Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...April 6, 2009

Outside my window... a fresh layer of snow is blanketing the earth. We had such a dry winter, with almost no snow to speak of. Now, it seems, we are getting caught up -- every few days we get some white fluff falling from the sky.

I am thinking...about the busy, busy week ahead:

*finish menu planning; grocery shopping twice (once for nonperishables and later in the week for the Easter ham and perishable vegetables/fruits)

*cleaning the house; making room in our dining space for putting the leaf in our table, plus room for the kiddie table

*preparing for an out-of-town guest who will be here for 10 days (this involves changing up the menus for the next couple of weeks...I don't think our guest would be too pleased with our standard fare of breakfast night and fend-for-yourself night! ;) Plus, there are diet restrictions involved, so it requires more planning ahead on my part)

*Decorating the house for Easter; dye the eggs; do some special Easter crafts

I am thankful for...My wonderful Mom who, even though she's only supposed to bring a vegetable dish for Easter dinner, will probably show up with half a dozen other things to help me out! She is just the kind of person who gives and gives and gives. She is always trying to lessen my load by taking on more than she should. I love her so, so much.

From the kitchen...an assortment of almond flour muffins: apple-cinnamon, banana-walnut, and blackberry. Plus, some Vanilla Honey Chamomile tea on the side! Dinner is...undecided. I'm lost without my menu plan (I took it off the fridge for some reason, and now I can't find it).

I am wearing...a purple turtleneck sweater, black sweats, cozy black socks and slippers.

I am creating...a Montessori practical life activity involving felt squares and buttons. My daughter eagerly tries to button her shirts, but it is very hard to do once the shirt is on her body and she's looking down at it from an awkward angle. Isn't it amazing what we, as adults, take for granted? Anyway, I saw a wonderful way to help her practice buttoning without the struggle. I'll post some pictures on it this week (ha! if I actually get around to it this week I'll be shocked!).

I am going...to finish this post and hop to it! Lots to be done and staring at it all isn't going to make it go away!

I am hoping...to sew some Easter placemats and a runner for the dining table. If I can't get to it, then I'm hoping to find some pretty Easter placemats on sale this week.

I am hearing...Roo sniffling (ugh! When is this cold virus going to leave us alone?), Rascal is playing quietly by himself (Yay! We are making so much progress in this area!!). The heat is humming and Frank Sinatra is on the radio.

Around the house...washing bed linens and opening a few windows -- even though the air is so chilly. You know when there has been sickness (thankfully just Spring colds, in our case) in the house and you want to get rid of that stale, germy air? Yep, that's what I aim to do this morning.

One of my favorite things... when my 3 1/2 year old daughter helps me go around the house and find things to donate to Vietnam Veterans of America, for a pick-up scheduled later in the week. I love her generous nature (even though most of the items she chose to give away belonged to her brother!)

A few plans for the rest of the week: see my "I am thinking..." answer above! ;)

Here is picture thought I am sharing... we went to a farm and there were about a dozen new lambs (all about 1 month old and already so big). You wouldn't know it by this picture, but they were bleating and kicking up their heels all over the pasture. What a hoot to watch! And look how woolly they are!

*Please swing by Peggy's place to read what many, many wonderful women are up to this Monday morning*

In Your Easter Bonnet (and your Easter basket)...

Ah, I love filling the Easter baskets. It's the Easter version of the stocking. At Christmas, I spend a good deal of time and energy coming up with neat and surprising stocking stuffers. I try to do the same for my Easter baskets.

While I'm not completely opposed to giving my children sweets and chocolate, I do try to minimize the amount they consume (of course right now Roo is the only one who gets sweets, as Rascal is still exclusively breastfed). It is definitely a treat, not an everyday indulgence. Usually, my daughter's "treat" is a slice of whatever dessert I've made for everyone at the family gathering (for Easter, Christmas, or birthdays, etc.) rather than store-bought candy to mark the occasion.

I tend to focus on finding non-edible, useful, fun gifts. Here are a few peeks at what I'm planning on this year:

I love these twig colored pencils from http://www.atoygarden.com/ :

As a child, I loved getting fresh art supplies. I wish they had something like these back in the day. Maybe it's the twig component, or the the bouquet of Easter colors, but these pencils just scream "Spring" to me.

I also adored the Little Golden Books when I was young. While I do have several of the classics from my childhood (thanks, Mom, for saving them!) to introduce to my children, I've been filling in the gaps by buying them through Amazon. For Easter, I picked up this one:

and this one:

At just $2.99 each, I can't pass them up! While I find plenty to love about the many modern books I've bought for my children, reading these Little Golden Books transports me back in time. The quaint illustrations, the text, everything about them is a gift that I am so pleased to share with my own kids.

Lately, my daughter can't build enough tents, houses, caves, and tunnels. We've been getting by with strategic draping of blankets and stacking pillows. But, I sense the need for something more dependable and sturdy (understandably, she gets so upset when her "roof" caves in after she's worked so hard to build her elf house). These wooden play clips should do the trick!

As I've stated in previous posts, I have a fondness for birds and squirrels. So, at Joann Fabrics I picked up these cuties put out by the Audubon Society:

All of their plush animals have authentic calls that are emitted by a squeeze of their soft bellies. To keep the robin from getting lonely, I bought him a friendly squirrel whose realistic chatter is sure to get the attention of our real squirrel pals just outside our back door.

To round out the baskets, I have stickers, glitter glue, and watercolor paints. I'll also be stuffing in some needed items like new socks, underwear, and "bug" dishes, like these:

Also at Joann's, I came across these itty bitty pop-up books:





One is nursery rhymes and the other is forest animals (each page has some educational tidbits about the featured animal on that page). We got a pop-up Christmas card from someone last year and Roo played with it so much (open, close, open, close, open....you get the idea) that it fell apart. So, she should love these books. And if they fall apart (or shall I say when they fall apart), it won't be a big deal because I got them out of the dollar bin!!

Looking over this post, I realize it may look like I bought a lot of "stuff" for the Easter baskets. But, most of the items are things I would have bought anyway -- either for educational value or because we needed it. If there is something that my child needs, that I would be buying regardless of the holiday, why not put it in the Easter basket as a "gift?" Believe it or not, my daughter gets quite excited by new socks. So, in essence, they make a great (and practical) "gift." And because I think reading, art, and creative play are some of the most important parts of childhood, I can justify buying items that fit into these categories. I do try to limit buying "stuff" for stuff's sake. I abhor cheap plastic "filler" items. I try to stick with useful, quality products.

As for my husband, he's happy with some Peeps, a chocolate bunny, and a great meal. So easy to please!

So, along with Mass, breakfast, Easter egg hunts, and a fancy dinner with all of our loved ones...it should be a beautiful celebration! Only one week to go (and it's going to be a busy one)!

Breakfast the Night Before

On holiday mornings, I like to serve a hearty, satisfying breakfast. Preferably one that has been all but cooked the night before. Who wants to spend a festive morning in the kitchen while the rest of the family is enjoying the day in the next room?

So, here is a recipe that I made last year on Easter morning. A sausage and cheese strata. I think it's nice to serve something with a little protein on a day that will be infused with sugar. Of course, you might be thinking that the fat and carbs loaded into this dish are hardly a way to balance out all the sugar intake of Easter. You would be right. But it's sooo good. And I don't even like sausage! If you feel you must round out the meal with something a bit more healthy, serve it with a nice big bowl of fruit: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and melon or kiwi might be nice. That's what I did last year. And it almost made up for the handfuls (bagfuls??) of these that I inhaled that day:

Oh, Cadbury. First you had me with your Creme eggs, and now these addictive little nuggets!

But, back to the strata. Here is the recipe. Hope you like it!

Sausage and Cheese Strata

NOTE: This makes TWO 2-quart dishes. Divide ingredients by half if you only want to make 1 8x8 (or 9x9) square pan of strata. But it's so good that it disappears fast. I made only 1 8x8 last year and I wished I had made two!

10 cups French bread cubes (about 1/2 inch size)

12 oz. cooked smoked sausage links, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained (can use fresh if you prefer)

1 cup green sweet bell pepper, chopped

6 oz. (equals about 1 1/2 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz. (about 1 cup) Monterey jack cheese, shredded

7 beaten eggs

3 1/2 cups milk

2 Tbsp snipped chives

1 Tbsp snipped fresh oregano OR 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Divide half of the bread cubes between 2 greased 2-quart casserole baking dishes. Top with sausage, mushrooms, and sweet pepper. Sprinkle with cheeses. Place remaining bread cubes on top.

Combine eggs, milk, chives, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pour half of the mixture over each baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 2-24 hours (yay! Your work is finished. Now all you have to do is pop it in the oven tomorrow morning!).

Bake in a 325 degree oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes. (Now go hunt for those Easter baskets and munch on some chocolate while you're waiting!)

Check for doneness by inserting a knife in the center. Like a cake, it should come out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving it up!

Only for Today

I am a firm believer in taking life one day at a time. By nature, I think way too much. Or, more accurately, I over-think the small, insignificant matters of life. I get ahead of myself and worry about all that is beyond my control, wondering how I am going to handle x,y, and z. Within the past year, given certain circumstances, I have had to remind myself to focus only on today, and let tomorrow take care of itself. More importantly, I need to remind myself that, ultimately, God will take care of all my todays and tomorrows. That's why I was immediately drawn to this on Elizabeth's site:

Only for Today
Decalogue for Daily Living

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.

8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life. Bl. Pope John XXIII

I have been meaning, since the beginning of Lent, to print this up and put it somewhere prominent so that I may remember to read it at the start of each day (and then again during the day when certain, inevitable challenges come up). I haven't done it yet. But I will. Holy Week is coming up. And better late than never, I say. Beyond Easter, maybe this will gain a spot of permanence in my home, as its message isn't seasonal, but life-long. I need help remembering to live in "today" mode.

How's that saying, "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why its called the present."

Maybe this decalogue will be like my thank you note to God for my gift.

Bliss in a Carton

I've stumbled across a little bit of lusciousness in the form of rice milk ice cream. You read that right, RICE MILK ice cream! I'm no stranger to the non-dairy ice cream case. I've tried soy, coconut milk, and other rice milk products and they have all left a bad taste in my mouth (literally!).

But, the makers of Good Karma Organic Rice Divine ice cream will be having some good karma following them after creating the goodness that is their "Mudd Pie." If my eyes were closed and I tasted this yumminess, I'd never guess that is was not the real deal. It actually tastes like honest-to-goodness, full-fat, milky, creamy, ice cream! And did I mention the chunks of chocolate cookie sprinkled throughout? Oh my! Plus, as if the good taste wasn't enough reason to buy it, eating Good Karma even supports green farming. Love that.

Someone finally got the non-dairy, gluten-free ice cream right on! Thank goodness. Because sometimes a girl just has to have some ice cream. With summer not far off, I see a lot of Good Karma in my future!

So, that's where I found my snippet of sunshine today. Where's yours? :)

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY March 30, 2009...

Outside my window...the ground is muddy as all the snow from last week's blizzard has already melted away. It's only a matter of time before Roo notices it too and wants to go outside and dig in it. Hmm....maybe I should keep the blinds and curtains closed today! ;)

But, as I have started typing, the snow has started to fall. The wind is picking up and the birds and squirrels are scurrying around the feeders. They're probably thinking that they better fill up before another blizzard hits! Fortunately, the forecast only calls for 3-6 inches.

I am thinking...about some home improvement projects I'd like to do. Some are small (like paint the playroom shelves a fun color) and some are large, time-consuming, and messy (like sand down, prime, and paint the tiles surrounding the fireplace). My husband would probably prefer that I spend time on more significant home improvement projects like making dinner and putting the laundry away (so he doesn't have to dig through the basket for clean socks). :)

I am thankful for...my husband's job. Three people were laid off at his company last week, so that is always unsettling. Certainly makes you grateful for having an income, incoming!

From the kitchen...something with chicken, as it was buy one, get one. I have recently discovered a food blog called dinner's on me. The varied selection guarantees that I will find a recipe (or 20) that I want to try. Her pictures make me drool!

I am wearing...red sweatpants with a white stripe down the side and a dark green chenille, long sleeve sweater. I look like Christmas, which I guess is only fitting given the blowing snow whipping around outside.

I am creating...several new notebooks to organize my thoughts into certain genres. Right now I have a spiral bound notebook that I use to jot down various thoughts and to-do's. There is no rhyme or reason to my current notebook, so everything is all jumbled together. I can never find the page I'm looking for, and I waste huge amounts of time flipping the pages until I come across what I need. I need to categorize my thoughts and numerous lists into separate notebooks. Pretty notebooks are a must, so I will need to doctor plain notebooks with cute paper, stamps, or stickers. Of course, I already have a Homemaking Notebook in progress that I started over a year ago after seeing so many of them on other blogs. Maybe I should focus on fine-tuning that one instead?

I am going... to stretch my food budget this week...no more quick runs to the store for "just a couple of things," because I always come home with several bags of those "couple of things!!" I will shop from my own freezer and pantry this week.

I am reading... It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh. I'm hoping it will give me the nudge I need to get rid of some things I've been holding on to for several reasons (but none of them valid enough to justify keeping the stuff).

I am hoping...to finalize my Easter menu this week. I have a vague idea about what I'd like to serve, but I still need to hammer out the small details: like Easter breakfast, side dishes to Easter dinner, and of course, dessert. As I said, just small details!

I am hearing...the heat just kicked on. Rascal is "talking" to the snowflakes falling. Roo is reciting lines from the book Up Above and Down Below.

Around the house...wiping down and sanitizing all surfaces today. We've had a cold making the rounds in our house as of late, and I'm on the warpath against germs!

One of my favorite things...snuggling on the couch with my daughter and a huge stack of new library books.

A few plans for the rest of the week: a visit with a specialist at Children's Hospital, a playdate with my sister and her son, drop off some items at the children's consignment store, write a thank you note to my aunt for a lovely card and gift she sent last week.

Here is picture thought I am sharing... the flurry at the feeder while the flurries fall from the sky!

Visit Peggy's site for the links to more Daybook reflections!

Not for the birds...

I love when useful meets cute!! I came across this pincushion at JoAnn's the other day. I already have 2 pincushions, so I put it back on the shelf after admiring it longingly. But when I realized that everything else I was buying was already on sale, I had an unused 40% off coupon in my hand. Back to the pincushion shelf I went and snatched this birdhouse without hesitation. I love birds and I love sewing (usually!). To have the two combined makes me so happy. Plus, the little roof comes off and there is a small storage space inside! Too adorable. Maybe this little addition to my sewing table will draw me back into the habit of creating (and away from the computer a little more often).


So, that's where I found my snippet of sunshine today. Where's yours? :)