Chick at home . . .

It only took a few days but now Chick is very happy to come in out of the rain and cold and curl up on her new bed. For the first few days, she would come in the door, sit by the bed, and await permission to get on the bed. She is a bit more forthright about it now and more readily claims it officially her napping place. During the summer, she would sleep for hours in the shade. I thought that giving her some inside time would perk her up a bit. Now, given the chance, she will sleep hours on her bed.

Perhaps we are just a bit crazy . . .

While out shopping, we found a sale on turkeys only they were under 12 pounds and too small for serving our guests on Thanksgiving. My husband decided to do a small version of Thanksgiving to try out some roasting ideas for the turkey. My husband is always in charge of the turkey and he is always looking for ways to improve it. We didn't go full out but did have dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and gravy.

So far, I have the next two nights off from cooking! We have leftover lasagna from last night and leftover turkey for the next day. Guess I have no excuse to not get my chores done this week!

I did discover a better way to make the cranberry sauce this year. I used both dried cranberries and fresh ones with orange juice and orange zest and a bit of sugar. The texture was good and the taste of the cranberries deeper but more mellow.

That's what counts!

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

Albert Einstein

A Winter-themed quote to ponder . . .

Time is like a snowflake--it melts away while we try to decide what to do with it.

- Unknown

Morning Mass ain't what it used to be . . .

I am a reasonable person and if I want certain things in a Mass, I know have a choice between attending a Latin Mass or a Novos Ordo Mass. I do assume that whatever Mass I choose, the Rubrics and Canon Law will be observed and obeyed.

This morning, the celebrant's sermon was one of those "I'll ask questions and make everyone feel uncomfortable as I wait for them to come up with answers." I don't go to instruct myself but to learn. I also do not like a politically 'correct' subject to be inserted into the sermon, either.

At the Sign of Peace, in opposition to rubrics/GIRM rules for Mass, the priest wandered off the altar to shake hands hither and yon. I know he wouldn't have become a priest if he didn't believe in the Blessed Sacrament so why does he turn his back on our Lord on the altar like that?

There were under 30 people in attendance at Mass yet this very young priest informed one of the Extraordinary Ministers that he would require help in distributing Communion at every Mass he celebrates. Not only is this a liturgical abuse, he gives the impression that he isn't ready to make sacrifices, if you can call it that, for the job he has undertaken.

Just before Communion, he threw in a few, unscheduled prayer petitions before resuming the set words for the Mass.

After Mass, one of the Extraordinary Ministers said the bishop informed a large training/meeting of Extraordinary Ministers that it is the priest's option whether he wants to purify the altar vessels after Communion or not. According to Pope Benedict, there is no such option or permission. The American Bishops specifically asked the Pope and the Pope specifically said, "No!" Yet many bishops are doing it in opposition to the word from Rome.

I won't stop attending Mass because of human disrespect or error but I will keep to my corner of the church and pray. One of the Extraordinary Ministers said, "Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans, right?" I replied, "So? Obey the 'Romans' but not the Pope?"

Are these people who do know better yet follow without question the stuff of martyrs?

Candy Cane Bark

I noticed, this year, that many stores are offering Peppermint Bark . . . you know, that layer of white and chocolate with crushed candy canes pressed into it's surface? They also charge a lot for it so, naturally, I developed my own recipe! I'm sharing it with you because we all need to save money and still provide a good, happy, blessed holiday for our family and friends.

Candy Cane Bark

Most stores sell a pound or so package of both the white and the chocolate used for dipping candy or making bark. If you can't find it in the baking aisle of your market, chocolate and white chocolate chips work just as well.

You can use candy canes or peppermint hard candies for the crushed topping. Do this first, put the candy in a heavy plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin to get in broken down into eatable chunks.

Super-simple directions! Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Carefully melt the chocolate so as to liquify it but not burn it. Over a double boiler is the safest way. Pour it onto the prepared baking sheet and let it spread out evenly. You don't want it super thin but you don't want thick bumps in the surface. Let is set or refrigerate until it sets.

Then, carefully melt the white chocolate. Spread it over the prepared chocolate layer and quickly press in the crushed peppermint. You don't want to bury the peppermint candy but you want it to stick to the white chocolate layer. Let it set until hardened, break into pieces, and serve!

One year, I got some canning jars and filled them with this candy, decorated the jars, and gave them as hostess gifts.

No rain . . . yet!

The promise of rain didn't come through for yesterday but one can't complain about the pretty early morning skies of today! Not rain clouds but a beautiful picture of God's Hand at work! Our pastor gave a sermon, last week, about how we have to remember to thank God for everything and see the beauty in it. This view was an easy one for remember to give thanks.

Going to be busy this morning. After morning Mass, I'm baking a birthday cake for a dear friend. My husband is doing his pre-Thanksgiving run with the turkey meaning that we purchased a small turkey on sale and he wants to try out a roasting technique in anticipation of how he will actually prepare the big one for the actual day of Thanksgiving. I'm in charge of stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cranberries. My son is just happy to have this happy prelude to Thanksgiving and get an early taste of turkey!

Some people dread the holiday because they think it is so much work. To me, it is really one of the easier meals to prepare. The turkey goes into the oven early and needs little attention which frees one up to work on the side dishes. I bake the pies the day before so don't usually stress out about the holiday too much. I do make lists and check things off but that is just me. Perhaps, that is what reduces my stress!

Going to come up with some cookie recipes this week. I dug up some ancient cookbooks from my mother and have been happily rediscovering some favorite recipes she and I used to make together for Christmas. Sometimes, I have to stand back, mentally, and wonder at how fast time has gone by. My parents are no longer with us, my children are grown up, and I'm not the sweet, young thing I used to be! :-)

Every December, I sit down with the current calendar and transfer birthday dates and such to the calendar for the new year. That is always a wake up call to how quickly time goes by and changes life. Some birthdays are no posted as the day we lost someone to this earth, other people have gone out of our lives for one reason or the other so I don't post them on the calendar, new people come into play . . . Life keeps evolving . . .