Monday, November 3, 2008

St. Martin's Mice


November bears feasts of two St. Martins, today is the optional memorial of the lesser-known St. Martin, St. Martin de Porres. St. Martin was born in Lima, Peru. Being illegitimate and of mixed race made his life very difficult, as he was considered very low in society. He became a laybrother for the Dominican order at age 15 and remained a member the rest of his life.

I'm not going to suggest the obvious Lima beans, or pull out a lavish Peruvian meal. One of the endearing qualities of St. Martin was his love for all of creation, including even vermin. There are favorite tales that mice were eating the sacred linens in the sacristy. Martin made a deal with the mice that if they stayed out of the monastery and church, he would feed them, and both kept their word. The picture book Pied Piper of Peru by Ann Tompert retells this beloved story.

A more simple idea for dinner is St. Martin's Mice, or Baked Potato Mice? These are just twice-baked potatoes, similar to the recipe for Victory Vessel with added embellisments to look like mice: slices of radishes for the ears, small cherry tomato for the nose, green onions or chives for the whiskers and tail, and raisins for the eyes (you might need a toothpick to keep some things in place). If you're short on time or have allergies, just make baked potatoes (do you know how fast you can make them in the microwave?) and add the decorations.

I don't have a photo of my own to share, but I did find these Pinterest Link with cute photos. Pin It

2 comments:

  1. Those are so cute Jenn!!

    It is so funny that you posted this! I had been thinking along similar lines, but just hadn't had a chance to post. I had run across a recipe for Mice Candies, but after all the junk my children had this weekend, decided against it. The baked potato mice are an excellent option!

    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, very cute, Jenn. I love the mice story and this is a great tie-in.

    ReplyDelete