Recently, Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, offered this address at a “Faith in the Public Square” symposium.  Far from being a lofty, academic, theoretical piece (which have a place and can certainly encourage as well), I found his comments to be poignantly practical and encouraging for even the mundane moments of my daily life.  I found his quote of Pope Benedict’s depiction of the original Benedictines to be particularly inspiring; I think of St. Benedict as a titan of a Saint: a... Read more

One thing driving me bananas this summer is children’s shoes lying every which way all over the house. When kids are in school this is a much simpler situation to manage. But during the summer, my children are constantly in and out of our back door to play, in and out of the garage door to swim practice and summer adventures, putting shoes on and taking them off… And they end up everywhere! I find shoes under chairs and pianos, in... Read more

What am I cooking? Quinoa muffins from Vegetarian Cooking is for Everyone.  My wonderful husband brought home a three pound bag of organic quinoa from Sam’s Club (!?), which has sent me searching for all manner of recipes for this ancient grain.  It is so fun to develop a new ingredient recipe repertoire!  Do you have a favorite quinoa recipe?  I’d love to hear about it. What are my weekend plans? My grandmother turns 93 three this weekend, and we’ll be... Read more

I had the privilege of hauling my crew of 5 into the dentist for our bi-annual check-up yesterday. You might have heard us as we paraded down the hallway and into the already-packed waiting area. I could hear the minds of the people there buzzing with questions and comments, but I chose to keep my head held high and delighted in the energy of my wonderful crew. They played nicely in the corner toy area as we waited. A few... Read more

We are having crab cakes this 4th of July, and I am going to serve corn on the cob and a big green salad. As a change for our standard balsamic-dijon, I thought the flavors of this citrus vinaigrette looked great, and will work nicely with the the seafood. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/citrus-vinaigrette I love planning big family meals like this, and having time to put some attention into the details! Read more

Our children are still quite young (7,5,3 and 1), but for them the Fourth of July is already synonymous with fireworks, flashy parades, and fabulous summer food (s’mores!).   This year, I have modest hopes of instilling in them a nascent appreciation of what the Fourth of July really means for our country, as well as some of the principles that it represents.  I bought a few vintage books at a used book fair to read to them this week,... Read more