Ashes On My Head Can Only Mean One Thing

As I sat in the hospital’s worship service today, I was still worrying about what I was going to give up for Lent. 

Yes, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  I rarely talk about religion here because I don’t want to offend or discourage anyone from thinking I’m not open to your thoughts and opinions no matter your beliefs.  (Note: I’m very open to whatever you have to say about anything, not just religion.)  But since today is such an important day, I thought it was appropriate to talk a little about Ash Wednesday, Lent, and what it all means to me.

If you clicked on either of the above links, you’ve probably realized that they refer you to information about Catholicism.  I was raised Catholic and it’s the denomination I continue to practice today.  I have never and will never be a very devout Catholic, nor do I adhere to many of the Church’s more conservative teachings and practices.  But I believe in the Catholic interpretation of the Bible and I prefer the Catholic service (I do like me some tradition.).  And I’ve always participated in Lent.   

Which is why I found myself sitting in the chapel at the hospital.  I couldn’t leave work today to go to mass, but I needed to go to a service and listen.  I needed to pray in preparation for the season and get my ashes on my forehead.  And I needed to get my mind off of how incredibly hungry I was (I did the Catholic thing and fasted this morning). 

Lent is about sacrifice, both your own personal sacrifice and remembering the ultimate sacrifice Christ made for us when he died on the cross.  Your Lenten sacrifice should call to mind Christ’s sacrifice. 

I’ve given up a variety of things over the years for Lent.  Fast food, chocolate, soft drinks, butter, caffeine, and swearing are some that I can think of off the top of my head.  Some I failed miserably before the first week was over (I don’t even think I made it through the first 24 hours without caffeine), but some really changed me.  I used to put butter on everything from ordinary things like bread and potatoes to PopTarts and every vegetable imaginable.  Now I rarely butter anything but my bread, preferring to enjoy the taste of the food as opposed to the taste of the butter.

But this year I couldn’t think of anything. 

I mean, I thought of a lot of things, like Diet Coke, coffee, sweets, and pasta, but none of those were things that I really felt like I could actually give up.  Even reminding myself that my sacrifice is nowhere near as difficult as Christ’s was would help.  Especially with the Diet Coke.  I couldn’t have made it a week. 

But then it hit me, right there during the AME chaplain singing the hymn (It’s a Baptist hospital in an urban neighborhood – no one is Catholic around here).  Catholics always abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent.  (It should be noted that “meat” does not mean fish or shellfish.  Meat refers to red meats, poultry, and pork.)  And I’ve been thinking about going vegetarian for budget reasons, but have resisted because I really do love meat. 

So I’m giving up meat (as in the Catholic definition of meat) for Lent.  It’s a sacrifice because I eat out a good bit with friends and it’s always hard to find vegetarian options on the menu and it’s a sacrifice because I’m tempted to eat meat and cook with meat all the time.  But it’s also something that’s going to be good for my body and for my wallet.  I’m pretty excited about it. 

Do you participate in Lent?  If so, what are you sacrificing? 

Recipe: Oreo Delight

The very first dessert I was ever served in the sorority house was Oreo Delight.  It’s aptly named because it’s made with oreos and it is delightful.  Actually, it’s more than delightful, it’s delicious.  Amazing.  Awe-inspiring.  Shove-your-face-into-it-kind-of-good.  When I found the recipe for poppy seed chicken, so similar to another sorority house favorite, I knew I had to track down a recipe for Oreo Delight.

Well, it turns out that there are about a million different ways to make Oreo Delight and none of the recipes I found seemed to match up to the one I remember.  So, as all good cooks do, I tried to make my own.  The result wasn’t quite the same, but this is super easy and is still very, very good.  I highly recommend it.

On another note, while searching for this recipe, I discovered Google’s new recipe search feature.  If you haven’t, you should try it and report back in.  I like it, but I’m not crazy about it yet.  I need to play with it a little more before I pass judgment. 

Anyway, the recipe!

Oreo Delight

½ of a regular package of oreos

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 package instant chocolate pudding (1.4 oz size that makes 4 servings of pudding)

2 cups cold milk

1 8oz tub of cool whip, thawed

Put the oreos in a zip-top baggie and crush with a mallet or a rolling pin.  They don’t all have to be busted to smithereens, but you want them fairly finely crushed.  Pour in the melted butter and shake around to evenly coat the crumbs.  Reserve about a few tablespoons of the crumbs for a garnish, if desired.

Make the pudding with the milk according to the package directions.  Chill the pudding for at least 30 minutes.

Fold ⅓ of the cool whip into the pudding. 

Evenly coat the bottom of whatever medium dish you want to use to serve with the cookie crumbs.  I used an 8x4 loaf pan.  Spread half of the pudding on top of the cookies, then add a layer of cool whip.  Repeat the layers.  Top with the reserved crumbs if desired.  For best results, chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.  To serve, scoop it out and into a bowl.  It’s not pretty, but who cares?  It tastes great. 

I apologize for this terrible picture.  This is what happens when you forget to take a picture until 9:00 at night.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Delicious Dishes.

Menu Plan Monday

I feel like all I do lately is eat out and eat leftovers.  It isn't on purpose; I would much rather be cooking small meals and eating my own (slightly healthier) food, but it seems like I have so much to do and all of it comes around dinner time.  My wallet and my waistline are cringing from all the heavy, fatty, overly priced restaurant meals and I have a feeling that I'm going to have a good amount of food waste this week.  

I guess I could start having people over for dinner.  Is it rude to serve your guests leftovers?  :)

This past weekend two of my closest friends from college came for a visit and I recreated one of our favorite sorority house dinners for us on Friday.  It didn't taste quite the same without 70 other girls eating it too, but it was wonderful to spend time with my sweet friends.  

Friday - Poppy seed chicken, rice, salad, oreo delight (recipe coming soon!)

Saturday - Out to dinner

Sunday - Leftovers

This week, when I'm not meeting up with friends who are in town for spring break (oh to still be in school!), I will be eating:

Monday - Out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory - YUM!

Tuesday - Leftovers (either from Friday or more of the never ending bowl of Spinach Cream Sauce. Side note: does anyone know if you can freeze cream sauce?)

Wednesday - Out again

Thursday - Yogurt-marinated chicken with mushrooms and sweet potatoes (I'll be making this without the quinoa since I don't need that much food.)

What's on your menu this week?

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

Weekly Wanderings

Weekly Wanderings: What I Found While Wandering Around the Blogosphere

Food:

Homemade Pancake Mix – I always make my pancakes from Bisquick, but this seems really easy and since it keeps for 3 months, it’s probably a better option than the packaged stuff!

Taste Test: Dairy Free Milk Alternatives – not a recipe, but an excellent resource for anyone who needs or who is interested in dairy-free milk. 

Mustard Chicken Salad – I actually found this in my new Ina Garten cookbook, How Easy Is That?, but I wanted to share the recipe with y’all because it looks so tasty. 

Everything else:

How to Boycott HarperCollins at Your Own Comfort Level – I’m not entirely sure this requires any explanation at all, unless you are unaware of what is going on with HarperCollins (and to some extent RandomHouse).  In which case, I invite you to read this post and this one.

Conquering Emotional Purchases – An excellent post from an excellent blogger asking the really tough question, “why do we buy things we don’t need?”.

Love Your Organs – March is National Kidney Month and Amy wants you to be aware of your risks for kidney disease.  She also shares her story of being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. 

This post is linked to Friday Favorites

Food Waste Friday

This is the week of moldy foods at chez Elizabeth.  I found some cheese, stuck way back in the refrigerator that was growing some very nice specimens of penicillin.  I *think* I bought that cheese when I moved into my house.  Two months ago.

Oops.

I also had some grapes that never tasted great to begin with so I kept avoiding them until they were starting to get a little fuzzy.

 

It could have been worse I suppose.  At least I didn't let any leftovers go to waste.  

Did you waste any food this week?  

This post is linked to The Frugal Girl.

A Birthday Recipe: Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

Are you a maker or a buyer of birthday cakes?

I’m a maker.  It’s not that I don’t an extra special cake from a local bakery (and there are some truly excellent bakeries around here), but I feel like a homemade birthday cake is much more special.  It’s a gift from the heart.  It says “I took time out of my busy day to make this for you”. 

It also helps when the person whose birthday it is has a favorite cake.  It makes it that much easier.

Today is my mother’s birthday and she has a cake that she just absolutely adores.  I’m making her dinner tonight (shrimp and grits – recipe coming next week!) and serving her favorite cake as dessert. 

This cake is clearly from Paula Deen – two sticks of butter, cream cheese, an entire box of powdered sugar.  But it is also very easy and so very, very delicious.  If you are looking for something different than regular cake with frosting, try this recipe. 

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake – adapted from Paula Deen

Crust:

1 18.25 oz box of chocolate cake mix (I recommend Pillsbury)

1 egg

1 stick of butter, melted

Topping:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs

3½ tablespoons cocoa powder

16 oz powdered sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 9x13 cake pan.

In large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, and melted butter.  Mix well until no dry cake mix remains.  Pat the crust into the bottom of the prepared dish and spread out evenly.  Set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth (2-4 minutes) with an electric mixer (hand or stand).  Beat in eggs and cocoa powder, scraping down sides as needed to fully combine everything.  Lower the speed of the mixer (very important!!) and slowly beat in the powdered sugar.  With the mixer running, gradually add the melted butter and vanilla.  Stir in nuts by hand, if desired.  Pour topping over the crust and spread evenly.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  The sides should look set, but a toothpick inserted in the center will not come out cleanly.  It’s okay; you want the cake to still be slightly gooey.  Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.  Best served warm.

 

This post is linked to What's On Your Plate? and Delicious Dishes.

March Goals

1.      Budget – Stick to my spending limits and adjust accordingly.  As I mentioned in my goal review for February, I did decently in sticking to my limits, but I was unprepared for the jump in gas prices so I went majorly over budget.  I need to continue to stick to my limits, but I also need to watch how much I’m spending and make adjustments as needed.  For example, I budgeted $200 for groceries for February, but I only spent about $130.  So I will lower my grocery budget to $150 a month (the extra money is to account for anything unexpected like a party or a really great meat sale). 

2.      Food – Bust out the cookbooks.  I have a fairly large collection of cookbooks and I love to read cookbooks for fun.  Sometimes I read them just to read them, but mostly I’m reading them looking for and marking new recipes to try.  I have all these cookbooks with tabbed recipes sticking out, but I never get around to cooking them.  I would like several of my new recipes to try for the month to come from my cookbooks.  I have a feeling this is a goal I’m going to have to work on for a while.

3.      Blogging – Dedicate some time each day for blogging.  Work got in the way of doing quality blogging last month, but added to that, when I get tired or stressed, I tend to let things slide.  And one thing I tend to let slide is blogging.  I have lots of ideas for posts and guest posts, but I just haven’t had the time or energy to work on them.  But like everything else, I need to carve out some time, limit my distractions, and spend a half hour or so (not a work!!) blogging.  If anyone has any advice how they maintain a good blogging schedule and rhythm, I would love to hear it.

4.      Social – Establish a balance.  I think I went overboard on social events last month.  A, I’m spending a little more money than I would like, and b, I rarely, especially towards the end of the month, was home.  I felt like I was neglecting Caty, and neglecting myself.  I need to work on finding a balance between being busy with friends and staying at home/spending time with my family.  I have lots going on during the weekends of March, so I would like (at least partially) to limit the amount that I go out or do stuff during the week.  It’s all about finding a balance.

5.      Personal – Read 4 books.  I have been neglecting my reading list lately I think.  I’ve only read one book off of it in the last few weeks, and I really need to get back to it.  Also, thanks to Cate, I have some excellent nonfiction selections to read, so I would also like to make headway on that list.  I don’t think reading 4 books is out of my range, especially as there is 5 weeks in March and I’m already listening to one in the car.  Audio books count right?  Well, I’m making them count.

What are your goals for March?