Lumen News – April 2, 2020

Upcoming Important Dates:

• Friday, April 3rd/TOMORROW  is a “B” schedule. Students attend 2nd, 4th, 6th period classes (if assigned by teacher).
• Thursday, April 9th – Holy Thursday (“Attend” your choice of Holy Thursday Service)
• Friday, April 10th – Good Friday – no classes (“Attend” your choice of Good Friday Service)
• Monday, April 13th – Easter Monday – no classes
• Prom:  Cancelled (sadly)
• Baccalaureate:  Still under discussion, but most likely will NOT be the traditional in-person Mass
• Graduation:  Still under discussion, but most likely will NOT be the traditional commencement ceremony in the gym

Principal’s Update:

See my “Lumen Tube” weekly update here:  Principals Update April 2, 2020

Campus Ministry:

During this time of uncertainty and social distancing, stay connected to each other through Christ.

Because many of our students have communicated feelings of boredom, isolation and restlessness during this time of “social distancing,” a student lead Ministry Team has formed and is excited to launch a remote peer support group. “Out of the Desert,” will be a safe space for students to come together online and share thoughts and worries, enjoy community, talk, laugh and pray. The focus is on student well-being through peer companionship. Weekly meetings will be monitored by an adult and led by Lumen students who have been trained in group facilitation. Each Lumen student will be receiving an invitation to join a small group from the Student Ministry Team within the next week. This is not a class, is not a requirement, does not lead to extra credit. This is an opportunity for our students, your kids to feel connected, be uplifted and know that they matter.

A reminder that tomorrow, April 3rd is the last Friday to do Stations of the Cross during this season of Lent.  A nice online ‘Stations’ source in both English and Spanish can be found here:

https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/stations.html.

There are many options to fulfill Mass obligations both on Thursday for students and as a family on Sunday. Fr. Tom’s St. Benedict’s masses can be live streamed on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/stbenedictsak/   Don’t do Facebook? Any number of masses can be found at http://www.catholictv.org/

The schedule for Archdiocesan Holy Week and Easter liturgies has not been announced, but will be soon. Please check the Archdiocesan website for updates at: https://www.archdioceseofanchorage.org/

Looking for a way to stay busy at home? How about:

• Board games

• Family movie night

• Taking walks

• Play cards

• Organize and share family albums from all those pics on your phone!

• Write letters and cards

• Kids reorganize rooms

• PRAY AND SING!

• Attend virtual Youth Group and Discussions https://www.facebook.com/SM.SB.YouthMinistry/

• Reconnect by phone or text with friends and family you have not seen for a while

Students can go to the Campus Ministry Google Classroom for more ideas and to share!

Grace and peace to you all!

Prayer Spot

Please pray for:

• Students, teachers and families who are working from home

• Medical professionals and first responders

• Those most vulnerable to illness

If you would like special intentions listed in Lumen News and Prayer Book of Intentions send them directly to Mrs. Loeffler. eloeffler@lumenchristiak.org

School Announcements:

Silver Lining – Culinary Arts Intensive

Had we started back to school as planned, six students would currently be attending the 7th period Culinary Arts Intensive with instructor (and alumni mom) Carol Sturgulewski. Since the intensive (like school) obviously can’t happen, Mrs. Sturgulewski has agreed to write up each of the lessons she would have presented and we will be including them each week with Lumen News!

This means that all students (and siblings and parents) – not just those who were signed up for the class can learn and re-learn kitchen basics and move up to more advanced cooking skills as we move through spring!

So get out your knives and cutting boards then keep reading below to find a way to both keep your kids occupied and learn some new skills to boot. We’re super excited to be able to share these lessons and recipes from an accomplished local chef.

Next Week’s Schedule 

A copy of the school’s on-line class schedule has been posted to our website. You can click here to download and print a copy: https://lumenchristiak.org/

Tomorrow/April 3rd is a Friday “B” Schedule.

Next Friday is Good Friday and no classes will be held.

St. Benedict’s (Now On-Line!) Youth Group:

All Lumen students regardless of Parish affiliation are welcome to join the St. B’s Youth Group

Please Join Us!  Sunday April 5th from 4-5pm we will be joining 2100 other parishes in ProjectYM Live. This week it will feature Fr. Mike Schmitz. https://live.projectym.com/

Monday April 6th is a follow-up discussion on ProjectYM and Divine Mercy chaplet at 3pm via Skype.

Wednesday April 8th Youth Night via Skype at 7pm, We’ll be playing a game, prayer and more!

Email emartinez@stbenedictsak.com for Skype links.

CULINARY ARTS LESSON #1

Greetings to Lumen Christi families, and welcome to Chapter One of the Covid Culinary Correspondence Class! By way of introduction, I am Mrs. Carol Stuguglewski, alumni parent, mother of 3 very large and hungry boys and wife to an equally hungry husband.

While I’m not able to meet with you as students as planned, I do hope that you can use some of your free time to feed your face… um, feed your family. There are a million recipes and cooking tips on the internet, but to save you from getting completely bogged down, I will suggest some good internet sites. Twice a week, I’ll offer you a couple links and a couple recipes, based around a theme. These suggestions are aimed at the novice cook, but if a recipe or technique appeals to the whole family, terrific! All these recipes focus on common pantry ingredients, so unless you’re cooking with toilet paper (not recommended), you should be able to have (or get) everything you need.

If you have questions about techniques, substituting ingredients, or ideas for future recipes, contact me at csturgulewski@gmail.com, and I’ll see if I can help you out. And please email any photos you take to to the school at lchs@lumenchristiak.org or text them to Mrs. Gore at 907-227-9584.

Our first lesson and them of the day is: Avoiding Bloodshed in the Kitchen (otherwise known as Knife Skills)

First, a dull knife is a dangerous knife. Make sure your knives are sharp. Does your knife cut a fresh tomato without mashing it? If not, find out what sort of sharpening tools are in your kitchen (sharpening block, sharpening steel, electric sharpener) and Google how to use that sharpener… or ask the main kitchen person at your house for help.

Second, take your time in learning to use a knife. Even the chefs at Benihana started off gradually. Chop and slice slowly at first. You can speed up with practice.

Please watch both the following videos, and then watch again as you tackle chopping things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Fg7l7G1zw

(In the above video, ignore the part where she cuts off the root end of the garlic. Just mash the whole garlic clove, root end and all, and chop it up. It won’t kill you.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydc_SaQ_eRQ

(They do garlic right.)

What do you do with all that chopped stuff? Try these:

MINESTRONE SOUP

This recipe is very flexible. Be sure to start with the carrots, onion, celery and garlic as she does. Beans and tomatoes are a must. But you can mix and match different vegetables in place of the zucchini, cabbage and potatoes she uses. You can substitute different canned beans, You can use different greens such as spinach or kale, instead of chard. What’s in your refrigerator?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjn1kkS87SQ&vl=en (video)

https://cleananddelicious.com/minestrone-soup-recipe/

Next, this recipe doesn’t come with a video, but it’s quick and easy, and will use your chopping skills.

EVERYDAY FRESH SALSA

1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes

Onion, enough to make 1/3 cup when finely chopped

½ fresh jalapeno

½ cup fresh cilantro (leaves, not stems)

1 garlic clove

2 Tbsp. lime juice

½ tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. ground cumin

Salt and pepper

(This recipe is even better if you have fresh Roma tomatoes–you’d need about 5 for this recipe–but hey, it’s Alaska and there’s still snow on the ground. Good fresh tomatoes are hard to find!)

Drain the juice out of the canned tomatoes. (You can use the juice for other things–throw it in the minestrone!) Finely chop tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and garlic. Remember to take seeds out of the jalapeno and throw them away, and don’t touch your eyes with your hands until you wash thoroughly–hot!

Add remaining ingredients.

Stir and serve with chips. (Although if you can spare 15 minutes to let the flavors blend, that’s even better!)

Bon Appetit! 

 

 

CULINARY ARTS LESSON #2 

Hello, class!  It’s still Lent, so we’re all still going meatless on Fridays–right? And even when that’s done, you might want to consider having a meat-free meal once a week… in fact, “Meatless Monday” is a thing–Google it! Today’s recipes will give you a few meatless recipes to try, while continuing to build on those knife skills you practiced in Lesson 1.

Before we start, here are a few thoughts on recipes:

Always read a recipe all the way through, from start to finish. Note how long it will take you to prepare the ingredients, and how long it will take to cook.

 

Before you begin cooking, set out all your ingredients. Chop what needs to be chopped, measure out each ingredient into its own little bowl or plate, and so on. Lining up all this is called mise en place (pronounced meeze ohn plahss), a French term which roughly translates to “everything in its place.” A good cook uses mise en place all the time! It ensures you have everything you need–no getting halfway through a recipe and discovering you don’t have a crucial ingredient. It also means you don’t have to stop in the middle of a recipe to cut up this or that; everything is ready to add when you need it.

 

When you’re measuring out your ingredients, use measuring cups and spoons, not just any old mug or spoon. In a recipe, the abbreviation C. or c. means “cup.” “Tbsp.” or “T.” means “tablespoon,” and “tsp.” or “t.” means “teaspoon.” How do you remember which is which? Tbsp. is a bigger word than tsp., and T. is a bigger letter than t., and so a tablespoon is a bigger measurement than a teaspoon. 

 

Here’s a good video explaining mise en place. Don’t worry if you’re not as tidy as this chef–he’s making a video! The important things to know are how to organize your ingredients and keep your focus on the food. And pay no attention to that line at the end where he says you don’t have to learn how to cook. You do if you want to eat well!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YBmc4A0jok

Now get out your measuring spoons, get your mise en place ready, and try some of these for dinner Friday!

VEGETARIAN CHILI

https://www.thekitchn.com/vegetarian-chili-266017

ONE-POT PASTA AND BROCCOLI

https://www.skinnytaste.com/easiest-pasta-and-broccoli-recipe/

LENTEN TORTILLA CASSEROLE

For a shortcut, use 2 cups premade salsa or enchilada sauce in place of the first 4 ingredients.

1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes

1 tsp. dried cilantro or 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro

½ tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

4 8-inch flour tortillas

1 Tbsp. olive oil or salad oil

2 cups shredded “Mexican blend” or cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

1 15-ounce can refried beans

Cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onion, etc. for toppings

You’ll also need:

A 9-inch round pan, such as a cake or pie pan

A blender food processor, blender stick, immersion blender–something to moosh things up.

Measuring cups and spoons

Spatula

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Open the beans, scrape them into a bowl, mash them up and divide them into four even sections in the bowl. 

Put the cheese onto a plate and divide it into four even sections.

Using a blender or whatever you have, mix up the tomatoes, cilantro, oregano and garlic powder until they’re smooth. This is called a puree. Spread ¼ cup of the sauce into the round pan and swoosh it around until the bottom is thinly covered.

Spread 1 tortilla with 1/4 of the refried beans (it’ll be like spreading peanut butter) and put it in the pan, bean-side up. Top beans with ½ cup cheese and ½ cup sauce.

Spread ¼ of the beans on a second tortilla, and put it on the stack, bean-side up. Again, top with ½ cup cheese and ½ cup sauce.

Spread 1/4 of the beans on tortilla number 3, and put it on the stack, bean-side up. Again, top with 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup sauce..

Top with the last tortilla, any remaining sauce and cheese. Put it into the oven and bake 10-15 minutes.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, olives, avocado, etc. for toppings. Serves 4.

(This recipe is easy and pretty fun to make. On non-Lenten days, you can add cooked ground beef or chicken in a couple of the layers for extra protein.)

 Bon Appetit!