Cutest 7 year old ever!

Blessed Nativity to You.

This Icon at our Church is huge and beautiful.

Happy Saint Nicholas Day

Duck Stock

Delicious.

Slow Cooker Duck

Made my local pastured duck in the slow cooker today with nothing but a few slices of good bacon on top and nothing else, not even water and it was wonderful. Fell off the bone. All we did was add a little salt to the meat when it was finished. Delicious!

Saint Nicholas

Fish Fingers and Custard for Doctor Who

Yum.

Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

Let the Nativity Fast Begin

ms3mama@yahoo.com has shared: Online Chapel — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

John Chrysostom
	Online Chapel — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Source: goarch.org This greatest and most beloved of all Christian orators was born in Antioch the Great in the year 344 or 347; his pious parents were called Secundus and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at the age of twenty, she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder sister in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. John received his literary training under Anthragathius the philosopher, and Libanius the sophist, who was the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanius was a pagan, ...

ms3mama@yahoo.com sent this using ShareThis. Please note that ShareThis does not verify the ownership of this email address.

Saint Herman of Alaska

 

Just ordered the book Saint Herman of Alaska from HERE.  Can't wait to get it.  I also ordered Angelic Light music cd from there too but the link will take you to Amazon so that you can hear how beautiful it is.  Getting ready for the Nativity Fast, although I'm not sure how much actual fasting will be going on here, sadly.  I am waiting to hear back from these folks because I really want this Advent to the Ascention Spiral.  Its so beautiful and meaningful.  What a treasure to pass on.

My New Icon Frame

Our Icon "Corner"

The books above are-

A Child's Paradise of Saints
Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home
A Child's Paradise of SaintsWalking in Wonder
 

Last weeks bulletin

This weeks


I went to JoAnn Fabrics last week and for $11.00 I got the frame, 3 sheets of scrap booking paper for background and the stand.   Doesn't it look great.  Every week when we come home from Liturgy I'm going to put the bulletin Icon in.  As I'm typing this Manny is moving the mouse cursor onto the pictures and saying "Father and Jesus.  I want to go see Father and get Jesus."  Isn't that just the sweetest.

Look Mom

I cleaned my oven today and thought of you ;)

Catholics and the Vote

This is a copied email sent to me by a friend-

Totus Tuus Family & Catholic Homeschool

---

A Catholic Pastor Addresses Voting for Romney Posted: 03 Nov 2012 04:29 PM PDT By my Pastor, Father Leonard Klein  (images added) -  Some serious Catholics have raised the question whether it would be formal cooperation with evil to vote for Mitt Romney because of his pro-choice record in Massachusetts, his recent conversion to the pro-life cause, and his uneven support of the cause.  In particular some have worried about his readiness to grant exceptions including the very dangerous exception for the health of the mother, since this in the past proved to be a gaping hole in any effort to restrict abortion. I believe that this concern is misplaced and could lead to cooperation in a far more serious evil, the re-election of an aggressively pro-abortion president. It is first necessary to understand what formal cooperation with evil is.  To cooperate formally with evil is to intend the evil of another and to cooperate in bringing it about.  This is manifestly not the case in voting for a candidate who is more likely to take actions that will restrict abortions, even if the person once in office does less than one would hope or otherwise disappoints.  Plainly, Catholics who vote for Governor Romney because they think he will do better on life issues than President Obama do not intend to cooperate with any shortcomings in his positions or in any failures of leadership that might occur, should he win.  They intend to advance the cause of life by exercising the best option that presents itself now. In addition it is necessary to keep in mind the role of the virtue of prudence in this instance.  Prudence governs and directs the other virtues.   Prudence also requires the best possible knowledge of the facts.  In this case the facts are pretty clear.  One candidate has a radically pro-abortion record.  The other has repudiated past errors and has adopted a better, though less than ideal, position.  Prudence would surely suggest that one best exercises another cardinal virtue, justice, by voting for the candidate most likely to advance the pro-life cause.  We owe the unborn every chance at life we can give them.  Not to vote for the candidate more likely to advance the cause of life would be a vote against justice for the unborn. Even Governor Romney's recent statement that he has no pro-life legislation planned does not change this situation.  Since Roe v. Wade still stands, there are severe limits on what legislation can fruitfully be proposed.  He is also involved a fierce political campaign and needs to corral as many votes as he can in order to win.  While we might wish he spoke pro-life language better and more loudly, we need to be sophisticated enough to recognize that politicians need to tread lightly in addressing volatile issues, lest their opponents find advantage. In spite of some weaknesses there are many areas in which we can assume with a high degree of certainty that Governor Romney as president would use his authority in the service of life.  The reinstatement of the Mexico City policy can be assumed.  The promotion of abortion internationally by departments, agencies, and the U.N. will be checked.  The HHS mandate will be reversed.  Executive orders in support of embryonic stem cell research will probably end.  In short, untold thousands of lives are likely to be saved in a Romney administration.  Your vote will matter absolutely for them. And we will see no more Sotomayors and Kagans appointed to the Supreme Court.  Even if by God's grace Roe v. Wade falls, there is still a long road ahead.  But one or two more revisionist justices on the Supreme Court will seal Roe in literal blood for at least a generation. Political reality is rarely what we would like, and we cannot place our ultimate hopes there.  But we do place penultimate hopes in the political system.  Perfect justice is not attainable this side of the Kingdom of God, but relative justice is.  The first Christians lived in a hostile Roman Empire but still prayed for the emperor.  To live a moral life in the world we must play the cards we are dealt. In the struggle for life and justice we will rarely find the politician who advances the full range of Catholic social doctrine with clarity and integrity.  But some are better than others.  On life issues Governor Romney and the Republicans are vastly better than President Obama and the Democrats, who see abortion not just as a right but as an entitlement to be imposed, normalized and funded. http://familyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Obama_Romney_Scorecard_VA.pdf The case that voting for Governor Romney is formal cooperation with evil is so weak as to be non-existent.  Those who are concerned about this should actually be concerned about something else.  It is this: taking an action that makes the continuance of the Obama administration more likely would seem at the very least to be indirect material cooperation with evil.  While not intending the pro-abortion activities of the Obama administration, Catholics who vote in a way that will increase the likelihood of an Obama victory contribute to the immoral acts that would result.  That is the spiritually (and politically) more realistic fear. AND, this from Father Dwight Longenecker,  "It's real simple: Any American who claims to follow the Christian faith should not vote for a candidate who supports homosexual marriage, abortion and forcing people to act against their religious convictions." Please join me in praying for our country...and vote with the future andeternity in mind.

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Jodi

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Review- Green Mountain Coffee

Half-Calf for the Keurig is the BEST. I am hooked on this stuff. Kohls sent out $10.00 gift cards to credit card holders and so I got this 18 pack for $3.09 ;).

Review- Trader Joes Irish Breakfast Tea

Yes, it's strong and dark as it claims but not bitter.
  I love this tea. Hands down my favorite now.
 Red Rose has been demoted to second best.

Manny is 3!

 

And he's loving his Hulk hands.  We didn't have a big party cause of illness in the house.  Yucky coughs and runny noses.  We love you little Manny!

Taking a Break..

Haven't been posting much here.  I have been quite the Pinterest junkie in my free few minutes.  Trying to find good recipes and plan meals on a by-weekly schedule.  I also have a few sick children on top of that.

I Love Chalkboard Paint!

 

Just a little project I did on my pantry doors.  I'm working on a binder for by weekly recipe planning and wanted to post the menu somewhere.  Trying to simplify things for myself a little so I have more time to do "school" work with the kids and also so I remember to take the meat out of the freezer and put it in the fridge in enough time to thaw so I don't get stuck buying pizza.  Don't get me wrong I love pizza but for 7 people I have to budget it in, one just isn't enough!

Doctor Who

Pumpkin Swirls Cheesecake

 

Okay, so I know that isn't the best picture but I wanted to get a quick one taken so that I could type the recipe while I had a few minutes.  I have been making this recipe for years.  Its came from a friend about 10 years ago-thanks Jennifer.

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

Crust-

1 1/4 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup of melted butter (1/2 stick)

2 Tbs. of sugar

 

Mix and press in springform pan

 

Cheesecake batter-

 

Cream these 3-

 

3 packages of softened cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

 

add-

 

1- 15 oz. can pumpkin (2 cups fresh)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup evap. milk (1 use 1/2 and 1/2)

2 Tbls. cornstarch

1 tsp. cinnamon

 

beat till combined well

 

melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and add 3/4 cups of the pumpkin batter and stir well

 

pour pumpkin batter over crust in pan then swirl chocolate mixture over the top and swirl down in a little with a knife

 

bake at 350 for roughly an hour.

 

 

Pumpkin Scone Recipe

 

Starbucks-ish Pumpkin Scones
Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
ground ginger -few dashes
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
Powdered Sugar Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.
Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 14–16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.
Glaze:
Mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth.
When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone.
Icing:
Combine the ingredient for the spiced icing together. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.

HERE is a link to the original recipe that I changed a bit.  These are better than the real thing because they are more moist.  The two times I had them from Starbuck's they were dry so I won't be trying them from the store again.

Broccoli and Mini Meatball Soup Recipe

 

I had cooked down the remainer of our whole chicken from dinner the night before with spring water to make stock and to that I added -

1/2 lbs of homemade mini meatballs-meat, 1 small egg, parm. cheese, little garlic powder

1/2 bag of frozen broccoli

the rest of the shredded chicken meat

1/2 bottle of tomato paste

salt and pepper

1/4 cup of uncooked rice

 

Let it all simmer for a bit till broc. and rice are tender and meatballs are cooked.

 

All the kids liked it and we sprinkled some cheese on top.

 

 

Icon Tour- St. Mary's Monessen, Pa

 

This was my home church till we moved so I didn't take many pictures here.  Its mostly stained glass windows which are really hard to take good pictures of ;(

Icon Tour- St. John the Divine Orthodox Monessen, Pa