Lent is over . . .

In spite of some hunger pains, it wasn't too hard to give up chocolates and related treats during Lent . . . mainly because they weren't coming into the house. Lent is over and through the generosity of friends, boxes of delectable, chocolate shop goodies are all too available. I haven't indulged . . . yet!

After I discovered that it would take an hour of hard jogging to burn off about 240 calories - the calorie content of one candy bar, I'm afraid of wasting my daily allotment of calories on a small piece of chocolate.

Lent is over, however, and my family does enjoy a homemade dessert once or twice a week so I've been researching comfort foods that have been altered to taste good but still take out some of the fat and sugar. It is amazing but it can be done.

Before Lent, I made cheesecake which can run over 300-400 calories for a slice besides padding your heart with bad fat. This recipe used three packages of non-fat cream cheese and two packages of 33% less fat cream cheese. The sugar was reduced by a cup and it was hard to tell the difference. I guess you just have to think about where and what you can substitute or cut from a recipe to make a difference! Even the crust used low-fat crackers. To enhance the 'health benefit' side of the creation, I added a topping of fresh strawberries. Now, I'm on the look out for a low-calorie chocolate layer cake recipe. After all, one does not live by lettuce alone . . . at least in my book!

 I do not, however, use any of the artificial sweeteners in my recipes. My husband has severe reactions to them (landed him in emergency once!) and they really aren't that good for you.

I have had an 'adverse' reaction to my Lenten fasting . . . I can't bring myself to go back to eating candy and sweets . . . I feel too good! Once I got used to indulging in apples, baby bell peppers, and such for meals and snacks during Lent, the taste quality went up 100%. When you don't mix excess sugar into the diet, the sweetness of the garden-grown stuff tastes so much better. I'm seeing how long I can hold off on this!

Another reason I'm trying to basically stick to better eating habit was inspired for a former friend who knew better but never ate healthily. Interesting way to find inspiration but it was something that was said that caused me to sit up and take heed. The person actually said that given her eating habits and weight, she knows that diabetes will be in her future. I was shocked at her casual thought about this disease. It made me rapidly reconsider how I approach food and whether the food was in charge of me or I of the food.

You don't suffer when you cut out excesses in your food intake and the types of food you eat. When you think about how blessed we are with available fruits and vegetables at our markets, it is almost an insult to God to not use what He has given us for health. Hey, not saying sugar and chocolate is out but it should never be the substitute for a good, home-prepared meal.

Enough said?

The Church can no more identify her cause with scientific error than with political wrong. Her interests may be impaired by some measure of political justice, or by the admission of some fact or document. But in neither case can she guard her interests at the cost of denying the truth.

Lord Acton: Conflicts with Rome (19th century)

Mommy Wars? Bring it on!

A Democratic woman had the audicity to judge Mrs. Romney and proclaim to the world that she hasn't worked a day in her life. Uh, it doesn't matter how much or how little money you have, as a mother, you work everyday providing for the well-being of your children. Money doesn't make you less of a mother. How dare this particular woman slam Mrs. Romney in this way? Is that the Democrats attitude toward women? Women who vote?

When the economy is going down the drain, jobs are few and far between, and gas prices are sky rocketing, should the slant of the campaign rhetoric on the Democratic side really be the disrespect of women who chose to raise their own children and stay at home to do so?

And, you have to wonder about a president who doesn't defend all the women in America when a faction of them are maligned. Not a word from him that I've heard about. But, then, this is the president who had nothing to say when a bounty was illegally offered for a citizen of the United States, dead or alive. I guess the women of the USA should be glad it was only a verbal assault against them. We, the mothers who chose to stay home, need to remember only one thing - Jesus had a stay-at-home mother.

What is a mother: Who shall answer this?

A mother is a font and spring of life,

A mother is a forest in whose heart

Lies hid a secret ancient as the hills,

For men to claim and take its wealth away;

And like the forest shall her wealth renew

And give, and give again, that men may live.

Cardinal Spellman: Mary, Mother of Mankind (20th century)

Between the Raindrops . . .

 For me, the best part of the rain is the cloud formations between the down pours.

Our dog did not appreciate the rain nor did the cat. The dog moped in her dog house and cast mournful looks my way through the sliding glass door. The cat found a pile of dry brush and turned it into a bed under a window ledge. The cat does have a bed to snuggle up in but decided on the great outdoors even when the rain came pouring down.

Funny and Thoughtful Quotes . . .

"There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."
-- Pablo Picasso

"You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do."
-- Olin Miller

"Until you walk a mile in another man's moccasins you can't imagine the smell."
-- Robert Byrne

Rainy Days and Asian Soup . . .

The weather forecast was for heavy rain, today . . . and it actually happened. In our area, the winds usually come up at the last minutes and there go the rain clouds. I did have the trip to take my son over to his college class but it was kind of nice to sit in the car and crochet and watch all the students racing through the rain . . . and I didn't have to! :-)

The weather certainly brings out some odd driving, however. Besides the usual people who decide that stop signs don't count in the rain, we found ourselves in the middle of a potential situation on our trip home. We were in the left-hand land of a two-lane turn off onto the freeway onramp. The ramp is a bit long until you get to the merging traffic and narrow with just enough room for the two lanes of cars heading that way. There is a car directly in front of us as we head down the ramp and an SUV in front of that car. There is a solid line of cars to our right. Suddenly, the SUV turns and heads across the line of traffic! Fortunately, the car he crossed paths with was on the alert and slowed down. The SUV continued across, drove back up the ramp for a few feet, did another U-turn, and then drove down the embankment before making yet another turn and stopping. A second car skidded to a stop off the road and seemed to be making some kind of decision about the errant vehicle. Me and the rest of the 'normal' people on the onramp decided we would just get on our way quickly and not get involved with whatever altercation was about to insue.

Coming home to a quiet house was very nice after that almost-adventure!

Cold day and hot soup is in order for dinner. I have a pot of Asian Chicken Soup simmering on the stove and just took brownies out of the oven. I had peanut butter frosting leftover from the Easter cupcake baking so they will get topped with that.

I'm hoping for some sewing time, today, but after the near-miss situation on the onramp this morning, I'm going to take the day as it comes and not sweat the small stuff!

Perfect Explanation . . .

The man who says he is willing to meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance.

- Laurence J. Peter