Snickerdoodles for the Humorous Saint, Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri (feast day May 26), is known by many names including the “laughing saint,” the “humorous saint,” and the “patron saint of joy.” This Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory was a practical joker, as exemplified by him showing up to an event with his beard half shaved off. He inserted humor into his homilies, was known to keep a joke book, and also hung a sign on his door that said, “The House of Christian Mirth.” In all things St. Philip maintained a light-hearted view of the world, using humor to keep him from being too prideful or vain. 

For St. Philip's feast day don't take yourself to seriously...and enjoy some snickerdoodles, the cookies with the funny name that sounds like they are laughing. 

Snickerdoodles 

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter or margarine, softened 

1 ½ cups sugar 

2 eggs 

2 ¾ cup flour 

2 t. cream of tarter 

1 t. baking soda 

¼ t. salt 

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture: 

1/4 cup Sugar 

1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and cream together. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, just until combined. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into small balls until round and smooth. Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll to coat well. Place on ungreased sheet or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. 

 “A heart filled with joy is more easily made perfect than one that is sad.” 

 St. Philip Neri, patron of joy, Pray for us 

Additional Note: There are other saints who saw the value and importance of humor - St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa, St. Ignatius, and St. John Vianney to name a few. Check out this Catholic Exchange article for some insight into other saints whose feast days would be also be opportunities to partake of some snickerdoodles.

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Flower Fruit Sandwiches for Our Lady

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!

Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

Earlier this month I ran across a photo of some lovely flower covered sandwiches and was inspired to try something similar with my children in honor of Our Lady during her month of May. Due to the pandemic and stay-at-home order I used what I happened to have on hand, so some of our fruit was frozen instead of fresh, but they still turned out lovely! 

To make the sandwiches we simply trimmed the crusts off of some white bread, spread some homemade whipped cream over the bread, and then decorated each tea sandwich with flowers made from slices of fruit. 

We used fresh cuties and kiwis along with frozen blueberries, strawberries and a little mango. 

I just shared additional pictures over at Shower of Roses.

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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.

Click here to download a printable copy of these recipes. 

St. Bede the Venerable, pray for us! 

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French Vanilla Fleur De Lis Cake

The Nordic Ware Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan is perfect for so many feast days, including today's feast of St. Joan of Arc since the fleur de lis is one of her symbols.

These pictures are from a couple years ago, but the girls are planning to pull it out this afternoon to bake another cake for dessert this evening. This cake is simply a French Vanilla Cake Mix baked in the Fleur de Lis Bundt Pan and then dusted with powdered sugar. If you have a favorite from scratch French Vanilla Cake recipe please share it in the comments below!

The Story of St. Joan of Arc • St. Joan of Arc from  Naturally Catholic • Nordic Ware Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan

St. Joan of Arc, pray for us! 

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Lily Pasta Santa Caterina

April 29 (new) and April 30 (traditional) are the feasts of St. Catherine of Siena. Last night I ended up serving Pasta Santa Caterina for dinner. This time I made it with lily shaped pasta (Capanelle, also referred to as gigli or riccioli, translates to little bells or bellflowers) from Trader Joe's, since I had given some to our children in this year's family Easter Basket.

The lily symbolizes purity. Its stoic structure, pure white color, and delicately sweet aroma attribute to qualities of royalty, purity, and chastity. It is the symbolic flower of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is sometimes depicted with other saints (including St. Catherine of Siena) who possess these qualities. A lily among thorns represents the Immaculate Conception as the purity of the Virgin is preserved among the fallen nature of the world. Legend says that the lily originated from Eve’s tears when she and Adam were banished from the Garden of Eden. Another legend claims that lilies sprang up from the ground when drops of blood fell to the foot of the Cross. During the Easter season, many churches line their altars with Easter Lilies to signify the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life.

This pasta would also be perfect for tomorrow's feast (May 1, St. Joseph the Worker) since the lily is also one of the symbols for St. Joseph.

Pasta Santa Caterina

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. ripe tomatoes 
• 2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh Basil, chopped
• 2 tsp. garlic minced
• 3 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I omitted this and it was still great) 
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 6 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 lb. gigli pasta 

Directions:

Peel tomatoes, remove seeds and dice.

In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients except the pasta.
Marinate at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, until tender. Drain thoroughly, and transfer pasta to a heated serving dish. Add the sauce and toss.

Serves 8 to 10.

St. Catherine of Siena, ora pro nobis! 

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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).


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Beautiful Cookies for Our Lady's Many Feast Days

These cookies were submitted by LaDawn Wilson in honor of Our Lady. Thank you, LaDawn!

With Mary's birthday, Our Lady of Sorrows, and soon Our Lady of the Rosary feast days in such close proximity, I could not get her out of my mind. (Thank goodness, right?). I have been working with sugar veil and finally figured out how to get it out of its mold without it ripping. It is true what they say about sugar veil, Find a spot in your home where it works. Trial and error, for sure.

The trinkets are just fondant I sprayed with edible gold. The background on the fleur de lis was stenciled with the same spray.

I highly recommend Sweet Ambs site for sugar veil tutorials and buying information. She also mentions Haniela's tutorials, which have been extremely helpful.

You can find additional ideas for the Blessed Virgin Mary and the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in the archives. 

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Assumption Cookies

These beautiful cookies, in honor of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven celebrated on August 15th, were submitted by LaDawn Wilson who shares, "I homeschooled six children for over twenty years. I now have three grandchildren I can bake for each week. I enjoy revolving most of my creativity around feast days and the children's birthdays." Thank you, LaDawn! 

Assumption Cookies

"The cookies are a basic sugar cookie recipe but I added lemon emulsion and poppy seeds.
I used two stamps for the fleur de lis. I like to paint directly on the stamp using AmeriColor Gels and then stamp the cookie on completely dried white glaze. Royal icing is used for the white borders and Ave Maria symbol. The tiny flowers are made from fondant."

You can find additional ideas and recipes for the Assumption in the archives! 

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Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cake

This beautiful cake was created and submitted by Angelica Hernandez, inspired by the Holy Name of Mary coloring page found at Waltzing Matilda, in honor of today's feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary. Thank you, Angelica! 

"The devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree, that only on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire." 

~ Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

Additional recipes for the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary can be found in the archives.

Happy Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary! 

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A Cupcake Rosary for Our Lady

The following post was submitted by Adoro Te Catholic Home Educators.  You can visit them on Facebook.  The girls in The Little Women’s Hospitality Club did an amazing job creating this Cupcake Rosary for Our Lady! 

Adoro Te Catholic Home Educators of Connecticut capped off their annual end-of-the-year May Crowning with a Rosary. A cupcake Rosary, that is. The 10-12 year old girls in The Little Women’s Hospitality Club (part of Catholic Children’s Clubs) baked dozens of fluffy “beads,” arranged the edible display, and served it to 100 hungry children and their moms.

Each cupcake was adorned with an image stamped in marshmallow fondant. The Hail Mary beads (standard-sized cupcakes) were baked in brown cupcake papers and stamped with a rose cookie mold from The Springerle Baker. The Our Father beads (baked in a Texas cupcake pan *) were stamped with a Greek cross surrounded by a Greek inscription that reads, “May the Blessings of the Lord be upon you.” We used a bread stamp from Prosphora Stamp Central.

The medal centerpiece was stamped with a Madonna and Child icon bread stamp, also from Prosphora Stamp Central, and baked in a Fat Daddio’s aluminum round cake pan. The crucifix was stamped with a Crucifixion springerle cookie mold from House on the Hill. It was baked in a rectangular Fat Daddio’s aluminum bread pan.

*Baking tip: To ensure straight, even crowns on your Texas cupcakes, place one cupcake pan on top of the other. Spray both pans with cooking spray and fill one pan ¾ of the way with batter. Invert the second pan and place it evenly atop the filled pan for baking.

The recipe for the marshmallow fondant can be found here.

Stamping marshmallow toppers: Dust your work surface and the stamp with powdered sugar. Roll out the marshmallow fondant like you would cookie dough. Press the stamp into the fondant, cut out design with a circle cutter, and remove the topper before stamping the next section of fondant. Be sure to dust your stamp every time you stamp the dough.
Use frosting to attach the topper to the cake.

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Pappardelle di San Giuseppe

The following recipe adapted from Cooking with the Saints was submitted by Hi Cookery in honor of the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Thank you Highlander and Islander!

May 1: Feast Day of St. Joseph the Worker

Highlander used to toil in construction to pay his way through college. The wages were low and the labor was hard but he knew what he had to do to make a living. St. Joseph the Worker is an inspiration to those like Highlander who work(ed) in blue-collar professions to provide for the future and their families. Jesus’ earthly stepfather is deservedly fêted twice a year on March 19 and again on May 1. We honor him with a sweet pasta dish called Pappardelle di San Giuseppe (Noodles for St. Joseph’s Day), which is traditionally eaten in the Italian region of Lucania. The sprinkling of the noodles’ topping ingredients symbolizes the holy carpenter’s sawdust.

Recipe
(Adapted from Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf)

Ingredients

• ½ pound of pappardelle pasta noodles
• salt
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped fine
• 1 ½ cups bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons of sugar

Directions

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water as directed on the package. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high. Stir-fry the walnuts, breadcrumbs and sugar. Remove from heat and mix with the drained pasta.

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Tres Leche Cake for Trinity Sunday

Earlier this month we made an easy and delicious Tres Leche cake as part of our Cinco de Mayo dinner.   It would be a great option this coming weekend in honor of "Trinity Sunday!"

I based it off of this recipe but made some alterations (mostly to make less sugary and cut out some unnecessary fat) so my version is below:

Tres Leche Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups skim milk

1/2 of a 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1-2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

sprinkling of cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.Cool cake.
6. Combine the skim milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
7. Whip whipping cream, 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Sprinkle top of cake with cinnamon. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!

This cake would also be good for celebrating the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego.

Our Lady of Guadalupe & Saint Juan Diego, 

patron saints of Mexico, 

Pray for us!

*Additional recipes for Trinity Sunday can be found in the archives. Pin It

An Edible Bouquet for Our Lady in May

The following pictures were submitted by Seth Peters, from CatholicLand! He made these, using ideas from our various May Crowning posts, to take to the May Crowning luncheon at his wife's school. They turned out beautifully!  

"I made the cucumber roses, though I had to hold mine together with toothpicks." 

 "I made the fleur-de-lis out of crescent rolls." 

"I modified the calla lily recipe to be cream cheese and green onion & stems rather than peanut butter and swizzle sticks. Thanks for the inspiration!"

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Molokai-Mainland Sweet Potato Palau

The following post was submitted by Islander at HI Cookery, in honor of today's feast of St. Damien of Molokai, Hawaii's patron saint!

May 10: Feast Day of St. Damien of Molokai

We took a an inter-island trip with Islander’s parents and brother a few years ago when her Daddy turned 70. The family flew on a small plane from Oahu to Molokai to see where Hawaii’s recently canonized St. Damien served those who were afflicted with Hansen’s disease (leprosy).

Damien de Veuster came to Hawaii from Belgium in 1864 and was ordained a priest in Honolulu. A few years later, on May 10, 1873, Father Damien volunteered to minister to the people with leprosy who were exiled to Kalaupapa and Kalawao on the island of Molokai. He himself contracted the disease and, on April 15, 1889, died among those he lovingly served in the name of Christ.

During our family’s private pilgrimage to Kalaupapa and Kalawao, we were able to personally place floral lei at St. Damien’s gravesite on the grounds of St. Philomena Church that he built. We also toured the other solemn and historical areas where Blessed Mother Marianne Cope and Brother Joseph Dutton worked to support St. Damien’s mission to help the patients physically and spiritually.

In honor of St. Damien of Molokai, Hawaii’s patron saint, we made Molokai sweet potato palau. As we do not have Hawaiian ingredients readily available on the mainland, such as purple Molokai sweet potato and Maui onions, we needed to make some substitutions for this side dish.

Serve sweet potato palau—Molokai or mainland style—on the Feast Day of St. Damien. Aloha!

Recipe

(Adapted from Chef Peter Merriman on Hawaii Magazine)

Ingredients

• 3 large purple Molokai sweet potatoes (we used regular sweet pototoes)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup Maui onion, diced (we used Texas sweet onion)
• ¾ cup butter, divided use, softened
• 1 teaspoon Hawaiian sea salt

Directions

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Dice into 2-inch cubes. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes.

Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl with ½ cup (1 stick) of butter. The heat from the sweet potatoes should melt the butter. Stir in the the coconut milk and 3 tablespoons of butter. Mash until smooth. Set aside. In a skillet, saute the onions with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the cooked onions to the mashed sweet potatoes. Season with salt. Stir well or whip with a hand mixer until creamy. Serve hot as a side dish.

Notes

• Palau is a traditional Hawaiian-style pudding made of sweet potatoes and coconut cream, which inspired the chef to adapt the cooking method for a savory side dish. It has a pudding-like texture similar to whipped sweet potatoes. 
• St. Damien was buried on Molokai but his body was exhumed in 1936 and brought back to Belgium, his home country and final resting place. Remains of his right hand were returned to Hawaii and re-interred in his original grave on the grounds of St. Philomena Church in Molokai. His relic (foot bone fragment) travels around the world for veneration. 
• St. Damien was canonized on October 11, 2009. In addition to observing his feast day on May 10, Hawaii also celebrates St. Damien’s Day on April 15. 
• The background fabric in the final food photo above is from Highlander’s aloha shirt showing motifs of St. Damien.

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Gluten free Lamb of God Bread

Here is another gluten free alternative to a recipe/idea in the archives!  This one was submitted by Monica, from The Vintage Hare.  Thank you Monica!

Here's a fun gluten free bread idea that can be used for Christmas, Easter or even to adorn a Saint Joseph Altar (Table).

If you don't eat gluten free, you can substitute 3 cups of wheat flour for the rice, sorghum, tapioca, potato starch and quinoa flours. You would also omit the water, xanthan gum and most likely use less salt and maybe only one egg, but with making substitutions, it is good to have some bread-making experience as I've not tried this except as a gluten free bread.

The Recipe:

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup quinoa flour (or millet or amaranth)
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 tablespoon flax meal (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs, beaten, room temperature, medium or large size
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey or sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of milk (you may be able to use a high protein substitute)
1 pkg. baker's yeast

1/4 cup of water + 1/4 cup water (water should be warm) You can substitute warm milk here.

Directions:
Thoroughly mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
Heat milk and sweetener of choice to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and stir in baker's yeast. Allow to set 10 minutes. Mixture should be foamy. Mix milk/yeast mixture with eggs and oil in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Put a bit of olive oil on your hands and mix the mixture with your hands. It should form a nice, heavy ball. Now add 1/4 cup warm water (or warm milk) Mix and knead dough 2 minutes while it is still in the bowl. Add the second 1/4 cup of water (or warm milk). Mix and knead dough about 2 minutes. The dough should be soft and somewhat squishy and fairly damp but not runny. It should look something like this:

Gluten free bread dough needs to be much more moist than regular bread dough. As you knead the dough, wet your hands with water. The dough should not stick to your hands much if any. Shape into a large ball, a medium ball and two smaller balls:

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Shape the large ball into a longish oval shape for the Lamb's body. Shape the medium ball into a triangular shape for the head. Shape the two small balls into ovals and set them next to the head. Wet your fingers and smooth the dough. Water is great for smoothing out the imperfections! Add peppercorns to make the eyes and nose.

Set in a warm place to rise. After 30 minutes the dough should feel dry. Cover lightly with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out too much. Allow to rise another 1- 1 1/2 hours.

Set in a 350 degree oven. Bake 25-30 minutes and then baste with melted butter to brown the Lamb. Bake an additional 5 minutes or so until browned. (Watch it closely so that it does not get over done.) Cool. Using a spatula positioned under the head and partly under the body, transfer to a platter. Add greenery such as rosemary along with cranberries to decorate. (Yes, those are washed and dried fir boughs in my picture!) Serve with butter. Yum!

The bread has a moist texture and a very slight nutty flavor, but it is as close to wheat bread in flavor as it gets. At least according to my own taste buds!

And somewhere along the way, the Lamb of God lost His nose but I gave Him a new one. And then He lost it again...

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Quiche Lorraine for St. Joan of Arc

Today is the feast day of St. Joan of Arc. A very dear Saint to our family with our French heritage on both sides of our family tree and my personal patron saint. My middle name being Jean. I think it is very appropriate that her feast lands on today, since it is also Memorial Day for our soldiers here in the United States. St. Joan, as most I'm sure know, is the patroness of soldiers and military personnel. So, in remembrance of this most inspiring Saint, we had our family's version of Quiche Lorraine for lunch. St. Joan of Arc, also known as St. Jeanne d'Arc, was born in the Lorraine region in Domremy, France in the year 1412.  And so, though I do not know if she ever ate Quiche Lorraine or any quiche for that matter, we are tying in the name of the dish with the part of France she came from. It of course helps that our entire family loves quiche (yes, even the children!), so it really wasn't much of a stretch for us. :)

~Quiche Lorraine~

Ingredients:

2 premade pie crusts

1 medium to large onion

3 cups diced ham

1/4 cup butter

Swiss cheese (2 8oz. pkg of sliced cheese)

8 eggs

3-4 cups milk or half and half

1/2 tsp. of nutmeg

Directions:

Saute diced ham and chopped onion in 1/4 cup butter till onion is transparent. While ham and onion saute, press pie crust into pie pan and dock the bottom with a fork.

Brush pie crust with a little melted butter.

Beat eggs, milk and nutmeg together in large bowl and set aside.

Layer cheese, covering the bottom of the pie crust. 

Add a layer of sautéed onions and ham covering the layer of cheese. Add another layer of cheese to cover the ham and onion. Pour egg mixture over all layers in pie dish.

Place in oven and bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees or until center of pie is firm. The surface should be slightly browned.

Allow to cool for ten minutes and enjoy!

**This recipe makes 2 deep dish pie quiches**

Here is a little more history on this great Saint with a beautiful litany included.


St. Jeanne d'Arc, ora pro nobis!

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A Marian Titles May Crowning Luncheon

Inspired by Charlotte's May Crowning Feast, I decided to host a Marian Titles May Crowning Luncheon following our May Little Flowers Meeting, which was based on Mary Mother of God and the virtue of Cheerfulness.   Each of the girls in our Little Flowers group selected one of the menu items to bring and I filled in the gaps.  We had one of our wonderful priests join us for the afternoon! He gave a talk to the girls on Our Lady and the virtue of Cheerfulness, taught them a Marian hymn, led a Marian procession, and then we all prayed the Litany of Loreto before enjoying our feast.   It was a lovely afternoon! 

~ Queen of Martyrs ~

One of the girls brought a Strawberry Boston Cream Cake, Charlotte's suggestion for Queen of Martyr's since her son pointed out that "The red is for the martyrs and the strawberries make it look like a crown."  It was a hit!

~ Holy Mary (Sancta Maria) ~ 

I picked up a couple packages of Marias cookies for Sancta Maria (Holy Mary) and served them with Nutella.  

~ Mystical Rose ~

I made these Strawberry Rose Cupcakes in honor of the Marian title Mystical Rose, saving the rest of the batter to make our Blue Phlox Cupcakes (the flower of the month for Little Flowers). 

I had a number of candy molds in my cupboard that tied in with some of the Marian Titles, so I couldn't resist making a few batches to add to our table   These Rose Candies were made with this mold and a mix of Red and White Candy Melts. 

~ Blue Phlox Cupcakes ~ 

Though not based on one of the titles of Mary, theses cupcakes were topped with Blue Phlox Flowers for our study of Our Lady and the virtue of Cheerfulness.  The Blue is for Mary and the five petals represent five dimensions of Cheerfulness:  Marian, Courageous, Heroic, Consistent, and Contagious.

~ Mother Most Pure ~ 

I made these Mother Most Pure Lily Lollipops made with this mold, though it doesn't look like I took a picture after adding the second batch...

I had a feeling that no one would sign up for our Lily Sandwiches and sure enough I was the one to make them.  They really aren't as difficult as they look. . . I ran out of time and only had 30 20 minutes to make them before the girls started arriving.   I was able to pull it off!  :)  I made a couple modifications to our regular recipe, flattening the bread with a rolling pin after cutting it out (which really helped!) and then inserting swizzle sticks for stems (inspired by Charlotte).  I am so glad I had a chance to make them and they didn't last long!

~ Morning Star ~

These Star Shaped Tea Sandwiches were made by my friend Kathleen and her daughter.

I also made a batch of Star Chocolates with this mold. 

~ Mirror of Justice ~

I happened to have a mirror from our old hutch, which came in handy for these Mirror of Justice Chicken Salad Sandwiches, brought by Amy's girls. 

~ Tower of Ivory, House of Gold ~ 

This was also inspired by Charlotte and also brought by Amy's girls. 

~ Health of the Sick ~

For this menu item, which was brought by Dee Dee, I opted for a Veggie Platter, though a plate of Apples would work nicely too!  

~ Vessel of Honor ~

Our punch bowl Vessel of Honor, was a wedding gift to my parents and passed on to us.   We used Charlotte's suggested recipe for Mary Blue Punch, mixing 7-up with a small box of blue gelatin (I wasn't able to find the unsweetened version) and topping it with vanilla ice cream clouds.  

Here is the document I created for the buffet signs.  I printed them out onto light blue card stock, adding a dark blue Fluer-di-lis quickly created with my Martha Stewart Fleur De Lis Punch.

O God, Who by the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hast vouchsafed to make glad the whole world, grant, we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His mother, we may attain the joys of eternal life, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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