My take on codfish

Did you know that if there were a "Portuguese dish" it would probably be codfish and they claim there are more than 1000 ways to prepare it? 

Well, I'm not a huge fan, but my husband is, my father is, and almost every Portuguese man I know is so I like to have a recipe up my sleeve. This is my take on "Bacalhau de Gomes Sa", which is like a casserole... and I love casseroles. 

Buy shredded, salted codfish and soak it in water for 24 hours, changing the water at least twice. Then boil it for 15 minutes, drain it and soak it in warm milk for 30 minutes. Peel and roughly chop potatoes (enough to fill a casserole dish) and boil them until just tender. Slice two onions and four garlic cloves and saute them in about 1/2 cup of olive oil, adding a little cinnamon and cumin. Combine everything in an oiled dish, plus a dash of oregano and black olives (I forgot and served mine on the side), and add more olive oil if necessary. Bake until bubbling and top with chopped parsley and hard boiled eggs. 

 

***Update to this recipe here:

http://martajuliemaria.blogspot.pt/2016/11/bacalhau.html

Just let me get to that baby

I feel all over the map with priorities and responsibilities. We just got back from a weekend youth group retreat. Then yesterday was a mad dash to clean the house and make dinner. We still don't have groceries. I have a really long translation to do I've been putting off for a month and now I have to scramble.

Yesterday I saw two friends at mass and told them, "We should get together". One told the other, "She doesn't mean it. She's very busy." It killed me. I hate being that person that says we should get together but doesn't really. I feel like I've taken on too much until the end of the school year and I have little space to prioritize. I have the house, the baby, a few classes, a little tutoring, a youth group (exhausting. by. the. way.) and I can't deal.

I'm taking this Lent as an opportunity to prioritize, minimize and not be that "busy" person. How awful. If you have prayer, you will have order and your time will be multiplied the saints say. I'd like to have order and focus on important things, like people and babies (like my Addie so naturally does. She pic above).

Happy Lent

Happy Lent... which apparently means springtime. I'm feeling my weakness pretty well today...overwhelmed with things to do, commitments to meet and some general adversity.. but I'm hoping I will find the springtime during this Lenten journey this year. And when I think of the Christians at the hands of ISIS, I feel pretty bad in complaining.

Instead of giving something up this Lent, I'm sharing the #sharejesus (redeemedonline.com) videos on Facebook. Have you heard of Fr. Leo... the cooking priest? He's pretty great.

Valentine's day

I wasn't able to get my act together for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Not even a Christmas tree or a nativity set went up in our house. I know, depressing. So Valentine's day was a priority this month. It's a special holiday for us because it was the day we went on our first date! So it's our dating anniversary. I was able to make simple paper hearts to put up around the house and even get a little surprise present for my very deserving husband. Unfortunately, the chocolate rose cake I tried making was an epic fail... and an epic explosion in my oven. Better luck next year.

Rock me mama like a wagon wheel

Everyone... everyone... in Portugal always asks me when they see I have a baby, "Does she sleep well?" I always smile and nod, and answer, "yes, reasonably". However, I have no idea if she sleeps well. Some days I guess she does, others not, and I never have any clue why. Her sleep is as elusive to me as a unicorn galloping in the forest.

 

She used to sleep eleven hours, wake up once (sometimes twice) and go easily back to sleep after breastfeeding. Now for the past week she's been waking up at 1am and has a really hard time getting back to sleep. The night before last it took three hours of crying and squirming in her crib while I held her there and tried to sing, offer her a pacifier, etc. Then yesterday I stumbled upon this post and thought, to heck with sleep training, and last night at one o'clock I tried cradling and rocking. It worked like a charm... UNTIL I thought she was deep asleep three times and tried putting her in bed and the beast woke up inside her. So I gave up and she finally went to sleep in her bed, me insisting and with her pacifier. Two hours later. I still think sleep training is it.

 

What do you think?

Article on CatholicStand

    

St. Valentine and 50 Shades of Grey

Julie Machado • February 11, AD2015 • 1 Comment

What do St. Valentine, love and 50 Shades of Grey have in common? The fact that the movie is premiering on Valentine’s Day (or Sts. Cyril and Methodius day) and that many people will see it while on a date shows there is a little confusion about these concepts.

Keep reading here:
http://www.catholicstand.com/st-valentine-50-shades-grey/

Big girl chair

We went to a restaurant... a pretty rare thing these days. Addie behaved just like a little lady in her big girl chair. As long as she has bread to eat, she's happy.

Starbucks

Hanging out with the BIG girls...

...and me making baby food at Starbucks!

Blooming

Orchids and narcissus blooming...

also used as hangers for swimming speedos and cowboy hats. naturally)

 

I like how my husband said we are like the orchids: growing, unstable, always toppling over, beautiful, searching for the sun.