What's for Dinner this Week....

I'm still sick this week so I'm falling back on chili. The rest of my recipes require minimal effort.


Southwestern Chili w cornbread/ Salad
Chili Cheese Dogs/ roasted broccoli
Chili Cheese Mac/ Salad
Breakfast for Dinner- Bacon, Egg, Cheese Bagels
Vegetarian Pizza & Salad
Shrimp & Okra
Turkey & Pepper Jack Melts

Ash Wednesday, Rite of Election, Palm Sunday

Today, I'm sharing the second part of my Lenten Series. 


Ash Wednesday
 Probably what most people associate with Ash Wednesday is seeing a bunch of crazy Catholics with big black spots on their head.  Ash Wednesday is considered the first day of Lent. We fast, abstain for meat and attend a special Mass where we receive Ashes on our foreheads. Receiving Ashes on the first day of Lent is a practice that dates back to the fifth century, this was a universal Christian practice. However, during the Reformation most Protestant Churches eliminated the use of Ashes. The ashes themselves are made out of the previous year's, palms (from palm Sunday) and represent our sin. When we receive them, the priest usually says either Genesis 3:13: "Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return." or Mark 1:15- "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." We wear them the entire day and they serve as a symbol/reminder of our sin.

Rite of Election
 Is usually observed the first Saturday of Lent. The rite is for adults who are seeking to join the Catholic Church. For those converting to to the Catholic faith they start attending weekly classes a year before they convert. These classes are called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A). The classes provide the opportunity for candidates to discern if they are ready to join the Church. Some may find that after a year of study they are not ready to join, so they will retake the class until they are ready. For those Adults which are ready to enter the Church, they declare this during the Rite of Election. The candidates or catechumens are presented to the the bishop who formally calls them to receive the sacraments of initiation (baptism, first Eucharist, and confirmation) at the Easter Vigil.

Palm Sunday
 Is the beginning of holy week.  We have special readings and the Palms are blessed. These palms stay in our homes throughout the year and are turned in shortly before Ash Wednesday to be turned into ashes. You can read more about this day here.

I'll be sharing more about the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday/ Easter Vigil) in an upcoming post.

Any Questions?

Lent: Prayer, Fasting, Abstinence, Sacrifice, Alms Giving

I got a few questions from readers who wanted to know how Catholics celebrate Lent. Today, I'm sharing the different Lenten penances and practices that we do during the 40 days of Lent.

Prayer
During Lent, we chose to add additional forms of prayer. What is chosen is highly personal. Some choose to attend Mass daily, increase their bible readings, pray the divine mercy chaplet, read books about the lives of the saints, and/or devotional books. Some people choose to pray daily for a special cause, like food security for the poor or an end to abortion.  For example, my husband and I are reading two books together: . A Simple Path and What Jesus Saw from the Cross. We are also doing other things as individuals.

Fasting
Fasting is required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for adults between the ages of 18-59. Pregnant or nursing mothers may abstain as well as anyone who is not in good health.  The more liberal but still acceptable way of fasting is to eat two small meals and one full meal, with nothing but water in between.  For those that choose to follow this plan usually they eat very small, simple foods. Some Catholics choose to follow a more formal fast where they do not consume any foods  just water. Generally, we donate the money which we save from not spending on food to charities like Catholic Relief Services.

Abstinence
Those who are 14 or older abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays during Lent. Some Catholics abstain from meat every Friday regardless of the liturgical season. Fish is considered acceptable and money saved from not eating meat is donated to charity.

Sacrifice
Generally we find something in our lives to sacrifice something for the 40 days of Lent. The point is to pick something that brings us close to God not something we should be doing already(ie: stop smoking). This year, I'm giving up Netflix. We tend to watch it a lot during the cold months and instead of watching Netflix we have decided to use that time for family prayer and reflection. Also, we make a point to eat more simply and avoid eating out.

Alms Giving
The money saved by fasting, abstaining from meat and our sacrifices are donated to a Catholic charity.


I'm no expert; however, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to e-mail me: nora(at)thedollarholleringhomemaker.com or leave a comment.


 Tomorrow, I'll share what Catholics do on Ash Wednesday, Rite of Election, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil.

Linked to:  WFMW, Finer Things Friday, WLWW, RH

Crazy Week, Crazy Meal Plan, Short Shopping List

I had nausea all last week and the idea of eating anything besides grilled chicken and brown rice was beyond me. At one point I couldn't even stomach my morning oatmeal. To feed my family, I made a huge pot of chili that lasted through 7 meals (4 dinners, 3 lunches). It was great, we had chili, chili cheese mac, chili cheese dogs, chili cheese nachos and leftovers for lunch.  It kept meal time prep a cinch for me, heat up hot dogs, grate cheese, or make corn chips. 

This week will be a little crazy as we will be celebrating a holiday on Monday, Fat Tuesday, fasting on Ash Wednesday and eating Fish on Friday. I'm including breakfast, lunch, and dinner in this weeks post:


 Sunday- Greek Yogurt, Chicken Fajitas, Chicken Fajita Salad

Monday- Oatmeal and Yogurt, Ham Sandwiches on Onion Rolls & veggies x 2
Tuesday- Bacon, Egg & Cheese Casserole, Leftovers, Creole Shrimp & Okra Soup, Paczki's, BBQ Bacon  sliders, homemade old bay fries.
Wednesday- Fast Day
Thursday- Oatmeal w cinnamon & sliced bananas, leftover BBQ chicken, beans and rice
Friday- Oatmeal, leftover beans and rice, tuna sandwiches
Saturday- Greek Yogurt & Mango Smoothies,  Homemade Pizza, Leftovers

This is what my shopping list looks like for the week:

2 Blocks of Cheese, fresh moz, milk, 1lb sliced ham, bananas, organic potato or two, okra, onion, organic celery, seltzer water and a few pounds of fresh veggies. Everything else is either leftover from last week, in my freezer or in my pantry. I plan to spend around $30.



Do you have any special meals planned this week?

Cheap Date Night Ideas

 I  posted this back in November but I thought I would share it again. HAPPY Valentines Day!!

 

Date Night Ideas for $5 or less

Just because you are frugal doesn't mean you can't have fun....

Below are my date night suggestions for $5 or less:

1. Enjoy a coffee or ice cream date out on the town.
2.  Rent a movie from redbox, pop your own pop corn, and pick your favorite candy from the dollar store.
3. Play a game of cards and whoever wins gets a massage or homemade dinner....
4. Pick up your tennis racket, basketball or soccer ball and have a game of one on one
5. Go for a hike and pack  your own lunch.
6. Open a cheap bottle of wine, turn up some music and dance away!
7. Bake cookies or another fun treat together.
8. Pick up a giant piece of cake from the bakery and share it.
9. Make your own ice cream sundaes <--We are doing this tonight!!!
10. Play a board game ( we enjoy trivia, and clue)
11. Enjoy a cup of tea, or hot chocolate on your front porch
12. Make your own speciality coffee drinks and cook a special breakfast with what you have on hand
13. Take a walk around your neighborhood
14. Visit a museum (many have free days).
15. Make your own pizza for dinner.
16. Volunteer together


How do you do date night on the cheap?

3 Ways to Save Money on Laundry

1. Use smaller amounts. You probably don't need a cap full of laundry detergent.  Try 1/4-1/2 the amount depending on how filthy the clothes are. I always cut my dryer sheets in half and my clothes come out soft and static free,

2. Use cold water. Very rarely do you need hot water for washing. Do you really need to wash something in hot water that is going to be dried on high heat?

3. Use your dryer less. It's better for you clothes and will save you money. If I'm worried about wrinkles, I put the clothes in the dry on low. 

How do you save money on laundry?


Linked to:  WFMW, Finer Things Friday,  Frugal Friday, WLWW, RH

What's for dinner this week...

 Our first Valentines Day after we were married we didn't have any money to go out. My husband made me the most amazing meal. He bought a red plastic table cloth, some dollar store candles, and some cheap wine. The pizza he made didn't come from the "best" ingredients (jarred sauce, store bought crust, etc). But do you know what made it so great?  He spelled "I love you" in pineapple. No pizza has ever tasted better than my "I love you" pizza!

So in honor of our first Valentines Day as a married couple, we always enjoy pizza.


What we are eating this week:
Beef Stroganoff w/ peas
Tuna Mac w/ roasted broccoli
Pizza and homemade ice cream sundaes
Spicy Black Bean Tacos
Dollar Hollering Chili w/Ground Beef
Chili Cheese Mac
Husband "cooks"