Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Catholic Cuisine Aprons

Our beautiful aprons are high quality and make a perfect gift for any Catholic foodie friends!



All of our aprons are embroidered, not screen printed, giving them a rich, elegant, look! Our durable 100% cotton-twill aprons, with soil-release finish for added stain protection, provide ultimate full length cover and comfort. Designed with two large pockets and 1" wide neck and waist ties, with adjustable neck strap, they measure 22”W by 30”L.  

All aprons are shipped directly from our supplier.

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Sunday, December 8, 2019

An Advent Appetizer for Feast of Immaculate Conception


This simple appetizer with its combination of ingredients: goat cheese, pomegranates, thyme, and honey - holds symbolism for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Advent season. It is a yummy flavor combination, too, with the tangy sweetness of the pomegranates contrasting to the tartness of the goat cheese. Just top your favorite cracker and enjoy.

The pomegranate is often depicted in paintings of the the Madonna and Child. It's availability during the months around Christmas also make it a great food for the Advent and Christmas season.  While suggested for today, it is actually a fitting appetizer for anytime during the Advent or Christmas season.
Madonna of the Pomegranate ~ Sandro Botticelli

The four ingredients all have a symbolism or connection to make them fitting for this feast:
Pomegranate – fruit that is a symbol of the hope of eternal life through Christ the Word made flesh White (goat cheese) - symbol of Our Lady’s purity/Immaculate Conception
Thyme – herb that is a symbol of Mary’s humility
Honey – a “locust and honey” nod to St. John (2nd Sunday of Advent)

Pomegranate & Thyme Goat Cheese Log

Ingredients:
4 oz. goat cheese log
~ 1/2 cup of pomegranate arils
fresh thyme sprigs
honey

Directions:
Allow the goat cheese to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften. Add pomegranate arils to top and sides - gently pressing in to hold. Strip the thyme leaves from the stem. Sprinkle thyme leaves over the cheese log. Drizzle with honey. Serve with crackers.


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Monday, September 30, 2019

St. Jerome and the Lion Cupcakes


At the end of each September, I love turning our leftover Michaelmas Cupcakes into the face of a lion for the kids to enjoy while we read the legend of St. Jerome and the Lion. You can find many options for today's feast listed in our September Book Basket over at Shower of Roses.

I shared this idea here in the archives many years ago but my children all agree that our newer lions look so much better. Here are some pictures from recent years!

Our 2015 Cupcakes • Original post at Shower of Roses

Our 2016 Cupcakes • Original Post at Shower of Roses

Our 2018 Cupcakes • Original post at Shower of Roses
Saint Jerome and the Lion from our out-of-print copy (The Neumann Press, 2000 Edition)
of Legends of Saints and Beasts by Ann Marie Jauss originally published in 1954.
+ + + 

"So valuable to heaven is the dignity of the human soul that every member of the human race has a guardian angel from the moment the person begins to be." - St. Jerome

The feast of the Holy Guardian Angels is coming up in a couple days! 

St. Jerome, Ora Pro Nobis!
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Our Annual Michaelmas Cupcakes


Our Annual Michaelmas Cupcakes 🗡 
#michaelmas #devilsfoodcupcake #stabitwithasword


Saint Michael the Archangel, Ora Pro Nobis!

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Thursday, July 11, 2019

Saint Benedict Farmhouse Ale


Happy Feast of St. Benedict! 🍻 

"In the ordinary form of the Roman rite, the feast of St. Benedict of Nusia is today, the date on which his relics are believed to have been translated to Fleury Abbey in St. Benoît-sur-Loire in France. In the traditional or extraordinary form of the Roman rite, his feast day is March 21, the day of his heavenly birthday. We don't blame you for wanting to celebrate the founder of Western monasticism twice in one year. After all, given all the drinks the Benedictines developed, you'll need far more than one sitting to appreciate them." - Drinking with the Saints


While we were in Oregon this past weekend, for my little sister's wedding, we were able to stop back by Benedictine Brewery to purchase a couple more glasses and some more of their great beer. Unfortunately our options were pretty limited following the 4th of July rush!

SAINT BENEDICT
Farmhouse Ale

A session ale in the farmhouse tradition, this beer gets its name because it was first brewed on March 21 and first served on July 11, the two annual feasts of St. Benedict. Bears the fresh aroma of yeast. Complex flavor for a lighter beer, with a slightly tart and peppery finish. Stands well as a cold beverage on a summer day. ABV about 4.7%.

This will be perfect to go along with the Benedictine Pizza found in the archives!

You can browse through all the different beers they have available at Benedictine Brewery here.

Saint Benedict, Ora Pro Nobis!

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Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Cupcake Forest for the Feast of St. John Gualbert


ST. JOHN GUALBERT 
Patron of Foresters, Forest Workers, Park Rangers and Parks
Feast Day - July 12

St. John Gualbert was born at Florence, A. D. 999. Following the profession of arms at that troubled period, he became involved in a blood-feud with a near relative. One Good Friday, as he was riding into Florence accompanied by armed men, he encountered his enemy in a place where neither could avoid the other. John would have slain him; but his adversary, who was totally unprepared to fight, fell upon his knees with his arms stretched out in the form of a cross, and implored him, for the sake of Our Lord's holy Passion, to spare his life. St. John said to his enemy, "I cannot refuse what you ask in Christ's name. I grant you your life, and I give you my friendship. Pray that God may forgive me my sin." Grace triumphed. A humble and changed man, he entered the Church of St. Miniato, which was near; and whilst he prayed, the figure of our crucified Lord, before which he was kneeling, bowed its head toward him as if to ratify his pardon. Abandoning the world, he gave himself up to prayer and penance in the Benedictine Order. Later he was led to found the congregation called of Vallombrosa, from the shady valley a few miles from Florence, where he established his first monastery. Once the enemies of the Saint came to his convent of St. Salvi, plundered it, and set fire to it, and having treated the monks with ignominy, beat them and wounded them. St. John rejoiced. "Now," he said, "you are true monks. Would that I myself had had the honor of being with you when the soldiers came, that I might have had a share in the glory of your crowns! " He fought manfully against simony, and in many ways promoted the interest of the Faith in Italy. After a life of great austerity, he died whilst the angels were singing round his bed, July 11, 1073.

(Taken from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler)





(originally posted over at Shower of Roses, July 2018

These forest/tree cupcakes were so easy to decorate with some melted green and cocoa candy melts and a couple plastic bags with the corner cut off to squeeze the melted candy onto the wax paper. After the candy trees had hardened we simply placed them on the cupcakes.

Variations of my Deer in the Woods" Birthday Cake and Snowy Mountain Ski Resort Birthday Cake over at Shower of Roses would also be fun for this patron saint of foresters, forest workers, park rangers and parks!

“The just will flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a Lebanon cedar, planted in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.”— Psalm 92:13-14

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Monday, July 1, 2019

St. Junípero Serra's Black Mission Figs

Fig Cookies and The Mission Bell (OOP) - The story of Father Junipero Serra's travels in the California wilderness, of his interest in the Indians and of his building of the missions.


July 1st is the feast day of St. Junípero Serra who was canonized a saint on September 23, 2015. You can find lots of other ideas in the Commemorating the Canonization of Junípero Serra post over at Shower of Roses. 

The Black Mission Fig was named after the mission fathers who planted the fruit as they made their way north along the California coast! Black Mission Figs or fig filled cookies (Trader Joe's Fig Bites, Fig Newtons, etc) would make an easy and simple treat for today.




Black Mission Figs from Trader Joe's



St. Junípero Serra, Ora Pro Nobis!

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Saturday, June 29, 2019

Sacred Heart Strawberry Brownie Treat

This post was written by Catholic Cuisine contributor, Charlotte from Waltzing Matilda.


I made this for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart which has passed for this year but since June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart, I thought I would share it in the event that someone might want to make it before the month ends. I baked this in my Wilton heart shaped pan but there are instructions for turning 1 round and 1 square cake into a heart shape. (This recipe only makes one pan of brownies so if you wanted to use the instructions above, you'd need a double batch.)

One Bowl Brownies
1/2 C. butter
1 C. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pan. I also line mine with parchment paper just on the bottom to make sure it turns out of the pan easily.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in eggs, sugar and vanilla.
3. Beat in cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder.
4. Spread into pan and bake for 25 - 30 mins. Do not overcook.
5. Remove from oven and run a sharp knife around the edge of the brownies to make sure they release from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool completely on cooling rack before turning out.

To decorate, I used chopped up strawberries mixed with a spoonful of sugar tossed in and spooned onto the brownie.  The crown of thorns was made with melted chocolate chips. I piped them with a plastic baggie onto some wax paper and then set them in the fridge to firm up. If you place it over the strawberries when it's firm but not completely set, you can gently press it to wrap around the strawberries. If you wait until it's too firm and try to bend it, it will crack, like mine did. :D

The flames were made out of clementine slices and extra strawberry slices with two mini-candy bars for the cross. You could also use pretzel rods or graham cracker pieces if you don't have any candy bars.

“Our Lord Jesus Christ desires that we should, for sanctifying ourselves, glorify His all-loving Heart; for it was His Heart that suffered the most in His Sacred Humanity.” ~ St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

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Friday, June 28, 2019

Sacred Heart Cupcakes


Happy Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus! 



Using Wilton Heart Silicone Baking Cups for the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts simply fill and bake with your favorite cupcake batter. We used the red baking cups for the Sacred Heart Cupcake and the pink baking cups for the Immaculate Heart Cupcakes (not pictured). 

 
 

Cover each cupcake with white frosting, add a red heart to the center of each cookie with red frosting, using additional yellow or orange frosting to create a flame, then add chocolate sprinkles to represent the thorns across the center.


Wishing you all a very blessed Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! 
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

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Thursday, May 23, 2019

A Feast for St. Bede the Venerable

This feast (a meal from the year 700) in honor of St. Bede the Venerable was submitted by Anne Egan. She also included an electronic version (click on image below to download/print) of her own St. Bede holy card, with artwork by her mother! Thank you, Anne!


One of my favorite saints is Bede the Venerable. He was a great promoter of devotion to the saints in his own time, as well as being a scholar, historian, and--most importantly--a man of great faith and a follower of Christ. To celebrate his feast day on May 25th our family has a meal that is similar to what St. Bede himself might have eaten in the year 700. According to my research, here are the sorts of foods that were available at that time.


Meat: beef, pork, poultry (a delicacy,) venison, fish (eel, pike, minnow, trout, lamprey,) eggs, mutton, bacon (salted meat)
Beverages: mead, wine, beer
Grains: oats, wheat, barley, rye, "bean flour," (no corn!)
Dairy: cheese, curds, presumably butter
Vegetables: onions, leeks, cabbage, pickles, beets, parsnips, carrots, celery, turnips, watercress (no potatoes or tomatoes!)
Fruits: apples, pears, plums, peaches, grapes, raisins, currants (nothing tropical or citrus!)
Herbs, spices, misc.: salt, parsley, sage, rosemary, garlic, honey, olive oil (no sugar!)

NO FORKS! Use a knife and bread to scoop up the food.

Main courses included stews, meat pies, soups, or simply meat or fish, broiled or fried. Vegetables could be fried or roasted with herbs. Dessert could be plain fresh fruit or fruit pastries. Here's my menu from last year:

  • White fish fried in butter with sage, parsley and salt (tilapia fish was an economical "cheat")
  • Roasted Root Vegetables (recipe below)
  • Red cabbage and onions fried in butter (could also fry the cabbage with a cut up apple for more sweetness)
  • Rustic whole grain bread (I made it easy and bought a loaf at a local bakery)
  • Beer (apple juice for non-drinkers!)
  • Rustic Apple Tarts (recipe below)

Roasted Root Vegetables
(adapted from Taste of Home, Dec/Jan 2003, p. 36)

  • 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into about one inch pieces
  • 3 small turnips, peeled and cut into about one inch pieces
  • one garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 – 3 Tbsp. olive or canola oil

Place roots in greased 11 X 8 X 2 inch casserole. Sprinkle with herbs and salt. (You may want to adjust seasonings for your family's taste.) Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Bake, uncovered at 350° for 35 minutes. Stir. Raise temperature to 450° and bake for 10 – 15 minutes longer, or until tender. Makes approximately 4 – 6 servings.


Rustic Apple Tarts

  • 1 ½ c. flour
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ c. shortening (lard or butter)
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until well blended. Gradually add water until dough forms
  • together into a ball. Divide into six parts. Roll each piece of dough into a 5 or 6 inch circle.
  • 2 Tbsp. dried bread crumbs
  • 1 – 2 medium apples, peeled and sliced thin
  • 2 Tbsp. raisins
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. melted butter

Sprinkle 1 tsp. breadcrumbs on the center of each pastry circle. Top with apple slices and raisins. Fold up the edges of pastry leaving the center open. Stir together the honey and melted butter and spoon over the centers. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake in a 375° oven for 30 – 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and the apples are tender.



St. Bede the Venerable, pray for us! 

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Sunday, March 24, 2019

Swedish Waffles and AIP/Paleo Waffles for Lady Day

St. Patrick's Day on the 17th, St. Joseph's Day on the 19th, my husband's birthday on the 24th (today!), and then the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord on the 25th... So much to celebrate lately and it's been a nice little break right in the middle of this year's lenten season. I shared these recipes over at Shower of Roses a couple years ago and I am finally getting them added over here at Catholic Cuisine too for tomorrow's Lady Day feasting. Scroll down to find an AIP/Paleo version as well. Enjoy!

The Annunciation from Rosary Flip Book

"This is Våffeldagen or Waffle Day in Sweden. One website said the name Vaffla, meaning waffle, originated from Var Fru, Our Lady, and that in time the two words became slurred and corrupted, first into Vaffer, then to Vaffla. The waffles are served with whipped cream and lingonberries (or cloudberries)... " 

You can read more in Jenn's post found in the archives on Lady Day Feasting

Originally I always served Belgian Waffles, since that was the only waffle maker we had at the time, using various recipes or mixes. (One year we made these delicious Organic 6-Grain Waffles and you can find that recipe here.) Once I finally purchased our heart shaped waffle maker we started making the delicious thinner Swedish style waffles. We love topping our waffles with marionberries, maple syrup and occasionally whipped cream.


Lady Day Swedish Waffles

Ingredients:
  • 3 1/2 oz butter
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 eggs

Directions:

In a bowl or blender (I used my Vitamix) whip together flour, baking powder and salt with half of the milk until you have an even batter. Pour in the rest of the milk, eggs and the melted butter, whip until thoroughly mixed.

Heat the waffle iron and brush with butter. Pour in 6 tablespoons of batter and bake until golden brown. Makes 8 waffles. Top with berries. (Lingonberries are traditional in Sweden. We used Marionberries in honor of Our Lady!) 



♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

After baking waffles for everyone else, I was really craving a waffle too... I decided to try to adapt an AIP Belgian waffle recipe to use with our waffle maker and the Cassava Flour I recently purchased. It turned out great! I'll definitely be making these again.


Autoimmune Protocol Waffles for the Annunciation
{gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, egg-free, dairy free, nut-free, seed-free}
Vegan, Paleo-friendly, AIP-friendly, and still delicious

Ingredients:

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Place all the wet ingredients in blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until well combined. Add dry ingredients and blend again until well combined. The batter will be thicker than pancake batter but should still be pourable. You may need to add a little additional water or coconut milk.

Lightly brush waffle iron with coconut oil. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of batter to your pre-heated waffle iron and cook until done. I use this waffle iron, preheated and very hot, with setting number 4.


The recipe yields 5-6 Swedish style waffles, using approximately 1/3-1/2 cup of batter for each waffle.  Be sure to cook the waffles long enough or they can turn out gummy.



Top with marionberries. Next time I'll make some Coconut Whip too! Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.


O God, who didst will that Thy Word take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary at the message of the angel: grant us, we pray, to be aided before Thee by her intercession, whom we believe to be truly the Mother of God.  
- The Holyday Book by Father Francis X. Weiser

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Saturday, March 16, 2019

Baileys Cream Puffs - St. Paddy & St. Joe Combo Treat

The feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph share a week in mid-March. Since they are just days apart how about a treat that combines elements of cultural symbolism of each. The cream puff - an Italian pastry sfingi, is a typical St. Joseph treat. But this variation on the traditional cream puff gets an extra kick from the addition of Baileys Irish Cream, a tribute the land of St. Patrick.


Baileys Cream Puffs

Ingredients:
Pastry puffs
3/4 cup water
6 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1 egg for egg wash

Baileys cream filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp Baileys Irish cream
1 Tbsp  granulated sugar

Chocolate
1/3 cup hot fudge topping
1 Tbsp Baileys Irish cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pastry
Combine butter, sugar, and water in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring it to boil, while stirring slowly, and take off heat. Add flour and stir until all combined and coming off the walls of the pan easily.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg is mixed into the batter before adding another.  Transfer batter into a piping bag and pipe little round mounts, about 1 ½ inches in diameter.  For egg wash, beat 1 egg in a separate little mixing bowl and brush pastries with egg wash before baking.  Bake pastries at 425 for 12-15 minutes then lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let pastries cool completely before adding the filling.

Baileys cream filling
Add the cold heavy whipping cream into the cold mixing bowl. Starting at low speed, start whisking, gradually raise to speed to high. Slowly pour in the sugar and then Baileys. Beat until stiff peaks appear (don't walk away far). Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Transfer whipped cream into a piping bag. Cut cooled pastries in the middle and fill them with whipped cream.

Chocolate
Heat up hot fudge topping and whisk it with Bailey's until completely combined. Cool before using so it doesn't melt the whipped cream.  Once cooled, drizzle filled cream puffs with chocolate sauce.

St. Patrick, Pray for us.
St. Joseph, Pray for us. 


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