St. Dominic's 2018 Palm Sunday

St. Dominic's Church - Saginaw Michigan
SS Peter and Paul Site
Palm Sunday - 2018

Bird Migration

Bird Migration

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Lots of Sunshine

We went to Mass this morning. We met our niece, Heather, at Blessed Sacrament. After Mass she came over for breakfast.

We talked a lot about traveling in Michigan. When she was leaving she mentioned her blinker was probably burnt out. They went to the auto supply and Pat changed it. When he came back home I asked if he wanted to go grocery shopping. He suggested a drive to Traverse City. Mmm...... No brainer. Traverse City won.

Traverse Bay was dark blue and Teal with sunshine sparkling. We went to McGee's and celebrated Hannah's (one of two sisters whi bartend at McGee's) birthday with her. It was fun. On our way home.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

New Beginnings Free Promotion

Free Book Promotion

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day - and to thank my sweet husband for buying the beautiful portrait for me from the artist, Clarence Lum - I am giving away my eBook, "New Beginnings."  When I originally saw the painting, Prada Girl, at Clarence's home I was instantly inspired to write the book.  I wondered why the girl was leaving the apartment? Why did she not look back?  Where was she going? Why was she alone? What emotions were on her face, sad, happy, relieved?  I couldn't stop thinking of her when I went home. The words flew out of my heart. When the book was finished I was so happy Clarence agreed to let me use Prada Girl on the cover.  New Beginnings is one of my favorite books.  March 15 - 19, 2018, the book is free.  Go to Amazon to get your copy today.

Wise Words

This is something I found on Connect this morning. My pet peeve is when someone tells a "friend" what someone else has said about this friend. I don't want to know what other people have told you in confidence. Please keep it to yourself! Thank you Harrietta29.

We all have those moments. We followed the plan, piled up blue dots, went to the gym 6 days... weigh in day shows +.8 lbs. It can be so discouraging.  But wait, what if our results from what we did this week shows results in two weeks instead of one week?

When I have a good week, like recently -3.8, and someone says, "You did good this week!" I usually answer, "I follow the plan whether the scale shows it or not."

Don't get me wrong, I still get disappointed when I have a small gain. What I am most thankful for is when Celia weighed me in and saw that disappointment. She took the time to go over my past few weeks and show me how much weight I had lost during that time. It changed my perspective and gave me inspiration to go on.

Then that same meeting our wonderful leader, Barb, challenged us to set some goals for the next 40 days. It dawned on me while the discussion was going on that I have no control over the scale. I do have control over what I do on this journey. When I mentioned that, Barb asked everyone what we could do.

They gave such good ideas for the challenge.  Drink more water, achieve attendance goals at the gym, weigh and measure everything - even 0 pt foods, attend a meeting every week, track every bite, listen to @fatdag podcasts, join Facebook pages like wwover50, interact on the most positive social media - Connect.

This is why Weight Watchers works. Everywhere I turn there are people willing to help ME. They are so generous with their support for ME! When I feel disappointed someone notices ME.

I spend a lot of time writing on Connect (Weight Watchers Social Media similar to Facebook) and on FB to help YOU. However, I found on this journey helping YOU also helps ME. This is why we are becoming new people on the inside as well as on the outside.

This journey isn't with the company called Weight Watchers it is really that we are building a connection with people. It is being a support to others. It is noticing how we can help when someone needs a boost. It is learning how to be kind to ourselves. Thank you for every little thing you do because together we are changing the world.

Thai Chicken and Vegetables

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• • Thai Chicken and vegetables

  • Adapted from Slender Kitchen - Click on pan of Thai Chicken to go to to Slender Kitchen.
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• Sauce
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Iron Chef Asian Garlic Sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Make sauce - add ingredients. Heat on low until thick. Can make ahead and put in refrigerator.

Chicken

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped 
• Season with Mrs. Dash, garlic, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and then refrigerate overnight.
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• Cookie Sheet Prep for Dinner - rinse and cut vegetables into bite size pieces
• 1 bunch bok choy 
• Carrots
• Snap peas
• Tomatoes
• Red and orange peppers
• 1 cup cashews

Place on two foil wrapped cookie sheets.  Put all vegetables around the outside of the pan and the chicken in the middle.  Spoon sauce over all.

Bake 400° for 25 minutes. Makes 12 servings. 5 Smart Points each.

Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad

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Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad

From

Jennifer Pierce Health Website

Click on picture to find more

Dressing
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
ZEST of one lemon
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp shallot, finely minced
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Pinch black pepper
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil (I used Walden Farms Honey Mustard for 0 points)
I added 1/4 cup honey

Salad
3 c thinly sliced kale (approx 1/2 a bunch)
1 lb Brussels sprouts, finely shredded using a mandolin or sharp knife
2 cups shredded zucchini
3-4 slices turkey bacon, baked and chopped (I used Al Fresco Chicken Bacon)
1/4 c roasted almonds, chopped (I didn't roast)
1/2 c Pecorino cheese, finely grated
I added 1 cup blueberries

I mixed the dressing and stored in refrigerator. I like to add at the last minute.

Add everything for the salad but the dressing and the almonds. Store in refrigerator.

Just before serving add the dressing and almonds to the salad. This salad serves 6 generous portions - 1 Smart Point.

This is so good

jrace02 - this was an amazing, life changing moment.  I read it in Connect (Weight Watchers social media) and continued to scroll down. I stopped. Scrolled back and read it again.

If there is an elephant in the room...

Today I cried at church. At the end of Mass Fr. Steve said, "If there is an elephant in the room it's best to acknowledge it."

A priest from our Diocese was charged with sexual crimes as well as furnishing drugs and alcohol to boys. There is such pain and anger and betrayal.

Fr. Steve wonders how the parishioners can trust the other priests. He mentioned the words in the David Haas song, "Will you let me be your servant let me be as Christ to you?" He apologized to us that this has happened.

I can't imagine how much sadness this must bring to the priests, our Bishop and the parishioners that trusted that man.

God, I ask for patience and understanding because I don't want to face this trial to come. The news reports there are so many complaints since this arrest - against more priests in our Diocese of Saginaw.

This is a sad day.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Serves 12

4 points per serving 

2 ingredient breadsticks

1 1/4 cup Self Rising Flour

1 1/4 cups FF Greek Yogurt 

Casserole 

9 chicken breasts

3 cans Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup

2 cups FF Greek Yogurt 

Juice of one lemon

6 slices ultra thin sharp cheddar cheese

1 TBS Curry with 1 tsp each cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash
2 TBS butter

4 cups broccoli 

• Mix flour and 1 1/4 cup yogurt.  Knead in bowl. Roll into 12 breadsticks. Bake. Set aside.
• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and brown in Pam sprayed pan. 
• Cook broccoli in microwave. Trim off large stems. Cut large heads in two.
• Mix condensed soup and rest of yogurt and lemon juice, cheese with rest of Curry, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash. Add cooked chicken, cooked broccoli. Mix well. Put into 6 metal foil loaf pans (2 servings in each) sprayed with Pam. 
• Cut breadsticks into cubes. Brown in Pam sprayed pan and melted butter. Top each casserole. Cover with foil and refrigerate or  freeze.

Bake 350° oven for 1/2 - 1 hour.

Inspiration

I saw this verse:

 "I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

So after downloading a few photo editors I found one I liked a lot. This is the app:

So here is today's quote:

Blue Ice

This was absolutely, positively the most beautiful day at Mackinac Bridge. We heard about the blue ice and before coming home from our overnight trip to Traverse City we decided to go to the bridge.

In an article in USA Today I found this explanation, "When lake ice is clear with no bubbles, in this case where lakes Michigan and Huron meet, it allows for short wavelength light to penetrate and scatter in the water below and reflect back through the ice."  George Leshkevich, a field scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich. 

It was 38° but actually felt much warmer. There were lots of people climbing on the ice. The mountain of ice is inches away from the house we were near.

The huge shards created steps to climb. I had on tennis shoes and it was too slippery for me.

Mudhustler Brownies

Here are Mudhustler brownie recipe and my version. Only differences are I use real brown sugar, add zucchini and make in silicone cupcake pans.

Mix together:

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 scoops Quest vanilla

1 TBS Baking Powder

1/4 cup Hershey's special dark cocoa 

3 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS Espresso Powder

Add:

2 eggs

1 TBS vanilla

15 oz pumpkin

1-2 cups shredded zucchini, 

(Water squeezed out)

Scoop into Pam sprayed cupcake pans -recipe makes 12.

Bake 350° for 25 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in oven with door closed. Store in refrigerator. 

Serve with FF Reddi Whip and raspberries.

1 for 1 pts or 2 for 3 pts 

This is Mudhustlers original recipe:

Enchilada Casserole

Oh yum! Big hit last night with company.

Enchilada Casserole

6 xtreme ole tortillas 

1 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella blend light shredded

3/4 cup FF mozzarella 

1 can Enchilada sauce

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 cup green pepper

1/2 cup yellow pepper

1/2 cup onion

1 can pinto beans

Add vegetables to pan and saute. Add pinto beans and mash all together. Add 1/4 cup cheddar cheese.

In a seperate pan cook turkey with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, ancho chili, paprika, Mrs. Dash, fennel. Mash as cook.

Put a few TBS sauce in a Pam sprayed casserole dish. Layer:

2 tortillas

Sauce

Bean mixture

Turkey

1/4 cup cheddar blend cheese

1/4 cup mozzarella

Repeat.

End with 2 tortillas pour remainder of sauce and last of the cheese. Cover with foil.

Refrigerate 

Bake 350° for 1 hour. Take out of oven and uncover. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serves 4 generous servings 6 Freestyle SP each.

Lent 2018

St. Dominic's Parish
SS Peter and Paul Church
Saginaw, Michigan
Lent 2018

I love it when art and environment is inspiration driven. Nancy had this Lenten vision and it is beautiful. She chose words from the readings for the day and made signs to be added each week to the Gathering area cross.  I made two PowerPoint slides to be shown before Mass each week with those words.

In Church

In Gathering Area

Each week a new word will be added to this cross

 Ash Wednesday - Slides 1 and 2

 1st Week of Lent - Slides 1 and 2

 2nd Week of Lent - Slides 1 and 2

 3rd Week of Lent - Slides 1 and 2

 4th Week of Lent - Slide 1 and 2

 5th Week of Lent - Slide 1 and 2

 Palm Sunday - Slide 1 and 2

 Easter Sunday - Slide 1 and 2

This Ahi Tuna recipe was so easy and so delicious.

I found this on Pinterest and followed it to the website "Sisters Do Food and Fitness"  (Click the picture to go to the website.) Right after I publish this post I am going back to the website to find more recipes to try.

This was my first time cooking Tuna that wasn't in a can or a pouch. I switched the black sesame seeds to Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. I served it over rice and vegetable stirfry and drizzled the tuna with the dipping sauce. IT WAS SO GOOD!

Ahi Tuna

2 (5 ounce) ahi tuna steaks

1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/4 c. black sesame seeds

1 tbsp. sesame oil

Soy Dipping Sauce -

1/2 c. soy sauce

2 tbsp. lime juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. Sriracha (or red chili sauce)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the soy dipping sauce. Place in refrigerator to chill.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. sesame oil over medium-high heat. 

Combine panko and black sesame seeds in a large bowl. Roll the ahi tuna steaks in the panko mixture to coat.

Gently place the crusted tuna in the skillet and cook to desired doneness, 1 minute per side for rare.

Use filing sauce sparingly - very salty.

I'll Stand by You

I love this!

Carba Nada Pasta and Zoodle Bake

This was delicious.

2 packages Lean Ground Turkey

Fennel seed 

Oregano

Garlic

Cumin

Paprika

Mrs. Dash

Salt

Pepper

Mix together refrigerate overnight

Cook turkey sausage and crumble while cooking. 

Add 1 box tomato sauce 

1 can chopped tomatoes
2 wedges Laughing Cow Cheese

Half a package Carba Nada noodles boiled 1 minute 

5 zucchinis zoodled baked

1 TBS parmesan mixed together

Mix together

1/2 cup ricotta 

1 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup FF mozzarella 

1 egg

Cinnamon

Parsley

Layer 

Sauce on bottom (leave out turkey)

Pasta/Zoodle

Cheese mixture

Turkey sauce

1/4 cup mozzarella 

Cheese

Pasta/Zoodle

Turkey sauce

3/4 cup FF mozzarella 

2 TBS Parmesan

Refrigerate overnight

350° 1 hour covered 10 minutes uncovered then take out and let sit 10 minutes

This serves 8 generous servings 4 Freestyle points each