This sweet book just arrived in time for the Fourth of July! It'll make a nice addition to our summer books.
Happy reading!
Patty
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Happy reading!
Patty
St. Junipero Serra
I found this old book last spring on Amazon through a third party. St Junipero Serra has been canonized less then 2 years! His feast day is coming up, July 1.
This godly man did SO much for the poor Indians in California, fighting for them so that they'd have a decent standard of living. He wrote the first "Bill of Rights" for the Indians. He is also, "in a large part, responsible for the foundation and spread of the Church on the west coast."
You can read (or listen to) his story here and here.
St. Junipero Serra, pray for us!
~ Patty ~
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This godly man did SO much for the poor Indians in California, fighting for them so that they'd have a decent standard of living. He wrote the first "Bill of Rights" for the Indians. He is also, "in a large part, responsible for the foundation and spread of the Church on the west coast."
You can read (or listen to) his story here and here.
St. Junipero Serra, pray for us!
~ Patty ~
Easy Lemon Raspberry Truffles
Miss Mabel's Summer Baking Bucket List is tasting SO good!! She got together with her friend, and the two of them made these delicious, Easy Lemon Raspberry Truffles.
Ingredients:
1 (15.25 oz) package Lemon Oreo cookies
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 lb vanilla almond bark
1 tsp lemon extract
30-35 raspberries
Directions:
1. Grind the Lemon Oreos to make a fine powder. (You can use a food processor.). Mix the Oreo crumbs with the cream cheese, stir until well-combined.
2. Scoop out a tbsp of the mixture and wrap around a raspberry, shaping into a ball to completely surround the raspberry in the center.
3. Once all the balls are ready, place them in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. This will make them easier to dip.
4. When ready to dip, melt the almond bark in a glass bowl in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until smooth and fully melted. Mix in the lemon extract.
5. Dip each ball into the melted almond bark and then place on wax paper to set. If desired, sprinkle some decorative sprinkles on top while the almond bark is still wet.
6. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
~ Patty ~
Fudgy, Homemade Brownies from Scratch
My dear Miss Mabel continues to bake and cook up a storm in the kitchen this summer. Recently, she made this delicious recipe of fudgy, homemade brownies after her daddy requested some homemade, chocolatey goodness ;)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup boxing water
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup flour
2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13" baking dish and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Stir in the boiling water until the mixture is smoothened thick.
3. Stir in the sugar and eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup melted butter. Stir in the vanilla and salt until just smooth.
4. Dump in the flour and chocolate chips at the same time and stir until just combined.
5. Spread the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the pan. (Always better to under-bake than to over-bake brownies!)
6. Cool completely in the pan. (Brownies freeze great for later if there are leftovers!)
We never have leftover brownies in our house! ha ha!
Enjoy!!
~ Patty ~
Take Me Back in Time This Summer (Week 3)
I cannot tell you how incredibly liberating and healthy it has been to keep our month of June free and clear! We have continued to just be and leave room for good, old-fashioned spontaneity to seep in each day.
This past week we have filled our summer spontaneity bucket with ::
* Miss Mabel having fun in the kitchen
* evening swims
* visiting an old park that is one of our city's gems just to splash in the water
* ice skating
* Dairy Queen blizzards
* Sonic Happy Hour (Slushies)
* retail therapy (Tuesday Morning finds consisted of a new baking pan, bar of soap, and candle)
* more baking
* walks
* bike repair
* ice cream at the pool
* and ice cream (sonic half price shakes) after the pool when David and Stan the man were gone
* Dads Night Out
****David and his good buddy host a dads night twice a year. The prepared and served brisket and surf n' turf last night. All the dads, their Catholic faith as the common thread, really enjoy the gatherings. David said, "There was only 16 who gathered this time." Umm...I think 16 grown men is a BIG number to cook and prepare food for.****
Spontaneous Summer Bucket (Week 1)
Spontaneous Summer Bucket (Week 2)
~ Patty ~
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This past week we have filled our summer spontaneity bucket with ::
* Miss Mabel having fun in the kitchen
* evening swims
* visiting an old park that is one of our city's gems just to splash in the water
* ice skating
* Dairy Queen blizzards
* Sonic Happy Hour (Slushies)
* retail therapy (Tuesday Morning finds consisted of a new baking pan, bar of soap, and candle)
* more baking
* walks
* bike repair
* ice cream at the pool
* and ice cream (sonic half price shakes) after the pool when David and Stan the man were gone
* Dads Night Out
****David and his good buddy host a dads night twice a year. The prepared and served brisket and surf n' turf last night. All the dads, their Catholic faith as the common thread, really enjoy the gatherings. David said, "There was only 16 who gathered this time." Umm...I think 16 grown men is a BIG number to cook and prepare food for.****
Spontaneous Summer Bucket (Week 1)
Spontaneous Summer Bucket (Week 2)
~ Patty ~
Take Me Back in Time This Summer (Week 2)
This past week we filled our Spontaneity Bucket with ~
* new pajama shopping for myself. (What a treat!)
* someone got her ears double pierced. (Sarah's bucket list)
* spending time with another teen daughter on her lunch break
* woke up one morning and said, "Let's go to the lake for a couple of hours."
* enjoying these from our garden
* entertained by Miss Mabel as she created her Queen of Hearts costume for a mystery dinner party
* special snacks (created by Ester for co-workers)
* pie and ice cream for dinner (What time is it?? It's summertime!)
* Swimming. Lots and lots of swimming.
* naps after swimming
* staying up late watching movies
* early morning walks
* praying the Rosary on those morning walks
We are really enjoying filling up of summer bucket. Beside the pool party, we have embraced the down time and spontaneity. Looking forward to seeing what week #3 has in store for us!
Spontaneous Summer Bucket List - Week 1
Spontaneous Summer Bucket List - Week 3
~ Patty ~
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* new pajama shopping for myself. (What a treat!)
* someone got her ears double pierced. (Sarah's bucket list)
* spending time with another teen daughter on her lunch break
* woke up one morning and said, "Let's go to the lake for a couple of hours."
* enjoying these from our garden
* entertained by Miss Mabel as she created her Queen of Hearts costume for a mystery dinner party
* special snacks (created by Ester for co-workers)
* pie and ice cream for dinner (What time is it?? It's summertime!)
* Swimming. Lots and lots of swimming.
* naps after swimming
* staying up late watching movies
* early morning walks
* praying the Rosary on those morning walks
We are really enjoying filling up of summer bucket. Beside the pool party, we have embraced the down time and spontaneity. Looking forward to seeing what week #3 has in store for us!
Spontaneous Summer Bucket List - Week 1
Spontaneous Summer Bucket List - Week 3
~ Patty ~
His Baptism Birthday
With all the craziness going on, Stan's Baptism birthday came and went without much fanfare. It was actually the same day as Miss Mabel's Confirmation. We did look at photos of his Baptism day (he was SUCH a cute baby), but I had forgotten to pick up a small, faith-based gift to give to him. I told him I'd do that at another time.
So the other day...
It's a true story, a narrative, based on the Acts of the Apostles (written for children).
These small, faith-based gifts add up quickly over the years, arming the kids with tools to continue growing in their faith and knowing how to defend their Catholic faith.
It's is a rare occasion that we purchase a faith-based gift that is not Catholic. So every Bible (did you know that Protestants have a different Bible?), prayer card, and almost every book we gift them with is Catholic. Our thoughts on this are simple: why try to teach them their Catholic faith from a resource that is not Catholic?
He really likes this book! I plan to read it when he's finished. (You are never to old to learn something new!)
~ Patty ~
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So the other day...
It's a true story, a narrative, based on the Acts of the Apostles (written for children).
These small, faith-based gifts add up quickly over the years, arming the kids with tools to continue growing in their faith and knowing how to defend their Catholic faith.
It's is a rare occasion that we purchase a faith-based gift that is not Catholic. So every Bible (did you know that Protestants have a different Bible?), prayer card, and almost every book we gift them with is Catholic. Our thoughts on this are simple: why try to teach them their Catholic faith from a resource that is not Catholic?
He really likes this book! I plan to read it when he's finished. (You are never to old to learn something new!)
~ Patty ~
A Pool Party Fit for a Lifeguard!
Last Sunday, Miss Ester celebrated her Sweet 16th with a fun pool party! (She turned Sweet 16 last March.). We had this party planned for some time and it wrapped up our insanely busy spring.
She did not want to exclude anyone, so she waited until summertime when we could rent a city pool, the perfect spot for a bunch of teenagers to have fun and stay cool at the same time!
And since Miss Ester is a lifeguard...
We had a lifeguard-themed pool party!
It was so much fun!
* Waves of Blue cupcake wrappers found on Etsy, here.
* Lifeguard (fondant) cupcake toppers found on Etsy, here.
* Shark fins - Oreo cookies cut with a serrated knife ;)
* Neon cupcake wrappers found on Etsy, here.
* Neon cupcake toppers found on Etsy, here.
* Pool Party water bottle labels found on Etsy, here.
~ Patty ~
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She did not want to exclude anyone, so she waited until summertime when we could rent a city pool, the perfect spot for a bunch of teenagers to have fun and stay cool at the same time!
And since Miss Ester is a lifeguard...
We had a lifeguard-themed pool party!
It was so much fun!
* Waves of Blue cupcake wrappers found on Etsy, here.
* Lifeguard (fondant) cupcake toppers found on Etsy, here.
* Shark fins - Oreo cookies cut with a serrated knife ;)
* Neon cupcake wrappers found on Etsy, here.
* Neon cupcake toppers found on Etsy, here.
* Pool Party water bottle labels found on Etsy, here.
~ Patty ~
New Summer Book Additions
Last summer I created this summer book list.
For the past few weeks, we've been adding to that list with these.
I love books!
~ Patty ~
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For the past few weeks, we've been adding to that list with these.
I love books!
~ Patty ~
Easy Crumble Cherry Pie
My girl Mabel checked this off of her Summer Baking Bucket List.
This scrumptious recipe was a perfect beginner pie for someone just starting out.
Ingredients:
Crust -
1 frozen 9" deep pie crust (take out when preheating the oven)
Topping -
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp almond flavoring
1/2 cup butter (cold, cut into chunks)
2/3 cup of sugar
Filling -
1 (21 ox) can of cherry pie filling
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Stab the bottom of your pie crust with a fork about 5 random spots. After the frozen pie crust has sat out about 15 minutes, dump the pie filling into the crust.
2. Put crumb topping ingredients in a bowl and use a pastry blender or fork until the butter is crumbled and everything is mixed. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top of the cherry filling.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly around edges. If you want you can cover the edge of the crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning for the first 15 minutes of baking. You're looking for a golden brown crumble topping.
4. Let cool 30 minutes and enjoy!
~ Patty ~
reade more...
This scrumptious recipe was a perfect beginner pie for someone just starting out.
Ingredients:
Crust -
1 frozen 9" deep pie crust (take out when preheating the oven)
Topping -
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp almond flavoring
1/2 cup butter (cold, cut into chunks)
2/3 cup of sugar
Filling -
1 (21 ox) can of cherry pie filling
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Stab the bottom of your pie crust with a fork about 5 random spots. After the frozen pie crust has sat out about 15 minutes, dump the pie filling into the crust.
2. Put crumb topping ingredients in a bowl and use a pastry blender or fork until the butter is crumbled and everything is mixed. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top of the cherry filling.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly around edges. If you want you can cover the edge of the crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning for the first 15 minutes of baking. You're looking for a golden brown crumble topping.
4. Let cool 30 minutes and enjoy!
~ Patty ~
Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce
Another amazing recipe Miss Mabel recently made for dinner. This Chicken Enchiladas recipe is a welcome addition to our Mexican food round up!
When there are no left overs, you know it is a success ;)
Ingredients:
10 small, soft, flour tortillas
3 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (use a rotisserie chicken)
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese - shredded
3 tbsp butter
4oz can diced, green chillies
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine shredded chicken and 1 cup of cheese.
3. Fill tortillas with the mixture above and roll each one, then place them in a greased 9" x13" baking dish.
4. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
5. Stir flour into butter and whisk for 1 minute over heat.
6. Add broth and whisk together. Cook over heat until it's thick and bubbles up.
7. Take off heat and add in sour cream and chilies. (Be careful it's not too hot or the sour cream will curdle.)
8. Pour mixture over enchiladas and add remaining cheese to top.
9. Bake in oven for 20-23 minutes, then you will want to broil on high for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.
Enjoy!
~ Patty ~
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When there are no left overs, you know it is a success ;)
Ingredients:
10 small, soft, flour tortillas
3 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (use a rotisserie chicken)
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese - shredded
3 tbsp butter
4oz can diced, green chillies
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine shredded chicken and 1 cup of cheese.
3. Fill tortillas with the mixture above and roll each one, then place them in a greased 9" x13" baking dish.
4. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
5. Stir flour into butter and whisk for 1 minute over heat.
6. Add broth and whisk together. Cook over heat until it's thick and bubbles up.
7. Take off heat and add in sour cream and chilies. (Be careful it's not too hot or the sour cream will curdle.)
8. Pour mixture over enchiladas and add remaining cheese to top.
9. Bake in oven for 20-23 minutes, then you will want to broil on high for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.
Enjoy!
~ Patty ~