My creation...I mean dinner

Hey y'all,

So I'm feeling really, really excited right now.

Because I'm sitting here in front of my computer, contently eating another successful experiment in the kitchen.

Recently, I had been "gifted" some leftover panko fried fish by some family members after a recent trip (I was the only one who had some sort of cooler which I could transport it in....oh well, free food is free food.)

So when I got back to my apartment, I immediately threw it into the freezer in order to keep it. And promptly forgot it for about 2 weeks.

But, being the frugal soul that I am, I hate to waste it. Especially now as I'm approaching the last few weeks of school, I'm starting to think about getting rid of all the food in the freezer. This tends to lead to a lot of experimentation, especially when I have uncomplimentary foods like rice and fish.

Hence I searched for recipes for leftover fish. I didn't have that much success, but I hit paydirt when I found this recipe for Kedgeree: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10421/kedgeree
I adapted it for the spices and food I had and presto! A great meal to do for Fridays with nothing but leftovers!

Recipe is below. Enjoy!


Bottom of the Barrel Kedgeree
Serves 4

Note: if your leftover fish is frozen, let it thaw naturally in the fridge for several hours, at least until it is easy to break apart. The pan will heat it up fairly quickly.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of cooked white rice
1/8 cup olive oil (Have extra ready)
Dried onion (as much as you want)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
4 hard boiled eggs
1 large filet leftover panko fried fish

Directions:
1. Defrost fish, if needed.
2. Hard-boil eggs, if needed.
3. Blend the spices in a small bowl. Place 1/8 cup of olive oil in a large frying pan. Place spice mixture in and mix well.
4. Place cold leftover white rice into pan and mix well. Turn burner to medium heat, heat mixture well.
5. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Break fish into small bite-sized pieces and place into pan with the rice mixture. Mix until fish is coated. Let heat.
6. Peel eggs, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put into pan and mix. Let heat.
7. Serve hot and enjoy!

A wildflower I found in a garden one summer day

Hey y'all,

Lent is going by fast!

In the spirit of last week's Lady Day, I wanted to share some spiritual reading books that really deal with the feminine vocation or at the very least deal with more feminine issues.

The Valiant Woman
This book actually started as a retreat for women made by the Archbishop of Rheims in the 1800s. It was initially aimed more at married women and concentrated on the domestic sphere. It was based off of the book of Proverbs...specifically picking out verses that spoke directly about the feminine domestic duties. Monseigneur Landroit is a very thorough writer/speaker, and his words of wisdom are still very relevant today. This book is definitely one of my favorite spiritual reading books.

Dressing With Dignity
This book introduced me to concept of dressing modestly (as I'm sure it was for a lot of other girls). Colleen Hammond doesn't just discuss dress though, but also fashion and some femininity topics. While the clothes don't make the man (or woman in this case), certainly modesty in dress is a great start towards femininity!

Immodesty : Satan's Virtue
As the title suggests, this book focuses much more on the virtue of modesty, especially in dress. I like this book better than Dressing With Dignity because Rita Davidson is more comprehensive and (I think) a little more hard-core than Colleen Hammond. I would definitely recommend this book in addition to Dressing With Dignity. 

Catholic Girl's Guide
While this is more aimed for teenage girls, I cannot stress the greatness of this book enough. This book goes through several applications of virtues that young girls can take to heart​. Some of the language is antiquated, but timeless wisdom nonetheless. Think of this one like the Valiant Woman: a long retreat in a book form.

Courtesy Calls Again
This book concentrates on family and cultural relationships and how to make them more like the Catholic relationships of the past. It especially goes into the women's role of teaching her children.

When I first read this book, I wasn't sure I liked it. I certainly liked the idea behind a lot of what the authors suggested, but saw most of the precepts as being from a by-gone era.

Now as I reread it, I'm beginning to see some additional  problems. While the writers have the principle right, the applications of the principles that they suggest are mainly aristocratic. For example, in debunking the myth of the pioneer woman (which to them seems to be a Calamity Jane figure) they suggested that she educate her children in a noblewoman's style (art, languages, etc). In reality, a lot of pioneer women were simple, hard-working women who tried to give their children as much education as they could, but prepared them for their particular station in life. They seem to assume that rustic​ is a synonym for uncultured, which is just not true.

That being said, there are some really good principles in the book. So, I would only recommend this book to educate yourself on the theories of etiquette and common courtesy.


What spiritual reading have you been reading lately? Feel free to tell me in the comments!

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine