Quick "Quiche"

Last Friday I was stumped for a quick, Friday-in-Lent meal.  Actually, as a practice our family abstains from meat on all Fridays except solemnities.  But, this past Friday was hard because we have found the price of fish exorbitant, and hardly fitting into the deeper penitential practice of Lent.

So, here is what I made.  It has evolved over time for our family.  Even though we had to wait, it took less time than going out for something to eat.  We had all the ingredients on hand, a good reason to keep basics in the cupboard, refrigerator and freezer.

Please adjust for your own taste preference.  This is one of those "in the head" recipes.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 13" x 9" baking dish.  Set aside.

Rice Crust:

Boil 2 cups of water, add 1 cup of white rice.  As soon as the stirred in rice returns to a boil, pop on a tight lid.  Cook on low for 12 minutes.  Turn off the burner and let sit about another 10 or so minutes.

Veggies:

(I quit using a microwave a while ago - but you can certainly use a microwave here.)

Cook 1 bag of "California" vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and carrot) until no longer frozen.   Drain.  This is usually done by the time the rice is finished.

Egg Mixture:

6 eggs beaten with about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of half and half.  Add some herbs to taste (we like basil, oregano and thyme).

Cheese:

Grate up to 2 cups of cheese.  We prefer Mozzarella.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

To the rice, mix in about 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Press this onto the bottom and sides of the prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle half the cheese over rice.  Cover with cooked veggies.  Pour the egg mixture over all of that.  Then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Place in oven.  As a cautionary measure, I like to put a cookie sheet on the rack immediately below to catch any bubble-overs (if any).  Cook for approximately 45 minutes.  Test with a knife.  When we've used regular or skim milk, it can take a bit longer to cook to done.  Let sit out of the oven just long enough to set the table.  This helps it firm up for serving.  Cut into serving size pieces, and enjoy.  For our current little family of 4 one casserole dish provides left-overs.  When it was all seven of us, I would double the recipe, cooking 2 dishes at the same time.  It still provided left-overs.  When the kids were little, one dish was ample.  But you know how kids and their appetites grow rapidly!

Sometimes we add fake crab, using fewer vegetables.  Try variations, using ingredients your family enjoys.  We switched from a pastry to rice because it was a lot simpler.  Plus helped avoid wheat sensitivity.  

Why "Sisters in the Trinity"?

This question has been running through my mind for a while, and finally in Mass yesterday the answer flashed into my mind.  

There are plenty of "how-to" lists and books for keeping a house.  In addition, there are also plenty of "spiritual" development books, many good, some not so.  And most of us are familiar with Holly Pierlot's "A Mother's Rule of Life."

So, why did Marion and I begin our original The Little Way list on Yahoo!Groups?  And, perhaps, more importantly why are we continuing with this blog.

The answers are both simple and complex.  And here are my thoughts.

First, of all, if you already have a deep spiritual life keep at it.  What I've discovered in my own journey is that at times I am deeply involved, and others I need a reminder of where I've been, and ultimately where I am destined to be.  Our original Little Way list was an aid for me to keep on seeking after the good, the beautiful and the holy.

Second, if you already have a good idea of how to run your household while raising a family and homeschooling, terrific!  This blog might not be for you.  But, what I've come to discover over the years of correspondence with those who have been part of this, while many have great systems, what they desire is an overarching concept that helps raise their vocation of mother and wife into a higher realm.  This is what I seek, as well.  

Third, neither Marion or I claim to have the answers.  We hope to simply provide some ideas for you to ponder, employ or discard.  We know that as our own lives have changed our way of approaching our vocations have been transformed.  

Fourth, by sharing with you, and your comments back we hope to provide a sense of community for those who don't live in a wider faith community that supports them.   One of the attractions of cloistered life for me is the physical presence of sisters who offer support on a day to day basis.

But we don't live in a cloister, we live with the family that God has bestowed and blessed us with.  We live with challenges from our extended families, our neighborhoods, parishes and towns.   For me having this added dimension of an internet based support system is vital.  You all provide an anchor when I have my sensibilities shaken.  You all provide a ready knowing that I am loved and valued.  This certainly can't substitute for the real flesh and blood persons that God places before me.  But this avenue of support also gives me the ability to seek out the wisdom of others in the time that I have available.

So if you are similar in your desires, I do hope you enjoy, and comment on the posts in this blog.  Our goal isn't to form anyone in our own image.  Our goal is to provide a supporting community that seeks to allow God to form us in His image.  Oh, and those mundane tasks like laundry, cooking, cleaning, reading favorite stories to sleep children, and listening to a college age child who needs to heard are some of those ways of formation.

Your Sister in the Trinity,

Yvonne 

Detachment/Decluttering

I am reprinting this from a previous post to the list. I think it's appropriate during lent and it's also the reality of what I am trying to do with many things in my life.

Dear Sisters,

How do we detach ourselves from things of this world? While the saints are far more qualified to write about this than, I ever will be, sometimes it is hard for us to see what their writings mean for us, as wives and mothers. I hope I will be able to give a little perspective. In this section I am going to write about attachments to clutter and things in our homes because I have already written about attachments and detachment in terms of our spirituality.

A quote from St. Teresa of Avila really sums up the issue of clutter. If we fill the palace with vulgar people and all kinds of junk, how can the Lord and His Court occupy it?” We need to get rid of the junk in our lives. It is really as simple as that. Things in your home should immediately lead you to God. If they don’t, we need to rid ourselves of them.

How many of us and said I don’t have time for prayer and yet we spend much of our time moving clutter form one location to another? If we can only let go of what does not lead us to God, then, we can be free to spend more time with Him. I am not proposing you discard everything in your home, but rather that you let go of the excess. This is a freeing exercise!

This type of virtue is not achieved in a week. We have had many years to cultivate our weakness and so it is a long struggle to win the battle. Clutters, and other distractions, creep into our lives. Often, we never notice until we are buried in them. As we begin to remove junk from our lives, we will see that it is multi-level. I have purged our home to what I felt were the necessities only to look around now, and see I need to go deeper, much deeper. I am not sure the process will ever be complete but I can say that as I let go of things there is more order to my home and I feel calmer.

Clutter in a home is almost a given. We can become desensitized to seeing clutter in our own homes, but rarely do we have a clutter-free home. Clutter drains our emotional and physical energy. We let our prayer lives suffer because we have to work to take care or our clutter. Things spiral downhill from there. If this sounds odd, read the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Clutter sneaks in gradually until it has take over our lives.

As there are many wonderful books about decluttering. I will not spend much time on that subject. I do want to give some general information and share a lesson or two I have learned.

Before decluttering, consideration needs to be given to organization. Organization can help the things we have point us to God. I can see the books on the bookshelves as tools by which God allows me to educate my children. However, if I look at the ones on the floor in from of the overcrowded shelf, it is easier to see them as junk. We need to achieve balance. We don’t want to discard material we will be using with another child, but if it isn’t something we are going to use again, then perhaps it is time to let go of it.

We need to have a clear picture of where our things belong so we can put them there. If we do not have a place for something, it is probably because it isn’t a priority in our life and we should get rid of it. There are many great organizing devices available but we cannot let them become clutter I our lives. We should use them only if they are functional and fit the needs of your family. If we cannot afford these items be creative. There are many things we can recycle into organizers. The same rule applies to recycled organizers was purchased ones though; if it isn’t functional, get rid of it.
So, here’s my technique as applied to a mom:
1) Use manageable amounts of time. I think 15-minute increments are great. It is so easy for us to get distracted and leave a mess for ourselves. If you find you have more time that 15 minutes to work, then just do an extra 15-minute block. Don’t get into more than can possibly be finished in a short time.
2) Be prepared. When decluttering, have a trashcan, a “give-away” box, and a box for stuff that goes elsewhere. Some folks might suggest a “maybe” box, but we don’t have time for that. Make the decision.
3) Do it and be done with it. When I declutter, I first remove all items from an area. Then, I clean the area. Finally, I replace what needs to be there and put the rest in the appropriate container. When I finish, the containers are put in the trash, the give way is put in the car and the other stuff is put in its place. I want to get the stuff leaving the house out as quickly as possible or it will grow legs and come back. I just know it!

The biggest challenge to decluttering is our attachment to the clutter. It makes us feel comfortable. True detachment leads to decluttering and takes prayer and action. We need to pray not only to identify the attachments, but for the strength to let go of them. Once we have uncovered them, we need to remove them so we do not have an opportunity to keep returning to them. At times it is an easy process and, sometimes, it’s a difficult process. May God give you the strength and courage!

Sisters in the Trinity,
Marion