Lets Go Pens!

The Penguins are playing great right now. I am blessed to have a best friend since highschool who takes me to a few games a season. These seats she got us for Thursdays game were awesome, the 2 right next to the penilty box. The only neg. was the linesman kept standing right infront of me. We had a great time, the Pens won and Sid got a hat trick. Oh yeah, and she invited me to the Winter Classic!

Lets Go Steelers

Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

From Festive Matins-
I stand in awe at the wondrous works of GOD graciously manifested and fulfilled in the Virgin. I cannot comprehend the strange and secret manner by which she alone was chosen from all creation to be made known as the Undefiled One. I am unable to express in word or thought this ineffable mystery, yet I wish to praise her. In confidence I dare to proclaim and extol her, saying: Indeed she is the heavenly Tabernacle.

Just Look at the Sweetness!

Just lovem in the balaclavas. They are the best hats ever, especially if your lil one gets earaches. So soft and easy to wear with anything.
You can get them at www.greenmountianorganics.com

Make Yourself Useful

Kids and my mom. We ran over tonight to rake- and play in- the leaves




I told her all these grandchildren would come in handy someday.





Mason's buddy Pawpan was watching from the tree.

Lovin the Leaves

Wow time flies! Haven't been bloggin much, just been using my pc time to sell some stuff online to raise some Christmas money. Its so hard not using credit cards.

We had to take my oldest to play practice today so the other children and I went to Rite Aid for my freebie's- they've been having the best deals lately. I have been getting so much stuff for free or under a buck there. So next we stopped at Panera for 1/2 dozen bagels then to the park. Manny loved playing in the leaves, Mas was hunting for squirells and the girls were swinging. We didnt want to leave yet when it was time to pick Madi up. It was the perfect fall day.

Beautiful Fall Day

Saturday we stopped at the park after going to the Russian Orthodox Church Festival. Oh, the food was soooo good. It smelled like my Gram Annie's at Easter when we walked in. And that is a complement.


Me and my lil guy



Manny always running away. This is the view I usually get of him now.



Manny and Mars. She's soooo good with him.

Its Going To Be A Long, Hard Recovery

Here is a picture of my sister and me from the early 90's. She's the redhead on the left. She hasn't really aged at all. She looks just about the same but her hair is straight now. I, on the other hand still have about 20 lbs of the latest babyfat to loose!



I went to see her yesterday. She looks good but frail and in alot of pain. It was a week yesterday that she was coming home from getting a loaf of bread- yes, thats all, 1 loaf a bread, and she was pulling out of the grocery store, got the green turning light and the next thing she knew she looked out her window to see the grill of a huge truck. Now she is recovering and we are praying cause thats really all we can do. She is in alot of pain. Her sternum and pelvis are fractured, she cant move her left leg and her biggest concern is her children.

Please continue to pray for her and her family and thank you for all the prayers, Masses, Rosaries, kind words and offers for meals and gift cards. We really appreciate it all. Also, please remember the thank and praise God that you can get up every morning- without assistance- and care for yourself and your family.
I know I am.

Bathing Beauty

Why is a picture of a naked baby in the bathtub just so irresistible?

Our Not Back To School Tea

Our Catholic Homeschooling group has a "Not Back to School Liturgy and Picnic". We wanted to go but thanks to a nasty ear infection - baby Manny- we had to miss it. Since we usually have "Teas" during the school year we decided to have our own celebration. I feel so blessed to not have to send my children away to school. Grant it there are times,sometimes daily, that the thought crosses my mind, I think of how it would be easier on me, quieter, cleaner, ect. I could nap everyday with the baby, that's a good one. But, I do truly love having them at home, even when they are annoying!
We are basically a childled learning family so this lil tea turned into some major brainstorming on what we should study next. We are going to the library tomorrow to get out all we can find on the Civil War, Gone With The Wind included. They cant wait to see the dancing and hopefully learn a few steps themselves. I love this time period and so does a certain Uncle of mine so I think we will be making a field trip to his house to check out his collection. My husband and I actually went to Gettysburg for our honeymoon. I'd love to go again soon.


Our table



Our just turned 5 year old guy



He wanted me to take a picture of his Gingerbread Man Tea brewing, go figure?





Here's our girls

Pumpkin Cookies- Yummy!

These are some of the best cookies and they are versatile.
I have added choc. chips, nuts and baked them in bar form when I was short on time.

Here it goes-

Preheat oven to 350.
I like to use parchment paper and I use either a cookie sheet or stonewear.

Cream together-

1 cup of butter, margarine or I like to use 1 stick of both- I use Smart Balance for the margarine.

1 cup sugar- I use raw sugar

then blend in -

1 egg

1 tsp. of vanilla

1 cup of pumpkin

sift in bowl-

2 cups plus 2 tsps of unbleached flour

and 1 tsp. each of-
baking soda, baking powder and cinnimon

and 1/2 tsp of salt

blend wet with dry and add chips or nuts if you like.

bake

The cookies pictured I made today and I tried something new. I made a nice icing for on top. I'm not one for measurement but I'll give ya an estimate

1/2 stick of butter softened
about 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
scant cup of powdered sugar?

mix all

cool cookies and put a dollop on top.

Fall is coming!

Cooler weather, the leaves turning and me turning these-





Into this-

Oh do I love fall.

I'm going to go cut this right now cause the children have been following me around for hours asking if its cool enough to eat yet.

Nature Study

This is an awesome site I found-

http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2008/02/green-hour-challenge-1-lets-get-started.html

Cant wait to start it.

Pittsburger

If you never have tried one of these its a must. Here in the Pittsburgh area you can slap fries,ham and coleslaw on anything and its great. Here it is on a burger.
You usually use Italian bread and not a bun but others must have has the same idea cause the store was all out of Italian bread.

Here are the layers-

Italian Bread sliced kinda thick

meat- could be a burger, fish, chicken, steak, you name it.

Provolone cheese

slice or 2 of deli ham

French Fries

Coleslaw

Tomato

Italian Bread

Oh, its sooooo good.

Its Been Busy Here...

Last Thursday the children and I went to the park and Marlee fell off of this zipline type contraption and fractured her wrist and elbow. My husband watched our other children while my wonderful mother, Manny, Marlee and I spent the night in the ER and then the poor lil thing had surgery in the morning. She'll have it on 6 weeks. Oh, and it her right hand, she's righthanded.

She's smiling cause the morphine kicked in...




Marlee, Manny and I went up to Uniontown to Mt. Saint Macrina for the Pilgrimage. We had a really nice time and we are looking forward to next year.

Love the bright yellow cast? You can only get that color if you get an operation.




Manny has been helping me with the end of the summer clean-up.

Who's Hungry?

Did you ever have one of those days where you started out cooking one thing and it just snowballed in to many? Well, for me today is one of those days.
It all started this morning when I looked at the box of tomatoes my Aunt and Uncle so generously gave me and I thought I'd get out the Sqeezo and make some sauce even though I already had chicken thawing in the fridge for tonight and 2 lbs of ground beef thawing as well to make stuffed peppers from my garden peppers to freeze. So anywho, I need to go to the store to get some paste cause the tomatoes we not Romas and I need to thicken them up and while I was there they had a little natural roast on clearance and 2 packs of the natural chicken tenders marked down as well so I had to get them. Well, to make a long story short I have now made-
2 pans of stuffed yellow peppers
1 gallon of fresh sauce with meatballs
3 ham and cheese stuffed, fried and baked chicken breasts
1 small roast with carrots
and grilled chicken tenders with fried portabella mushrooms and onions
whew, I better go throw in a chocolate cake!

Peace....

Up early, so down for an early nap. Doesn't he still look so little and peaceful? You wouldn't think he was up already for several hours tearing the place up before the other children were even awake.

Time Is Just Flyin By

Wow, I cant believe it has been few weeks since I posted. I have been busy on the Diaperswapper B/S/T list and have traded for some good stuff, and some not so good stuff that will go back up for some baby that's smaller than my big guy it will fit. I have been trading for wool for the fall and winter which, by the way, I am so looking forward too. We finally are having a taste of better weather with a few days here in the 70's rather than 90's. I will post some picts of the things I got soon I hope.
I have also been trying really hard to make it a habit of reading the Bible every morning and evening. I got lucky and found a Orthodox Study Bible at St. Vincent DePauls and it has morning and evening prayers along with the daily readings. I love the prayer it has to start the day and I will try and post that soon as well.
I cant do it now cause I am typing this with my two little boys sleeping on either side of me. I'm still so grateful to my in laws for giving us this little notebook pc. I don't know what I would do without it.
And I finally got to take my oldest daughter to Sandcastle Water Park yesterday and we had such a good time. It was so awesome to just spend some mommy and me time with her. Thanks to my great mama for watching my baby for me for a few hours so I could take her. We really appreciate it!

Steelers Training Camp 2010

We always take a picture now before we go out anywhere like this so that if they get lost we can show exactly what they were wearing.



Mas as my favorite player, Troy.



A little picnic lunch with friends.



Mas and Steeley

August: The Month of the Theotokos

I'm going to be writing about Mary or the Theotokos this month so more will be coming.

This is from a great book titled- Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home by Anthony M. Coniaris

To the Orthodox Christian August is a sacred month- a month that brings with it a feeling of intensified reverence. It is the month of the Blessed Theotokos. For on the fifteenth of August the Orthodox Church celebrates the most solemn of feasts related to the Mother of God, namely, her repose or falling asleep.

Special prayer services are held regularly during the first fifteen days of the month. It is a period of special fasting similar to Lent. Orthodox families are invited to attend these services and to participate in the fast.

In order to help parents explain the meaning of this sacred period to their children, we propose to deal with the following two question:

1. What we mean by the falling asleep of the Theotokos (Mary);

2. Why, as Orthodox Christians, do we regard her above all the saints of God as "more honorable than the Seraphim and more glorious then the Cheruim."

Ihopish Pancake Recipe

1 1/4 cups of buttermilk
1 1/4 cups of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 tsp of baking soda
1 heaping tsp of baking power

Mix all in a blender until smooth

I doubled mine and used 2 cups unbleached flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour.

Careful these can brown quickly because of all the sugar.

I have added lil cubes of cream cheese, blueberries or stirred in some cocoa powder too.

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost

Icon of Saints Lawrence, Hippolitus, and Zystos



From the Eastern Christian Bulletin Service

Aflame with Divine Fire

Lawrence, one of the seven deacons of Rome, was born, according to tradition , at Huesca, Spain. He suffered martyrdom in Rome during Emperor Valerian's persecution of Christians. According to several early Christian writers, among them St. Ambrose and Prudentius, he was a deacon of Pope Sixtus II and was overwhelmed with grief when Sixtus was condemned to death in the year 258. Overjoyed when Sixtus predicted he would follow him in three days, Lawrence sold many of the Church's possessions and gave the money to the poor.

When the Roman prefect heard of his action, he had Lawrence brought before him and demanded all the Church's treasures for the Emperor. Lawrence said he would need three days to collect them and then presented the blind, the crippled, the poor, the orphans and other unfortunates to the prefect and told him they were the Church's treasures. Furious, the prefect prepared a red-hot griddle and bound Lawrence to it. Lawrence bore the agony with unbelievable composure and in the midst of his torment instructed the executioner to turn him over, as he was broiled enough on the one side.

According to Prudentius, Lawrence's death and example led to the conversion of many and was a signal of the end of paganism in the city. There is no doubt that his death inspired a great devotion in Rome that quickly spread throughout the entire Church.

Wow! I love the part where he asks to be turned over!

Trying to Stand and Clap already

Man, he's growing so fast!



I know its not right but sometimes I just want to hold him down and say "No, not yet. Your only 9 months old! Stay my little baby just a little longer please."

Spinach and Cheddar Strata

This is sooo yummy and easy....

1 teaspoon olive oil
10 onces spinach
3 cups day-old bread cubes
5 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk- or 1% and cream mixed
1 1/4 cups graded sharp white cheddar
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.
cook spinach in olive oil till wilted and squeeze
in bowl mix eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper.
in a greased dish put bread cubes add spinach and pour egg mixture on top.
Bake 20- 25 mins. or till set.

Made for a great brunch with bacon and cinnamon rolls before I ran down to 1st Saturday rosary.

Transfiguration of Our Lord

Icon of the Transfiguration of our Lord



This is my basket of 1st fruits I took to Divine Liturgy last night to get blessed




From the Liturgical Year of the Byzantine-Slavonic Rite book-

This feast commemorates the manifestation of Christ's glory, as recorded by St. Matthew. "Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John, and let them up a high mountain by themselves, and was transfigured before them. And His face shone as the sun, and His garments white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking together with Him. Then Peter addressed Jesus, saying, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You will, let us set up three tents here, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elias.' A he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and suddenly, a voice out of the cloud said,"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him.' And on hearing it the disciples fell on their faces and were exceedingly afraid. And Jesus came near and touched them, and said to them,'Arise, and do not be afraid.' But lifting up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only" (Mt. 17:1-8).

Dormition Fast August 1st Through the 14th

Edit- I talked with Father Paul and he said we can fast from meat only so since I'm nursing my lil guy thats what I'm gonna do plus give up my sweeties- baked good, cookies, pies, cakes, ect.... Oh my!!!!


I'm posting this for myself so I can remember what to do.....

The general guidelines for the Dormition Fast are as follows:

WEEKDAYS are Strict Fast Days. On these days we abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, fowl, wine, and oil.

SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS are Wine and Oil Days. On these days the fast is relaxed to permit wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, and fowl.

The one exception to these general rules is that the Great Feast of the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ (August 6), which always falls during the Dormition Fast, is celebrated as a Fish, Wine, and Oil Day. On this great feastday, the fast is further relaxed to permit fish with backbones, in addition to wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat, dairy, and fowl.

Notes:

Meals for the fast should follow the dietary restrictions and be cooked simply. Portions should be smaller than usual.
If you have a medical condition that requires you to relax the fasting guidelines, then do so.
Generally speaking, children and elderly people are allowed to relax the fast under the guidance of their spiritual father.

Peanut Butter Filling for Brownies... YUMMY

This is so good. I made mine as brownie cupcakes. Just make your brownie filling as you normally would then either drop this mixture on by spoonfuls or make it as cupcakes by filling the cup a little more than 1/2 full with brownie mixture then adding about a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture. I got 18 when I made mine.

Peanut butter Filling-

4 Tablespoons of melted unsalted butter- if you only have salted just leave out the salt.

1/2 cup of powdered sugar- I added just a tad more

3/4 cups of peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Beat all together. I shook the pan a little when I added it to the brownies to settle it in.

Bake at 325

Manny's 9 Month Bday Gift

All the children have Waldorf dollies and so we got one for Manny that I hoping will be a "lovey" for him. Its a cute little bunny.



Mason has his Pawpan- he named it years ago and used a sharpie to draw eyelashes on it! But he still loves him.

Beach Picts at Erie