The Feast of St. Dominic Savio

Prayer to Saint Dominic Savio

Dear Saint Dominic, you spent your short life totally for love of Jesus and His Mother. Help youth today to realize the importance of God in their lives. You who became a saint through fervent participation in the sacraments, enlighten parents and children to the importance of frequent confession and Holy Communion. At a young age you meditated on the sorrowful Passion of Our Lord. Obtain for us the grace of a fervent desire to suffer for love of Him.

We desperately need your intercession to protect today's children from the snares of the world. Watch over them and lead them on the narrow road to Heaven. Ask God to give us the grace to sanctify our daily duties by performing them perfectly out of love for Him. Remind us of the necessity of practicing virtue especially in times of trial.

Saint Dominic Savio, you who preserved your Baptismal innocence of heart, pray for us.

St. Dominic Savio's Prayer to Our Lady

O Mary, I give you my heart. Grant me to be always yours. Jesus and Mary, be ever my friends; and, for love of you, grant me to die a thousand deaths rather than to have the misfortune of committing a single mortal sin.

A short biography of St. Dominic Savio can be found here.

Catching Up on the Important News...

Meet our first Grandaughter!

Evelyn Elizabeth Davis

born on the feast of St. Casimir,

in the wee hours of March 4th

7 lbs, 6oz, 19" long

And she is so beautiful!!

"Evie" is the second child of our oldest son, Paul and his wife, beautiful Nicole -- and she is big boy Gavin's little sister. :) .

Gavin's pretty pleased to have his sister on the outside!

Our love and Hugs and Kisses to Paul, Nicole and Family!

We are feeling very very blessed!

(Can't wait to get out to see you all!)

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

My Mom and Dad,  out in front of  Dad's parents'
row house, some Easter before I was born (maybe c. 1963)

My mother grew up in the country, where folks, from time immemorial, have marked their borders with fencing. You can wander out deep in the North Carolina woods and still see remnants of property lines long since abandoned and absorbed by the forest.  A post here, a couple strands of wire fencing there -- out in the middle of nowhere. I remember hearing stories about how the century-old country home that had passed down in my Mom's family was once crisscrossed by picket fences, some of them wild with climbing roses. Unfortunately, all the wooden fencing was gone by the time I arrived on the scene, and the whole property made easily accessible by my grandfather's riding mower, but there were still the remnants of the original barbed wire property lines out in the woods. 

 My Dad grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.  His parent's home of many years was a row house in the middle of the city (pictured above), and though the front stoops and broad front porches were accessible to one another for an afternoon chat with the neighbors, the back yards were all pointedly blocked off from one another and carefully separated
from the alleyway behind. If you ran down the alley behind the long, long blocks of row houses, you passed yard after yard after yard of narrow little oases, protected on all sides by fences, most with neat little patches of lawns, barbecue grills and lattice strap lawn chairs.

Big brother, Steve, and me, c.1967

 When we were little kids (make that the late '60s and '70s or so), my brothers and sisters and I were bound in by fences.  We were military, so moved around a bit -- but most of our homes had fencing of some kind  around the yard -- and the bases we lived on were bordered all around by fencing and gates.  We were double fenced!  

As Dan and I have raised our family, country or city, we've always felt secure with the safety of fences around us.  If the property didn't have any, we dug deep into our pockets and came up with the money somehow to build them.  Animals needed corralling -- and so did children.  It was also just a good practice to know where our neighbor's land ended and ours began.  A carefully sighted fence, properly placed along the property line has always truly made for good relations with our neighbors. Everyone's happier knowing their boundaries.

Our first five children, at the "farm" in
Eastern Colorado in the '90s.

So it is with life, in general, too  We have very basic boundaries, well known in the Western world, regarding morality, very clearly delineated in the ten Commandments. Even a non Christian has to talk pretty slippery to justify stepping over these boundaries; they're hard-wired into our consciences by God. Rock walls.  Not that folks don't scale them, and even knock them down in this crazy world...  but we all know they're still there.  Whether some folks like it or not.

But there are other  boundaries around our behavior, besides those obvious ten.  Maybe not rock walls...  Perhaps more like shrubbery borders, or t-posts and barbed wire. They arise from those first ten rules usually, somehow or another, or they come from just plain ole common sense. They can change with the time and the place sometimes, and often that's a good thing!  But, there are some rules that should be universal and eternal. Some rules -- you might call them "conventions" -- of human behavior  should always be respected as "property lines."   They protect us from danger, keep us from wandering where we don't belong, and allow for a sense of security, respect, and charity among us.  

Here are a few of the unwritten rules my husband and I thought of :

* Never touch the belly of a pregnant woman unless invited to do so.  If this isn't trespassing, I don't know what is!

*  Follow the traffic rules and regulations of the city, state, country in which you're traveling. This is a matter of actual civic law, but a lot of people think the speed limit, for instance, is just a suggestion. Never assume you know more about the safety of a road than the people who designed the rules for it -- even if it's right around the corner from your house.  People die because of this kind of carelessness and arrogance.

* If you're stuck in traffic and the shoulder is open, just sit tight and be patient.  In the opinion of some, the lower rungs of Hades are reserved for those who cut in line in traffic.

*  Just because you're a "hugger"  doesn't mean everyone is.  If you don't know someone well, don't presume to hug them.

*  In the same way, don't assume that just because someone is your neighbor, s/he wants to be your best friend.  Be kind and respectful toward one another from day one, then if a friendship develops, great.  If not, don't push it.

*  Show deference for those less capable than you. If you're young (say, under 60) and healthy, always give up your seat on a crowded bus, public event, or in church to somebody who isn't. (Men, women, boys, girls -- doesn't matter)

* Men, hold doors open for ladies.  And ladies, thank the men who open doors for you -- it's a sign of respect for you that a gentleman remembers this kindness.  Courtesy is part safety gate, part bridge.

*  Men, always put the toilet seat down, even in a public restroom. In a house full of boys and girls, this really is a safety issue...  (The girls here will hunt down boys who don't put the seat down.  Be warned if you come visit us.)

*  Always assume the best about your fellow man, regardless of where s/he may have fallen in life.  Treat panhandlers with respect and compassion and, if you can, a tangible handout like a bottled water or fruit on a hot day or a McDonald's gift certificate.  (Best not to give money, though, that only exacerbates the overall panhandling problem.)

*  Learn to hold your tongue and defer judgment on people -- generally and specifically. If you're upset with somebody you know, take time to reflect on that person's temperament, history and personal context and try to understand the problem from their point of view.  Then, unless you're opinion is requested, keep it to yourself. Pray for them.  That's usually the best thing you can do, anyway.

* Never get involved in a land war in Asia. (Had to throw that one in there.)

*  If something on your property affects someone else's property, consult with your neighbor about dealing with it.  We had a neighbor many years ago with a meticulous lawn who hated, loathed, despised our beautiful crab apple trees.  We half expected to wake up to the sound of a chainsaw in the dead of night, and dear old Mr. H. giggling maniacally as he hacked them down.  But, we made a solemn promise to him, to keep those darned crab apples off his lawn -- which we did, and he was appeased. He watched very closely (practically looked for them in the roots of the lawn with a magnifying glass), but he was appeased. He didn't cut down the trees, anyway.


We know there are lots more!  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  What can you think of that we missed?

Sepia Saturday, March 8, 2014

To join in on the Sepia Saturday fun, click on the link under the picture!  Lots of wonderful vintage images and fascinating snippets of history to enjoy!
  

Friday Funny?

Ha! My first reaction was to chuckle at this.  (That's my first reaction to a lot of things, appropriately or not, I'm afraid.)  But there's an irony -- or an unexpectedness -- in this meme, that catches you by surprise, isn't there?  You can't help but smile -- and then the meaning dawns on you.  Yeahhhh....  Hmmm...

There's something deeper here than you first think there is.

The children and I just started going through the Commandments one by one in My Catholic Faith, and have just gotten to the 3rd Commandment: Keep thou holy the Sabbath day.  Since we've been learning about the specific laws of the Church guarding the sanctity of Holy Mass, this Pintrest pin caught our attention right away.  And punctuated the necessity of the Church laws we're learning! Rules dictating proper behavior have got to be set down extremely clearly --  if one of the twelve Apostles who lived daily in Christ's presence could be so rude to Him... (which is the understatement of the century) how much easier for us to be forgetful of Who it is we're leaving when we check out of Mass early. We have to always remember Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  We don't in any way want to imitate Judas!

I love it when I come across things that coincide exactly with what we've been studying about.  They're like little gifts from heaven!  In a nutshell, here's what we're learning about the third Commandment and how it's been pertinent to us:
                                                                                                                              
1) The obligation of Mass is binding on all persons who have attained the use of reason:  that is, including children seven years old. Those who find it impossible or very difficult, to hear Mass, are excused.

So that very clearly excuses the elderly or ill, who through weakness or just actual physical inability, cannot attend.  We have family members who just cannot always make it on Sundays because of their health, and it's good for the children to understand how good and practical the Church is in making allowances for these things!  Mothers of infants who have no way of trading off Masses in order to have the baby (and/or toddlers) cared for while they attend, would also be excused if the needs of the children make it impossible for her to attend. But, the children, being under the age of reason have no obligation to attend Mass at all. Dan and I "traded off Masses" for years so that we could attend without the little kids.  But there were many years when we couldn't trade off and I spent pretty much every Mass out in the vestibule or the car with toddlers and infants.  This was a valid reason for missing -- which is a wonderful thing to not have to worry about! (But if a person is unsure at all about it, they should always consult their pastor or Confessor!)

2)  Not to hear Sunday Mass (without a valid reason), or to miss a notable part of Sunday Mass, is a mortal sin.  To come a little late and not make up for it in another Mass, is a venial sin.

This is the one that gave us pause!  Not so much the first part.  We know that purposely missing Mass is a mortal sin that must be confessed ASAP.  Black and white.  What we somehow have missed (having read this very same chapter in our homeschooling many times over the years, even!) has been the part about making up for what we missed!  How did we not know that?   We are now instructed!  That's very good incentive to make sure we get to Mass -- not just on time, but plenty early!

3)  The precept is to hear an entire Mass from beginning to end: that is, from the Priest's entrance into the sanctuary until his departure into the sacristy.  One is considered to have missed Mass if one is too late to be present during the Offertory (when the Priest uncovers the chalice), or leaves before Communion is finished.  The principal parts -- that is the Offertory, the Consecration, and the Communion -- must be heard in one and the same Mass.

It's good to have this spelled out for us in black and white.  Unless we have a very good reason, we've just plain and simple missed Mass if we arrive after the offertory or exit the chapel before Communion is finished.  If we do either, we are required to assist at the next (or a later) Mass or go confess a mortal sin.  This is clear cut and easy to understand.

Still, we teach our children that it's extremely rude to arrive late at all (we should be there early enough to prepare for Mass!) and very rude to leave the chapel before Father has completely finished the Holy Sacrifice and gone back to the sacristy.  And then, it's only polite to God, the Creator of all things and the Source of all goodness, to stay for a moment or two to thank Him for the graces we've just been given (not to mention the fact that we're alive and well enough to be there!).  Leaving before the completion of Mass is like being an honored guest invited to a grand dinner -- and  leaving in the middle of it.  Without even saying "thank-you!"  Like Judas!  Whose motive for leaving was most definitely the worst in the history of the Faith.  But, bad habits are a slippery slope to a sloppy conscience, and discourtesy is a symptom of an insensitive conscience, at best.  We're well-warned.  Don't copy Judas in anything!

Holiness

This is true; I know it.  How often we've read the life of the day's saint and marveled at the amazing numbers of converts that different saints brought to the Faith!  The figures defy the imagination sometimes!  St. Francis DeSales, for example, is said to have converted 72,000 Calvinists, and St. Raymond of Pennafort converted over 10,000 Muslims! And these are only two men  It's mind boggling to consider what the world would be like if we had even a handful of St. Raymonds and St. Francises at one time.  

But, consider C.S. Lewis's theory. Ten percent of the world's population right now would make approximately 715 million holy people doing good on Earth.  I'm betting that really would make this a happy place.  And we'd have such a happy Heavenly Father!  

Wouldn't you just love to be part of such a thing?   If only we really could swing it before the year's end!  If only it were as easy as it sounds!  All we have to do is be holy and we'll draw souls to Christ and make the world a happy place.  Alright.  What if we want to try this?  What does that mean we have to do exactly?

What is holiness?

Here's how the saints explain it:  

"Holiness is a disposition of the heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of God, aware of our weakness, and confident -- in the most audacious way -- in His Fatherly goodness." 
--St. Therese of the Infant Jesus

The state of grace is nothing other than purity, and it gives heaven to those who clothe themselves in it. Holiness, therefore, is simply the state of grace purified, illuminated, beautified by the most perfect purity, exempt not only from mortal sin but also from the smallest faults; purity will make saints of you! Everything lies in this!
--St. Peter Eymard

There is no surer way to know that one is a saint than to see him lead a holy life and yet suffer desolation, trials and tribulations.
--St. Louis Gonzaga

Our Lord has created persons for all states in life, and in all of them we see people who achieved sanctity by fulfilling their obligations well.
--St. Anthony Mary Claret

“That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell”
--St. Thomas Aquinas

"We must have a real living determination to reach holiness. I will be a saint means I will despoil myself of all that is not God; I will strip my heart of all created things; I will live in poverty and detachment; I will renounce my will, my inclinations, my whims and fancies, and make myself a willing slave to the will of God."
--Blessed Mother Teresa

"Nothing whatever pertaining to godliness and real holiness can be accomplished without grace."
--Saint Augustine

God’s invitation to become saints is for all, not just a few. Sanctity therefore must be accessible to all. In what does it consist? In a lot of activity? No. In doing extraordinary things? No, this could not be for everybody and at all times. Therefore, sanctity consists in doing good, and in doing this good in whatever condition and place God has placed us. Nothing more, nothing outside of this.
--Blessed Louis Tezza

If God gives you an abundant harvest of trials, it is a sign of great holiness which He desires you to attain. Do you want to become a great saint? Ask God to send you many sufferings. The flame of Divine Love never rises higher than when fed with the wood of the Cross, which the infinite charity of the Savior used to finish His sacrifice. All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus Christ. That is, hard and painful things endured for Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ.
--Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.
--Saint Francis of Assisi

All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.
--Saint Francis de Sales

”The more a person loves God, the more reason he has to hope in Him. This hope produces in the Saints an unutterable peace, which they preserve even in adversity, because as they love God, and know how beautiful He is to those who love Him, they place all their confidence and find all their repose in Him alone.”
--Saint Alphonsus Liguori


You see the same thread throughout, don't you?  For the most part, the saints here all agree that the best road to sanctity lies in love of God and living up to our station in life as God has willed it, while persevering in patience and piety through (inevitable) difficulties and setbacks.  Not as easy as it sounds, but certainly doable.  We don't have to sit around in sack cloth and ashes; we don't have to sit on a pillar or wall ourselves up in an anchorhold.  We just have to love God, obey the rules (that's a given), and do the best we can in the sphere of our own lives.  

Like Nike says:  just do it.

And even if the numbers of holy people don't suddenly escalate in 2014 to make the big wide world a happy place, I know that by pushing toward holiness, myself, my own world will be a happier place.  Which is, I think, all that God is asking me to do, anyway.

Here's to holy people!  Here's to trying our best to be one of them!

Happy second day of Lent!

Ash Wednesday Check List

I do, indeed, have a smudge of ashes still on my forehead from midday Mass.  Check one big thing off the list! Let the Lenten season begin!

All the children have their smudges, still, too -- even the two little boys sitting in time-out right now. Four little stars next to the check and two XXs.

Didn't go anywhere outside the house to show off our ashes, though.  No check.

Even though we had to leave for Mass at 11:30 this morning, we got a full day of school in.  A little hurried, but we got it in.  There's a sloppy check!  (With an addendum that Gabe has to completely redo his English tomorrow because he rushed through it so carelessly today.)

All bookwork corrected and returned to the children. Big Red Pen Check!

Grilled cheese sandwiches and Tomato Soup a la Lazy Mama* made and consumed for lunch in quick and orderly fashion after coming home from Mass.  (No slips on the abstinence day!)  Check.

All dishes in the sink washed, dried, and almost all put away.  Check.

Stewed chicken started in the crock pot for tomorrow.  Check.

Salmon and salad for dinner tonight.  Check.

Pimiento cheese made to have on hand for the rest of the week.  Cheesy Yummy Check.

Checked that we have plenty of tomatoes, veggies, and fruit for the start of our Lenten fast and abstinence.  Check on the Check!  (Though we need more eggs!)

Silly pins and texts sent to Dan to cheer him up (he was really tired from not sleeping well last night). Schmaltzy Check.

Figured out that, though I did give up FB for Lent, and do intend to still not partake in its fun and games, etc,. I do still have to get on the site to check for messages from our son, Kevin, who is in New Zealand right now -- and communicates chiefly via his Notepad.  I also have to look for messages from Theresa in Colorado, who sometimes gets in touch with us on FB messages.  Hadn't thought that all out ahead of time.  Got it figured out now.  So, shaky Check on that one....  (Gonna be very tempting to be right there and not poke my nose into Facebook!)

Realized that giving up coffee is not too bad so long as I can substitute hot tea for it in the morning.  Check.

But, since I gave up sugar and cream (have done so for a while since we've been trying to go paleo,

anyway), tea is still pretty good and penitential.  Black Tea Check.

I don't much miss the TV, except for the fact that I always like to correct the children's work while I watch reruns of Castle up in my room.  Now I have to figure out how to rework my life to correct papers.  Do I stay upstairs and suffer while I correct in the silence and loneliness?  Or do I correct downstairs while listening to music on Pandora, with all the chatter of the house around me?  Which is really more Lenten?  Don't know yet.  No Check on that one.

Spent lots of time with the children (of course), and a few minutes so far with Dan.  Good quality time, reading together, working shoulder to shoulder in the kitchen cooking.  Check there.

Spent  time with the King of all Hearts? One on one, a personal visit, a real connection?  Well, uh...  I went to Mass, prayed the rosary...  But, well...  Not yet. No check  And I have a lot to talk with Him about, too.  Hopefully, before the night is over, I'll make some time alone with Him.  Maybe before Lent is over, I'll get into the habit of making a daily appointment, too.  Just Him and me (He and I).  Talking a little, silent more, perhaps.  Just watching.  Boy, my soul needs that right now.  Hopefully the peace and calm of this Lenten season will lead me to that place with Him.

 As for blogging, now...  You may ask why I'm choosing to continue this form of media when I'm turning my nose up at Facebook this Lent.  For one thing, FB is a lot more of a distraction -- way more incoming information; sometimes it feels like a bombardment!  The blogging world is much calmer, much quieter. More thoughtful, less "soundbite-ish." I choose exactly how much and what kind of  interaction I want to have in the blog world; rarely is anything sprung upon me unexpectedly.  Rarely am I scandalized. And, here in my own little blogging world? I'm rebuilding muscle. It exercises my mind and even my soul sometimes, this act of writing down my thoughts.  Maybe I can even string some words together coherently now and then, now that my health is improving.  It's been frustrating for me trying to get on a writing roll again, with the lack of practice and the lack of brain cells.

 It's time to get back in the swing, though.  I hope I can be consistent with my posts -- if not in quality, at
least in quantity.  Three or four a week is my goal.  I'm hoping to jot down those little things that occur to me (in a contemplation kind of way) regarding the Liturgical season, or life, or whatever --  as well as just recording what goes on in our day-to-day lives.  It's been invaluable, this blogging tool, as a family album!  I hate to lose that.  Anyhow.  We'll see how it goes.

 Anyone who happens to stumble in, please make yourself at home!  Feel free to comment, ask questions -- give me ideas to write about, please!  Make me laugh! I"ll try to return the favor.  Nothing more holy than wholesome laughter!  Even in Lent.  (I'm not for giving that up in Lent!) I'd also just  love knowing I'm not out here on the blog porch all by myself!

Blessed and Happy Lenten Season to Everyone!

* Lazy Mama Tomato Soup
Better than Campbell's,
Cheaper than Campbel's,
Better for you,
But not quite home made..

For approximately six-eight people

3 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 can water or, alternatively
1 can milk (whole, 2%, whatever you have)
(You can add less water or milk if you like the soup thicker!)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 TBS dried oregano (and/or basil, and/or parsley)
1 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste, if desired


Mix all together, adding parmesan last.  Heat without boiling (because the splatters make a mess if you let it boil!).  Serve. Preferably with grilled cheese to dunk in. Enjoy~!

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove: past tense of "shrive"

shrive

  [shrahyv] 

verb (used with object), shrove or shrived, shriv·en or shrived, shriv·ing.

1.

to impose penance on (a sinner).

2.

to grant absolution to (a penitent).

3.

to hear the confession of (a person).

verb (used without object), shrove or shrived, shriv·en or shrived, shriv·ing. Archaic.

4.

to hear confessions.

5.

to go to or make confession; confess one's sins, as to a priest.

Origin: 

before 900; Middle English shriven, schrifen, Old English scrīfan  to prescribe, cognate with Germanschreiben  to write ≪ Latin scrībere;  see scribe1

It's the common and devout custom for Catholics to make a good Confession on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday begins Lent.  It is, in a way, a "sweeping out of the
house" before the good work of Lent takes place.  St. Thomas Aquinas says:

In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on account of sin. For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health; and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance.

From St. Bridget, as revealed by Our Lord:

Just as an animal becomes a stronger beast of burden and more beautiful to behold the more often and better it is fed, so too confession - the more often it is used and the more carefully it is made as to both lesser and greater sins - conveys the soul increasingly forward and is so pleasing to God that it leads the soul to God's very heart.

Prayer to St. Gerard Majella for a good confession.

St. Gerard, Patron of a Good Confession, who gave courage to souls whom fear and shame had overcome; who gave sorrow to their hearts, resolution to their wills, truth to their faltering lips; help me to make a good Confession.

Enable me to know my sins, to be truly sorry for them, and to be firmly resolved, with God's grace, never to sin again.

Help me to confess my sins humbly and sincerely, to confess them in the spirit of faith, as confessing them to Our Lord Himself.

Stand by me in this Confession, O gentle Saint, an angel of God sent to free me from sin. Amen.

* So, now...  having been confessed of our sins (we all went on Sunday prior to Mass), we are, admittedly partaking of the goodies we'll be sacrificing for Lent, starting tomorrow.  So that means, we'll be drinking too much coffee, eating too much sugar and watching too many silly movies.  We'll start our Lent with stomach aches, in other words.

** Added note:  I'll be giving up facebook, but not the blog.  So, if you happen by, I may be here.  

What's Cooking At Our House

Something's always cooking -- literally and figuratively.  We have a house full of cooks!  Why this is I don't really know, except that we all love to eat -- and it's become rather expected -- more by the children, themselves, I think than by us -- that if you live here, you know how to cook.  And this is a good thing. Such a good thing! Paul (Mr. Rice -- he should have been Chinese!) is a wonderful husband to wife, Nicole, and can take over when needed or desired in the kitchen.  Both of our Seminarians ended up being seminary cooks: Dominic (Mr. Innovative, you just never know what he'll pull together with what ingredients) started out with the job right out of high school and Br. Philip-Jon (Mr. Tobasco with the asbestos tongue) held the position for a couple years.  Michelle (who just landed a job on the early morning bread-baking shift at Panera Bread) can hold her own with the best of them; Theresa (the bake sale queen where she's boarding in Olathe, CO) knows her way around the kitchen pretty durn well -- and there's a rumor that even Kevvy can cook if he wants to.  

This last bunch of kiddos, however, may give all of the Big Kids a run for their money.  Oh my goodness, can Cathy and Anna put on a dinner!  And we've started giving them a chance to impress us once week -- to everyone's benefit.  While I plan and prepare most dinners and Dan is the star of weekend breakfasts, Saturday night is the girls' night for epicurean greatness. Lucky us!

Tonight, Cathy took care of dinner, making an amazing pan of Chicken Cacciatore (this recipe here), served over brown rice (because Dan and I are making an attempt at going Paleo).  It was stellar!

Anna was on tap for dessert, and served up something that none of us have ever tried before: Spicy Walnut Raisin Pie.  Her first attempt at crust from scratch, too!  And it was delicious!  Perfecto!  Yuh-um!

 (Yeah, I went off the diet for pie...  You caught me.  But, really, 

it was a sacrifice I made for Anna's sake...)

The boys give it a thumbs up!  Even William, who doesn't like nuts! Success all the way around!  Thank-you, girls!

Here's the recipe for the Spicy Walnut Raisin Pie

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 cup light or dark corn syrup

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

Heat oven to 375.  Prepare pastry. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, corn syrup, and butter with hand beater until blended. Stir in walnuts and raisins.  Pour into pastry-lined pie plate.  Bake until set, app. 40-50 minutes.

* Oddly enough, everyone said this pie reminds them of bread pudding!