Venite Adoremus ~ An Apron for Advent!

Catholic Embroidery has just launched a lovely new apron, just in time for the season of Advent! I've added it to our list of Catholic Aprons available to order right here at Catholic Cuisine.

Purple apron embroidered with "Venite Adoremus" (O Come Let Us Adore Him), perfect for the season of Advent - $26.95

Thanksgiving Treats and Celebrations Link-Up

Yesterday afternoon my girls and I spent a little time in the kitchen making some Edible Indian Corn. What Thanksgiving Treats (or other favorite Thanksgiving recipes) have you been making this week?  We'd love to see them! 

(The linky will remain open until this coming Saturday night.)

Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us.
~ The Catholic Prayer Book

Chicken a la King

To celebrate today's feast of Christ the King, our family will be having chicken a la king for dinner. This is one of those recipes which are just perfect for a Fall evening.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chopped cooked turkey
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium low heat, cook butter until golden brown. Saute mushrooms until tender. Stir in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in heavy cream and turkey. Reduce heat to low, and cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with fresh buttermilk bicuits over rice or egg noodles.

Cardinal Sundaes

painting by Francesco Caccianiga

The memorial of St. Charles Borromeo is a very special one at our house. My husband and two oldest sons are alumni of our all-boys Catholic prep school named after St. Charles, and my youngest son is a student now. We always attend the feast day Mass celebrated by our bishop and it is a wonderful event which we look forward to annually. Saint Charles is the patron of seminarians, so remember to pray to him for your favorite seminarians, and even your own young men for which you might be praying for a vocation.

Tonight we celebrated the feast with a special ending to dinner. A simple dish, but one to remember for its connection to this great saint. It would, of course, be great for any of our great saints, who happened to be cardinals.

Cardinal Sundaes

serves 6-8

2 cups frozen red berries -- a mix or just one (I used 1 cup raspberries and 1 cup strawberries)

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 quarts strawberry ice cream

In a small saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add water slowly to incorporate. Place saucepan over medium heat and stir until mixture bubbles and sugar completely melts. Mixture should thicken slightly. Meanwhile, microwave berries for about 2 minutes until they soften up (alternately you could let them sit at room temp until soft). 

When sugar has melted add berries and cook until berries are cooked and mixture is thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour mixture into a blender or food processor (alternately you could leave mixture chunky). Process briefly just until mixture is smooth. You can strain mixture at this point to remove seeds, but we don't mind them.

Let mixture cool to room temp. (As an alternative to making the sauce, you could use a strawberry or raspberry jam, heating it until it is saucy.)

Place a few tablespoons of sauce in a pretty bowl or dish. Place a large scoop of strawberry ice cream on top and spoon another tablespoon of sauce on top. Serve immediately.

Recipes for November ~ Month Dedicated to the Holy Souls

"Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls. The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass."

~ Catholic Culture

In addition to praying for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, here are a few ideas for celebrating the feast days in November, from the archives:

November 1, All Saints Day (New, Trad.):

• Hallowed Days: All Saints & All Souls Fair
• Fasting and Feasting for All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
• All Saints' Day Treats ~ St. Lucy Cupcakes
• All Saints Cupcakes
• All Saints' Day Treats ~ Bones of Eliseus
• Gluten-Free Pineapple Soul "Cup"Cakes
• Soul Cakes
• Saints on the Clouds of Heaven Cake
• Saint-O-Lanterns and Saint-O-Lantern Link-Ups: 2010 and 2011

November 2, All Souls Day (New, Trad.):

• Hallowed Days: All Saints & All Souls Fair
• Fasting and Feasting During Hallowtide
• All Saints' Day Treats ~ Bones of Eliseus
• Pan de Muertos
• Gluten-Free Pineapple Soul "Cup"Cakes
• Traditional Sugar Skulls (and variation)
• Soul Cakes
• Soul Cakes: The Original Halloween "Treat"
• Candy Caramel Corn for All Hallows' Eve 

November 3, St. Martin de Porres (New, Trad.):

• St. Martin's Mice (Baked Potato Mice)
• St. Martin and the Mice Cupcakes (Cupcakes)
• Mini Mice for St. Martin (Mini Cupcakes)
• Chocolate Mice (Candy)

November 3, St. Hubert:

• St. Hubert, Patron of Hunters, November 3rd

November 10, St. Leo the Great (New):

• Lion Cake (Since Leo means Lion!)
• Lion Cupcakes

November 11, St. Martin of Tours ~ Martinmas (New, Trad.):

• Goose with Apple Stuffing for Martinmas
• Martinshornchecn (St. Martin's Croissants)
• Horseshoe Cookies for Martinmas
• Decorating with Heraldry
• The Cloak of St. Martin Cake
• St. Martin's Bags - Goodies for the Children

November 13, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (New):

• Italian Fare for the Feast of Mother Cabrini

November 16, St. Margaret of Scotland (New):

• Crown Cake (Symbolizing the fact that she was a Queen.)
• Simple Cupcake Crowns
• A Scottish Feast to Celebrate St. Margaret and St. Andrew
• Scottish Shortbread
• Hungarian Cinnamon Bread

November 16, St. Gertrude (New, Trad.):

• Various Ideas can be found in the archives under the labels for her symbols:  Lily, Crown and Heart.

November 17, St. Elizabeth of Hungary (New):

• "I am the Bread of Life..." (Bake bread, like St. Elizabeth did, to distribute to others!)
• Crown Cake (Symbolizing the fact that she was a Queen.)
Simple Cupcake Crowns
• Rosy Treats (Symbolizing the story of when the bread she was carrying turned into roses!)
• Rose Cake and Punch
• Rose Cupcakes(See the feast of St. Rose below for even more "Rose" themed ideas)
• Decorating with Heraldry
• St. Elizabeth's Crown

November 18, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (New):

• Rosy Treats
• Rose Cake and Punch
• Rose Cupcakes
• Penne Rose
• Rose Chocolates
• Heavenly Rose Garden Tea Sandwiches

November 19, St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Trad):
(See November 17th)


November 21, The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (New, Trad.):

• Many ideas can be found under the label: Blessed Virgin Mary

November 25, St. Catherine of Alexandria (New, Trad.):

• Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Pasta Suggestions)
• Heart Cakes on the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Decorating with Heraldry
• La Tire de Ste. Catherine

November 30, St. Andrew (New, Trad.):

• Decorating with Heraldry 
• A Scottish Feast to Celebrate St. Margaret and St. Andrew
• Scones for St. Andrew's Day
• Fishers of Men - Celebrating St. Andrew (Snack for kids)
• Scottish Shortbread

Last Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of Christ the King (New):

• Food fit for THE King
• Cookie Crown Cake
• Quick and Easy Mardi Gras King Cake
• King Cake for Mardi Gras
• St. Lucia's Braided Bread
• Simple Cupcake Crowns

Other:

• Fruits of the Harvest Fair
• Thanksgiving Prayers and Greetings
• From Thy Bounty: Holiday Foods and Feasts

We pray for the dead every time we eat if we pray the After Meal Blessing:

We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, Who livest and reignest forever. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

O Mother Most Merciful, Pray for the Souls in Purgatory!

Chocolate Mice

In honor of the feast of St. Martin de Porres, which is celebrated on November 3rd, Michaela from Filled with Joy shares this fun little recipe for Chocolate Mice! These would be a great treat to go along with the story of Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice and The Pied Piper of Peru, two of our favorite books on this great saint.  You can find other ideas for his feast in the archives!



St. Martin de Porres showed love and kindness to all people and creatures.

There is a tale of his kindness even to the mice that were eating the sacred linens in the sacristy.

It inspired us to come up with this fun, absolutely adorable dessert.  Simple enough my girls were able to assemble without help.

Chocolate Mice

Ingredients:

• 1 jar maraschino cheeries with stems
• 1 bag Hershey's kisses
• sliced almonds
• red decorating icing for nose and eyes
• oil
• tin foil

Directions:

1. Cover cookie sheet with tin-foil. Rinse and drain cheeries. Pat dry with paper towels. Check for pits and remove if found.

2. Unwrap 2 Hershey Kisses for every mouse you plan to make. Place 1/2 in bowl, and reserve the other 1/2. Microwave the kisses in the bowl for about 45 seconds. Check to see if melting. You will probably need to put it back in for another 45 seconds. Once chocolate is almost melted, add a little oil. Stir and microwave for about 15 seconds. The oil will help the chocolate from becoming sticky.

3. Holding the cherry by the stem, roll into chocolate, fully coating. This will become the body. Push a Hershey kiss from the reserve pile onto the front of the cherry to make the head. Place on cookie sheet. The melted chocolate should hold the kiss onto the body. Continue until all cheeries are coated and have heads.

4. Cut the sliced almonds in 1/2. Place 2 almond halves onto the mouse between the Hershey kiss and the cherry to make the ears. Make eyes and the nose with the icing. Place in fridge until chocolate hardens. Carefully removed from tin-foil and serve as you please.

To you Saint Martin de Porres we prayerfully lift up our hearts filled with serene confidence and devotion. Mindful of your unbounded and helpful charity to all levels of society and also of your meekness and humility of heart, we offer our petitions to you. Pour out upon our families the precious gifts of your solicitous and generous intercession; show to the people of every race and every color the paths of unity and of justice; implore from our Father in heaven the coming of his kingdom, so that through mutual benevolence in God men may increase the fruits of grace and merit the rewards of eternal life.  Amen.

St. Martin de Porres, pray for us!