Yarn Along: Home...

While we were on the phone yesterday, my sister asked me about my current knitting project.  With Holy Week Services and preparations for Pascha, I hadn't knit a stitch and had no projects in mind.  I decided to cast on (160 stitches rather than 100) to a Lottie Cowl for our daughter last night, though.  I needed something to keep my hands busy and this cowl is extremely simple.  I love the texture of it and think that it was the perfect use of my last skein of Farmhouse White.  I knit it (and the Lottie Beret) for my little niece a few autumns ago and since Sugar Plum lost her Worn Denim Honey Cowl (grrrr), she's been asking for something new.  It should be done in another day or two. 

We are reading Home on repeat around here.  It is a gorgeous little picture book with very few words and the illustrations are amazing (especially the page that pictures a babushka's house).

Bright Tuesday...

Before the dawn, Mary and the women came and found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They heard the angelic voice: “Why do you seek among the dead as a man the One who is Everlasting Light? Behold the clothes in the grave! Go and proclaim to the world: The Lord is risen!” He has slain death, as He is the Son of God, saving the race of men.

Bright Monday...

Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship, the holy Lord Jesus, the only Sinless One! We venerate Thy Cross, O Christ, and Thy Holy Resurrection we praise and glorify; for Thou art our God, and we know no other than Thee; we call on Thy name. Come, all you faithful, let us venerate Christ’s Holy Resurrection! For, behold, through the Cross joy has come into all the world. Let us ever bless the Lord, praising His Resurrection. For by enduring the Cross for us, He has destroyed death by death!

Our Pascha....

Christ is Risen!  It has been such a nice day.  Holy Week flew by and towards the end, there was just no time to do everything that I wanted (or needed!) to do.  It was kind of a relief to just throw out all of my to do lists just before I walked through the door for Nocturns at 11:30 pm. 

We had a very nice early dinner this afternoon, so I wasn't too surprised when the children were hungry again just before I tucked them in.  I made them one of our favorite warm weather meals:  little plates of sliced ham, cheese, boiled egg, yogurt, pickles, and strawberries...  easy, quick, and filling!

I'm not too sure what adventures Bright Week will hold for us, but I know that it is going to be wonderful!  We'll take a little break from school and Father John will be able to step back a little from church responsibilities and work.  For now though, it is time to catch up on some sleep! 

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P.S  Those perfect little monastic dolls in our children's Pascha baskets are the work of the talented Rebeca Groover of Pearl and Poppy!

Our Paschal Menu...

Spiral Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Scalloped Potatoes

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

Hard Boiled Eggs

Greek Pascha Bread

Cheese Pascha

Strawberry Blueberry Trifle (with homemade pound cake)

The Feast of Feasts!

 

Christ is risen from the dead,

Trampling down death by death,

And upon those in the tomb,

Bestowing life!

Great and Holy Thursday...

We have a bucket full of tulips in the corner of our dining room just waiting for Great and Holy Friday.  Enjoying the beautiful blossoms indoors and out is a balm to my weary soul and body.  I had planned on doing a full week of school during Holy Week, but I threw in the towel today.  We were able to get in three days and that is good enough.

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of Great Lent.  The Feast of Feasts is nearly here!

The Palmyre...

I finished the Palmyre shawl before Pascha (our Easter is this coming Sunday)!  It took me over a week to figure out the pattern, but once I received some help from knitting friends on Instagram, I completed the shawl in five days.  I used MadelineTosh Dk yarn in Farmhouse White (about 500 yards worth).  I followed the pattern very closely made no modifications that I am aware of.  Once the shawl was bound off, I blocked the it very severely with pins on my blocking board.  I am so pleased with how this shawl turned out and am itching to start another!

Great and Holy Tuesday...

 The blossoms have burst on our thundercloud plum trees.  It will probably be raining here on Pascha, but there will be flowers!  

All five (!) of us went to Confession tonight.  The big kids, Papa, and I were discussing Confession and reminding one another how to prepare, and little four-year-old Button said that he wanted to go first.  When we told him that he was too young (our other children went at seven), he started to cry and insisted that he wanted to go.  We explained Confession to him and asked him what he would say to Father Daniel.  We decided that he could try it based on his answers.  He ran up to Father Daniel and came out smiling.  I'm not sure what he confessed (obviously), but it was a very sweet moment to see him standing very seriously next to a kneeling Father Daniel.  It was a very bittersweet moment for this mama. 

Great and Holy Monday...

Be simple, hidden, quiet, and small."

-Father Thomas Hopko

Palm Sunday...

This Palm Sunday was really the best day!  It was beautifully sunny (this week's weather is looking rather dubious), the church was packed, and we had a delicious fish fry for coffee hour thanks to the hard work of one of our families.  

I had a little time before Bridegroom Matins tonight and tidied a few things up in our bedroom.  I had planned to clean all of our icon corners before Great Lent even began, but I left the most untidy one in our bedroom to the last and promptly forgot it.  Today, I removed everything, scrubbed the shelf, wiped the icons, and cleaned the oil lamp.  Once everything was back in order, today's palms and pussy willows were tucked behind the icon of the Lord and I took a walk through the woods to bury the old ones.

I also got over my skittishness with a hammer and nails and hung up a few things.  My favorite is a painting that I hung over my bedside table!

Lazarus Saturday...

 

 

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy passion,
Thou didst confirm the universal Resurrection, O Christ God!
Like the children with the palms of victory,
We cry out to Thee, O Vanquisher of death;
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord! 

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My first trip to the farmers' market this year yielded a bounty of riches in the form of   French pussy willows, a variety of daffodils, and lenten roses.  As much as I love the two little vases of flowers cheering up our playroom and my bedside table, the pussy willows are really the star of the show.  Our littlest plucked a fat catkin off the branch and kept it in his hot little hand for the whole of Liturgy this morning.  We'll be making fingerprint pussy willows for our Palm Sunday church school lesson and I'll read a little of Christ Has Risen, Children! to our little friends tomorrow.  Seven days until Pascha! 

All the Traditions...

I come from a convert family (my parents became Orthodox when I was three) and so a lot of our family traditions surrounding festal food that I remember growing up were American-ish.  We always had thick sub sandwiches to break the Christmas and Paschal (Easter) fasts, Christmas breakfast was waffles, bacon or sausage, half a grapefruit with a maraschino cherry in the center, and tea with honey and milk.  Broiled flounder, sweet potatoes, and asparagus were served for Palm Sunday and our Pascha dinner was ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, and lots of chocolate for dessert.  

As my siblings and I grew up, we were exposed to a lot of different cultures.   Parishioners who came from Lebanon, Egypt, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Georgia etc. shared the most delicious foods with us and we loved it all!  Our father (who is a priest) has always encouraged a Pan-Orthodox flavor to the parishes he has served and so there were always Agape Meals (pot-luck dinners) after midnight Liturgies and baskets blessed after the Paschal Liturgy.  

Now that we have our own family, there are several things that we must have at Pascha:  Kulich, Greek Pascha Bread, Kielbasa, Cheese Pascha, BACON, Red Eggs, Chocolate, and Cheese.  I cram a lot of these goodies into the basket that we get blessed.  In addition, I find myself bringing out those old family favorites around this time of year.  I always sign up to bring subs to the Agape Meal and our Pascha dinner usually looks a lot like the dinners that we had when we were growing up. 

What are your festal food traditions? 

Two Easy Cheese Pascha Recipes...

Someday, I will tackle a more traditional recipe for Cheese Pascha that involves farmer's cheese and a mold, but these quick and delicious recipes work well for us now.

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Cream Cheese Cheese Pascha

Ingredients
1lb softened cream cheese
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 sticks butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
golden raisins and/or silvered almonds for decorating

Method
Cream butter and cream cheese.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to mix.  Add sour cream.  Spoon into a nice serving bowl, smooth, and decorate the top with golden raisins and/or silvered almonds. Chill, covered, for several hours before serving.  Enjoy spread on kulich or Greek Pascha bread (or by the spoonful!).

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Grandmama's Fruity Cheese Pascha

Ingredients
12oz cream cheese
1/4 lb sweet whipped butter
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons Sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup crushed, drained pineapple
1/4 cup yellow raisins
1/4 cup chopped, drained maraschino cherries

Method
Combine ingredients.  Spoon into a nice serving bowl and smooth the top.  Decorate with yellow raisins.  Cover and chill before serving atop kulich or Greek Pascha bread.  Enjoy!

Little Signs...

 I saw the first daffodil bud, the first cotton-tail bunny (was it Peter?) dash across the road, a deafening chorus of spring peepers, and the gorgeous almost-full Paschal moon!  Oh, spring! 

Catherine's Pascha...

 If you are searching for a great gift to tuck into a special little one's Pascha basket, look no further!  Catherine's Pascha is a delightful chronicle of the Feast of Feasts through the eyes of a very excited little girl.   Full of engaging text and vivid pictures, Catherine's Pascha is sure to become a favorite for years to come.  One of the best parts of this book were the detailed illustrations along the edges of each page depicting Orthodox Churches from around the word.  Be sure to take a look at the book trailer!

April Sponsor News...

 

Welcome back to Liturgical Time!

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Already Tuesday...

 

  I'm not sure how it is already Tuesday.  The list of things to accomplish before Pascha is starting to feel oppressive, but I've determined to take it all in stride.  I seem to be the most productive in the mornings and early afternoon, whirling through breakfast, lessons, and cleaning.  In the late afternoon,  I peter out and settle in on the porch swing in the sun with my knitting and audio book while the children play outside for hours.  We've not been eating dinner until after six now that it is light so late.  Before we know it, it is bedtime!

From Pop Star to Priest...

Cheer on a Rainy Friday...