Patriotic Hosta

Big Hosta divided.

Did this actually on Memorial Day Weekend last year! 
But just getting to post about it now.

When working on the front garden beds remember the big hot mess it was?
Trying to tidy it up and make room for the catmint, 
had me needing to work something out.

Well, I worked it and removed a huge hosta, I think it's called Patriotic Hosta.

I divided it into 7 pieces.

Yup that's right!

I got 7 new hostas to grow from one!

Yippee, nothing like free plants, eh?

If you're Greek...time to start thinking of festival season.

If you're Greek...or even if you're not...
it's time to start thinking of festival season.

Yes indeed it is.

If you are Greek or belong to a Greek Orthodox Church you know exactly what I mean. As soon as Easter/Pascha has been celebrated... the baking begins!

What are classic parts of the festival, other than the fantastic time with each other?

Well, there's the food.

And then there's the food.

Umm, did I mention the food?

There's the dancing and music.

Then, there's the Agora (the village store). 

Lenten Recipe Roundup

I've been looking back at my recipes from last year and decided to do another recap. So, here's an easy link to each of last year's recipes for Lent. All veggie, many vegan. Be sure to check back for the Lenten Orthodox Crafts and more recipes, posting soon! There are quite a few pictures after the jump.  ENJOY!!

Surviving Lent

How to get through Lent? How to get through Holy Week? 

I have been asked these questions before, more than once, in lots of different ways.  It usually eludes to fasting as we near the beginning or end of it and the anticipation of the feast ahead.  

Isn't that Christian life, perseverance and anticipation?  So, the only way to "get through", is to do it joyfully.  Fasting is not a chore or punishment, it is but a tool.  A tool and exercise to reinforce in us perseverance and humility.

So how to get through these periods? Simple, it is the way we are to get through all the rest of the year.

Joyfully with prayer, repeating the prayer of the heart.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, The Sinner.

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Adventures in Winter Window Cleaning

Alright, if you have been following my blog you know that I like my windows being clean, but I don't always have the best luck.

This adventure in window cleaning was no different.

I finally took off the Christmas clings.

You know how they leave a little film and stick on the windows.

I don't know about your home, ours get moved around a lot!

New words, little changes almost daily to see if someone else in the family will notice.

It's a fun game, but leaves a big mess on the window.

Time to clean it!

I cleaned the inside, but it didn't look clean.

Then I realized ...dun dun dunnnn.

Ahhh-it was on the outside!

Thinking about Window Boxes: Part Three

Now if you would like to see how I got to this point click on Part One and Part Two. These boxes are just above the front yard flower beds where you can see here what I've planted.  The area below is filled with purples, whites and pinks and lots of green.

I decided to go with a mixture of classic choices and a little hardy succulent to try this year.
It didn't cost a fortune either. Bonus!

Drumroll please...

Petunias

Moss Rose (a trailing annual)

Blue Spruce Sedum ( a trailing perennial)

When thinking about it, I figured it would be nice if there was something that could be the foundation plant and that would possibly grow large and beautiful over the years, esp, since the growing season here is so short. It will also produce sweet yellow flowers late in summer to help us into the fall season.
Best thing about the above choices, drought resistance. Resistance is not futile. Couldn't resist.

Keeping track of your garden

I am continuing my garden journal this year but adding to it.  Last year I did this schematic to help me remember where and what was planted in the rock garden. You may remember we decided to triple it's size last year and so added quite a few more perennials ,after amending the soil.

This year the journal is going to have dates of blooms and progress of the flowers with photos. I'm keeping a journal on the computer but am also printing out pages and adding to a three ring binder so I can also keep seed packet info, add drawings/notes and take it out to the garden with me. I'm pretty pleased with myself on this one.

Let's see how I do this season?
What's your plan? Do you keep a garden journal?

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From Little Fields of Basil Bookshelf: The Littlest Altar Boy

Still need something for your Pascha/ Easter Baskets?

Introducing... a new feature!

Here is our very first book review.  Drum roll please...

Lenten Macrame Bracelet

40 Days-40 Days Lenten Recipes and Crafts!



Here is a fun and satisfying craft. Knotting and macrame is coming back to the scene, I remember my Mom completing many hanging planters.  Going to have to look and see if she still has any for the porch? I was introduced to this at a retreat last year and it can be addictive. Loving the adjustable close.



Here is one I am working on. I use a clipboard to stabilize it and make it portable. The instructions to make your own can be found in the following link,
found here.

Look at how pretty these are below. They are made with a thicker grade thread, than I am using left. Recently have been wearing the purple one and gave the others as gifts.

Share the Day Saturday- Chocolate Cake

Share the Day Saturday

Today's recipe is one shared by another Prez, you may remember her from this recipe, which she shared in the Lenten Series of Recipes last year. Anyway, what can I truly say about her, this odd compliment of the day probably says it best. You can enjoy more of these if you follow me on Pinterest.

Source

Here is the beautiful cake she made using this recipe. Doesn't it look awesome!

Chocolate Chip Kale Cookies

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes

Kale is all the rage. It's easy to grow, high in vitamins but it's bitter. It's not something our family cares for very much. Have tried it as chips, blech! Gross! No matter how much you salt them, and try to convince yourself they taste just like real potato chips, trust me, THEY DON'T. Now kale in soup, a different matter, not bad in soup, not bad at all. But the child, won't go near it, even in soup.
Now I have found a new way to add this healthy green leafy veggie to our life. COOKIES! 

21 Favorite Ideas to Decorate Easter Eggs

40 Days-40 Lenten Recipes (and more)

So with Easter/Pascha approaching, a girl's thoughts turn to... the eggs of course.
It can't be recipes and food all the time.

I started thinking about all the gorgeous egg tutorials I've seen on Pinterest.

So I thought I'd share some of my favorites and some history I learned, along the way.

Enjoy and then let's get cracking!

Sorry couldn't resist.

Chocolate Fig Tarts with Almond Date Crusts

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes

This has become my all-time favorite dessert. It's Lenten, Paleo (depending on ingredients) and Vegan. The flavors of this tart blend perfectly together, whether you want it sweeter with the fruit topping or a bit more savory with almond.  The filling is rich and almost decadent-just heavenly!

I think even in non-Lenten times, this is an awesome healthy sweet treat.  Which means it's a treat, don't think just because healthy ingredients are used you can exist on this and eat it everyday? 

It's called balance, people, balance!

Calamari and Capers

40 Days-40 Days Lenten Recipes

Calamari and Capers

This is a favorite dish, there are so many variations you can make of it. Adding not only the capers with a squeeze of lemon, but also something else, if you are feeling a bit more adventurous? Are you? Then add some spicy hot slices of jalapeno or hot peppers. In non-Lenten times, some fresh Parmesan sprinkled on top completes the dish.  This is a great dish as an appetizer, a side or as an entree if placed on a bed of rice or spring greens.

So how to make these.  You can buy them and just bake them, find them in your freezer in the fish market area of the grocery. Or if you have availability to the fresh calamari or frozen calamari, start with cleaning and slicing the rings. So the rule is when frying something breaded, you need wet to dry, or dry to wet.  Translation, dry your rings, dip them in a wet substance (if going vegan try coconut milk) and then into flour with bread crumbs. Then place in the fry pan with about an 1/2-1 inch of oil.

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Lent and being too busy?

I had the pleasure of hearing one of youth, a second grader answer a question this weekend during Church School that made every adult want to leap up and applaud. The question was, "what season are we in and what is it?"  The answer, "it's the 40 days of Lent and it's when Jesus was in the desert and was being tempted by the Devil. So we remember it by trying to stay away from stuff that tempts us." What a great kid!

Take time ( a minute or if you can even longer today) and a say a prayer, make the connection that counts.
It does make a difference!

Here's an easy prayer, not always to easy to say but powerful.

Jesus Christ, Have Mercy on Me, a Sinner.

I was introduced to this below over the weekend. It's very thought-provoking and I know not new but worth a revisit. Let me know what you think about it? Would love to hear from you.

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DEVIL'S CONVENTION

Satan called a worldwide convention.

In his opening address to his evil angels, he said,'We can't keep the Christians from going to church.'
'We cannot keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.'
'We cannot even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ.'

'This is what I want you to do angels ...

Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!'

'How shall we do this?' shouted his angels.

'Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,' he answered. 'Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.'

'Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep thern from spending time with their children.'

'As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!'

'Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. Keep the TV, VCR, CDs, and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.'

'Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.'

'Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what is important, and they will become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!'

'Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week'.

'Do not let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead.'

'Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.'

'Go ahead, let thern be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so rnany good causes they have no tirne to seek power frorn Jesus.'

'Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.'

It will work! It will work!

It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
I guess the question is has the devil been successful at his scherne? You be the judge!
Does 'busy' rnean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Author unknown

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Lenten Spring Mantle Decor

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes (and Crafts)

Need to share and send a shout out to two of my favorite blogs!

First let me thank Christina for the sweet Lamb chatterboxes. I made a few of them and put them in a basket in our church narthex for the kids to take home as a family activity. They were snatched up pretty quickly and enjoyed!  If you haven't seen these, so adorable and a great way to open some sweet discussions with the little people.

Now I wish to thank Kristi from I Should Be Mopping the Floor for posting a free Printable.

 It is so pretty and exactly what I wanted for our Lenten Mantle. 

You can see it below. 

Instead of framing it, although it would look very nice this way, I decided to do something else.

I took the 8x10 and had it blown up to 12x16, it didn't cost much as I had a coupon etc... 

Anyway, once I brought it home, used the old modpodge then a little white paint to blend in the edges. The white paper it was on was significantly bluer than my canvas. Go figure?

When I initially put it up it looked lovely but I felt it was still missing something. I played around with the vases and other things on the mantle. Then, I figured out what was missing for me. So, I added the yellow flowers to match the wall color and bring in the daffodils. I tried to match Kristi's pretty flower design. What do you think?

Too much? or Good Match?

Kristi, I just LOVE it!

Thanks!

Here's the full mantle view.

I can't wait for the Forsythia to be in bloom, maybe should get daisies next?

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Lenten Meatball Submarine Sandwich-Sans the Meat

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes

Well, not everything I make is a success. 

Trust me... I have no pictures of the attempt of homemade fruit roll ups. EPIC FAIL!

But when it came to a Lenten Sub Sandwich it tasted pretty good. I haven't made my own Veggie burgers in a super long time. So decided on making a Beanballs. Yup you read it right, "BeanBalls."

Ingredients

2 cups black beans

2 cups cannellini beans

1 cup quinoa

1-2 cups breadcrumbs

1/2 cup roasted sweet pepper

4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

tomato sauce

dash garlic powder

dash cinnamon

I blended the beans and roasted pepper in the food processor and then into a bowl to incorporate the quinoa and breadcrumbs. Then I formed them into balls and patties. 

I was going to bake them but decided to give my family the best chance of liking something different I would fry them. So with a tablespoon of olive oil I went to town.  I removed them and used the same pan to heat up the sauce, use the marinara of your choice.  I didn't make it from scratch. Some days there is no time or inclination.  I believe everyone just does the best they can, and that has to be good enough.  I like my store brand of tomato basil sauce, and using add a little more garlic powder and a dash of cinnamon. Once heated I added the beanballs back and we spooned them into our heated rolls. 

They tasted good and hearty.  The only problem I will warn you ahead of time. Don't put too many in the sandwich and don't eat too many, they are made primarily of beans afterall, if you get my drift?

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Broiled Scallops on a bed of Fresh Spring Greens

40 Days-40 Days Lenten Recipes


First day of Spring-weather started cold but was 56 degrees by end of the day. Allelulia, there is hope in sight! Keeping it simple today-will write more another time but it's been a rough week.  We lost one of our sweet cats this week, the end was bittersweet. We miss him.

Back to the recipes...

I know you come by to share the day to get some ideas for dinner. This one is simple and yummy and fast. A treat to make and enjoy.  Broiled Scallops on a bed of fresh spring mix greens with grape tomatos. I rinsed and thawed the scallops then placed them in a stoneware broiler pan, with a little vegan butter, paprika, squeeze from a lemon and dusting of garlic powder. Nothing to it. In less than 20 minutes they were done, I didn't keep track of the time...sorry, you really have to look at there color to tell. When they are no longer translucent, they are done. Added a yummy poppyseed dressing, but the Avocado Poppyseed dressing would taste good too!

Thanks for sharing the day.

Thai-Inspired Spring Rolls

40 Days-40 Days of Lenten Recipes

Ok, admission here. 

I am not a fan of Chinese take-out. 

There I said it!

I don't love Chinese food.

I am a fan of Thai and Vietnamese, a BIG fan. 

It's the flavors that attract me, you can have something that's simple or with flavors that are much more complex, and sometimes really HOT! I remember a time, I took a family member out to my favorite Thai place and the challenge was on of who could handle the hottest dish.  We had tears rolling out of eyes not only from food but because we were laughing so hard. Good times.

These spring rolls are easy, flavorful and healthy for you.  They are not hot, but are so good they could be considered "hot." They are a "go- to" snack and admittedly can be filling enough to be dinner.  

Check out here, my rolling technique needs help, still tasty.
With these I was in a rush and overfilled them.

Rice paper makes a huge difference. Won ton wrappers and eggroll papers are too thick. It does make a difference.  Rice paper is thin and actually comes dried and is so thin it needs to be rehydrated. All you need to do, is fill a shallow dish with warm water and place the rice sheet in it for about 10-15 seconds. Carefully lift it out and start layering your veggies. You can use any combination you like and get creative.  

Ingredients

Rice paper

Bag of shredded broccoli coleslaw mix

Julienned carrots

Bean sprouts

Sliced julienned cucumbers

small pieces of fresh basil

Optional: small pieces of tofu or shrimp)

Peanut Sauce ( buy it  or this is a good recipe)

I rolled these tighter, you can see the difference.

These are fresh and light and yummy.

Not just Lenten yummy but anytime of the year.

What do you think?

What's your fave cuisine from the Far East?

Chinese, Thai, Korean or Vietnamese?

Am I missing something?

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St Patricks Day Green Smoothie

40 Days- 40 Days Lenten Recipes

Happy St Patricks Day

God grant you many years,

if you celebrate today.

Did you realize St Patrick

is considered an Orthodox Saint.

So what makes it high protein? The kale, avocado and almond milk.

I have never had a food processor before and recently acquired one.

How did I ever do anything before?

So more smoothies, here we go!