Guest Post: Where Do I Sign Up?

I started to type up a post and my wrists wigged out. I'm two-finger typing this little intro, but am so grateful to KLB who is sharing her great story with us today. Please welcome her to CWCL!

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The most common question I’ve been asked in the past year is a variation on, “What made you decide to become Catholic?” The tone has differed, depending on the asker. I’ve dealt with excitement, curiosity, hostility, confusion, warmth, happiness, surprise, and disrespect.

I’ve also asked the question of others. It’s not so surprising to hear the myriad conversion stories when you think about the universality of the Catholic Church, and sometimes I’ve been a little embarrassed that I didn’t have an exciting adventure of religious epiphany to relate. My answer to the question is, in short, “I went to Mass and I liked it.”

Of course it took a lot to get me to Mass in the first place.

When I was a freshman at one of the most Catholic colleges in the country, my brother and I were invited to sing with the choir at the United Methodist church in our hometown. We began to attend Sunday services regularly. By the time I was a senior, I had become a Sunday School teacher, I had been baptized in the Methodist Church, I was a member of the Pastor-Parishioner Relations Committee, a regular deliverer of children’s sermons, the new director of Vacation Bible School, and I shared Choir Director/Accompanist duties with my brother.

I took theology classes and had philosophical discussions at school, but I never went to Mass. I had respect for my Catholic friends’ beliefs, but I never went to Mass. It didn’t matter to me whether someone was Methodist or Presbyterian or Catholic or Russian Orthodox: we were all Christian, so what difference did it make?

That began to change. I don’t know when, exactly, but little niggling thoughts began to curl around the back of my mind. I spent most of my free time during my senior year with three very close friends. Suffice to say it’s hard to hang out with two seminarians and a young woman who lives her faith without entertaining a few Catholic thoughts. When my Sunday School students asked difficult questions, my answers usually came from my theology classes at school. When I had difficult questions, my Catholic friends always had an answer for me. I thought perhaps I’d raise my future children in The Church, even if I didn’t convert. Then when a friend from my Methodist church mentioned he’d once been Catholic, I thought to myself, “If you’re already Catholic, why would you leave?” This thought brought me up short. At that point, I thought perhaps I should go to Mass.

An opportunity arrived after my church purchased a projector. Methodists place a lot of emphasis on music as worship. John and Charles Wesley were two of the greatest hymnists in the world, and my brother and I were in charge of the music in our church. We took our jobs seriously. I was staunchly against the projector purchase, but I was in the minority. With the projector came a hookup for a laptop. With the laptop came poorly made youtube videos set to poorly written contemporary Christian music. Our traditional hymns and live music were summarily replaced.

I lamented to my three friends at lunch one day. Palm Sunday was the following weekend. “I don’t want projector music to ruin Palm Sunday,” I whined.

One of the guys, E., offered a solution. “Come to Mass with us,” he said.

I was nervous at first, but my friend T. sat with me and coached me through it. He explained what was going on when he could and he helped me follow along in the missal. And so it happened that after four years at a charismatic Catholic university without ever attending Mass, I found myself at the cathedral downtown. I went to Mass and I liked it.

I had been discouraged at my own church because with the projector music, no one knew the songs and no one was singing along. We were becoming passive observers in our own worship services. There was something participatory and together in the Mass. Even though I didn’t know the music or the words or the responses, I still felt included. I was fascinated by the Liturgy. I wanted to know what the priests were doing during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and why. I wanted to know why the Bishop took his miter off sometimes and why the bells were rung.

I couldn’t deny that the Catholic Church seemed to have the answers to all my nagging questions. They had the history, they had the crazy stories of Eucharistic miracles and incorruptible saints, they had the scripture references to back up their theology, they had freedom within their spirituality.

On Tuesday during Holy Week, I sent a facebook message to the three friends who’d gotten me to Mass. “I think I want to be Catholic.”

We met for lunch the next day. When I brought up my missive, T. and E., the future priests, smiled knowingly. T. said, “What are you doing tonight?” That night I skipped my night class and sat with T. for the Tenebrae service. Afterward, we left the church in silence as the choir sang Were You There. Outside, T. turned to me and said, “So what did you think?”

I wiped the tears from my eyes and replied, “Where do I sign up?”

“Let’s go talk to Father,” he said....

KLB came into the Catholic Church this Easter! She recently started a blog to chronicle her adventures as a new Catholic. You can read more of her beautiful conversion story, and her experiences about entering the Church at her new blog: Walking Shoes.

Guest Post: Fresh Apple Cake

Please welcome "Kansas Mom" to CWCL today! I have a bag of apples left from last fall and can't wait to try this scrumptious recipe she's shared with us.

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I’m very excited to be a guest at City Wife, Country Life! Below you’ll find my aunt’s apple cake recipe. It is absolutely scrumptious, the best apple cake we've ever tasted (and we've tried quite a few). I have made it for my daughter’s birthday party two years in a row. I haven’t tried it with frozen apples, but I’d love to hear how it turns out if anyone out there has some in their freezer and wants to give it a try.

If you’re interested in a healthier version as a snack cake, leave off the cream cheese frosting. I’ve never done that because I adore cream cheese frosting, but I have no doubt it would be delicious.

Illinois Aunt's Famous Fresh Apple Cake

2 cups flour (I use whole wheat.)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil (I use applesauce; it seems appropriate for the apple cake.)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts
4 cups raw apples, chopped

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the sugar through vanilla in a mixer and then add the dry ingredients. Don't overmix. Fold in the walnuts and apples.

Bake in a greased and floured 13 x 9 pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Frosting: (or you could use your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe):

6 ounces cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar

Blend first three ingredients. Slowly add powdered sugar until smooth.

I frost the cake right in the pan.

Serve with friends or you'll eat the whole cake yourself! I have, once or twice, had a little bit left after the parties. I like to store it in the fridge.

Kansas Mom lives on seven acres (and a bit) with Kansas Dad, her four children, a dog, a flock of chickens and a slew of unwelcome bunnies. They spend their days reading, homeschooling, baking and dreaming of gardening. You can read about their adventures on their blog, Our Home on the Range.

Guest Post: Quick and Easy Batter Bread!

I'm very pleased to welcome Mrs. N as a guest blogger today at CWCL!! Thank you, Mrs. N for sending in this awesome photo-essay recipe!

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This is my favorite recipe for bread when I really don't have time to make bread.  It bakes up with a nice crunchy crust and is soft and moist inside - it makes the best toast ever!  It's perfectly good plain but gets even better if you add herbs to it, how much is up to your own tastes.  My first choice for herbs is powdered rosemary(if you can get it), I use about 1 tsp, depending on how fresh it is.

Quick and Easy Batter Bread

1 package(2-1/4 tsp) dry yeast

1-1/2 cups milk, warmed

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp sugar

1-1/2 tsp salt

3 cups all purpose flour

Herbs(optional)

Assemble your ingredients.

Stir together the yeast, milk, butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, let stand until slightly foamy.

Add the salt and herbs(if using).

Add flour.

Stir for 2 minutes until completely combined.

Spread batter into a greased loaf pan and smooth with a spoon or wet fingertips.

Cover and let rise until it reaches the top of the pan, about 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Devour with lots of butter(it didn't last long enough for me to get a picture of this)

Mrs. N shares a little house in New England with her sweet husband and dog. She spends most of her time cooking, knitting and sewing with the occasional home improvement project thrown in to keep things interesting. (FCW: She's a stinkin' awesome quilter, too). You can find more of her amazing posts at her blog: Doubleshot Thoughts.