Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

Little + Little = BIG!

So....I suppose I should write about why I have lots of cooking and baking posts. There is a point, really! Yes, the topic random because I am quite a random Catholic little asian girl, but it doesn't mean that there is no point.

You see, this summer I was expecting to come home from school to a nice office job with plenty of things to file, phone calls to make and answer, A/Cs to battle, and whatever else people do in offices. Well, that didn't exactly happen. In fact, not a single job that I applied for happened at all; not even a single internship or volunteer job.

You could say that I'm the type of person who finds great joy in doing things for people - literal things that equal evident progress and apparent customer satisfaction. I work in the library at school, and, believe it or not, I actually like running around helping unlock study rooms, searching for books on the computer, checking stacks of books higher than me back into the system, and shelving carts and carts of books. (Alright, maybe not so much the shelving...) Maybe it's not fun all the time, but when it's done, who wouldn't feel a sense of accomplishment after seeing everything that got done?

Except, that doesn't happen here. Here, I can't do big, useful things.


But then again, maybe I don't have to.


I think it was Saint Therese who said that just picking up a thimble with great love is enough to convert a sinner. Whoever it was, the whole "doing things with great love" popped in my head. There were plenty of little things to do around the house, why not? They make people happier just the same as helping customers at a counter.

Well, I found that washing dishes, sweeping floors, hanging the laundry, and scrubbing refrigerators with great love is much harder than doing something big. It's hard to keep a smile on when what you've cleaned becomes dirty the next day, or when nobody really notices, or when they ask you to do it all over. I don't claim to be able to love every single time! (Actually, I probably fail more than achieve at it.)

Cooking/baking is one of those little things that I do. I guess it's one of the bigger little things since people get to eat yummy (at least, I think they're yummy...) things. Plus, it's a good way to practice and explore new recipes!

It is worth it in the end. Because at the end of the day, the One who counts the most, counts all your little attempts. He sees them - and the love you put into them - even when nobody else does. And that, I think, is what matters.

Solemnity of St. John the Baptist

Happy Birthday St. John the Baptist! Wait I thought that we usually celebrate feast days on their anniversary of death, not their birthday. Well Mary and St. John the Baptist are the exceptions. Mary is the Mother of God so that’s not too surprising, but why John the Baptist? St. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus. It was his job to announce, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord”. He is the bridge between the Old and the New Testaments. His birth precedes Christ’s and so his birthday is celebrated since it is so tied up with the Incarnation. He is celebrated today since from this time on there begins to be less and less sunlight until Christmas. The light decreases just like St. John decreased for Christ.

 

 

It is good to remember that all the saints point to Jesus. St. John the Baptist told the crowd’s “He must increase, I must decrease”(Mk.1:3 ). Today on this Solemnity we should try to remember to point to Christ and prepare a way for him in our hearts. I often find myself thinking about what is best for me, and what is most comfortable, instead of what does God want and what will help build the Kingdom of God. St. John is such a great example as he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). Let’s pray to St. John the Baptist that we may decrease and that Christ may increase in us.

Christians have more fun.

If someone were to stumble on this blog and see the mixture of posts from cooking to saints they may wonder, "Why are there so many different themes?" The answer is that this is a blog about the Catholic Christian life. Many people believe that the Christian life is a set of rules, which would limit their freedom and stop them from having any fun. But God’s rules are really for our own good. Good parents wouldn’t let their child stick a fork in an electric socket.  They say no, not because they don’t want the little one to have fun but because they don’t want the little one to get hurt. Parents love it when their kids do things that are safe and good for them, like drawing a picture, playing a sport, or getting a good grade. It is the same way with God.

In the Garden of Eden, God made many trees and told them that they could eat from any tree in the garden, except one, the tree of knowledge. Nothing has changed we can do almost anything. In fact God really wants us to be happy and have fun, but in order to have fun we must not hurt ourselves. So the Christian life is not boring but exciting (and yes, at times challenging). If you want to go do something, providing it’s good for you (just ask the Church and check the 10 Commandments if you're not sure), go do it. God made trees, flowers, oceans, and mountains. He made it all for us to enjoy. Go play, cook, eat, read, whatever you want. As St. Augustine said, “Love God and do whatever you will.” This means that if you love God you will follow his ways and then you are free to do anything you desire. But if you love your own will first and ignore God’s rules, then you will feel sad and trapped in the end. (I can’t get up this morning to go to the game I have a hangover from last night. God says you can drink, but not to the point of getting drunk.) So you will find on this blog a lot of random things, but that’s because there are so many things to do. The dawn has broken! Wake up and have some fun.

St. Thomas More

Picture source

June 22. Just an ordinary date in June and, at a glance, nothing particularly spectacular about it. In all honesty, I'd forgotten about it until last week. That is, until someone pointed out that June 22 was a special feast day, the feast of St. Thomas More, one of my patrons.

Studied at London and Oxford, England. Page for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Lawyer. Twice married, and a widower he was the father of one son and three daughters, and a devoted family man. Writer, most famously of the novel which coined the word Utopia. Translated with works of Lucian. Known during his own day for his scholarship and the depth of his knowledge. Friend of King Henry VIII. Lord Chancellor of England from 1529 to 1532, a position of political power second only to the king. Fought any form of heresy, especially the incursion of Protestantism into England. Opposed the king on the matter of royal divorce, and refused to swear the Oath of Supremacy which declared the king the head of the Church in England. Resigned the Chancellorship, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Martyred for his refusal to bend his religious beliefs to the king‘s political needs. - From Saints.sqpn.com

I've never really given much thought about Thomas More. Having an entirely different field apart from a lawyer's, I thought his randomly being my patron was nice, but I didn't understand the relevancy.

Then I realized during the course of the day that he was married. Alright, I'd known that all along, but here was a man who had a family, a job and, from what I've read elsewhere, a witty sense of humor! He was a very real person; when it comes down to it, same as you or me or your next door neighbor. Now imagine your next door neighbor standing up to someone who would most likely execute you for it. Imagine your father or father-in-law doing so. While it is not uncommon to hear of priests' and religious' martyrdoms, it is not often that you hear of a common man winning that glorious crown.

Thomas More was an extraordinary ordinary man. Yes, he had some influence in court, but he was merely living out his life - the difference is that he lived it well to the very end. Let us pray that we might do likewise in our own lives, as ordinary as they might be.

"You say you see no reason why we should pray to the Saints since God can hear us and help us just as well, and will do so gladly, as any Saint in Heaven. Well, then, what need, I ask, do you have to ask any physician to help your fever, or to ask and pay any surgeon to heal your sore leg? For God can both hear you and help you as well as the best of doctors. He loves you more than they do, and He can help you sooner. Besides——-His poultices are cheaper and He will give you more for your words alone than they will for your money!"

"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."

"I die the king's faithful servant, but God's first."

- St. Thomas More

Saint of the Week: St. Aloysius

The Feast of St. Aloysius is celebrated today on June 21st. This is my first attempt making a video, so please forgive any mistakes. St. Thomas More is celebrated tomorrow, but more on him later. I hope you have blessed day and week.

Bookiness

 Went to the bookstore the other day. Never really tried to do a photoshoot with books, but they cooperate quite nicely!

Kitchen Adventures

This weekend I had a lot of fun (and a lot of running around to do) in the kitchen! Since none of us really wanted to eat the corn doggies in the freezer, I decided it was a good time to experiment.

So a weekend home, plus a ton of cans of mushrooms in the cabinet, plus a large thing of heavy cream in the fridge for Sunday, plus a few tired, sore throats: equals cream of mushroom soup! The last time I made it a couple of years ago it was...interesting to say the least. =P But this time it was much better. The only thing I couldn't get was the thickness.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

8 ounces fresh mushrooms or 3 4oz cans

¼  chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons butter

2 -4 tablespoons flour (separated)

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup light cream or evaporated milk or heavy cream

salt

pepper

parsley

Directions:

Melt butter in large frying pan. Add in onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until onions are soft.

Blend in 2 T. flour and stir.

Add in the chicken broth and heat until slightly thickened while stirring frequently.

Stir cream with additional 1 T. flour and seasonings. Add in cream to soup. Heat to thicken while stirring frequently.

Toast some bread and eat warm! =)

Father's day is kind of a holiday we like to make a big deal out of (even if Dad doesn't, haha). But as always, we were instructed to make a special cake for when Dad returned home on Sunday, and so I began plotting...

First, the frosting.

Perfect Cream Frosting

3 T Flour


1/2 C milk (


1/2 C real butter

1/2 C sugar

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. 
Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring with a rubber spatula, until you can start to see the bottom of the pan.   Continue to cook until mixture has the consistency of thick pudding or paste.

Put  mixture in the fridge and let it cool completely, it’s fine if it stays in there long enough to get chilly, you just don’t want it warm at all. As it’s cooling, feel free to stir it occasionally to speed up the process and keep it from forming a crust on top.

It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You’ll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer if you have one, instead of the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat to combine and then scrape down the sides. Mixture will separate and look messy, keep beating!  Continue beating until mixture comes together and is light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes, but time varies.  Take a sample of frosting between your fingers; frosting is done when light and fluffy and sugar granules are dissolved.

It actually didn't quite work, so I tweaked it a little (it's a secret!), but in the end it tasted delicious and we discovered that it went perfectly with the leftover strawberries.

Now, the cake.

German Choco Cake 

3 cups white sugar 

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups milk 

3/4 cup vegetable oil 

3 eggs 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
1 1/2 cups hot water 

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom and sides of a deep 14x17-inch baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Sift sugar, flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; whisk dry ingredients together on low. 

Whisk milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate medium bowl. Add to the flour mixture and mix at low speed until well incorporated, about 5 minutes. Gradually add hot water while mixer is on low speed until just combined. 

Pour batter into the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cake cool in the pan for about 1 hour. 


For a first try, it turned out wonderfully!

Also made some Alfredo for supper!

Alfredo Sauce 
1/2 cup butter 8 ounces cream cheese (best room temp) 

1 cup heavy cream 
1 clove garlic, crushed 
1/2 onion parsley 
Salt & Pepper 

Directions 
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, Fry up garlic and onion till cooked. Then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.

It was a relaxing and yummy weekend. =)

Many, if not all of the recipes are from allrecipes.com

Colorful friend

Was at the Benedictine Monastery today with our homeschool group. At some point we're usually given some time for silent prayer, so today I went to the Eucharistic Chapel for a bit to say morning prayer. It was much too nice a day to stay inside, so I decided to wander around outside. I didn't have to go too far until I ran into this guy:

He came right up to me and started posing.

Funny little bird! He sure made prayer time fun.

Magic beans

I was hoping to do some gardening this summer, but realized being outside might not be a good idea (there's an odd person living in the state property behind our house). So I was really happy when my brother got a bean growing kit from the library. And being a teenager, he relinquished the kit to me!

Now all there is left is the waiting. I get irked at waiting as much as the next person, but sometimes waiting is a good thing. Even though it doesn't look like anything is happening, maybe something really is underneath.

But...While I'm waiting, there's so much time to grow. Just because I'm waiting, that doesn't mean that I can't do anything to prepare. Maybe I'm not given this time to "wait" per se, but instead to grow and prepare for what God has planned up the road. 

I’ve always been a morning person. That is to say that I enjoy the morning itself, not necessarily getting out of bed. There is nothing quite like going outside when the sun is just coming up over the horizon. The birds are singing and the air is somewhat still. The dawn is a wonderful time after a long time in the darkness. I remember once sitting in the Pennsylvanian woods on a hill in the wintertime waiting for the sun to rise. It was so dark and then the sun began to rise. Anyone who was has been in the dark knows that as soon as there is light you look towards it and inwardly rejoice. The dawn brings the light, but there is still darkness. Life is the same way for the Christian. We live both in the light of Christ, while still in the darkness of the world.  St. Gregory the Great put it well when he said, “Are not all of us who follow the truth in this life both daybreak and dawn? We do some things, which already belong to the light, but we are not free from the remnants of darkness”. Freedom and joy can only be found in the light of Christ, but we still fall into sin and darkness. We feel alone in the darkness and unhappy. I find that in this state it is important to look toward the light of Christ and move towards it. Christ is our hope. Christ has come to earth and we don’t need to live in the dark anymore. The dawn has broken.