The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.237: 40 Days of Lenten Soups // Part Two

As we round the corner onto the Lenten home stretch, we’re still (mostly) going strong on soup dinners.  So many lessons learned already!  On the days where we’re just “not in the mood” for soup or we don’t want to eat leftovers again or we just want to chew something (hah!), we’re reminded how fortunate we are to have food to eat at all.  We’re able to return to gratitude for our daily bread.  Who knew forty days of soup could expose and help sanctify our selfishness?     

Below are the soups we tried for the middle two weeks:

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Tomato Soup & grilled cheese sandwiches

Friday: Ditalini Spinach Soup

INGREDIENTS // 2T. olive oil, 1 cup each of onions, carrots and celery (all diced), 3 cloves minced garlic, 6 cups chicken broth, 15oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1.5 cups ditalini, 1/2tsp. thyme, 1/4tsp. oregano, 4 cups spinach, salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS // Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until soft.  Add carrots, celery and garlic and saute another 4 minutes or so.  Add broth, tomatoes, ditalini, thyme, and oregano.  Stir, then bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 11-13 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.  Stir in spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with a little Parmesan cheese on top.  (I also poured in a little half & half to make it creamier, but it’s not necessary.)

Saturday (Week 91): leftovers

Third Sunday of Lent: pizza

Monday: Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana (thank you for recommendations, Nicole!)

Wednesday: Meatball Soup

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: after a busy day away from home, I hit a wall and just had take-and-bake cheese pizzas 

Saturday (Week 92): burgers on the grill with kettle chips

Fourth Sunday of Lent: White Chicken Lasagna Soup

Monday: leftovers

No.236: TBR Tuesday // Let’s Try This Again!

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Because I changed my Lenten plans at the last minute, March’s TBR was a bust!  For the rest of Lent, I’ll be reading mostly religious-themed books, but I’ll add in one fiction to look forward to after Easter.  Here’s what I’ve picked out to read in April:

Life of Christ by Fulton J. Sheen // I’m about halfway through Archbishop Sheen’s Life of Christ and loving it.  The chapters are short enough to be manageable, but boy, do they pack a punch.  Can’t wait to read to the end.  (Here‘s my Lenten reading plan if you’re interested.)

The Louder Song by Aubrey Sampson // I stumbled on this book on Instagram and since it’s a topic that I’ve been pondering quite a bit lately, I thought I’d give it a shot.


Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis // One of those books I’ve always wanted to read.


Church of Spies: The Pope’s Secret War Against Hilter by Mark Riebling // I bought this book for my husband, but I’m grabbing it to read first!


My Life in France by Julia Child // My Life in France was on my TBR list last month and I did manage to read about 50 pages.  Love imagining Julia Child’s voice coming through.

The Likeness by Tana French // After Easter, I can’t wait to dive into this mystery!


Do you make a monthly TBR list?  What’s on yours for April?

No.235: Intentions for the Beginning of April

We know spring is finally here when the little birds start improving the nest on our porch fan.  
Watching them never gets old!

INTENTIONS FOR THE BEGINNING OF APRIL

  • complete T25 Alpha Week 5 and Beta Week 1
  • puppy proof the first floor 
  • figure out a new routine with the dog
  • schedule an appointment with the vet
  • order standardized testing
  • figure out plans for the last few weeks of school
  • look for a white button-down shirt for J’s First Communion in May
  • buy a butterfly habitat kit
  • begin a new sourdough starter
  • bake a new recipe that is refined sugar free
  • give the little ones haircuts

          PREVIOUS INTENTIONS

          If you’re reading on your phone or in a reader, be sure to click over to see what I checked off the list!

          • complete T25 Alpha Weeks 3 & 4
          • finish Easter baskets
          • get the big boys to the barber and buzz the little ones at home
          • give my split ends a trim (I still need to find a Youtube video, but it can’t be that hard, can it?)
          • finish buying the last few things before our new puppy arrives
          • puppy proof the first floor (started, but need to do another sweep)
          • find a vet
          • go through the millions of recipe printouts and organize (part of 100LT #10)
          • organize the junk drawers
          • make a list of spring clothing needs for the kids
          • clean out and vacuum the car (oh man, was that overdue!)
          • paint S’s room (100LT #69)
          • check out the Restore for a dresser and/or desk (we found a great desk for a steal!  now to paint it white…)
          • get estimates for resealing the driveway (we got a reasonable estimate and they were able to reseal it the very next day!)

          No.234: My Latest Reads // March

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          P.S. I highly recommend Book Outlet!  Use my link to receive $10 off your first order of $25 or more.

          #15. FORCE OF NATURE by Jane Harper
          My Rating: ★★★★☆

           Later, the four remaining women could fully agree on only two things. One: No one saw the bushland swallow up Alice Russell. And two: Alice had a mean streak so sharp it could cut you. (the very first line! p.1)

           He thought of the hundreds of little things that had added up to go so wrong. Maybe hundreds of little things could add up to go right. (93%)

           Another book from the library holds list!  Force of Nature is the second book in the Aaron Falk series and I couldn’t put it down.  An engaging story with an ending I didn’t predict.  I really liked this one!

          #16. THE POWER AND THE GLORY by Graham Greene
          My Rating: ★★★☆☆

          It is one of the strange discoveries a man can make that life, however you lead it, contains moments of exhilaration; there are always comparisons which can be made with worse times: even in danger and misery the pendulum swings. (p.59)

           He felt only an immense disappointment because he had to go to God empty-handed, with nothing done at all.  It seemed to him, at that moment, that it would have been quite easy to have been a saint.  It would only have needed a little self-restraint and a little courage.  He felt like someone who has missed happiness by seconds at an appointed place.  He knew now that at the end there was only one thing that counted – to be a saint. (p.210)

          We’ve had a copy of The Power and the Glory on our bookshelves for years – I think it may have been Mark’s from high school! – so I decided to give it a shot.  The story is about a “whisky priest” who is on the run during a purging of Catholicism in Mexico.  I have such complicated feelings about this book…I know I’ll be thinking about it for awhile.  3.5 stars.

          #17. AND EVERY MORNING THE WAY GETS LONGER AND LONGER by Fredrik Backman
          My Rating: ★★★★☆

           “It’s an awful thing to miss someone who’s still here.” 

           “What can we do to help Grandpa?”  The dad’s tears dry on the boy’s sweatshirt.
          “We can walk down the road with him. We can keep him company.” 

          And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer is a novella and at less than 100 pages, easy to read in a single sitting.  It was a touching story about a grandfather with Alzheimer’s, his grandson, and the way memories connect us together.  My grandmother had dementia, so this hit close to home.  Simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful.

          #18. YOUR LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPPY, MONTH BY MONTH by Terry Albert, Deb Eldredge, & Don and Barb Ironside
          My Rating: ★★★★★

          This book has been a lifesaver for me as we prepare to bring home our new puppy in April!  I’m feeling much more prepared (and a little scared, hah!) about caring for and training this new member of our family.

          #19. THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL DESIRE by Ralph Martin
          My Rating: ★★★★☆

          …what the spiritual journey is all about is uniting our will with God’s will, wanting what He wants, loving what He loves, living a life that in all its aspects honors Him and gives Him glory. (p.153)

          Did you pick a name from the Saint Name Generator earlier this year?  I got St. John of the Cross.  In years past, I’ve clicked and quickly forgotten my saint, but this year, I’m trying to be different!  As I browsed my religious books for writings by St. John of the Cross, I came across this book.  I’ve started it before and set it aside, but this time I quickly made my way through it.  My copy is now full of asterisks and underlined passages.  Isn’t it always funny how a book can find you at just the right time?

          ____________________

           MY READING IN NUMBERS FOR 2019
          Books Read: 19
          Pages Read: 5,793
          Fiction: 12  //  Non-Fiction: 7
          Kindle Books: 4  //  Paper Books: 15
          Original 2019 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 424 // Current “to-read” total: 432 (I’m going in the wrong direction, hah!)

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