2.22.2012

Addicted to Facebook

So I'm trying to limit Facebook duing Lent because I am a little bit addicted to it. I don't really think I realized HOW addicted I was until today.

So I've allowed myself to check it and play the game I love morning and night. However, I've found that as soon as I'm the slightest bit bored ieither tab onto it or if I'm on my phone I click on it - without even realizing! Holy smokes! They should have a program for this thing.

Wish me luck.

2.21.2012

It's that time again!

Lent is around the corner (it's tomorrow, so really). For me, this means a lot of introspection and a LOT of sacrifices. Last year I gave up TV and it was really hard for me, so I've decided to take it a step further. I am giving up TV again, I am also giving up desserts and candy, along with limiting my FB time.

I think Lent is the perfect season to think about what really needs to change in your life - to make God the center of it. I know there is a lot of "noise" in this world today, things that distract us from religion and God. It is very hard to fight against the media and everything else, but I think once I cut it out I will have a larger sense of satisfaction than I do when I browse facebook for 2 hours.

A great article about Lent is here. You should read the article, but I'll post some of the ideas of things to sacrifice here:

Ideas for Adults


Fasting


Skip lunch one day a week.

Skip meat an extra day — or two — a week.

Give up alcoholic beverages — except in social situations where you would stand out otherwise; then have just one.

Give up soda — even diet soda.

Give up all desserts.

Don’t buy anything except groceries and absolute necessities.

Fast from listening to talk radio or music in the car.



Prayer


Begin — or begin again — the daily Rosary.

Meditate for 10 minutes a day — Magnificat offers a wonderful daily meditation.

Attend Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy devotions or Eucharistic adoration.

Start a nightly habit of spiritual reading. For example, one of these new books: Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, as well as Father Robert Barron’s Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith.

Read the Compendium of the Catechism (just four pages a day will allow you to finish it in Lent).



Almsgiving/Charity


Volunteer to deliver food to the poor.

Join the social-concerns committee at your parish.

Make a significant donation to a deserving charity with each Lenten paycheck.

Forgive someone, and tell him or her you want to patch things up.

Say a kind word to everyone you meet.

Pay one significant compliment — or more! — to each of your children every day.

Offer to watch the children of a new mother one day a week throughout Lent.

Visit an elderly friend or relative.



For Children and Teens


For younger folks, don’t be afraid of the adult ideas. But if none will work for you, try these:

Look for and address a need in your house every day.

Start asking, “Is there anything else I can do?” after you do what your parents ask.

Turn off your phone except for specific times at home.

Give up video games. Yes — entirely — throughout Lent (except Sundays!).

Send a note to each grandparent, aunt, uncle and godparent during Lent.

Make a new friend outside your “crowd.”

Be a friend to a shy person.

Give up that bad place, person or thing.

Choose a favorite toy, book or piece of clothing and put it away until Easter.


It's time to focus on what matters! Good luck to all of you :D

2.20.2012

Meal Planning Monday 2/20

Yum! I am making a few new recipes this week:

Monday: Easy Peasy Spaghetti and Salad
Tuesday: Crockpot Refried Beans (without the refry), and Chicken and Rice (we're making burritos!)
Wednesday: We are eating out with Austine's co-workers, I finally get to put some faces to names! It's also a no-meat day for us, so we get to see what the no-meat menu is like at Lazy Dog Cafe.
Thursday: Crockpot Beef Pot Roast
Friday: Skinny Macaroni and Spinach- I didn't make this last week so I just carried it over.
Saturday: Whole Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Mixed Veggies
Sunday: Either Chicken Soup, or some other variety of chicken something.

2.17.2012

Crockpot/Skillet Chicken Enchiladas

These are really awesome, but totally the lazy white person way of doing this! I took the recipe off a can of enchilada sauce, and tweaked it a bit for my own purposes.

What you will need:

1 can enchilada sauce
2 or 3 chicken breasts
12-16 corn tortillas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

I used my crockpot for this, and it turned out great. First, I put the breasts in my crockpot and poured the enchilada sauce over it. I added tomato sauce too to reduce the amount of seasoning because my husband has a sensitive stomach.




Let it cook on high 5 hours, or low 8 hours. Once it's done, shred the chicken in the sauce (I just press the chicken breasts against the side and they shred so easily!). Tear up the corn tortillas into bite size pieces. Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet (you can reduce it a little if you wish), add the tortilla pieces and coat with oil.


 Cook until they are floppy. Add to crockpot and mix in, sprinkle a layer of cheese on top. Cover and let sit about 5 minutes (so cheese is melted). Enjoy!

2.15.2012

Valentine's Day

So, I'm not really into it, which surprises a lot of people. Austine and I don't really exchange gifts. It really makes it easier in the long run- there's no frantic searching (cus really, isn't Christmas bad enough?!), no expectations, and no money spent (my favorite part). This year I did make a decent meal though. I figure if we were going to celebrate something, we would celebrate our relationship and spend some decent time together. I think I may have succumbed to going out, except I never want to pay for a babysitter. This probably explains why Austine and I haven't been out by ourselves in like 10 months. I digress, I made a really wonderful meal.
It was pretty darn simple, but pretty darn good too! We had New York Strip, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Salad, along with some wine. I marinated the strips in Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and wine overnight. Then I added our all time favorite Porterhouse seasoning on it before I broiled it (I overcooked it a little, it was medium well instead of medium rare). The garlic mashed potatoes were super easy too! I just crushed a clove into cooked potatoes, added whole milk and sour cream and mashed. They turned out great! I'm really glad I put some time into a meal for this. Rarely do we sit down at the table and eat...and I think we should make it more of a tradition. Especially once Ethan gets older, I feel it's very important for us to share our meals as a family, like I did when I was growing up.

2.13.2012

What's for dinner? 2/13

Monday: Chicken Soup with Dumplings
Tuesday: New York Strip, Salad, Potatoes (Lava cake as dessert)
Wednesday: Chicken Enchilada Skillet
Thursday: Beef Stir Fry
Friday: Macaroni & Cheese with Spinach
Saturday: Crockpot Chicken Thighs
Sunday: Chef Salad
I'm actually planning on doing a walkthrough on the dumplings, and skillet (which is super good and super easy!). Stay tuned!