Mary's Muse

Still in That Holiday Spirit

A veritable sleep fort.

Looks like the Coliseum.

How Many Ways Can You Say JOY?

From my creative Miss Responsibility to our friends.  She's hooked on making these. 

 

Cookie Baking

It's a messy job, but somebody had to do it!

Soup Wednesday

Today's meal isn't exactly soup.  It's meatless chili, which the whole family enjoys.  Following is the original recipe from "Light & Tasty," a Taste of Home magazine.

Mexican Bean n' Barley Chili

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 green & red pepper, chopped

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

3/4 cup quick-cooking barley

2 cups water

1 can chili beans in sauce, undrained

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can vegetable broth

2 cans chopped green chilies

2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in oil for 2 minutes.  Stir in the peppers and cook 3-4 minutes longer, until tender.  Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring toa boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until barley is tender.

To adapt this to our family, we eliminate the peppers (we only like them fresh), the barley (because I'm gluten intolerant), and the sauce (we like a more brothy texture to our chili).   We use water instead of vegetable broth.  And we use what beans are on hand, which usually means kidney, in place of the pinto beans.  Pinto beans are already present in the chili beans with chili sauce.  I would recommend that you don't replace the black beans. They have a wonderful flavor all their own.  We also double the recipe.  And it goes fast!

You Know You're Getting Old When ...

... someone else's excitement wears you out!

 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

 

One of These Things is NOT Like the Others

 
 

Watching the Weather and Seasons

Yesterday, it was nearing, if not at, 60.  Kids were all over helping me clear spaces in garden areas, move perennial geraniums, and plant a few new things, one of which was a Lenten Rose that waited for weeks in a pot for me to plant.  The dirt you'll notice on the bowing flowers is due to a hard rain last night that splashed up on them.  I have a certain attachment to this plant that I don't have with others.  It boasts an understated beauty and even its placement is low key.  It is how I imagine Jesus was in life.  Quiet, almost hidden, but attracting attention as a result of the beauty radiating from within, just the same.  I also had a need to plant this during Lent.

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Today, we're under a hard freeze watch.  I hope this makes it through any freeze we might have in the next week or so.  And then, I hope that's the end of the freezes for about 8 months.

Today, if time permits, we'll be making our customary Lenten pretzels.  I have to work on a gluten free dough for mine.  We'll read two more Lent picture books.  I don't think we have the right kind of egg cartons to make caterpillars this year.  But we do have to work on do-a-dot butterflies for our windows one day soon.

Arising from the Ashes

 

 

St. Joseph Day Reprise

So here's how our recipes were different from the recipes I referenced in my last post. 

First, I have my own version of breading, to include gluten free corn flake crumbs, romano cheese, dried oregano, dried parsley and a bit of pepper.  I set up an assembly line where I have a bowl of olive oil, a bowl of breading mixture, and then a casserole dish in which to finally place the oiled, breaded fish.  Then I baked those fish at 350 for about 15 minutes.

The shrimp was delicious, but instead of grilling it, my husband sauteed it.

I was *not* thrilled with how the gluten free corn flour, said to be a good breading flour, stuck to the squid.  Will not do that again. :o/

Because I was searching for fava beans in the 11th hour, there were no fava beans to be found.  We substituted edamame beans.  We combined four green onions and probably about 1/4 of a purple onion.  And we added oregano to the cumin.  Shockingly, this was the hit of the entire meal.

All in all, I think St. Joseph was pleased with our efforts. 

St. Joseph Feast Day Feast

 

Off My Plate offers two St. Joseph Feast Day Feast (this actually worked very well last year, when St. Joseph's feast day fell on a Friday).  The baccala mysteriously reminds me of Strega Nona ... I wonder why? ;o)  Below are some simple renderings of stick puppets we use every year, with different children hiding behind the couch representing the different characters of Merry Christmas, Strega Nona.

 

Here's some general advice from St. Joseph Medal.  Maybe we will go meatless this year, even though St. Joseph's feast day falls on a Saturday.  I love the idea of baccala, shrimp on the grill, and calamari.  I think we'll skip the sardines.  Fava beans, said to have saved the Sicilians from starvation in the middle ages, are a must.  Looks like I have my work cut out for me today.