Quote of the Day

Ds#4

Do you want to know how I got brain damage?

DISCLOSURE : Ds#4 does NOT have brain damage (no matter how much Dave and I may joke about it) the remainder of the discussion entailed a large description of running fast and smacking his head on a wall.

Ds#3

...You might have brain damage, but you can still use your head...

to run into walls with?? I just kept laughing at the absurdity of this discussion, I didn't catch it all...

Recipe - My Mom's Lasagna

My Mom's Lasagna - I've tried easier recipes and cheaper recipes and more complicated recipes. This is still the best in my book!


24 oz Ricotta Cheese
32 oz Spaghetti Sauce, 4 C
3 ea Eggs
2 lb Hamburger, cooked
1/3 c Parmesean
6 oz Lasagna noodles, uncooked
6 oz Motzerella Cheese + 6 oz (Reserved for Top)
3/4 c Water
1 Pkg Frozen spinach, thawed & liquid squeezed out

When preparing lasagna for the freezer there's no need to precook the noodles. If you layer the cassserole with dry noodles ensuring your noodles are completely covered with sauce, the noodles will cook during the freezing and baking process absorbing the sauce.
Assembly Directions: In a large bowl mix cheese, eggs, & spinach if desired. In a seperate bowl mix hamburger & spaghetti sauce (sometimes I put cooked hamburger through the food processor for a finer consistency -- but I don't usually go to that work if it's just for us). In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, spread 3/4 cup meat sauce. Layer 3 noodles across and top with meat sauce. Spread 1/2 of cheese mixture (~2c) and 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce. Layer 3 more noodles on top of meat sauce. Spread remaining cheese mixture(~2c). Top with remaining 3 uncooked noodes and remaining meat sauce, then reserved motz. cheese. Pour water around edges.
Freezing Directions: Wrap pans completely with foil; twice. label and freeze.
Serving Directions: To thaw, take meal from freezer at least 24 hours before serving. Place in refrigerator. Bake tightly covered at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until edges are bubbly and center is hot. Take cover off during final 10 munites of cooking time. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To bake from frozen stage, add 30 minutes to total baking time.

I usually make 6 of these at a time and freeze in aluminum pans wrapped in foil. I served 30 people at a Christmas Party one year with these -- we had other food, too, but this was the main dish. I made 2 and we only ate 1 and every said how filling it was.

A sobering thought: what if, at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential? - Jane Wagner

Walking

The baby is taking a few steps together and everyone here is pretty excited!

Memory Awakens Hope

"Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church ’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope .…

It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."

Memory Awakens Hope by then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger , Seek That Which Is Above, 1986

What is a Jesse Tree

A friend sent me this question, so here's the answer :

Here is a post from my blog about it...
http://myhomeschool101.blogspot.com/2008/10/advent-jesse-tree.html


The idea comes from all the prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament. Advent is waiting for Jesus, just as all of the Old Testament was waiting for Jesus.

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,and a branch shall grow
out of his roots. Isaiah 11:1

There are many variations on which prophesies & symbols to choose.

• The ones for my older kids are more symbolic (The prophesy of the suffering servant Isaiah 53:4-7, 9, 12b: the cross, the prophesy of a new creation Isaiah 11:6-10: the lion and the lamb, etc.)
• The ones we chose this year are for the littler kids and less abstract. Just the people who were waiting for the Messiah. http://myhomeschool101.blogspot.com/2008/11/jesse-tree-ornaments.html

It's not that big of a deal if we miss a day. We just skip that one and go on. I just want them to get the idea that all of the Old Testament was waiting for Jesus.

I loved this post -- No Christmas?

FOCA letters to Indiana Senators

A friend sent this to me so as many people as possible could write to their senators to vote against FOCA.

I'm sure many of you have signed the e-petition against FOCA. I'm not sure how much pull e-petitions have with our elected officials. My Husband recently wrote these letters. I'm thinking if you want to copy them but change the personal information and sign them go ahead...we're sending ours out....feel free to forward them to pro life Indiana friends sharing the same views. These are our Indiana Senators. I thought having the letters ready to go might help some of you. I know it helps me.

Copy and paste this letter into a Word Document, changing the specifics for yourself. Then print off a second letter changing the Senator's address to :

Senator Evan Bayh
131 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Your name
Your address
Fort Wayne, IN 46804

December 10, 2008

Senator Richard G. Lugar
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1401

Dear Senator Lugar,

This letter is to urge you to vote against the Freedom of Choice Act. I strongly feel that this act, which President-elect Obama has pledged to sign into law, would be gravely detrimental to the well being of our country. It would overturn the reasonable restrictions on abortion enacted into law in many of our states and in Congress. Specifically, it would overturn the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, the Child Custody Protection Act, and the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, all of which you supported. It would also jeopardize the ability of hospitals and health care professionals to decline to perform abortions for conscientious reasons.

Senator, I am sure we all want to reduce the number of abortions. We cannot reduce the number of abortions, however, by removing all state and federal restrictions on abortion, restrictions which enjoy the support of a consensus of Americans. Again, I urge you to vote against the Freedom of Choice Act and even to support a Senate filibuster to keep the bill from being voted on.

Respectfully,

Your name and signature

Advent Tea

We've been trying to have a high tea each afternoon when we listen to & discuss the bible story of the day, put the corresponding ornament on the Jesse Tree and pray. It's been a fair amount of work, but really lovely. I'm amazed how well the children act when I hold them to a high standard of behavior for a short time (about 30 minutes). The boys have been especially quiet and still during tea and they both ask me if we'll have tea each day. I've given them tiny snacks (like 2 small cookies each), but made an effort to make it as pretty as possible. The biggest thing I've done is use our best china, which the kids have never used before. The flow-blue above is the kids great-great-great-grandmother's china. I'm so happy to share this moment in time with the heirs of all the people who have faithfully prayed and eaten off these dishes. It's added a very still, reverent and quiet dimension to our advent.

More Advent Tea

This is our wedding china. Advent Tea is not the most efficiently run part of our day, but it is very sweet and special (except for all the reminders of how to behave).

Quote of the Day

Mama

You know what blind means, don't you?

Ds#3

You don't have the use of your eyes.

Mama

What is deaf?

Ds#3

You don't have use of your ears.

Mama

What is dumb?

Ds#3

You don't have a brain.

Advent Reflection

This article was exceptional in explaining the importance of Advent. Dave and I have been discussing (disagreeing) on the importance of Advent within our Christmas preparations/celebrations ...or on the importance of Advent in place of our Christmas preparations/celebrations. We'll get it figured out. Since the line of balance changes from year to year (number of kids, age of kids, etc.) we need to renegotiate the balance occasionally. Also, since we're homeschooling, I have wonderful opportunities to put practices into place during the day, if I desire. I'm enjoying the quiet of Advent more and more with each passing year.

ADVENT ADVENTURE!!

THIS ROCKS!! You can sign up for a daily free e-mail that contains a full LOAD of activities for Advent each day M-Sat. FREEEEEE!!!!!
They have coloring pages you can print each day FOR FREE! Jesse Tree ornaments to print color & hang with a pieces of yarn PLUS the bible story to go with it! They have daily videos of kids praying and daily audio recordings of special feasts or saints for the day...crossword puzzles, word searches, .....and more!!!
WOW! I wouldn't have had to plan ANYTHING for Advent and this would have been an awesome Advent with this free product!!
Click the picture above to go to HolyHeroes.com and sign up for your FREE daily Advent Activities!!
EASY, complete and FREE! What a GREAT Advent present to moms!!