Meatless Mealplanning with an International Flair

Before this Lent began, we went back and forth on what/how much to give up in terms of food; it's hard when you have very different ideas about food-related sacrifices, because there's only one supper being prepared each night, so you can't really make different sacrifices! We finally compromised on giving up meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, and sweets and fun drinks every day. 

I think that my pitch of a completely meatless Lent sounded like a bad idea to Matt for two reasons: Firstly, his Russian Orthodox bodybuilder coworker has been subsisting on fake meat, "tofurkey" et al, so far this Lent... and I definitely understand Matt's reaction of "that's not real food." Secondly, in the modern Western diet, "meat" is often conflated with "protein" to the point that on a subconscious level, "meatless meal" as an abstract concept means "meal where you are leaving out the meat/protein," ie, a light meal that won't be filling unless you load it heavily with starches.

I can't do anything about the first one--like I said, I share his aversion to fake meat--but the second? That's fixable. 

To clarify, I'm not trying to convince my husband that he's wrong! We came to a decision together, and I respect that decision and his thoughts on the subject. However, I am enjoying the chance this Lent to dig into cookbooks from other cultures with less of a traditional reliance on meat as the primary protein source, and find new filling, healthy, meatless options that we will all enjoy.

So far this week I've attempted two meals waaaay outside my normal cooking comfort zone, and both went over very well. Tuesday I made an Asian-inspired Noodles and Vegetables in Peanut Sauce from a Russian Orthodox Lenten cookbook; I threw a chicken breast in the oven for Matt to have on the side, and after supper he said that the next time I make it, it would be fine as a full meal in its own right without the chicken! And Little Bear loved the broccoli with the peanut sauce, so it's a keeper. 

Yesterday, we had falafel patties on pita with tzatziki. A larger food processor would have helped: I wound up using the potato masher after the food processor gave up, and I eventually got frustrated and just left some of the chickpeas more or less whole. It tasted good, though! Little Bear was more interested in the tzatziki than the falafel, unless he could have bites of ours, but he did pretty well with it.

Tomorrow, the plan is eggplant Parmesan... It's one of my favorite Italian dishes, but I've never cooked eggplant before; we will hope for the best. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Noodles & Vegetables with Peanut Sauce

1 lb short pasta

3 carrots, julienned 

16 oz frozen broccoli florets

4 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

8 Tbsp very hot pasta-cooking water

7 Tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

4 Tbsp brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, diced finely

Cook the pasta according to package directions. 

While pasta water comes to a boil, begin steaming carrots. After carrots have had 5 minutes, add broccoli to pot and continue cooking.

In small saucepan over low heat, whisk together peanut butter and hot water until smooth. Whisk in remaining ingredients.

After draining pasta, combine everything in the pasta pot. If necessary, allow to continue cooking until sauce has thickened to desired consistency.

Serves 4-6.

Falafel Patties with Tzatziki 

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 slice onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely diced (or grated, if you have the patience it takes to get garlic mush off a grater)

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 

1 tsp cumin

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp pickle or pickled-pepper brine

Vegetable oil

In food processor, grind together chickpeas, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, cumin, and half of the cilantro. Form into four patties, less than 1" thick. Heat about 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet and cook patties 3-4 minutes per side. Add more oil when you turn them if necessary.

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, brine, and remaining cilantro.

Serve on pita with sliced tomato, lettuce, and sliced pickled peppers. Serves 4.

Speedy Spinach-Swiss Quiche

Or sort-of quiche, because it doesn't have a crust. It's much more a quiche consistency than an omelet or egg bake consistency, though. Last night's supper was inspired by my mother-in-law's recipe and adapted from my sister-in-law's. I really wanted the spinach-Swiss cheese combination, but making pie crust was not happening with Little Bear clinging and whining and teething. We can see a second molar poking through today, so it was justified, but productivity was still pretty low yesterday.

But! This worked well, and was delicious, and was quick, so I had to share!

Spinach-Swiss Crustless Quiche

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

olive oil

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed

6 eggs

salt and pepper

6 slices Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Squeeze spinach dry and add to skillet. Cook 5 minutes or so; remove from heat. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly, adding salt and pepper to taste. Slowly add in vegetables, stirring constantly to keep the heat from cooking the eggs. Pour half of egg mixture into a greased pie plate. Top with the slices of Swiss, and pour the rest of the egg mixture on top of that. Bake for 20-30 minutes. (Our oven doesn't hold heat well, so it took 30; I'd start checking it at 15 or 20 minutes.)

SQTF 80: Lent, Thrifting, and Alaskan Springtime

I

I don't think I've spent as much time out of the house as I have this week since I was working, before Little Bear was born. What a crazy week! Matt worked 10-7 all week to help cover night classes since one of their student workers is out, and Little Bear and I drove him in the first four mornings because somehow there was always something I needed the car for. We made... ten trips to town in the last four days! Eleven, if you count running home yesterday after the thrift store because I forgot something I was supposed to bring to my parents' house. I am so, so grateful to have the whole day at home today to let things become un-crazy again and catch up on everything that's fallen through the cracks recently.

II

So my Lent has definitely not gotten off to a very peaceful start. It did get an early start; thanks to Matt's shifted hours and the local parishes' annual inability to stagger the times of their Ash Wednesday evening Masses (seriously, everyone has to have it at 7pm? No one can do 7:15 or 7:30?), the only Mass we could make it to was at 7:30am, ie the time Little Bear usually wakes up. We had a cranky kid by the end of the day! The other option was for Little Bear and I to go at some point throughout the day and Matt to just not go, but... I'm glad we were able to go as a family.

III

Yesterday afternoon, Little Bear and I picked my sister up after she finished class and went on an expedition to the thrift store, which was having 50% off on all of their wintery clothes. We had such fun. I hadn't been in months, because it's pretty much impossible by myself with Little Bear: he wants to run, screams about being in the cart, licks the mirrors in the changing room... It really takes having at least two big people, and having one pay attention to him while the other browses. I found several sweaters, a fun dress (maybe for Easter this year?) and a new-looking jacket in a weight I've been looking for. 

IV

We spend so much of the year wearing coats here, they are practically their own category in a girl's wardrobe. I remember getting funny looks when I was in college for having so many different coats--what college girl has more coats than shoes? An Alaskan one, clearly! I pared down considerably over my college years and post-college moves, but now? I have two lightweight spring/fall/chilly summer jackets, two slightly heavier down-to-32 degrees jackets, a black wool that was getting worn out as my sole down-to-0 option thanks to this warm winter, the new purple lightly-lined down-to-0 coat (probably down to -10 or so; I'll test it today), a heavy navy coat that's warm to -35, and a heavy tan down-filled coat for colder than -35.

V

Growing up, we always had potato soup for supper on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Which was... a little less of a sacrifice, because I love potato soup. But it happened so many years, I've definitely developed a subconscious association between fast days and potato soup. I thought about making it this year, but with Matt working late, he had to bring his suppers in to the office with him; by the time he got home every evening, we had to start getting Little Bear to bed. Soups are pretty low on his list of foods-that-can-be-transported-and-eaten-at-work, so on Tuesday, I made a tuna noodle casserole and stuck it in the fridge for us each to microwave the next evening. Apparently, we have discovered Little Bear's favorite food ever. He ate half of my plate--even the peas!

VI

How does giving certain things up for Lent work with toddlers? I obviously don't expect Little Bear to understand the concept of Lent, but if Matt and I are giving up sweets, does that mean that he is too? The problem is really two-pronged: do I go out of my way to keep him from eating any sweets because it's Lent (and how do I make him understand that we can't get the free cookies from the grocery store bakery for the next six weeks?), and if I try to keep it moderate but do allow him Nutella occasionally when he asks for it, what am I supposed to do with the half-eaten whatever-it-is he will invariably hand back to me? I don't usually eat lunch--I just finish off the bits of whatever Little Bear starts eating then decides he doesn't want--but if it could count as a sweet, am I supposed to throw it away? I don't like wasting food, but I'm not going to keep a store of shards of cracker smeared with jelly sitting in the counter for the next time he's hungry...

VII

Now that we are into March, our daylight is increasing by 7 minutes a day and growing! The sun is getting high enough and staying up long enough--11 hours at this point--that heavily-traveled roads are losing their hardpack, the south-facing sides of snow hills are starting to melt, and the parking lot up by Matt's building was a slushy mess yesterday. Yay, Spring! The annual World Ice Art Championships are in full swing here, and the university's engineering students recently unveiled this remarkable ice structure on the square:

Why does "ice" say "spring" here? I don't know. It was still -17 this morning, so it's certainly too early to start even thinking about a snow-free yard, but it is 15 above now and Little Bear and I are looking forward to getting out and playing this afternoon!

Have a good weekend! For more quick takes and to hear about Jen's audiobook, visit Conversion Diary!

Dust to Dust: Not Fasting on Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday has been hard for me these past several years now. The first day of Lent, a day of fast and abstinence, and... I'm not fasting. It feels all wrong. I know, in my head, that there's a very good reason that pregnant and nursing women are exempt from the fast: it would be would be irresponsible, even sinful, to deprive little ones of the nutrients they need and can only get from their mothers. That knowledge does little, though, to quell the feeling of but I should be fasting too.

Talking with other moms this year, I've realized that that response can actually be a form of pride, and not-fasting a sacrifice in its own right. Why do I feel that I should be fasting? A large part of it, I think, is because that's what we're supposed to do on Ash Wednesday, and just because I'm pregnant/nursing, I can still do it -- I'll be fine. It might affect my milk production a little bit, but not too much... and it should come right back. And the kid can really wean any time now anyway. So I can do this thing that I want to do, and not worry about it. Right? 

When I spell it out like that, it becomes obvious how selfish my desire to fast really is. There is another human person who -- totally regardless of whether I want him to wean or not -- does still receive a substantial amount of his daily nourishment from me. There's no guarantee that my milk supply wouldn't be dramatically impacted by fasting; how could I justify risking depriving him of what he needs, just so that I can feel like I'm "doing Ash Wednesday right"?

Cheerfully accepting the cross, uncommon perhaps except among Catholic and Orthodox mothers, of not fasting is my sacrifice today. Walking back into the kitchen to make a real lunch after the teething child nurses through a nap and my stomach is growling is my denial of self. Pushing aside the image of the fasting regulations and having a small snack when I know that I need it is my obedience and submission to the Lent which God is calling me to right now.

A Medley of Media: Gearing Up for Lent

Ash Wednesday is the day after tomorrow, and if you're like us, you probably have a pretty good general idea of what you're doing for Lent this year, but maybe it's not quite all hammered out yet. We are giving up sweets, as usual--we both grew up doing so, and eating desserts just doesn't seem fitting with the penitential nature of the season. Alas, March is always Lent and McDonalds only carries Shamrock Shakes during March... I have a ridiculous sweet tooth in general, so giving up desserts is definitely a sacrifice. Especially sweet, minty milkshakes...

But other than avoiding sweets? There are a bunch of ideas floating around in my head, some grand, some realistic, but I haven't quite made up my mind yet. If you're in the same boat, here are some things that might help:

On the web...

Catholic All Year's Outside the Box ideas for Lent, with beginner, intermediate, and advanced options. Kendra has a lot of great ideas for things to give up or add in that, undertaken in the right spirit, can help you and your family grow closer to God. Be sure to read the comments section, too: there were many good suggestions there as well!

On a smartphone or tablet... 

There are a growing number of Catholic apps specifically geared toward Lenten prayer and meditation. I mentioned the Lenten Magnificat Companion a few days ago, which I really appreciated last year; another I'm considering for this year is Catholic Meditations for Lent, by Valent Ritchie, which has daily meditations from the preaching of St Thomas Aquinas. Some teens and young adults I know have also appreciated Bob Rice's 40 Day Spiritual Workout app as a Lenten practice. And there are a number of free and inexpensive apps offering visual and/or audio aids for meditating on the Stations of the Cross!

In your CD player...

Lent at Ephesus. Following their very popular and successful Advent at Ephesus album, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, have released Lent at Ephesus. The 23-track a cappella album is full of beautifully-sung hymns and chants, and helps to create a more peaceful, prayerful environment in the home. CDs are available on Amazon or directly from the sisters; tracks are also available in iTunes.

Out of good old-fashioned prayer books...

The prayer of St Ephrem the Syrian is unfamiliar to many Roman Rite Catholics, but is commonly recited several times a day throughout Lent by Eastern Rite Catholics and Orthodox, and is a wonderful, and brief, way to refocus. This is one I'll have written out and posted a couple different places around the apartment to remind me to stop and pray throughout the day, and to help me be mindful of the point of Lent.

The Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian

O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power and idle chatter.

Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love.

O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen.

What are you doing for Lent this year? I'd love to hear about any resources that have helped you prepare for Lent!

What I Wore Sunday {39}

Quinquagesima Sunday: Lent begins this week! Little Bear had a very hard time being good and quiet today, so between the two of us, Matt and I were in and out of Mass a lot. We sit in the back row (of six; it's not like he can't see what's going on) for just that reason, but I still feel badly for distracting people. Today he was just sure that he needed to be out in the hall playing with the water fountain, and was very unhappy that even when I took him out, I wouldn't set him down and let him run and play.

So I missed much of both readings and the homily, and don't have any thoughts on them this week.

But since it's been a while again, and today is the last day of the 7 posts in 7 days challenge, and we did get a photo, here is What I Wore Sunday:

Dress: Talbots, thrifted

Stockings: Fred Meyers

Necklace: gift from a friend

It was below 0 again this morning as we were getting ready to leave, so I wore my warm boots... I can't wait for the positive temperatures to be here to stay! With all of the sunny days we've had recently, it's really looking like spring outside, but it needs to get a little warmer. 

Wearing a wrap dress wound up being a mistake today; over the past few weeks I'd pretty much convinced Little Bear that he doesn't get to nurse during Mass anymore, but with such a tuggable neckline, that didn't work this morning. We'll keep working on it!

I’m writing seven posts in seven days this week. To check out other bloggers who are doing the same, see the list here.

Kindara Review

Forewarning: Skip today's post if you don't want to read technical stuff about fertility charting! 

Earlier this week, Business Insider ran a story about the success of a fairly new iOS app for tracking fertility to achieve or avoid pregnancy, called Kindara. Several Catholic bloggers I read picked it up, and after reading their reviews, I decided to download it and give it a try. 

http://www.kindara.com/

Before we were married we took the Couple to Couple League's course on the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP (or Fertility Awareness, which I think is a much more accurate term, but some Catholics seem to equate NFP with Good Catholic Things and FA with secularism... science is science, but hey, call it whatever makes you happy!). Already having that background in the STM, I was so happy to open Kindara and see that it had places to input all of the different data we track on our paper charts; we've looked at free fertility-charting apps in the past, and universally been disappointed in their limited scope.

Kindara allows you to input your basal temperature and indicate type and quantity of mucus (choosing from four options), three cervical characteristics, menstruation, and marital relations, as well as create custom inputs. Their algorithm color-codes calendar days based on degree of fertility, and generates a chart which looks pretty much the same as our STM paper chart; line graph of temperatures, other characteristics below each day's temperature and coded based on degree of fertility.

One of the best features for sleep-deprived parents is that it reminds you to chart every day. Shockingly innovative, I know, but how many times have we pulled out the chart in the evening and realized that we didn't write anything down the previous day? Too many. They also offer charting feedback from "fertility experts"--not sure what training they have; we haven't had occasion to look into it--which may or may not be a paid feature, I'm not sure.

The Kindara app is only available for iOS right now, but Matt emailed them after I showed it to him and learned that they are working on a version for Android as well. And it's free! Did I say that already?

There is a web portal, but at this point at least, it is view-only; Matt can log in and see the information I've entered and the chart it generated from that information, but he can't add or edit anything there. Hopefully that will change as they grow, but for now you need iOS to make use of Kindara.

We aren't going to stop using paper charts; I'm not willing to risk something happening to the cloud server (no, no idea what I'm talking about; I'd ask my IT husband, but the kiddo's sleeping) and having our charting history disappear. It's already becoming habit to input the data on my phone, though, and then transfer it to the chart every evening or every couple days or whenever it's convenient. Having the paper chart was nice, too, when I first downloaded Kindara; I was able to go back through their calendar and input all of the data for this cycle so far. It will be interesting to compare the algorithm's calculation of peak day and the end of phase II fertility with our calculations based on the chart.

Kindara is a very nicely-done app, aesthetically pleasing with its muted color scheme on a hardwood background, sans serif typeface, and clean charting. It offers everything I'd want in a fertility-tracking app, and I certainly haven't seen anything half as comprehensive or useful available for free! If you are looking for a new way to chart, or want to have a second opinion to check your own interpretations against, give it a try.

I’m writing seven posts in seven days this week. To check out other bloggers who are doing the same, see the list here.