BlendTec vs. Vita-Mix?

Now this is one powerful blender:

Apparently, every kid on the universe has seen these "Will it Blend" videos and I'm behind the times. I have to admit the one on glow sticks is cool:

I wouldn't share these with boys who tend to do things like, say, imitate Three Stooges pranks.

More on Bats

Should your teen daughter come running up the stairs exclaiming there is a bat in the basement, you should first send down your 12-year-old son to close all the doors so it doesn't come upstairs. Make him do it as he is young and doesn't know better. Next, call your husband on his cell phone and screech into the phone that he needs to speed it up and get home to rid your house of the flying rat. He won't know exactly what you're saying due to the excitement in your voice, but he'll speed it up as he is afraid you've lost your mind. While waiting, have another kid google, "how do you catch a bat indoors." Print it out so you're ready to hand it to your husband when he walks in the door. Also have a cardboard box and any other needed supplies ready for him. Tell him, "I'd love to help you honey, but the website said that it's a one-person job and I don't want to get in your way. I'm only thinking of you." Then go hide in your bedroom until the children come and tell you it's all clear.

And make sure the kids keep the sliding doors closed from now on!

Recipe: Rob's Favorite Smoothie

Before we moved, Rob was an extreme commuter. Three hours of driving each day. It was a killer. For all of us.

My girlfriends would comment on my pending sainthood because I would get up at 5:30 every morning to make Rob a smoothie for the road and to kiss him goodbye. But, really, it was all selfishness on my part. If I wanted to see my husband, it wasn't going to happen if I snoozed through the alarm clock. I want a healthy marriage and seeing him off each morning helped in what was a very strained situation. I also want a healthy husband which explains the smoothie. Extreme commuters have to grab food where and when they can and it was worth the extra few minutes to whirl the Vita-Mix as well as pack a healthy lunch for him.

Now that we live closer to the office, Rob and I get to sleep in an extra hour. But I still make the smoothie. Though variety is the spice of life and I do alter the recipe a little here and there, here is the basic recipe for Rob's favorite smoothie:

Banana Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie
1 fresh banana
3 or 4 frozen strawberries
teacup of frozen blueberries (3/4 c. if you want to get exact)
vanilla soy milk

Peel and breakup your banana and put in the blender. Follow with the
strawberries and the blueberries. Then pour enough vanilla soy milk to cover the top. Blend on high. If you like it thin, keep adding the soy milk through the lid until you reach the consistancy you like.

And that's it. Makes a lot -- enough for you and for your husband.

I recommend a really good blender. Over the years, I've burned out my share of blenders. I finally invested in a Vita-Mix. That thing can hold up to even the most frozen of strawberries. And it comes with a nifty tool to push down the frozen stuff to make sure it gets all blended. You could also use a spatula -- just make sure to do it through the lid so you don't get splattered.

Sometimes I throw in a scoop of powdered Benefiber. You can also put in powdered dietary supplements. I once tried putting Rob's vitamin pills in there, but it didn't work. It was a chunky instead of a smoothie. I'll also soup it up now and then with pomegranate or tart cherry juice concentrate.

You can also try different fruits. Peaches are good. Sometimes I throw in raspberries or blackberries but Rob isn't too fond of all the seeds. If you use fresh fruit instead of frozen, then you need to add ice, otherwise it'll be too thin. My friend Linda says watermelon is good and if you leave in the seeds you get extra fiber. That Linda cracks me up.

Give a smoothie a try and enjoy!

Desecration of Catholic Host Response

I wrote to the University of Minnesota president when the P. Z. Myers situation first appeared. I received a response today:

Dear Ms. Wittmann:

Thank you for sharing your concerns. It is important to understand that the views expressed by biology Professor Paul Myers were expressed on his personal blog and do not reflect those of the University of Minnesota, Morris, or the University of Minnesota system. Initially, there was a link to that personal blog from a University Web site. This link was inconsistent with University Web policy, and per that policy, the link was deactivated.

We pride ourselves on providing a nurturing environment for students of diverse beliefs, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are firmly committed to ensuring a respectful environment for discourse. I hope you will continue to consider the University of Minnesota.

Sincerely,


Robert H. Bruininks
President

How We Spend Our Days

Ancient Faces

I came across this YouTube video a few days ago while making my daily visit to Mike Aquilina's blog. It has been with me since and decided to share with you. Like Mike says below, it is haunting. And beautiful

David Meadows leads us to a haunting YouTube slide show of ancient portraits, most of them from Egypt’s Roman period and discovered in the Fayoum. Many are painted on burial cloths. My favorite image from this style and period now hangs in the Louvre. It portrays the deceased, a beautiful young Christian woman, holding the traditional Coptic cross, the ankh. (I discuss this image in my new book, Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols.)

These are lovely images. You’ll see their influence later in Byzantine icons. Enjoy the show!

And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Offering It Up

Hi Maureen, it's Marshall.

Marshall! It's been forever!

I heard you birthed a baby back in April of 2002.

Yeah, that's right.

May told me you offered up your labor pain for me.

Oh gosh, that's right. I totally forgot about that.

I don't know if you heard, but I have terminal pancreatic cancer.

Yes, Rob told me.

Well, I just had to call to tell you that I returned the favor. I was really suffering the other day with terrible pain. The worst. I was offering it up for everyone and everything I could think of. And you were first on the list.

What a blessing to be part of the Body of Christ.

Please pray for Marshall and for his family.

Beautiful

Our friend Chuck, on his European singing tour:

What happened was I offered to sing a song in the lingua franca for the friends and family attending the baptism reception for the little Biewer Baby, Elias.

So Widmung (which means Dedication) was my attempt to share my feelings about this new family relationship and friendship, from the USA Biewer’s, to those sharing together in the celebration of the baptism.

This is a piece I learned in my college days, and hold dear to.

The rough translation is “You are my spirit, you are my heart, you are my joy, and my anguish. You are the world in which I live…”

Robert Schumann wrote the piece as a love song for his fiancé (at the time), Clara.

…and so forth.

PopeStNick5: Apostolic Fathers

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: Apostolic Fathers: Handing on the Faith
Starring: Stephen Ray
Director: Stephen Ray
Studio: Ignatius Press
Date Released: October 2007
ASIN: B000WS6YE6
Run Time: 90 minutes
Price: 29.95
Comments: Latest in the excellent historical series: In the Footprints of God. New titles scheduled for the future. Look into past titles, as all are very good and should be on the library shelf. Combines religion, history, and geography.

Series website

Ten titles in final series -- episode guide

How-to guide on making library purchasing suggestions.

Tips for Freshman

On packing and organizing.

What to pack -- the dorm list.

Tips for the year from fellow students.

Support group for Mom
College for Catholic Homeschoolers

Off to College We Go

In just 15 days Christian and I will leave for college. He'll stay and I'll come home after three days. I asked my girlfriends for advice and they all tell me the same thing, "Be prepared to cry all the way home." That goes without saying. But what else is there I should know? Well, besides the fact that I have to buy extra-long twin sheets because regular sheets don't fit dorm beds and the extra-long sheets have to be special ordered. All advice from moms who've "been there, done that" welcomed. Especially if your kid went to Steuby.

Teens and Blogs

I recently asked all of you to link to No Question Left Behind, but what I should've asked for is, "Have your kids link to No Question Left Behind." We've got to get the word out to the teenagers, more so than the grownups. If your older teen has a blog or a website, consider having them review No Question Left Behind. Do they think it's relevant? Helpful? Worthy of passing on?

Discounts and Freebies

I've been posting a few freebies and discount deals over at the Thrifty Homeschooler. Go check it out. And, please let me know of any other great deals I should pass along.

HP's Grave

All good rabbits go to heaven.

Harry Potter, RIP

I've been wanting to post more about the foxes living on our property. We've had several cool close encounters and plans to include them in our upcoming nature studies. However, that all changed last night.

One of the adult foxes got a hold of our pet rabbit, Harry Potter last night. HP was a smart rabbit and was able to get away and hide under the propane tank where the fox couldn't get to him. But the damage was done. Sadly, by the time Rob got to HP a few minutes later it was too late. He died a noble death.

We've lost pets before. Why, we've had more pet funerals in our backyard than I can count, but this was different. The children were inconsolable. Even after the burial, they could not calm down. Super Boy kept saying through his tears, "I hate the foxes." At one point, Teen Daughter 2 went downstairs and came back with her .22 and the DNR handbook exclaiming, "We can legally kill it if it's a nuisance or a threat, even if it's out of season!"

Rob and I calmly told her that we didn't think killing the foxes was the right thing to do. Another child excitedly said, "What? You want to wait until it kills Frisky (the cat) or attacks Super Boy (6-years old)?"

They're calmer this morning, but still mourning the loss of HP. And researching fox hunts.

Catholic Teen Blog

Some years ago, I was asked to put together a teen Q&A book. It turned out great, but through a series of events was never published. After a lot of prayer, I came to the conclusion that the book belonged not in print, but on the internet.

No Question Left Behind is a place where teens can go and feel comfortable talking about heavy and not-so-heavy topics. It's a peer-to-peer platform where teens can trust that their fears, struggles, and questions will be heard and answered by those who deal with the same issues.

I put together a team of teenagers and young 20-somethings to answer the questions of teens. The team worked to answer all inquiries in the framework of Catholic teaching. I already have 200 Q&A's ready to roll so you can count on this blog being around for the long term. New posts will appear every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Please pass the word along. Feel free to link from your blogs, Yahoo Groups, or websites if you have them. If you can, please ask your parish or the diocese to link from their websites or mention in their Sunday bulletin. More than anything, please keep the project in your prayers. Especially pray for the teens who will visit the blog looking for answers.

Note that this isn't a homeschool site. No Question Left Behind was created with all high school kids in mind.

Family Travel Gear

After you've checked out The Faithful Traveler, go check out the Happy Traveler. The Faithful Traveler will provide you with cool DVD's about shrines to visit and the Happy Traveler will help get you there in person. Owned by a nice homeschool family.

One of the many pluses of homeschooling is the ability to travel on the off season!

PopeStNick5: The Faithful Traveler

It's good to get Catholic titles into many different areas of the library. I'd like to feature some video/DVD titles in the upcoming weeks. Please take a few minutes to request these titles from your library. You never know what soul your small action may change for the better

Title: The Faithful Traveler: Philadelphia's Miraculous Medal Shrine
Directed by: David von Glahn
Produced by: The Faithful Traveler
ASIN: 0615219225
DVD Release Date: July 2008
Price: $19.95
Comment: First of a series of travel videos based on shrines and historic churches.
Amazon Reviews
Studio Website

My personal review:

I have seven children who range in age from 6 to 18. Last night, everyone was looking forward to watching a movie together. As they all sat down with their popcorn, I announced I wanted to watch The Faithful Traveler first. I admit it -- there were some audible moans. But Mom rules here and if they wanted the movie, they were going to get some religion first!

Well, it turned out they loved The Faithful Traveler! In fact, the planned movie got put off another 1/2 hour because the kids insisted on watching all the DVD extras. Mom and Dad moaned this time, but it turned out we enjoyed them too.

This is not your typical stuffy religious documentary. The camera work is very good and Diana von Glahn does a great job hosting. She is professional yet hip. Also, my
older children complimented the music. They especially liked the theme song by Sarah Bauer, All Access, which they already knew.

All in all, it was a fun DVD. Yes, it's true, you can have fun visiting shrines and old churches. Done well, you come out thinking, "Wow, God is so cool. That was really neat."

The Faithful Traveler took us to the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, taught us some new things about the saints and about Philadelphia, and we had an enjoyable family hour. I'm looking forward to future realeases!

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

More Blogger Glitches

Well, yesterday I could view my blog but couldn't post to it. Today I can post but I can't see it.

It seems to be a universal issue with Site Meter. No, it's not a conspiracy by Obama zealots or anti-Catholic hackers, just a cyber glitch. Apparently, Site Meter made some changes last night and every website that has their meter has been affected negatively. Seriously negatively. You can't even get on www.sitemeter.com

If you're reading this, either the glitch has been fixed or I got frustrated and removed the Site Meter all together.

Now, I'm off to investigate Stat Counter.

Haters Unite Against McDonald's

While I'm clearing my name of the evil spammer label, I should clarify my stand on hate.

Rob and I are not huge boycotters, but we recently made the decision to boycott McDonald's. According to the McDonald's spokesperson, we are motivated by hate. Yes, everyone who has ever met Rob or me will tell you, we are hate-filled bigots. Gee whiz, give me a break. I vow to never eat in a McDonald's ever again. Ever.

McDonalds Strikes Back at Family Boycott with Charges of “Hate”
By Peter J. Smith
OAK BROOK, Illinois, July 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Fast food
giant McDonald’s is returning fire against a pro-family boycott, saying family
advocates opposed to their affiliation with pro-homosexual organizations are
guilty of “hate.”
The American Family Association has led the boycott of McDonald’s restaurants since July 3, after the global hamburger empire refused requests to remain neutral in the culture wars and to withdraw their public support from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), a homosexual lobby that pushes same-sex “marriage.”
Instead, McDonald’s spokesman Bill Whitman told the Washington Post that the boycott was motivated by “hate” and McDonald’s would continue to remain in the NGLCC.
“Hatred has no place in our culture,” McDonald’s USA spokesman Bill Whitman said. “That includes McDonald’s, and we stand by and support our people to live and work in a society free of discrimination and harassment.”
However, the AFA, which has over 2.2 million members, has pointed out that its boycott has nothing to do with McDonald’s homosexual employees, but everything to do with McDonald’s cash from its 31,000 restaurants worldwide flowing from families into anti-family endeavors. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08070402.html)
To sign a petition, read the whole article, or take other action, click here.

If you too are guilty of hate and therefore boycotting McDonald's, but are having trouble giving up those Big Macs, just rent Super Size Me and then go to the library and borrow Chew On This. I guarantee it'll help you kick the habit.

You'll be a hater, but you'll be a healthier hater. (Umm, wonder if Blogger will shut me down for this?)