A Good Week And Good Friday

Good morning, my friends. This week brought the warmest weather of the year so far to our little lake in Pennsylvania. Young Billie Jo would have most certainly organized a "Clean and Scrub the Deck Furniture" family event, but Older and Wiser Billie Jo simply had Steve pull out the dirty chairs that were stacked last fall so we could sit outside for a few hours. 

Favorite meal of the week? Rhett and Kyrstin planned and prepared a delicious breaded chicken with pasta alfredo meal for all of us! Delicious! And I know my dear Dad was smiling down from Heaven when Rhett used rigatoni! That was his very favorite.

Peyton provided the best dessert for Holy Week. She made Hot Cross Buns! 

Here is my beautiful Momma! Steve's Sister Sally, AKA The best person in the world, visited my Mom this week and took her an Easter surprise! How blessed am I that so many others love my Momma? Madison also saw her this week and Facetimed so I could visit too!

Today is Good Friday, and Flynn and I will fast, abstain, and pray the Stations of The Cross. Tomorrow we will prepare for Easter and attend Mass, and Sunday, we celebrate Easter Sunday with brunch and joy and chocolate and each other.

Happy and Blessed Easter, my friends.

Billie Jo

 

Tuesday To Wednesday

 Although it seems as if Christmas was yesterday, today begins the season of Lent, a time of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving for those that observe it. As a middle schooler, I walked across the street from school to church with my friend Laurie once a week to pray the stations of the cross. As a teenager, I gave up my drink of choice, Pepsi, from the can, during the forty days of Lent. Now, I use this solemn time to pray more intentionally for all the heartache, divisiveness, natural disaster, fear, and uncertainty in our world today. 

Before we begin Lent, however, we celebrate Mardi Gras like we have for years. Nothing fancy. Just a special meal, a few festive decorations, and a delicious dessert. This year, I tried a new recipe that was a huge hit! I will leave the link below. Madison brought the most fantastic cornbread, and Peyton added the best King Cake ever. 

And today, all that is packed away, and our kitchen table holds only this as a reminder of the Lenten season and what it means to us.

Have a cozy Wednesday, my friends.

If you are in the path of the snowstorm, be safe and warm.

And see you back here Friday!

Billie Jo

New Orleans Gumbo

( I put half the amount of cayenne pepper it called for, and it had a little kick! )

Fish Fry Friday

 

Good Friday morning, my friends! As you can see, our annual visitors have returned, indicating that spring is not far behind. Although I know that March and even April in Pennsylvania can sometimes bring winter's last hurrah. I can't say that makes me unhappy, though. One last cozy snow? I'll take it.

Tuesday, we celebrated Mardi Gras together. This year we had pancakes, and the kitchen was filled with all kinds of activity and fun! Nicolas even made Danish pancakes called Pandekager, and they were delicious! If you want to try them, just click HERE! They were a big hit!

Tonight we begin our Lenten tradition of Fish Fry Fridays. Our very favorite fish fry is and will always be at our local parish, headed by our friend and pastor, Fr. Ross. We have yet to find one that we like as much, so we plan to take the short ride for our favorite a few times. Do you have fish fry during Lent, where you live? I'd love to know!

Have a cozy weekend, my friends. I have not been around to visit lately but will soon! Thanks for reading. Keeping Ukraine and our world in prayer,

Billie Jo

There's More To Lent Than Fish Fry

Mardi Gras And Ash Wednesday

Just For Fun. Ash Wednesday Edition

And strategically plan our meals so we can eat the big one as late as possible, crave a big juicy burger from Wendy's even though we wouldn't eat one the other 364 days of the year, go to bed earlier than usual because we are starving five minutes after dinner, and dream of what we are going to eat first thing Thursday morning.

Have a good Ash Wednesday, friends!

P.S. You have seen Mean Girls, right????

Our Lenten Plans 2019

Lent? Yep. Wednesday begins the season of Lent and our preparation for Easter. Some years I plan and type out elaborate schedules. Some years I don't. This is one of the latter years. Simplifying our plans and goals takes the pressure off and will hopefully result in a more successful Lent for us all. 

Not Your Average Wednesday

Not sure if I should wish you a blessed Ash Wednesday or a Happy Valentine's Day...

Maybe both?!

However you are celebrating...or commemorating...today, I hope you are happy and healthy.

And are enjoying a piece of chocolate with ashes on your forehead. 

A Little Lenten Tea

Tuesday afternoon the kids and I took some time to sit down, pray the Rosary, and enjoy some treats together. I treasure these moments with my children. Time passes so quickly, and it is in these moments it seems to slow down, if only for a bit.

I set the table with the "good" dishes.

Don't save them for special days.

Every day is special. : )

I brought the Lenten centerpiece out onto the kitchen table for the remainder of Lent...

And then I set out the Rosaries.

We made little pretzel snacks...

And Place and Bake cookies.

And Peyton made this amazing raspberry coffee cake!

It is delicious.

After we prayed, we visited and enjoyed our snacks.

And each other.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I was the only one actually drinking tea at this little tea party. 

The remainder of the guests enjoyed Tropical Punch Kool-Aid. : )

Tuna Stuffed Peppers...A New Lenten Favorite

Alright. Stay with me here. I know. I know. Tuna Stuffed Peppers? But they are really, really good! And they are a nice addition to our Lenten meals. I actually found the recipe...where else? On a package of StarKist Tuna. : )

Tuna Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1. 1 Pack Chunk Light Tuna in Water (11 oz. )
2. 6 peppers, red, green, or yellow
3. 1 cup chopped onion
4. 1 garlic clove, minced
5. 1 Tbsp. olive oil
6. 1/2 tsp. oregano
7. 1 tsp. parsley
8. 1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
9. Salt and Pepper
10. 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cut tops off peppers and clean out each one.
2. Cut stem from the top of each one and discard stem.
3. Dice remaining pepper from each top.
4. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
5. Stir in onions, garlic, and diced pepper.
6. Cook until onions and peppers are soft, about 5 minutes.
7. Add oregano, parsley, salt and pepper, tuna and rice.
8. Mix to blend well.
9. Stuff peppers.
10. Place in greased 8x8 square baking dish.
11. Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) for 15 or 20 minutes.
12. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes more to melt the cheese.
13. Enjoy!

Stirring some veggies in olive oil...

Adding everything else!

Easy, right?

Stuffing these pretty  things...

Adding the best part yet...Cheese!

And back in they go...

Until they look like this!!!!

We served them with garlic toast and applesauce.

Also, cook peppers as long as you want to desired tenderness.

Hope you like them!

Lent 2017

Lent begins today, and our Lenten plans are complete. This year I decided to simplify. I tend to change our plans from year to year, tweaking and reevaulating as needed. This year I chose to keep it simple and focus on the basics of this solemn time of preparation.

May you all have a Blessed Lent, my friends.

Our Lenten Plans 2016

Lent is here, and we are ready. I am thankful to Lacy over at Catholic Icing for sharing these ideas and printables. : ) Here is what our Lent looks like  this year...

A  simple grapevine wreath with toothpicks added to represent the thorns...

With a basket of prayer intention and sacrifice papers nearby.

I actually combined two of Lacy's ideas here. The children can choose to write a prayer intention or sacrifice here, and then remove a toothpick (thorn) from the wreath.

The sacrifice egg sheets for Flynn are from her Religion book...

And these Catholic Icing pintables are helpful for both Flynn and the older kids.

This little lady was so excited to get her ashes...

and then just as excited for the fish fry after. : )

In addition, Our plans include praying The Stations of the Cross as a family on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and praying The Rosary as a family every Sunday of Lent. I am also planning on a Lenten tea and making pretzels together. I have high hopes...and good intentions!

Have a fruitful and blessed Lent, my friends. : )

Thursday Thoughts

Today I'm thinking about...


...Lent. And how it is here again. As I thought about how to make this a meaningful Lent, I recalled a conversation I had with a wonderful priest a few years ago. When I confided in him that I felt that my prayer life was not what it used to be, that I felt as if it were suffering...he gave me some wonderful words to ponder. He told me that we all have stages in our lives. This stage of my life...as a wife and mother to young children...is a blessed time. It will not last forever. If I am spending the moments in my day caring for and providing for and loving on my family...that IS prayer. He suggested that when I awake in the morning, I say a prayer to offer my works of service...the works of love...to God. And if that is all I do...it is enough. More than enough.

I was so thankful for that. I turn to those words...not as an excuse to do less...but as a validation that what I'm doing is a reflection of what is in my heart and soul. It is my intent to have a good Lent...and a good, strong prayer life. I won't waste time worrying about the fact that what I am doing is not good enough. 

This Lent we will read a daily devotion in the schoolroom, and we will pray the Stations of the Cross as a family on Wednesday evenings. And I feel good about that. : )

Here is how we spent the night before Lent began...celebrating Mardi Gras!

We gathered our supplies...I always purchase online from Party City...

 

 

and decorated the table.

 

 

We jumped for joy when Grandma Margaret came...

 

 

and wore the Mardi Gras masks little Flynn picked out!

 

 

Love this one. : )

 

 

We feasted on Jambalaya and cornbread. Peyton did it again!

 

 

And we enjoyed the individual King Cakes we made too. : )

 

 

It was a wonderful Mardi Gras celebration all the way up here in snowy, cold Pa! : )

 

 

Have a blessed Lent and a cozy weekend!

Thanks for visiting!