4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!

God Bless the USA!

(Photo: http://blog.cvsflags.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/American-flag-fireworks.jpg)

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

• Wisdom

• Understanding

• Counsel

• Fortitude

• Knowledge

• Piety

• Fear of the Lord

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"1831 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David.  They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations."

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a7.htm

Yellow Split Pea Soup

A Split Pea Soup recipe that I will make at some point this upcoming week...

Courtesy of Camellia Brand Beans (http://camelliabrand.com/t-familyrecipes.aspx)

Sawyer’s Yellow Split Pea Soup

1 lb Camellia Brand Yellow Split Peas
1/4 lb seasoning meat OR ham
6 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery tops, chopped
1 toe garlic, chopped
1 large bay leaf
Salt and pepper

Directions
Rinse and sort peas. Cover peas with water, add meat, vegetables and seasonings. Simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours until tender. Add water as necessary to desired consistency. Pass peas through sieve or blender.

Serving Suggestions:
For a richer soup, use milk instead of water to adjust consistency.
For a creamy vegetable sauce, use milk instead of water for an excellent topping on fresh vegetables such as yellow squash, green beans, asparagus or your favorite.
To thicken consistency of soup or sauce, add bread crumbs and/or grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Prep Time: 3 hours 0 minutes
Difficulty: 1 - Easy
Camellia Product: Yellow Split Peas
Servings: 6

Appreciating Technology in Education

My response to this post:

http://gtirbs.blogspot.com/2011/05/entry-10-technology.html

For some reason, the comment box didn't work, and I took the time to write this.  So, here it is!

-----------------------------

Dr. Speaker, I agree with your ideas about the inevitability of technology become more integrated into our lives.  However, as some who values - and yes, has a nostalgic longing for - some peace and quiet away from the constant connections, I have to say I'm still hesitant to let some things go, like a paperback or textbook for example.  Yes, e-books are much cheaper and better for the environment.  But, using and referencing one of my online textbooks takes up way more of my time than it would if I just had a hard copy of it.  I find that when I work from a hard copy text book, I absorb the information better and I can flip quickly to the index and find what I'm looking for (rather than clicking back and forth through menus and losing my place and train of thought).  When I'm writing a paper on a laptop, I have to click back and forth through windows (or make each window small) instead of just having my reference on the table beside me.  And, frankly, it's a reprieve from looking at a screen.

One thing I find is that now that virtually everything is online, I'm incessantly connected to my computer or some other electronic device.  I relish opportunities where I enter into a building that requires phones to be off.  I shouldn't have to be at everyone's disposal every second of the day, and I should be able to enjoy, uninterrupted, what I'm doing in the present moment at its fullest.  Opportunities to experience a still, focused mind are quite rare in this generation, but, in my opinion, are so important to having a good quality of life.

I do love my gadgets, and I genuinely have an appreciation for the amount of information at my fingertips at any moment.  I'm not scared of technology, and I do my best to stay up-to-date and educated on how to use new devices.  However, I think we should tread carefully.  We are at risk of spending way too much time and money on figuring out how things work and deciding whether or not they'd be useful tools in the classroom when we could have finished a very effective lesson already.  It's best to let newer technologies sit in the market for a while to make sure they suit their purpose efficiently and effectively before we dive in to every technological fad as soon as  it hits the shelves.

Just today...

Today is a beautiful day in New Orleans.  I spent the morning at the eye doctor where I learned my astigmatism has slightly increased, but other than that all is well!  I'm glad I made an early appointment because it was so nice driving through the city with the music up and windows down!  I really enjoyed it.  The area of Gentilly (the Dillard subdivision) where my doctor's office is is very nice.  I'm not too familiar it, but it was very clean with lots of trees, wide streets, and it was quiet.  My eye doctor is so friendly, and he was in no rush.  He was on time to my appointment, and spent a whole 45 minutes with me!  He evaluated my eyes to the sharpest vision possible then we chatted while he entered the data into their seemingly new computer system.  It's probably why his appointments are so spread out... it took me 3 months to get!

I went to Adoration after, which is always nice.  I really look forward to it each week, though when I first made the commitment, I was nervous about breaking away from my daily routine to go and sit still for an hour with Jesus.  It's actually quite easy to do.  I spend the first 10 minutes quietly praying, then I read the day's mass readings slowly, line by line.  I got down in a little notebook any interesting thoughts.  Then, I have a meditation that I read from my Laudate Android app.  I read that slowly, then jot down any thoughts.  I end by spending the last 10-15 minutes in quiet adoration prayer, also which I find on my Laudate app.  The one hour really flies by!  I really like my 11am-12pm time slot, because the church bells right right at 12, so it is an easy signal that it's time for me to leave without me having to glance at the clock.  After doing this a few times now, I have built up quite a collection of notes, and I read through some of them today.  I am noticing trends and common themes in the things I write about, and that gives me a boost knowing that I'm living my life according to the truth I find in Catholic teachings.  The same truth appears in different ways each week, and I love that constancy.  I always wonder if people think that I'm piddling around texting on my cell phone while I'm supposed to be adoring Jesus.  But, I hope people realize that Bible, meditation, and prayer apps are easy ways of accessing spiritual texts that are excellent supplements during prayer time.  Nobody's bothered me about it yet.

The rest of my afternoon has been devoted to career planning and school work.  Besides a normal flow of reading, analyzing, and writing essays, I'm considering a certification in special education.  I'm in the beginning phases of consideration, but am feeling a strong pull towards it.  I'll write more about that later.  We shall see what the next few days have in store for me! 

Cat Year Calculator

cat years

Jaynie is 48 years and Billy is 45 years! Crazy!

Father Maletta's Homily

I have been listening to Gus Lloyd (Catholic Channel, Sirius XM) this morning who has played the audio for this video below:



I am furious about all of this nonsense going on in our government right now.  Like Father Maletta says in the video, aren't there more important things in this world for our country to focus on?  I'm scared of what will happen if this HHS Mandate passes as is.  It sets a precedent for so many other ways for the government to control what we do, what we believe, and how we spend our money.

Lent & Learning

Welcome to Lent!  This year, I'm not really "giving up" a thing.  I'm consciously trying to eat and drink in moderation.  So far, it's been good.  Except, I had an extra serving of macaroni and cheese tonight, which I feel guilty about!  I'm also hoping to try to use my time better.  So, instead of spending several minutes a day reading facebook, I'm trying to use that time to play with my nephew, read something that will educate me or will at least be more creative food-for-thought, and pray in different ways.

Last night, I decided to peruse my Android app Laudate (formerly known as Catholic One), and I stumbled across a daily reading link to meditation podcasts from pray-as-you-go.org.  It was beautiful!  "Miserere" was playing in the background of the spoken meditation.  It is one of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard -- it sounds like Heaven! 




On a different note, today I read a very long chapter on Cognitive Development in children.  One section that stood out for me was the preoperational stage of development (ages 2-7) because that is where my nephew is about to be.  He'll be 2 in 18 days!  I was observing him today while we played with this cute little pretend food that you can chop (http://bit.ly/bZGBZt).  He's right at the very beginning of learning how to make-believe play.  He's still very realistic about everything, and he's especially good at sorting and stacking.  One make-believe thing we've started noticing him do is that he buckles objects into his high chair (i.e., he associates that he sits and gets buckled, so other things can be buckled in too).  It's fascinating to me to be learning all these things right now and witnessing someone I'm close to go through those developmental stages.  I'll be even more keen to see it from the beginning again when my sister has her next baby in August!  Alas, I still have none of my own, but I'm happy to just be Nanny for now.  :)

Into the grad program...

I am well into my 1st semester of grad school now.  It's going really well, I think!  I'm taking courses on Multicultural Education, Child Development, Learning Literacy, and Research.  New Orleans is fantastic!  I'm happy, focused, and energetic!

Hors d'Oeuvres

I really liked this calendar entry this weekend, and I wanted to share it!

Planning Hors d'Oeuvres for a Party, from the Joy of Cooking page-a-day calendar, December 17/18, 2011.

Many hors d'oeuvres are rich in fat or are combined with an oil or butter base, in part to buffer the impact of alcohol. If, during preprandial* drinking, the appetizer intake is too extensive, true enjoyment of the meal will be destroyed. Before a rich dinner, two or three hors d'oeuvres are usually plenty -- a bowl of nuts or olives, crudités witha  dip, perhaps a canapé. For a cocktail party without dinner to follow, offer five to six different appetizers, including at least two that involve meat or seafood and at least two that are hot. Allow six to eight pieces per person if a meal is to follow. If appetizers are the only food, allow for double that amount.

Happy entertaining! 


*preprandial: of, relating to, or suitable for the time just before dinner (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preprandial)

Advent: Friday, Third Week

Today's Action: Renew the intention to spend quiet time resting in the presence of the Lord. Be a light and save haven for others.

I'm going to not necessarily reflect on today's action, and instead, I'm just going to freewrite. I'm not feeling like being confined today.

I'm finding it hard to rationalize the bad things that happen in the world. Firstly, this crazy elevator instance where the lady got caught in it and died! It's just awful! What a strange nanosecond in time. I pray for her family and friends, as well as for her, that God takes care of them all.

I'm so ready to start this next phase of my life. It doesn't help that I'm sick. I hate not having the energy to do all the things on my to-do list. It really sets me back because I don't allow enough time in for back up. With all the stuff going on at work though, I can't help but feel just a tiny bit of guilt... some feeling of not finishing what I started. I keep praying that God will take care of all the people I work with. I know from past experience that, with time, things will just work themselves out they way they need to. The company will not go under just because I'm leaving, and hopefully, I'm banking on the fact that now someone else will get to shine. The company will have a new beginning as well, so that's exciting, right?

I want to maintain all the relationships I have. I know it's easier said than done, but this time I really want to try.

Advent: Thursday, First Week

December 1, 2011

Today, look at life, yours and your neighbor's  How often did our gracious God turn apparent misfortune into richest blessings!

The first misfortune that comes into my mind is Hurricane Katrina.  While I still battle with the loss and separation, there are many ways God has blessed us through the storm.  Firstly, we have learned to survive and cope.  We know what family means.  And, I think the biggest blessing we received was realizing what home means and never taking it for granted.  I can't tell now exactly what stemmed directly from the storm, but I know that I and my entire family have a completely different perspective on life because of it.  Regardless, for many misfortunes in the world, there are ways that God's love and blessings shine through.  For example, look at other natural disasters and the way people band together to provide resources and support to the victims of such events.  God definitely brings out the best in many people.

Katrina and natural disasters aside, I'm trying to think about my neighbors' misfortunes and blessings.  This is a tricky meditation for me.  I don't know if I could rightfully say that good things came out of bad situations that happened to others because it's subjective.  It might seem good to me, but they might not see it that way.  I can think of a lot of misfortunes that happened to many of my friends.  However, I feel like it's presumptuous of me to assume they've witnessed blessings in their lives through those misfortunes.  It's not to say I can't believe they've been blessed with many things: children, new opportunities, a refreshed outlook on life, an adventure.  But to say they've received those blessings through misfortunes seems unfair for me to judge.  However, if I believe in a far and gracious God, which I do, then I have faith that he will in fact -- in his own time -- bring forth blessings in our lives through apparent misfortunes.  Therefore, I do find consolation in the fact that when I or my neighbor is faced with misfortune, large or small, that blessings will come eventually through personal perseverance and a strong faith in God.  I feel like that seems overly optimistic, but I've been there.  I've had a few misfortunes in my life, and I've handled them, mentally and spiritually, in different ways.  I know from experience that faithful dedication to God's graciousness and fairness only brings about the most beautiful blessings - more than you probably could have imagined on your own.  It's truly amazing!

Recap:  Look at your and your neighbor's lives.  How often did God turn misfortunes into blessings?
1.  God has most definately brought blessings upon me through misfortune.
2.  I can't always tell if other people found blessings through their misfortunes, but I hope they do!
3.  I trust in a gracious and loving God who will bring about blessings through misfortunes in his own time.

Advent: Wednesday, First Week

November 30, 2011

Observe quietly today: Is there some way to reach out, to extend an invitation, to care, to share?  In winding down my last few weeks at my current company, I have plenty of time for observation lately.  I'm observing busy bees around the office, bustling to make the clients and consultants happy while maintaining their own sanity.  I'm observing intimate meetings with coworkers where we laugh and joke around, but really hone in on some amazing new ideas for the business.  I realize no one can run the company alone.  It takes every moving part to make it work.  In the same way that an organization needs each of its members, people in and around one's personal life need other people too to help them fulfill their highest dreams and aspirations.

I've also observed this evening how much my husband and I depend on each other for laughter, strength, and overall wellness.  Sometimes we need to reach out to each other, even if we don't realize that we need to.  It takes that initial invitation to talk and to be a listener.  And, I value that so much.  What would he do without that person in his life to really listen, understand, and care so much?  Furthermore, I value just as much my friendships and family relationships.  It's easy to take for granted sometimes, especially in the age of social media, that I will always have someone to reach out to.  But, we need to be careful about that.  We all know that we can be friends with hundreds of people online, but what happens in a real time of need?  You need someone to trust.  You need someone to listen and bounce ideas off of.  Sometimes, those people don't come very easily, and you have to work to foster those relationships.  Sometimes, it's not very easy for some people to do the work.  Whether they battle shyness, extensive work schedules, alcoholism or drug abuse, physical disabilities that keep them bedridden, many people may not be able to have the resources to get out there and build these important relationships.

If organizations depend upon its members to operate, if husbands and wives depend upon each other for love and support, and if one relies on friends and family to care and share, then it is obvious that as humans, we need others to help us feel fulfilled, loved, and strengthened through our ups and downs. 

I'm imagining now the people who don't have that person... one person to reach out to when they're in need.  How isolating!  How lonely and frightful!  The sheer thought of such loneliness calls to mind a sense of desperation.  This seems to me now where the calling of sacrifice comes in for those of us who are fortunate enough to have a strong web of relationships upon which one can always rely.  It's easy to donate money or canned goods, but wow, it is difficult to donate one's time!  Taking two hours of one's very busy and regimented schedule to visit a lonely stranger in a long term care facility seems like a joke.  How can one possible fit that in too?  It's a decision.  It's a sacrifice.  You simply come home two hours earlier from the bar on Friday night, wake up two hours earlier on Saturday and just do it!  Connection to others is almost as vital as food, clothing, & shelter.  Imagine the overwhelming relief and sense of connection a person who never receives a visitor would feel with even one visit...one phone call!  You could really impact that person's life. 

There are many ways to reach out, to share, and to care.  It's time to make the decision to put them in action.  Tonight, I'll pray for all the lonely people in the world and for strength to make the sacrifice to reach out in a new and different way.

Recap - Observe quietly.  How can you reach out, extend an invitation, care, and share?
1.  Never take your relationships for granted.
2.  We need others to help us feel fulfilled, loved, and strengthened.
3.  Make a conscious decision to reach out to those most in need of a connection.

Advent: Tuesday, First Week

November 29, 2011

Today's Advent act is to ponder children, find Jesus in their faces, and find some way to love a child.  Well, one thing I know is that in no way did I interact with any children, although it felt like it at times in my office!  :)  However, I find myself thinking often of my upcoming career teaching early elementary students.  I absolutely cannot wait to get into the classroom and teach!  I love the way children are so eager to learn.  They are fearless and just absorb the world around them like sponges.  One of my favorite feelings of joy is when I see something click in the mind of one I am teaching.  And then, watching them put that new skill into practice.

Children need so much love, attention, and guidance.  What a selfless act it is to be a parent, guardian, or mentor to a child!  You must completely forget yourself and your own desires in order to ensure your child has what he or she needs to survive, to be successful, and to make good decisions.  They depend so much on the older people in their lives to show them the right way to live.  That puts a lot of pressure on the older people because the reality of the daily grind sometimes gets the best of us.  (I count myself in the older people crowd now, I suppose.)  Thinking about Sunday's post on finding Jesus, I realize that it's a double whammy when I not only have to seek and find Jesus for myself, but also have to teach the children in my life how to.  It's not just a challenge, but an honor to pass on such a hopeful and peaceful message to a child who will eventually grow up in an oftentimes harsh and cruel world.

It's really not hard for me to find Jesus in the faces of children.  It's definitely one of the easier ways to seek and find Jesus in my life.  For one, the children in my family are unspeakably the perfect image of God and His creation.  I absolutely cannot imagine any more perfect creatures in the world than them, despite the occasional temper tantrums (at which I try to hide my laughter) or attitudes (at which I patiently attempt to encourage some discipline).  Outside of my family, whenever I see children in strollers or walking with their parents throughout the city, I do smile to myself.  They're such little people with such big dreams and aspirations... you can see it in the way they try to emulate their parents or in the way they look around and try to understand the world around them.  There is so much potential in them!  I suppose it's easy to get through my life and just pray and hope that the next generation will do a better job than we can.  Isn't that the curse (or blessing?) of every generation?

While I did not get to spend time with any children today, I look forward to spending more time with my nephews this weekend.  And, since I don't plan to be around any children until then, I'm going honor them by donating to New Orleans Children's Hospital, the place that healed my heart when I was a baby.  Everyday, the doctors, nurses, and staff provide love and care to sick children.  I'll pray for them tonight as well as for all those who care for children -- parents, guardians, teachers, family members, doctors, emergency service providers, daycare facilitators, summer camp counselors, and all those who devote their lives to the welfare of children in the world.

Recap - Ponder children, find Jesus in their faces, and love a child.
1. Children need guidance and example from us.
2. Children provide us with a beautiful expression of Jesus as human.
3. Take time and resources to remember and love children and to put them first.

DONATE TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, NEW ORLEANS: http://www.chnola.org/PageDisplay.asp?p1=4289

BONUS: The Jesse Tree -  http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/jessetree.html

PS: My "Advent Acts" have and will come from a lovely little book entitled Joyous Expectations: Journeying through Advent with Mary by M. Jean Frisk, copyright 2005.

Advent: Monday, First Week

November 28, 2011

Today's Advent act is as follows:

Today use the time going from one place to another to wander as Mary wandered.  Think of gifts you will give and receive.  Often each gift has parts and packaging.  From beginning to end, from raw materials to assembly, think of the hands, from all the nations, that made your gifts.  Pray for the makers of the gifts you intend to give and those you will receive.

My path today was: home to work to Dress Barn to home.  That's it.  So, maybe I can ponder those trips from place to place.  This morning, a gift I received from my husband is just having him in my life!  :)  He was here today when I woke up, so that is always a special blessing.  Likewise, he receives the same from me.  Heading to work, I listen to the Catholic channel.  This is a great gift for me because it wakes my brain up with interesting perspectives and food for thought.  I don't think I give any gifts on my way to work, but maybe I could try to at least smile at a fruit stand vendor once in a while.

Once I'm at work, I suppose the gift I give is my contribution to my company.  I try to be responsible, patience, and respectful, and I hope that I lead by example.  Likewise, several people in my company inspire me daily with new ways of thinking and coach me with ways I can develop my skills and potential even more.  It is a great gift to be part of such a team!  After work, I headed to Dress Barn to get a dress for my brother's wedding this weekend.  I ended up with four dresses (...and a coverup, some earrings, and a purse).  I'm thankful for the wonderful lady named Maria who worked there.  She was extremely accommodating and polite, and she called me by my name throughout my shopping experience there.  That's something I could add to my list of gifts for others!  I'm thankful as well for the relatively inexpensive yet quality selection at Dress Barn.  :)  I appreciate the people who made the fabric and dresses.  So, I'll pray for those people today as well as Maria (and the other lady too, who rang me up and was not particularly as courteous...)

I made my way home for usual evening -- but Mondays at the Pitre household can only mean one thing: BILL NIGHT!!  Oh yeah.  So, I'm thankful for the people at HelloWallet.com who have created a fantastic cloud application for home finance management.  I'm sad Quicken doesn't keep up with Macs, but maybe the change to HelloWallet is good for me.  My gift to them, I suppose, is my support and my monthly subscription fee.  This Monday night is special too because the Saints game is on in the background.  Thank you Saints for playing an awesome game tonight!  We are 10 minutes away from winning!  Oh, and a lovely gift I received from my husband tonight as well was the dinner he made... or plated... for me.  :)  Granted, he took the leftovers from the container and warmed them up on a plate, but it was really sweet of him since that's normally my job.  I was almost overly excited about it!   It probably made my day.  :)

Obviously, I'm avoiding any thought process about Christmas gifts because I'm starting to feel the shopping paralysis.  I like the way this reflection forces me, though, to think about it.  Why we give and receive gifts at Christmas.  This year, I really want to put some good thought into my gifts so that people who are anticipating them are pleasantly surprised.  I want to support civilly responsible individuals and organizations, and I want to be generous with my gifts to people who love, support, and serve me throughout the year.  As I'm purchasing my gifts this year, I will try to remember and pray for those who created the gifts I will give to others and receive from others.

Recap: Think of gifts you will give and receive, and pray for the makers of those gifts.
1. Smile at people.
2. Try to remember people's names and call them by it.
3. Be generous with prayers and giving to those who love, support, serve, and give to you.
BONUS: Be even MORE generous to those who aren't so supportive.

Advent: Sunday, First Week

November 27, 2011

Today's Advent act is to "foster the desire to seek and find Jesus." During Advent, we should be anticipating Jesus' arrival with a joyful, almost childlike, eagerness. Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year, and I think it's because I enjoy that anticipation of Jesus' birthday. I look forward to the symbolic traditions of the season: special prayers and readings, the Advent wreath and candles that are lit one by one, even the change in the weather (though not TOO much change!)

What can I do to seek and find Jesus, especially during Advent? How do I make myself want to? I think that purposefully taking the time out of the day to read, reflect, pray, and even talk to someone about their reflections really helps to bring Jesus to the forefront of my life. However, it's easier said than done - and for me, living in Manhattan doesn't make it any easier. First, I have to make the time.  Though, I find that once I do quiet myself and get into the zone, I'm really happy that I did.  It ends up being a necessity of my day, not a luxurious self indulgence.  For example, just sitting and writing this blog entry gets me thinking about how I need seek and find Jesus.  So first, I've decided... I need to make the time.  I need to allow myself some quiet moments in the day to reflect. 

Next, I need to also remember that Jesus is not only found in the quiet moments of my day, but the noisy and busy ones as well.  This is when it's the hardest for me to remember to keep him front of mind.  So, what do I do when I'm stressed out walking down the sickeningly loud Manhattan streets, assisting one of my employees with a client issue, or rushing to JFK on Friday afternoon for a happy-go-lucky flight home to New Orleans?  I think this is where my (well-developed) patience kicks in.  This is where I try really hard not to turn around and grimace at a person who won't stay to the right on the sidewalk and runs me out the way.  Or, at the office when I've got 10 things on my plate and once with emails rolling in, and I smile and breathe through it and give my employee the guidance she needs and deserves.  Maybe that's something I've gotten down pat so far.  Maybe I am seeking and finding Jesus in my difficult moments when my patience is tested.  I have fostered this desire through much practice, I believe, and maybe I've realized that it actually works.  So, I suppose I rely on Jesus a lot in my times of stress.  Well, that solves that issues.  Now, we're left with the fun times of my day!

When I make it to JFK and hit the bar, my mind is so far away from Jesus.  Life is good!  I'm not particularly sad or hurting or in need.  This is where I need to exercise my desire to seek and find him in the joyful moments of my life.  I need to remember that not only does he console the hurting, but he also enables us to share in joy, peace, and happiness!  I think that next time I am feeling particularly happy, I'm going to make a specific point to remember Jesus and to find his blessing in  those good moments.  If I am healed in my quiet moments and in my bad moments, imagine the surplus of healing and happiness I would feel in my good moments!  :)

Recap - Foster the desire to seek and find Jesus.
1. Make quiet time for reflection.
2. Embrace patience and ask Jesus for help in difficult moments.
3. Embrace joyfulness and thank Jesus for his blessings.

Countdown to Mad Men Season Premiere!

Countdown til Mal's Last Day of 9th Grade!

What to do with surplus herbs?!

I've always been frustrated when I want to make a particular recipe but have to buy the herbs for it in big bunches. I try to use them up as much as I can throughout the week, but most of the time, they go bad before I can finish them up. I found this great tip in Martha Stewart's Cooking School. Make an herb oil out of your leftover herbs! Here's an excerpt from page 23:

Herb ouls can be used in cooking and garnishing. To infuse oil with tender herbs*, combine 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 cup vegetable oil (olive oil alone would overpower the flavor of the herbs. Blanch one bunch of fresh leafy herbs, about 5 seconds. Immediately tranfer to an ice bath. Drain and squeeze out excell liquid, then process herbs in blender with half the oil until smooth. Add reminaing oil and process until herbs are very fine, about 1 minute. Refrigerate in an airtight container 8 hours or overnight. Return to room temperature, then strain oil through two layers of cheesecloth set in a sieve, discard solids. Store in an airtight containe, refrigerated, up to one month.

For herbs** such as thyme or rosemary, combine with oil in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and steep at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Strain oil through cheesecloth before using or storing in an airtight container in a refrigerator up to one month.

*Tender Herbs: Basil, Chervil, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Mint, Parsley, Tarragon
**Robust Herbs: Bay Leaf, Curry Leaf, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Thyme

CITATION: Stewart, Martha, with Sarah Carey. "Making Herb Oils." Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008. 16-19, 23. Print.

I get to be a housewife today!

I love these days off. I finally get to tackle some of the things on my to-do list, which includes making this blog entry. Everything seems to be going well right now. We've moved to a new church (St. Patrick's Cathedral), I did well on my work evaluation, I've been off pills and on NFP for a week (and I feel great!), I get pictures every day of my little nephew, and finally the sun is shining in Manhattan! The only thing that I miss the most each and every day is my family. Everyone's scattered about right now, but I know I'll get to see them all next week. Thank God for modern technology! Without cell phone pictures, facebook updates, and online plane booking, I'd be lost!

My husband and I broke down and decided to move forward with having cleaning help. He will do a basic cleaning of our apartment once every 3 weeks. I'm a little hesitant about it for a couple of reasons:

1) It makes me feel a little inadequate about keeping up my tasks as a wife in this little tiny apartment. However, I've resigned myself to the fact that I am working 40+ hours a week. I can't manage decently keeping up the apartment and working that much at the same time. When (fingers crossed!) the day comes where I don't have to work full-time, I will most definitely pick up the household tasks.

2) It was a quick interview, and we didn't interview anyone else. TJ seems to really like him, however, and he got a good review from our neighborhood bartender.

3) Once we're in this commitment, the only ways forward are to keep working with him or to let him go. There's the "dealing with people" issue that's really hard for me, but always seems to fall on my shoulders every time TJ and I get involved with some sort of household help - whether it was grass cutting, insurance companies, or whatever.

So - we'll see what happens. I'm looking forward to coming home to a clean apartment that smells nice every so often, that's for sure!