one is the only one I know of that has made it into the American repertoire. I would suggest researching other onion soups if you have other ingredients you would like to use.
Humility- It's a great example of how wonderful food can be made from very humble ingredients. Use this meal as a way to emphasize how things that are simple can be comforting and satisfying.