Belated Easter

Due to the combination of many schedules, we celebrated our traditional Easter get-together with my family yesterday. It was so good to be with everyone again! We don't get to see my youngest brother as often, but that makes it even more special when we do. It's a full house with my parents, our family, Joe's family, Ryan and his girlfriend--and a lot of fun.



As always we enjoyed a delicious homemade meal. This year we had Chicken Cordon Bleu, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Succatash (limas and corn), Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad, Rolls, Fruit Salad, Coconut Cream and Lemon Sponge Pie...and of course Easter candy!

The kids hunted for their little baskets from Grandma & Grandpa, then for the eggs I had hidden in the basement. I personally think hiding them is the most fun! :-) The guys got involved in a few enthusiastic games of foosball and ping pong while the gals played with the kids and chatted. After that we walked next door to see the neighbor's 6 wk. old American Bulldog pups. Sooooo cute! The fresh air and sunshine felt wonderful, though it was still on the chilly side.




We spent most of the day together before heading our separate ways. The kids never really nap well, if at all, at these types of get-togethers. So we just power through it and make it an early evening.


As we were winding down from our busy day, I enjoyed watching the second half of the new Sense & Sensibility on PBS. I was the only one who stayed up to watch it, but it got me thinking that I'd like to add it to my Austen collection. I really liked it, though the Emma Thompson version is still a favorite.

This newer rendition stayed truer to the book and was a very realistic, dreary (in a good way), portrayal of the Dashwood's sudden removal from fortune to poverty. And as much as I adore the actors in the earlier version, I found the new character interpretations were so engaging! If you're interested you can check it out here.

Saturday Excursion

Well, it didn't rain, at least not once we were awake and moving around, so we decided to partake of Central Market--we hadn't been there in awhile. Natalia loved walking around--so much to see! I got a few things for my living room planter: lavendar, spearmint, and parsley. We made the customary stop at the Mediterranean stand, this time for a cheese boat and to try a falafel ball. (There is a Greek stand we enjoy too.) One fruit smoothie later, we headed outside, only to run into a college friend. :-) Another thing that's fun about market--you usually see someone you know.

We weren't ready to head home just yet, so we decided to walk north on Queen St. a few blocks to check out Rachel's Cafe & Creperie. We had heard so many things about this place, mostly positive, and wanted to see for ourselves.

Let me just say for starters that we've made our own crepes before--the Polish version called nalesniki. Most European countries have their own version, so we know there is no RIGHT way to make them. Though perhaps our preference did play a bigger part today than we anticipated.

Positives:
1. We left FULL! In fact, neither of us completely finished it!
2. We didn't have to wait to be seated (at 11 am). This was not true for those who came shortly after us.
3. Great Edith Piaf background music, decor, and service.
4. Prices were reasonable.
5. Great location, close enough to the square and market to walk.

Not so great:
1. Portions were too big for our taste.
2. We prefer the rolled, "burrito-style" kind where you can really tell when you hit the inside, rather than the many folded layers. Too much crepe, not enough filling in our opinion.
3. We waited awhile for our food (though we had a fidgety toddler). I imagine Saturday's are a bit overwhelming for them.
4. The plates were hard to eat off of! We like to eat with a fork and knife, and because the plastic plate was a bit warped, it spun as you used your utensils. A bit frustrating!
5. Plastic plates?? I'll say no more.

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves and would recommend Rachel's to you all. Lancaster's downtown has much to offer. Hope you have the chance to see for yourself sometime!

By The Way...

Sorry for the confusion if you read Tuesday's post entitled, "Shopping for Time--Part II", and didn't know there was a Part I! (I went back and changed my earlier title, so now you can easily recognize it.)

Growin' Up!

Thought you'd all enjoy her smiles as much as I did today.

Hearty Meatloaf

This is my version of Mrs. Kostyra's Meatloaf recipe (Martha Stewart's mother.) If you want to check out the original, go here.

I like that this recipe makes enough for 2 meals. If you don't like to reheat in the microwave, add enough water to cover a large shallow pan, a Tbsp. of oil or butter, and cover. (Use medium heat.) When liquid is hot, add slices of meatloaf and replace cover.

I like to make another of Martha's recipes with this meatloaf. This is her easy, never fail, Scalloped Potatoes recipe. You can substitute whole milk for the cream if you'd like.
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1 3/4 c. plain bread crumbs
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 med. onion, finely diced (or 1 Tbsp. dry minced onion +/-)
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 egg
1 c. ketchup, plus 1/4 c. for on top
3 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients, except for 1/4 c. ketchup for on top, mixing well.
3. Put in lightly greased loaf pans, gently score (opt.) and spread ketchup on top (not too close to the sides b/c it may burn).
4. Bake for at least 1 hour.

Makes 2 loaves.

Take 5 Tuesday

I didn't forget it was Tuesday! :-)
Here's this week's question:

What 5 things do you often put off until the last minute?

My 5 would have to be:

1. Brushing my teeth (If I'm leaving the house right after breakfast anyway, I'd rather my coffee taste normal and my post-breakfast breath be fresh.)
2. Putting on the shirt I plan to wear that day (Notice my emphasis! I know this sounds wierd, but when you get hot as quickly as I do, and there's a lot of activity to get out the door, you postpone these things!)
3. Buying greeting cards for people (I'm definately a "gotta' pick the perfect card" kind of gal. Now, this excludes general notes, or thank you's. I always have a couple kinds of stationary on hand.)
4. Putting on shoes (Don't like to wear shoes--would rather go barefoot, or wear slippers inside)
5. Taking my contact lenses out (Let's face the facts people: I'm as blind as a bat!)

Shopping for Time--Part II

My previous post dedicated to the helpful little book, "Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed" by Caroyln Mahaney and her 3 girls, was more-or-less focused on making time with God our first priority. This one will summarize some of the parts I was most affected by from the second half. I hope you are encouraged and challenged as I have been.
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They suggest having a daily planning system in place--one that best suits you and your style. The important thing is that you plan. Consider the 15:4 rule: take 15 minutes before you start to think through your tasks and their importance, and you will make much better use of the next 4 hours than if you went in without a plan. How true!

I have found this to especially be helpful in the area of food purchasing and preparation. There is nothing I despise more than having to go to the grocery store more than necessary--especially on the weekend! UGH. What's been working the best for me in this season is planning a week's worth of dinners and making my grocery list from it on Monday, cleaning out my refrigerator on Tuesday, and grocery shopping on Wednesday.

I also try to follow a general housekeeping schedule each week. Breaking the list down into manageable segments and being purposeful about what my load is on certain days of the week has really helped. Some chores I can easily do when Natalia is awake--others, not so much. Some need to happen early in the week; others towards the end when we may have guests visit. Also, scheduling 1 or 2 chores during her naptime, and doing them before the things I'd rather do, has kept me more accountable. Now, do I do all of this faithfully? No. But it's a start.


Another thing this book encouraged me to consider was how I perceive the daily interruptions to My Plan. Don't we tend to view them as unpleasant disruptions to our "real life", when in fact, the concept of our "real life" is a figment of our imagination? "All the interruptions--they aren't interruptions after all. They are sovereign deliveries. The unpleasant things are God's perfect plan for our day...even when our schedule has gone off track and our to-do list remains unfinished...This is the day that the Lord has made. And he's orchestrated every unpleasant interruption--um, sovereign delivery--for our good."


They also go on to say that in the midst of busy seasons, when the interruptions seem to flow at a constant rate, three simple principles can help us navigate the choppy waters:

1. 'Separate the really-do-matter items from the really-don't-matter items. For example, consider these three priorities before anything else: (A) Our husband: "What one thing would please him the most?" (B) Our children: "What one issue in my child's life needs consistent attention?" (C) Our food and laundry: "Regardless of how dirty my house is, or how many piles of clutter have accumulated, or whether or not the beds are made--as long as my family has nourishing food to eat and clean clothes to wear, their basic needs will be taken care of."

2. Simplify the really-do-matter items where possible.

3. Size up our limitations. "Only God gets his to-do list done each day. We are not God. We are finite creatures with serious limitations." [Quote by C.J. Mahaney] Only God accomplishes everything he needs to do, in exactly the way he intends, in precisely the right amount of time. Only God! This truth helps us see the arrogant absurdity of expecting to complete our own to-do list. It frees us to humble ourselves and draw upon God's strength to simply do what we can in busy seasons.'


Finally, plan to depend on God. Here is a quote they included from Charles Bridges that explains how this works out in everyday life:

"Take one step at a time, every step under Divine warrant and direction. Ever plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without his counsel. He loves to be consulted."

Scripture tells me that I am dependent on God to draw my very breath! Lord, help me to mortify the thought that I am sufficient to go about even the elementary tasks of my day on my own strength and wisdom. Help me to abandon self-effort. You alone are my strength and my sufficiency!