Dressing with Dignity

We are not supposed to sit in judgement of of others, but really, who hasn't been in a pew before Mass and bit their tongue while watching the parade of half dressed young people (and some adults!) walk down the aisle. In fact, I think it was in church where I first heard the phrase "muffin top" to describe the spillage of flesh peeking out between a young girls crop top and her hip huggers. I was clueless and actually asked my husband why people were discussing baked goods before Mass. Hello? We Catholics all know that the baked goods and coffee come after Mass. :-)

Admittedly, some people would be horrified at my church attire on occasion, usually pedal pushers and a coodinating top during the hot Arizona summers. It's mortifying to say that and I am trying to make a conscious effort to change. It's for this reason I decided to read Dressing with Dignity.

Colleen Hammond's book, 'Dressing With Dignity' was nothing like I expected when I picked it up this weekend. Prepared for a simple primer on how to dress for the appropriate occasion and perhaps a few website resources, I was completely suprised thought provoking book and the enormous amount of research that when into it.

Starting with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and progressing through the centuries to the Freemasons and Coco Chanel, the author is meticuluous in her citations that back her explanations and opinions. She tracks women's slow slide down the path of feminism and explains why and how we all ended up in this morally corrupt society. It's a fascinating read that offers real solutions on how to return to modesty and femininity.

The book was first published in 2004 and as I finished the book last night I wondered how much of an impact the Pure Fashion movement and books like Dressing With Dignity have had on people in the last five years. It didn't take long to get my answer. Today we all watched the memorial service for Michael Jackson. Except for the female singer with the wildly inappropriate clevege, everyone was dressed with the respect and reverence befitting the event. No wardrobe malfunctions in sight. It's my hope that in the future young ladies choose to conduct themselves less like Paris Hilton and more like Paris Jackson.

Dressing With Dignity is available at The Catholic Company.

Novena to St. Peregrine

Novena to St. Peregrine - Patron Saint of Cancer Patients

Glorious wonder-worker, St. Peregrine,
you answered the divine call with a ready spirit,
and forsook all the comforts of a life of ease
and all the empty honors of the world
to dedicate yourself to God
in the Order of His Holy Mother.
You labored manfully for the salvation of souls.
In union with Jesus crucified,
you endured painful sufferings with such patience
as to deserve to be healed miraculously
of an incurable cancer in your leg
by a touch of His divine hand.
Obtain for me the grace to answer every call of God
and to fulfill His will in all the events of life.
Enkindle in my heart a consuming zeal
for the salvation of all men.
Deliver me from the infirmities
that afflict my body...

(Mention your need here...)

Obtain for me also a perfect resignation
to the sufferings it may please God to send me,
so that, imitating our crucified Savior and His sorrowful Mother,
I may merit eternal glory in heaven.

St. Peregrine, pray for me and for all who invoke your aid.

Magnificat Magazine

The Liturgy of the Hours is the official set of Roman Catholic prayers designated to be prayed at specific times throughout the day by Catholic clergy and laity alike. The Liturgy consists of prayers, hymns and psalms, recited in a specified order at the specified times of the day.

I tried to pray the Liturgy, but it is complicated and confusing to flip back and forth between the ribbon page markers while trying to concentrate on the prayers. I tried and gave up on the prayers many times in frustration. The Liturgy didn’t work for me until I ran across Magnificat magazine at Mary Immaculate Books and Gifts here in Mesa.

Magnificat is a Catholic magazine that contains prayers of the Mass, stories of Catholic saints, fantastic artwork (the June cover is pictured here) and yes, the Liturgy of the Hours in a daily format.

I love the fact that the publisher has managed to pack so much information into such a compact size. Magnificat tucks nicely into my purse so I can tote it to Mass or Adoration. If you're like me and you've given up on the Liturgy of the Hours due to its' complexity - give Magnificat a try.

To see more about Magnificat and other Catholic products - check out The Catholic Company.

Follow Magnificat on Twitter.

An Afternoon of Wine Tasting and Shopping

HuzBen and I had the opportunity to attend a grilling seminar/wine tasting at Fleming's Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Chandler on Saturday. The event was a joint venture with Fleming's and Barbecues Galore.

After a few basic tips on the meats we would be grilling we all headed outside to the patio where Johnathan Pyant of Barbecues Galore showed off the Odeon, and its' CrossRay technology. The Odean has infrared burners built into the sidewalls rather than underneath, thus reducing flareups. It works with liquid propane or nature gas and it's a beauty.

When the steaks were finished we returned to the dining room and tasted the three cuts of beef (filet, NY Strip, ribeye) and the wines picked to accompany them. Bruce Duffy and Candy Taylor of Flemings's were on hand to answer any and all questions about the pairings. The food was tasty, the wine was delicious and we received quite an education. The best part - the cost was a mere TEN DOLLLARS each!

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we signed up for their class on marinades and rubs in July. (And we're planning on stopping in for happy hour next week!)

Fleming's is located in one of my favorite shopping plazas, Casa Paloma. Casa Paloma is a foodie's dream, with Sur La Table and AJ's Fine Foods just a few feet apart.

I couldn't resist. Sur La Table was having a Summer Sale. I finally purchased the Baker's Edge Brownie Pan I've been wanting, along with new placemats, napkins and a few goodies from the clearance rack I'll be blogging about in the future.

Losing Weight With SparkPeople

In early May I decided I needed to be more accountable for the calories I eat. I hate counting calories and I only did it one week per month to get an approximate idea of what I was eating. I knew I wanted a web based application where I could track my food and maybe my exercise.

After some serious web searching I found SparkPeople. Wow! SparkPeople is everything I never knew I wanted in a weight loss and fitness website. Not only does it have a nutrition and fitness tracker, there are message boards, home pages, blogging, teams, articles and a motivational points system. There are thosands of friendly people aiming for the same goals as me. And the best part of all - it's free!!!

I cannot say enough good things about SparkPeople.com. They've turned a chore into something fun and motivating. I love it! And it's free!!! If you sign up, please stop by my SparkPeople page and say hi - I am Leanna1017.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock

Whole chickens were on sale this week for 88 cents per pound and Ben can't pass up a bargain.

On Sunday we browned the whole chicken in the pressure cooker with some carrots, parsnips and onions. We added garlic and peppercorns, along with parsley, thyme and sage from the herb garden and filled the PC with water to 2 inches below the maxium fill line.

The cooker was at high pressure for 30 minutes and we used the quick release button when the time was up. I strained the stock while Ben stripped the meat from the bones.

At this point, the bones went back into the pot with the stock and the water level was again topped off to about 2 inches below the maximum fill line (lower than necassary in case the stock foamed up). We set the timer for another 15 minutes at high pressure and let the cooker cool off naturally.

The stock was refrigerated overnight and the fat was skimmed off the next morning. We ended up with over a gallon of aromatic chicken stock and enough chicken to make chicken and cheese enchiladas for dinner and chicken soft tacos for our lunches this week. Quite the yield from a single bird.