O is for Bagels and O Antiphons

This week the Church celebrates the "O Antiphons" - the Magnificat antiphons used at Vespers of the last seven days of Advent.  I love an easy idea to make these days memorable.  It is a busy week so I thought this would be a perfect way to celebrate the Great Os - with some yummy O-shaped bagels. We took advantage of Einstein's Bagels Monday $7 Deal to pick up a dozen for our family and a couple dozen for some of our seminarian friends.

What I love about this (besides being easy) is that since it is not day specific can be done for any of the O Antiphon days. We still have all week. [Oh - and donuts work, too! ;  ) ]

St. Andrew the Apostle Cupcakes

The feast of St. Andrew the Apostle is celebrated on November 30th. The beginning of Advent is alway determined by St. Andrew’s Day. The Sunday nearest to his feast is always the First Sunday in Advent. If November 30th falls on a Monday through Wednesday, Advent begins the Sunday preceding; if it falls on Thursday through Saturday Advent begins the Sunday following.

The feast of St. Andrew is also a nameday day in our home so we usually celebrate with a special dessert. Last year (you can see all the pictures over at Shower of Roses) I made these simple cupcakes using chocolate cupcakes, a can fluffy marshmallow frosting, Trader Joe's Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks, and Fudge Brownie Goldfish Grahams.

Saint Andrew is said to have been put to death by the Roman authorities on an X-shaped cross. After frosting each cupcake, I simply stuck two pretzels into each cupcake at an angle to create an X shaped cross. I then added a few fish grahams to the base of each cross, symbolizing that St. Andrew was a fisherman, like his brother Peter.  I'm hoping to make them again this year!

St. Andrew the Apostle from Naturally Catholic

You can scroll through additional recipes and ideas for the feast of St. Andrew in the archives. 

Saint Andrew the Apostle, Ora Pro Nobis! 

Clementine Margaritas

Pope St. Clement, disciple of St. Peter and St. Paul, is mentioned in Philippians 4:3, "I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life."  He is also considered one of the first apostolic fathers. When I learned in my reading about his writings being referred to as Clementine literature, the tasty little citrus fruits immediately came to mind as a great connection to this papal saint.  So each year I try to find new clementine recipes that would be fitting for his feast. This year the feast day falls on Thanksgiving Day in the US and I thought a festive but different citrus margarita would be fun. 

Clementine Margaritas
(makes 2)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed clementine juice (5-6 clementines)

4 tablespoons lime juice

4 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons agave nectar 

5 ounces tequila 

course sea salt

clementine and lime slices (for garnish and juicing rim)

Directions:

• Rub a wedge of lime around glass rim and dip into coarse sea salt. 
• Dissolve agave nectar in water to make a simple syrup. 
• Combine all ingredients together and mix well. 
• Pour over ice in glass.

Celebrating Martinmas

"The most common, and universal, harvest and thanksgiving celebration in medieval times was held on the Feast of St. Martin of Tours (Martinmas) on November 11. It was a holiday in Germany, France, Holland, England, and in central Europe. People first went to Mass and observed the rest of the day with games, dances, parades, and a festive dinner, the main feature of the meal being the traditional roast goose (Martin's goose). . ." 

- The Holyday Book: The Celebration of Holydays, Feastdays & Festivals

Here are a couple suggestions for today's feast from the archives: 

St. Martin Cookies for Martinmas

St. Martin's Bags

(you can download printable tags over at Shower of Roses) 

Scroll through the archives for even more recipes: 

St. Martin of Tours

Additional ideas can be found over at Shower of Roses: 

Celebrating the Saints :: St. Martin of Tours

O God, Who seest that we exist by no power of our own, mercifully grant that, by the intercession of blessed Martin, Thy confessor and bishop, we be strengthened against all adversities. 

St. Martin of Tours, Pray for us!

St. Jude Impossible Pie

The patron saint of impossible causes - St. Jude. What could be better than an "impossible pie" to remind us of St. Jude's intercession for us with impossible causes. This is a pie that does the impossible by making its own crust while it bakes. It was marketed as versatile and crowd-pleasing, as well as quick and easy which is ironically the opposite of impossible.  Impossible Pie is one of the most successful corporate recipe projects in the U.S. food-marketing history.  Americans took to the easy recipe that is adaptable for making both sweet dessert pies and savory meat, vegetable and cheese pies. There were recipes for crustless coconut custard pies that appeared in cookbooks in the south in the mid-century but it first became widely known as Impossible Pie when it was printed on Bisquick baking mix boxes in the 1970s and then adapted for a multitude of variations.  You can find many varieties of pie recipes - from sweet to savory - in this Bisquick booklet from 1982.

The impossible pie is impossibly easy. You don’t need to make a crust for it. Instead, you just mix up all the ingredients together — the ingredients for the filling and the crust — and while it cooks the pie forms its own crust. I have found that the "crust" is more pronounced in the original custard recipe than some of the variations with add ins. But it is defineitly firmer along the bottom and sides and sets up nicely when cooled to form an easily made, but substantial pie. Give it a try in honor of St. Jude today (or St. Rita on her feast, as her patronage includes the impossible, too!)

Since St. Jude's feast falls in October, I went with one of Impossible Pumpkin Pie recipes to fit the season.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup baking mix
½ cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9 inch pie plate. Put all ingredients in a mixer and blend until smooth. Pour into pie plate. Bake until knife inserted into centre comes out clean (35-40 min).

Garnish with whipped cream.

One nice aspect of Impossible Pie is that the basic ingredients are probably readily available in most kitchens - just add the extra for the variation of choice. You don't even have to have a baking mix as that is very easy to make at home.

Homemade Baking Mix

1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or shortening

Combine dry ingredients. Add butter and cut with pastry blender until evenly combined. 

St. Jude Thaddeus, Pray for us!

Cuban Cuisine on St. Anthony Mary Claret Feast Day

St. Anthony Mary Claret, known as the “spiritual father of Cuba” was a missionary, founder of the Claretians, social reformer, queen’s chaplain, writer and publisher, archbishop, and refugee. He was appointed archbishop of Santiago, Cuba in 1850 and served there until 1856. In his six years there he restored, both materially and spiritually, the languishing Archdiocese of Santiago. Celebrate the October 24  feast of St. Anthony with some tradional Cuban cuisine.

Cuban Mojo Pork Roast

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced oregano 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 3 and 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder

Directions

Add orange juice, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, and smashed (not minced) garlic cloves to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add this mixture to a ziplock bag, along with the oil, orange zest, lime juice, oregano, and cumin.

Add the pork shoulder. Place the zipped up bag in a baking dish and marinate in refrigerator at least several hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the pork on the rack and discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well.

Roast the pork for 30 minutes. It should be lightly browned. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Roast for another 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160.

Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest 20 minutes. Carve and serve.

Cuban-Style Black Beans

Ingredients: 

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions
2 tbsp red bell pepper
3 tbsp cilantro
15 oz can black beans, do not drain
1/2 cup water (or more if needed)
1 bay leaf
few pinches cumin (to taste)
pinch oregano
1 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Chop onion, garlic, scallions, red pepper, and cilantro in a mini chopper or food processor.

Add oil to a medium-sized pot on medium heat. Add chopped vegetables and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add beans, water, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover, simmer about 15 minutes stirring occasionally (adjust water as needed). Taste for salt and serve over rice. 

St. Anthony Mary Claret, Pray for us!

Miracle of the Sun at Fatima - 100th Anniversary

This year we have been commemorating the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima.  Now we come to the anniversary of the date of the final apparation - October 13, 1917 - which ended with the miracle of the sun. Over the years, several Catholic Cuisine contributors have posted ideas for celebrating this day and the miracle associated with it.

So to make your celebration planning easier, here is a compilation of the past posts.

Miracle of the Sun Liturgical Tea
This post is complete with a creative menu and the recipe for these Miracle of the Sun Krispy Treats.

Our Lady of Fatima Miracle Morning Breakfast
A great idea to start out your 100th anniversary day of celebration with a healthy breakfast is detailed here.

Miracle of the Sun Cake
This colorful sun cake will brighten any celebration and remind us of the swirling sun.

Dancing of the Sun Cupcakes
These simple to decorate sun cupcakes will be a hit with the kids.

Miracle of the Sun Fruit Platter
A delicious and nutritious choice for the 100th anniversay isthe creative fruit platter.

Spinning Sun Cake
If you are feeling a little adventurous this cake complete with a real spinning fiery cake might be what you are looking for.

Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us!

Cookies that Remind us of the Stigmata Saints

There are numerous examples of hand shaped sugar cookies decorated with "stigmata" in various places on the internet.  It is hard to track down where the idea originated. It has not been posted on Catholic Cuisine, and I wanted to share the easy version we created. The ones I have seen either used jam/jelly or a frosting to get the effect. I thought an easier alternative would be to just place a red hot in the center of the cut cookie and bake. No need for the more time consuming decorating.

We just passed the feast of one of the most well-known stigmatists, St. Pio of Pietrelcina but are coming up on the feast of St. Francis, the first recorded stigmatist.  St. Francis received his stigmata on the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross in 1224. There is a specific feast to commemorate that event - Septemper 17 though his October feast day is a good time to recall it as well. 

Some of the more well-known stigmata saints:

Gemma Galgani (April 11)
St. Catherine of Siena (April 29)

Veronica Giuliani (July 9)

Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis (September 17)

St. Pio of Pietrelcina (September 23)

Francis of Assisi (October 4)

There are also many saints who recieved the invisible stigmata or only the crown of thorn head stigmata, including St. Faustina Kowalski, St. Rita of Cascia, St. Mary Margaret Alacoque, St. Rose of Lima.

One could also make these for feast of St. Thomas (who had to touch the wounds to believe) or any days around the Passion of Christ (Good Friday, Holy Saturday). 

The cookies are made using any standard sugar cookie dough recipe or even a prepared refigerator dough from the store. Using a hand (or foot) shaped cookie cutter (or paper pattern for cutting if you don't have a cookie cutter in this shape) cut out the dough. Place a red hot candy in the center of the cookie and bake as directed. And if you prefer there are also the options to decorate with jelly or frosting which give it a more realistic image of bleeding. 

Beautiful Cookies for the Feast of St. Thérèse

These cookies, in honor of St. Thérèse, were submitted by LaDawn Wilson. Thank you, LaDawn! 

These cookies work well for St Therese's feast day. She has been by my side, while raising the children and taught me how to use my creativity and work toward being "little." Still working on that part. :)

I painted the roses on the teacup cookies with gel food coloring and lemon extract, to make a watercolor look. Above the cookies are pastel marshmallows I dipped in chocolate and wrapped to look like a rose.

You can find additional recipes and ideas for the feast of St. Thérèse in the archives. 

St. Helena Wine

The following drink suggestion in honor today's feast was submitted by Kim Loney from Texas.

"We remember Saint Helena today not only because she found the True Cross, but because, although she was an Empress, she was still God's humble servant..." 
Saints for Girls by Neumann Press.

*Santa Helena Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

*Saints for Girls: A First Book for Little Catholic Girls

La Croix to Celebrate the Triumph of the Cross

On this day of the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross, we celebrate the discovery of the true cross by St. Helena and the dedication of the bascilica built on Calvary by Constantine.   It is a celebration and commemoration of God's greatest work: his salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection.

Need an easy yet memorable idea to commemorate the day? Pick up some La Croix sparkling water to add to your meal or snacktime. The name Croix is French for "cross" so it can be a reminder of that great saving work of Christ for us.

Christ, through your holy cross save us. 

Peruvian Corn Snack for St. Rose Feast Day

St. Rose of Lima, partoness of South America, is celebrated August 23. An idea for a simple snack on the feast of St. Rose (or other Peruvian saints) is the traditional Peruvian cancha, a popular snack made with a special type of large-kerneled corn called maíz chulpe. The dried kernels are tossed with oil and toasted in a hot skillet until they are browned and puffed.Trader Joe's makes their version of this snack - a Giant Peruvian Inca Corn which is very tasty. 

We love snacking on it. Since it is a ready made snack would be really easy to pull out for the feast day as an alternative to making your own. We opted for the ready made Trader Joe's version, but if you want to make the homemade version, it is as easy as popping corn. See recipe for details.

Homemade Cancha

Ingredients

1 cup maíz chulpe (can usually be found at Hispanic grocers)

1-2 tablespoons oil

salt

Directions

Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the chulpe corn and toss to coat with the oil. Cover and cook, shaking the pan periodically to keep the kernels from burning. The kernels will begin popping (without turning inside out like popcorn) and turn golden brown. Cook until popping subsides, about 5-8 minutes.  Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Salt to taste.

St. Rose of Lima, Pray for us. 

Sweet Carmel Rosary

A very simple idea to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16) is a rosary fashioned out of caramel bits. These cute and tasty caramel bits are a perfect rosary bead size - ready made. Just count out 59 caramel bits and arrange in rosary shape. I used some extra caramel to mold the cross and pressed a Marian medal into a flattened bead for the rosary center.  These caramel bits are made by Kraft and where available are sold in grocery store baking sections. You might have to look a few places to find them. I found these at Walmart.

Though this feast day is most associated with the scapular, the rosary is always fitting for a Marian feast day. On this special Marian feast day the family could say the rosary together then enjoy snacking on the beads. Alternatively, you could eat the beads as you go along.

Also, the rosary is a prominent feature hanging from the cinture of the Carmelite habit so is associated with the various Carmelite saints in images. This idea could be implemented on other feast days of the Carmelite saints, too.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us. 

St. John Mini Grasshopper Ice Cream Pies

At the end of this week, we will commemorate the feast of the birth of John the Baptist. In Matthew's gospel we hear that while he was in the dessert, John the Baptist's food was locust and honey, so those are images we associate with him. In the past the idea of a grasshopper pie or parfait has been suggested here at Catholic Cuisine to associate with St. John the Baptist. There is the traditional grasshopper pie or a modified version with mint chocolate chip ice cream for a frozen alternative.

How did this combo become a "grasshopper" dessert? First came the grasshopper cocktail, a sweet after-dinner drink, whose main ingredient is green (thus the grasshopper) crème de menthe, and also white crème de cacao, and cream. Then in the sixties, using the same flavors, came the green mint pie with a cookie or graham cracker crumb crust. Making an ice cream pie with mint chocolate chip ice cream is a simpler version for the same flavors.

I had seen these mini graham crusts and thought they would be cute for making a couple variations. One is the mint chocolate chip version for the more traditional "grasshopper" flavor. The other is plain vanilla ice cream drizzled with honey. And the plastic grasshopper toy just adds to the effect.

To make the mini ice cream pies, set out ice cream until is softens enough to spoon into crusts and spread evenly. Refreeze. I sprinkled crushed graham crackers on pies to symbolize the sand of the dessert where John lived and preached. And a drizzle of honey was added to the vanilla pies.

As we experience the beginning of summer, long days, and warm evenings, this cool treat would be a refreshing way to celebrate.  Enjoy your John the Baptist desert dessert.

 

St. John the Baptist, Pray for us.

"Hammer of Heretics" Snack

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, most frequently called upon as intercessor of all things lost. But the great preacher, St. Anthony was also known as the "Hammer of Heretics" for his exemplary teaching of the truths of the faith among the heretics of his day. He traveled throughout northern Italy and southern France combating abuses in the Church and bringing people back to the faith through his diligent preaching.

While it is short notice (and I apologize for that), I do love a simple way to celebrate the feast day. This simple, but "hard-hitting" snack takes just a few seconds to make - and is easy for the kids to do themselves. And hopefully these common ingredients are even on hand. All you need are pretzel sticks and and cheese sticks (any cheese block could be cut into hammer head blocks as well). Slice a cheese stick into 4ths. Gently insert a pretzel stick into the bottom of the cheese piece to form an edible mini-hammer. [Thinly sliced carrot or celery sticks could be cut as a substitute for the pretzel sticks.]

That is it - enjoy.

St. Anthony, holy friar, Hammer of Heretics, Pray for us.

Caprese Salad with Tomato Rose for St. Rita

This clever idea was shared by my friend, Alexandra, who put a novel twist on the Rose Garden Tea Sandwich. These lovely tomato roses are the centerpiece of an Italian Caprese inspired salad. Caprese is a combination of flavors, textures, and freshness: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar. In this version the slice of fresh mozzarella is layered with a basil leaf and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar and topped with the lovely tomato rose. Focusing on the Italian origin of the Caprese salad with the rose tomato variation this would be a perfect addition for the feast of Italy's St. Rita of Cascia (May 22) who is often pictured with roses and has a rose miracle story. Or could be for one of the Italian Roses - St. Rose of Viterbo (September 4) or St. Rose Venerini (May 7).

Divine Mercy Cinnamon Rolls

Last year I made these heart shaped cinnamon rolls with whipped cream and berries to serve on Divine Mercy Sunday along bacon, scrambled eggs and orange juice. They were so easy to make and I'm planning to serve them again this year!

Divine Mercy Cinnamon Rolls 

What you need: 

• Ready-to-Bake Cinnamon Rolls (Last year I used the Jumbo Rolls from Trader Joe's. This year I'm planning to use homemade Cinnamon Roll dough.) 
• Whipped Cream
• Strawberries, sliced
• Blueberries

Directions: 

Take each pre-sliced cinnamon roll and completely unroll it. To re-roll it into the shape of a heart, simply roll up both ends at the same time until they meet in the middle. Pinch the bottom to form the "point" of the heart. Bake as usual.

Scroll though all past recipes for Divine Mercy Sunday here. 

Organic 6-Grain Waffles for the Annunciation

The feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25th. The main food associated with this feast is waffles. You can read more in Jenn's post on Lady Day Feasting in the archives. A couple years ago we made these delicious Organic 6-Grain Waffles using a Belgian Waffle Maker and topped them with Marionberries and Maple Syrup!  This year my girls are planning to make the thinner Swedish style waffles using our heart shaped waffle maker and may try the recipe Charlotte shared for Annunciation Waffles which can also be found in the archives.

Organic 6-Grain Waffles 

with Marionberries & Maple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Milk
• 3 tablespoons Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2 cups Organic 6-Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix 
• Marionberries (optional)
• Maple Syrup (optional)

Directions: 

Place milk, egg, and oil in a medium bowl, stir with a wire whisk until smooth.  Add pancake mix and store until the large lumps disappear. Do not over mix. Let stand for 1 or 2 minutes to thicken while you heat waffle iron.  Be sure to spray waffle iron with pan spray so your waffles don't stick before cooking. Enjoy! 

Note: I purchased a 5 pound bag of the mix made by Central Milling Company (for a great price!) at our local Costco. It can also be found over at Amazon. 

You can find additional recipes for the feast of the Annunciation in the archives. 

Cannoli Bites for Solemnity of St. Joseph

This recipe is a different take on a classic Italian feast day treat; simpler than the traditional cannoli but with similar flavors.  Making cannoli is a big process and it to great way to get the flavor of cannoli without the work. Use a pre-made pie crust, flavor it a little, cut into small circles and make mini cups to fill with the cream.

Cannoli Bites

Ingredients:

Cannoli cups:

1 refrigerated pie crust
3 tablespoons coarse natural sugar (Turbinado)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
dry white wine

Cannoli Filling:

16 oz whole milk Ricotta cheese, strained
4 oz Mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions:

For the cannoli cups - Heat oven to 400°F.  Thaw pie crust. Unroll the crust onto a lightly floured surface. Brush lightly with wine and sprinkle the top of each crust with the sugar and spice mixture. Lightly roll over it with a rolling pin so that sugar and spices are pressed into the dough.

With a 2 – 2 ½ inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out circles and lightly press them inside a greased mini muffin cup to create a pastry cup.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Cool.

For Filling  - In a mixing bowl, blend together Ricotta and Mascarpone cheese to mix well and remove lumps. Add sugars and vanilla and mix in. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

After mini shells/cups are cool, remove cannoli filling from refrigerator, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a tip (or you can use a large resealable bag and cut the tip off one end). Pipe filling into cups and sprinkle with chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar. 

For best results serve within 2 hours. Store in refrigerator.  Makes approximately 20 cannoli bits.

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Pray for us!

St. Patrick’s Day Potato

The St. Patrick’s Day Potato from See’s Candies is a fun treat for the feast of this great Irish saint! According to the ingredient list, the “dirt” is actually cocoa powder and cinnamon, the white “potato” inside is delicious nougat with walnuts, and it’s topped with a few pine nuts representing the “eyes of the potato.”

Pick them up at the store if you have one in your area or order them online while you can. 

Only available seasonally!

These photos were from last year's celebration. You can find links to our St. Patrick from Naturally Catholic (pictured above) and the free printables for our Blessed Trinity Shamrock "Glory Be" Prayer Poster over at Shower of Roses. Scroll through all St. Patrick's Day posts here. 

Find additional recipes for St. Patrick's Day in the archives here at Catholic Cuisine!

St. Joseph and St. Patrick Cakes

The following cake was submitted by Anna, from Regina Coeli Baker for the upcoming March feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph. You can find additional cakes decorated by Regina Coeli Baker here. Thank you, Anna!

I decorated this cake for the 150th Anniversary of St. Benedict Parish. It is a cluster of four Parishes, St. Benedict, Sacred Heart, St. Patrick and St. Joseph. 

 

 

The statues of Saints were totally edible and built on ice cream cones. Flowers are hand modeled with fondant. Topper and arches in pastillage. Tailor made cakes for every saint. Chocolate with Chocolate filling for St. Benedict. Red velvet with cream cheese filling for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Green with almond filling for Saint Patrick. White cake with rum buttercream for St. Joseph. Also a yellow cake tier with dulce de leche filling. Covered with buttercream.

St. Patrick, pray for us! St. Joseph, pray for us!