- About
- 169 Pinoy Foodie Blogs
- Recipe Index, In Progress
- Homeschooling
- 4Real OPML File
- Paco’s Curriculum and Book List, 2007-2008
- Migi’s Curriculum and Book List, 2007-2008
- Music Schedule
- Free Flashcards for Latina Christiana I
- Aisa’s Curriculum and Book List, 2007-2008
- Online Resources
- Unschooling / Relaxed Schooling Helps
- Filipino Homeschoolers
- The Plan for Art
- How to Homeschool
- My Favorite Books on Books
- Towards *our* Philosophy of Education
- Yena’s Booklist 8/07-7/08
- Paco’s Curriculum and Booklist, 2008-2009
- Migi’s Curriculum and Book List, 2008-2009
- Yena’s Booklist 8/08-7/09
- Aisa’s Booklist ’08-’09
- Plan for High School, Paco 2010-2011
- Books We Love: Science
- The HHS Mandate and The Catholic Response, A Compilation
From the monthly archives: August 2008
Bringing it down to the simplest terms, the choice is rather easy.
Who do we want to lead the country?
The people who respect and protect the sanctity of life, who see life as blessing?
Or those who see life as burden?
There is no HOPE if life is nothing but a burden. [...]
Bringing it down to the simplest terms, the choice is rather easy.
Who do we want to lead the country?
The people who respect and protect the sanctity of life, who see life as blessing?
Or those who see life as burden?
There is no HOPE if life is nothing but a burden. And if there’s no HOPE, how can there possibly be CHANGE?
It’s already begun. If you’re still wondering whether Palin should get your vote or not, please read this post from Elizabeth.
An excerpt:
We stand here at a precipice. We can elect a president who believes that babies who don’t die in the course of abortion should be left to die alone on [...]
It’s already begun. If you’re still wondering whether Palin should get your vote or not, please read this post from Elizabeth.
An excerpt:
We stand here at a precipice. We can elect a president who believes that babies who don’t die in the course of abortion should be left to die alone on a dirty shelf in a hospital. Or we can elect a solidly pro-life team of candidates. The truth is, Christian women can make or break this election and the appointment of the next justices to the Supreme Court. It greatly disturbs me to read the buzz out there. We need to come to our senses. Christian women who are threatening to stay at home instead of voting for a woman who has a baby and growing family are really missing a valuable point. And it’s a point we miss again and again on large and small scales.
And this from Erin:
Gov. Palin is the only person who knows whether she can fulfill her role as mother while also serving as this country’s vice-president. But I don’t think we can say that being a mother automatically disqualifies a person from such service. The powerful witness to the value of innocent human life made present by her children, especially baby Trig, is hard to ignore in this culture that values slick notions of perfection and hides away or aborts or euthanizes those we deem less than perfect. And the angry feminism that pits mothers against their children might benefit from seeing an example of how it is possible to take an active role in the world without neglecting the most important role of all, that of motherhood.
Gov. Palin is a Christian, pro-life, a mother and one tough gal (just google her experience in fighting corruption and being the voice of her people)… I’m sure she’s not perfect, but looking at her, I can’t help but nod in agreement with others who are reminded of the Proverbs 31 woman or the Sirach 26 woman. She does make us look like slackers, doesn’t she
, and having her as VP would send out a powerful message to all our young women out there. I certainly wouldn’t mind holding her up in front of my daughter as someone she might want to emulate. And I daresay even Mama Mary would approve.
Don’t know much about her yet, but I’m excited. Apparently she’s VERY pro-life. This is looking REALLY GOOD. Be back later.
McCain chooses Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P.
Wahoo!!
ETA:
article about Sarah Palin’s choice — gives me goosebumps!
Don’t know much about her yet, but I’m excited. Apparently she’s VERY pro-life. This is looking REALLY GOOD. Be back later.
McCain chooses Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P.
Wahoo!!
ETA:
article about Sarah Palin’s choice — gives me goosebumps!
As Eric Pavlat says, “… Palin? That’s “change.” — The kind of change one can get excited about!
SBA List President Statement on Sen. John McCain’s Vice Presidential Selection
From Erin Manning at And Sometimes Tea
Argh! You know what frustrates me most? I’m less than an hour from DAYTON! But preggers and preparing to leave tomorrow, not to mention I still have Mount Washmore to conquer…. I’m staying put
6:12 pm – found a transcript from today’s Dayton event
12:05 am, Saturday
Just got back from our household half an hour ago and was going to post my comments re the transcript from this afternoon/evening — but then I came across Elizabeth’s post and it already says everything I want to say about Sarah Palin. I can’t help but be thankful and even more trusting (in the Lord’s providence) tonight. Yup.
One more and I’m turning in. H/T Elizabeth
Okay I lied. One more: She cooks! If I had any doubts before about voting for her, they’re gone now. Every foodie loves a foodie
.
For Aisa, to go with your American Government studies.
For Aisa, to go with your American Government studies.
Tagged with: government
I’ve been going through the master bedroom closet, purging. Four (going on 5) kids and four bedrooms means someone has to share their closet with another, and Yena shares ours. Which isn’t a bad thing at all; it keeps us from going overboard with clothes and keeping only those pieces that we really need and [...]
I’ve been going through the master bedroom closet, purging. Four (going on 5) kids and four bedrooms means someone has to share their closet with another, and Yena shares ours. Which isn’t a bad thing at all; it keeps us from going overboard with clothes and keeping only those pieces that we really need and actually use. One of the benefits of having a large family — as the years go on, you realize that becoming a minimalist is key. (But please don’t look at my kitchen shelves; they still need lots of work; as you probably know by now, I have an unhealthy attachment to cooking and baking accoutrements.)
I take each piece of clothing that’s hung and judge whether I’m still going to be able to wear it during the pregnancy. If not, they go on the pile to be folded and put away until I can fit into them again. Wow, it’s been years since I last did this. The last 6 years all I’ve been doing is alternating hot season and cold season clothes. Now I’m not only going through seasonal clothes. I’m also back in the process of trimestral selection: what fit in the first trimester and could possibly be worn again when I sorta get back into shape, maybe when baby’s walking; what fits now that I’m in the second trimester that’s still “normal clothing”; and then a mental list of tents and other larger types of clothing that I’ll need to borrow (from hubby
) or buy, as I transition into the last trimester.
(I’ll tell you what bugs and puzzles me. Hubby and I went to THREE different stores just a couple of weeks ago, looking for maternity underwear. Guess what? They had tops, but not bottoms! Hubby’s comment: Do they expect pregnant women to go without underwear these days? Very strange indeed. Even the salesladies couldn’t explain the oversight.)
Looking at the limited number of options before me once I was done folding the clothes that needed putting away, I had to smile… well, to be honest, smile, with tears. I remember the days of being so thin that people thought I was sick. Every party and family reunion we went to, someone would comment on how thin I was. I’m just one of those people who couldn’t seem to gain weight no matter how much I ate, and believe me, even in those days, I ate A LOT. My daughter’s the same way now, but I wish she would eat veggies and fruits just a bit more. She does, but not as much as she should.
And then we got married, and then had kids. And as the years went by, though I was still considered pretty thin by most of our peers, I steadily gained weight with each pregnancy. It bothers me, just the littlest bit, but not enough to really go on a diet or take up a consistent, rigorous exercise program. I *know* I should, for fitness’ sake if not anything else. One of these days, I promise myself to get to it
For now, I’m looking at the clothes in my part of the closet, and remembering pieces I had worn with previous pregnancies with not a tiny bit of sadness — I’ve given most of my maternity clothes away. My babies aren’t really babies anymore (which makes us quadruply excited for the new one coming). I’m not the type of person who thinks of clothes much (I hate shopping for one thing), but standing there, it hit me just how much life has changed. I might have grown in size with every child — the numbers are certainly there and there’s no denying them. But more importantly, each child that blessed me with that wondrous weight gain that comes with supporting life in the womb also blessed me with so much more… opportunites for growth, growth in holiness, in love. I may not fit into a size 4 anymore, but if my heart has grown in proportion to my clothing size, that means I’m a size 8 or 10 these days, and that’s just fine with me. Come to think of it, size 12 doesn’t even sound that bad anymore.
“Our hearts were made for Thee, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in Thee.”
“Sero te amavi pulchritudo tam antiqua et tam nova!” (Late have I loved thee, O Beauty so ancient and so new!)
Lots of reading and activities here.
Today, we are remembering St. [...]
“Our hearts were made for Thee, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in Thee.”
“Sero te amavi pulchritudo tam antiqua et tam nova!” (Late have I loved thee, O Beauty so ancient and so new!)
Lots of reading and activities here.
Today, we are remembering St. Augustine. Yesterday, it was his mother‘s memorial. These are two of my favorite saint stories — the mother who prayed unceasingly for her wayward son, soooo unwaveringly faithful, that he turned away from sin and became a saint. Here’s what St. Augustine had to say about his own mother. How can a parent not be inspired?
I keep wondering what St. Augustine and St. Monica and all the rest of them are saying up there in heaven after his words have been severely misused by those down here.
And for those of us who are just that wee bit crazy about Latin, here’s a very timely lesson (w00t! This will take us several weeks to dig into!) from Context, Pelosi. from Aliens in this World. Gotta say though, if Pelosi reads Latin, I can’t help but be mighty impressed. But then again, as the Spartans said, *IF*.
We are lucky enough to be the owners of a couple of older volumes by St. Augustine, found at a book sale, they used to belong to a priest! DD-17 has been reading parts of Confessions for her Theology of the Body class, so this is great timing. Especially since she’s graduating at the end of the week, she’ll have PLENTY of time to delve into more of St. A’s works.
Tagged with: liturgical year • parenting • Pelosi • prayer • pro-life • saints • St. Augustine • St. Monica
Cardinal Egan’s Remarkable Comment About Pelosi — I’ve linked to the comment in a previous post, but I’m linking to this so you can see Deal Hudson’s comments after the quote.
Cardinal Egan’s Remarkable Comment About Pelosi — I’ve linked to the comment in a previous post, but I’m linking to this so you can see Deal Hudson’s comments after the quote.
Pelosi gets unwanted lesson in Catholic theology
Archbishop grabs spotlight from Democrats — Yay for Archbishop Chaput!!!
And the stuff that doesn’t usually make it to traditional media:
Pro-lifers unfurl world’s largest sign at DNC — some folks were talking Guinness
Prolife activists arrested at the DNC
2,500 Hold Vigil At New Planned Parenthood Clinic
Pro-Life Pastor Blasts Abortion, Obama at Democratic Party Faith Gathering
And from Newsweek:
Wow. I don’t get paid for what I do. Not monetarily anyway. But there are MANY MANY things I certainly would NOT consider to be above my pay grade. I *know* my baby has human rights even before he/she is born.
That argument about fetuses being just blobs/groups of cells? Sorry, not buying. People [...]
Wow. I don’t get paid for what I do. Not monetarily anyway. But there are MANY MANY things I certainly would NOT consider to be above my pay grade. I *know* my baby has human rights even before he/she is born.
That argument about fetuses being just blobs/groups of cells? Sorry, not buying. People abort BABIES. They don’t abort TISSUES. If babies were merely tissue, you could just leave them alone and they would NOT turn into babies. That’s just an excuse promoters of contraception and abortion use, but it does NOT. MAKE. SENSE. But I digress…. let’s go back to my pay grade.
Isn’t it fascinating how some issues we moms (especially Catholic homeschooling moms like me) would never consider to be above our pay grade? Soooo glad I’m not a politician.
Still waiting on news re McCain and his VP choice. I hope and pray he makes the right one.
ETA: Thought this would make interesting discussion at lunch, so I bring it up to the kids. Their answers to the question, “At what point does a baby get human rights?”:
The 9-yo: “At 4 o’clock.” (That’s when they’re allowed to play music other than classical around here. It’s also the time they’re allowed to watch Cyberchase.)
The 12-yo: “At conception”, although based on recent happenings around here, I was anticipating him saying “When they’re allowed to get an iPod.”
The 6-yo: “In heaven?”
Me: “But those aren’t humans, Yen.”
The 17-yo: Yes, they are, mom. Man-in-heaven is eschatological man. (LOL.) Her actual answer, of course, is “at conception.”
Just FYI, starting at around age 7, they get a monthly allowance = their age. So the 12-yo gets $12/month, etc. Glad to see there weren’t any thoughts about pay grade, etc. to answer this question.
Some silly people were defending Obama’s answer, interpreting it to mean as “Only God knows the answer to that.” Riiiight. If you’re going to be in a position where you’ll be making decisions regarding human rights, you BETTER have a definite answer to that question. Taylor Mali’s “Totally like whatever” might have made more sense had he used that instead of “Above my pay grade.”
To quote,
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?
I’m just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?What has happened to our conviction?
Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?
Where indeed.
Chop Suey has long been rumored to be an American creation rather than a Chinese one. A search around the ‘net will show you just how much this story has spread. From tales of an angry restaurateur trying to get back at some customers and serving them leftover veggies meant for the garbage, calling [...]
Chop Suey has long been rumored to be an American creation rather than a Chinese one. A search around the ‘net will show you just how much this story has spread. From tales of an angry restaurateur trying to get back at some customers and serving them leftover veggies meant for the garbage, calling the dish “chopped sewage”, to a Chinese diplomat visiting the White House and not finding anything suitable to eat, prompting him to commandeer the kitchen and whip up a stir-fry for himself from whatever he found there. These stories can be found even in cookbooks written by Chinese-Americans, such as Calvin Lee’s. Giving credence to the legend is the absence of “chop suey” in the more traditional Chinese cookbooks, such as Irene Kuo’s and Eileen Yin Fei Lo’s books. However, when the book The Food of China came out in 1988, the question of chop suey’s origins finally had an answer. In it, Eugene Anderson reveals that in fact, Chop Suey is from Toisan, a district south of Canton, from which early immigrants to America came. The words chop suey come from tsap seui, meaning miscellaneous scraps. Mr. Anderson further reports that the dish usually has noodles and bean sprouts included.
This particular chop suey has neither. It is how chop suey is usually prepared in the Philippines — a little pork, a little shrimp, sometimes a little chicken, a whole bunch of veggies. Whether or not you use leftovers is up to you. (What intrigues me is how this dish got to the Philippines — was it brought over by the Chinese, or by the Americans?)
You start out with a basic Filipino saute of garlic and onions, then add the meats and seasoning, then the veggies, then a bit of thickening sauce at the end. It is fast, delicious, and lends itself to endless experimentation. The amounts given here are approximations. Vary according to what you have in the refrigerator or freezer.
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/4 cup chopped shrimp
1/4 cup shredded pork (I like using lean pork, but you may use just about any cut of pork you like)
1/4 cup shredded chicken (you may also use cooked chicken)
salt or fish sauce to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6-8 cups chopped vegetables (e.g., broccoli, sweet bell peppers, cauliflower, carrots, sliced cabbage or Napa cabbage, bok choy, frenched green beans, spinach, celery, etc. — it’s always nice to have a mix so your dish ends up colorful)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon sugar
Mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, chicken stock and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside until needed.
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions when hot but not smoking. Saute/stir-fry until onions are limp. Add shrimp, pork and chicken. Season with salt or fish sauce and black pepper to taste. Cover and let cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir, then cover again and cook another 5 minutes, until pork is cooked through. (If using a lean cut such as tenderloin, reduce cooking time to the first 5 minutes only.) Add vegetables and stir-fry, adding first those that take longer to cook, such as carrots and green beans, cooking them for a few minutes, then adding those that take less time, such as cabbage and other leafy vegetables. When veggies are almost completely cooked, return to high heat. Give the oyster sauce mixture a final stir and pour into the pan. Quickly fold sauce into vegetables to coat and thicken. Remove from heat.
Serves 4-6.
From a recipe I posted 3 yrs ago at N&R.
Okay so they’re not really blood relatives. But oh my gosh. I thought I was the only Shakey’s fanatic left in the world. No one from home understands my fixation with Shakey’s Pizza. All of them have been won over by Pizza Hut and other pizza chains, or they’ve had pizzasfrom other cities (Chicago, New [...]
Okay so they’re not really blood relatives. But oh my gosh. I thought I was the only Shakey’s fanatic left in the world. No one from home understands my fixation with Shakey’s Pizza. All of them have been won over by Pizza Hut and other pizza chains, or they’ve had pizzasfrom other cities (Chicago, New York, etc.) and their Shakey’s memories just aren’t that good. But mine are!!! I still remember the distinct flavor of their cheese and the crisp texture of that crust. Well, tonight I was rewarded greatly… though I’m still left with many questions…
Cracker Crust fans at Pizzamaking.com
Shakey’s Pizza thread, one of them
This just re-awakened my love…
At a recent gathering, I asked my daughter who had been running around the buffet tables if she was full.
“Yes, Mom.”
“What did you eat?”
“I ate a pizza, and ten samples.”
“What samples?”
She was talking about the sausages that were cut up and pierced with toothpicks — someone had [...]
At a recent gathering, I asked my daughter who had been running around the buffet tables if she was full.
“Yes, Mom.”
“What did you eat?”
“I ate a pizza, and ten samples.”
“What samples?”
She was talking about the sausages that were cut up and pierced with toothpicks — someone had contributed them to the buffet.
LOL. Storebought sausages are a rarity here at home. She probably thought she was at Costco.
Tags
40 Days for Life abortion advent Africa baking books cakes Catholic contraception dessert election Elementary family film flowers food garden health homeschooling humor italy Lent liturgical year MHBB Middle School Migi:2009-2010 music Obama Palin Pelosi Pescara pork prayer pro-life recipes saints salad seafood spring summer thanksgiving tofu Unit Studies vegetarian wintersowingArchives
- May 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- June 2011
- March 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- August 2003
- May 2003
- April 2003
- November 2002
- October 2002
I Love to Read
- American Papist
- Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
- Castle of the Immaculate
- Creative Minority Report
- Family Glue
- Family in Feast and Feria
- Footprints on the Fridge
- Gladdest Hours
- In the Heart of My Home
- Living Without School
- My Symphony
- Our Domestic Church
- Our Hearts' Haven
- Queen of Roads
- The Curt Jester
- Under Her Starry Mantle
- What Does the Prayer Really Say?
- Wildflowers and Marbles
The ATTG Family

