The 2013 Saint-O-Lantern Link Up!

Have you carved a Saint-O-Lantern this year? 

 If so, we'd love to see it!

Inspiration and templates can be found in the archives.

The following carvings were submitted via email or Facebook:

Pope John Paul II - Submitted by Elizabeth Pullen

Pope Benedict XVI - Submitted by Elizabeth Pullen

Submitted by Peggy Sue, South Dakota

Submitted by Mark S. and inspired by the submission from the Ipps below

To Add Your Post:

1. Create a post about your Saint-O-Lanterns.
2. Using the Mr. Linky below, enter the exact link to your post.
3. Link your post back to this post.
4. Be sure to visit the links and check out everyone's Saint-O-Lanterns!
5. The linky will be open through November 6th.
6. If you would like to share a picture but do not have a blog, please email it to catholiccuisine[at]gmail[dot]com or post it on our Facebook Page.

Happy All Hallows' Eve!

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All Saints Guessing Jars

I just shared this post over at Shower of Roses, but thought I would add it here as well for anyone who is still looking for All Saints' party game ideas!   

A few days ago I happened to run across the link to some Saint Themed Guessing Jars at Catholic Inspired.  I loved the idea and and was inspired to create a variation for our annual All Hallows' Eve / All Saints' Party which we will be hosting again this week!

I prefer to keep the games simple for the party we host at our home, focusing on mostly group games like our All Saints Scavenger Hunt, All Saints Bingo, and the All Saints Puzzle Races - leaving plenty of time for standing around the bonfire, roasting marshmallows, lots of great food and visiting with friends and family.  This game will be a perfect addition and something that everyone will be able to participate in, both the children and adults!  

When I was out grocery shopping this past weekend I picked up a few of the original suggestions, adapting and adding some of my own ideas as well.  I then created saint themed labels for each jar.



I decided to use my Wide Mouth Mason Jars with White Storage Lids. (I plan to dump the contents of each jar into a treat bag or ziplock for each of the winners.)

   

St. Thérèse of Lisieux :: I didn't have much luck finding candy roses, but I couldn't leave St. Therese out of the game, so I used my rose candy molds and red and pink candy melts to make my own! ;) 

 

Our Lady of Mount Caramel ::  I opted for individually wrapped Rolo's.  Not only are they filled with caramel, but they are wrapped in gold and look like little crowns, don't you think?  Regular caramels would work great too.

 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton :: I thought the Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies from Trader Joe's would be perfect for this dear saint who laid the foundation for what became the American parochial school system.  

  

Holy Souls :: One bag of Jetpuffed Ghostmallows will represent the "Holy Souls" in purgatory, for whom we must always remember to pray.

  

The Holy Trinity :: Miniature "3 Musketeers" candy bars represent our one and the same God in three Divine Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.



St. Francis of Assisi :: I also picked up the box of Animal Crackers at Trader Joe's, though any brand would work just as well for St. Francis of Assisi, Patron of Animals.

 

St. Isidore :: Any sort of fruit or vegetable shaped candies would work for St. Isidore, the patron of farmers.  I choose candy pumpkins.  If we do this again next year I might go with candy corn!

 

St. Anthony :: Colored Goldfish will represent the legend of St. Anthony and the multitudes of fish that rose out of the water to listen to him preach.

  

St. Andrew :: Rainbow Fish were our pick for St. Andrew, the patron of fisherman.  

 

I also created labels for Mary's Starry Mantle (Anything start would work - Yogurt Stars from TJ's, Star Shaped Pretzels, or handmade Star Candies) and St. Nicholas (Costco has a large bag of Chocolate Coins that a friend is picking up - the extras can be saved for St. Nicholas Day which is coming up in just over a month!).

To keep each person's guesses secret I also created little sheets of paper for each contestant to write their name and guess, before folding it in half and dropping it into an empty jar with a matching label.

  Our children are so excited and can hardly wait to start guessing!  

Printable Guessing Jar Labels
Printable Guess Slips


Find more All Saints' Party Printables over at Shower of Roses!

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All-Saints Themed Cookies

The following post was submitted by Lynne from Adoro Te Catholic Home Educators. The All-Saints Themed Cookies were made for a parish bakesale to fund their home school groups March for Life bus and are simply beautiful! Thank you Lynne! 

All Saints Day should be a joyful feast in its own right, but its timing leaves much to be desired. For moms who’d like to combat the blur after a night of shepherding and last-minute costume changes, resist the urge to crunch on that rapidly-hardening candy corn and pull out a cookie sheet. The folks at Adoro Te Home Educators recently held a March for Life fundraising bake sale featuring some sweet, saint-themed cookies that are easy to recreate at home. All it takes is sugar cookie dough, a cookie cutter, pre-made fondant and a cookie mold.

All of the cookie molds were ordered online. St. Nicholas, Madonna of the Portal and St. Cecilia are springerle cookie molds purchased from House on the Hill . The St. John the Evangelist and Salve Regina springerle molds were purchased from Springerle Joy.  St. Gabriel and St. Michael are bread stamps from Prosphora Stamp Central.



*Cookie mold tip: The St. Nicholas mold can be used for several saints. Color the fondant red and the image is St. Nicholas; color the fondant green and the image is St. Patrick.

Roll out your cookie dough to a 3/8 inch thickness and cut out the shape of the mold. This can be done in a few ways: purchase the custom cookie cutter available with some molds; use the cookie mold as a template by laying it on the dough and cutting around the edge of the mold with a ravioli cutter; or find the right sized cookie cutter from Cheap Cookie Cutters.  If possible go a slight bit smaller with the cookie cutter because the dough will spread when baking. Bake the cookies, in the center rack, at a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (oven times vary).



* Rolling tip: We used dostix to roll out the dough evenly. Dostix make the rolling process fast and easy. They are the best baking purchase I have ever made. 

* Baking tip: Because these cookies are rather thick they have to be baked at a low oven for a longer period of time to ensure they are cooked through.



After the cookies are baked and cooled it is time to work on the fondant tops. Using pre-made fondant, we used Wilton brand fondant and gel food coloring, knead and roll out the fondant to a ¼ inch thickness. Lightly dust your mold with powdered sugar. Press the rolled out fondant into the mold starting from the center of the mold and working your way to the edges. Be sure to press the fondant into all of the deep areas of the design, you can feel the indentations as you press down on the fondant. Starting from the edge carefully peal the fondant from the mold. Trim the edges of the design then ‘glue’ the fondant to the cookie by brushing the top of the cookie with light corn syrup.



* Fondant tip: When coloring your fondant use plastic food grade gloves.

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Candy Corn Saints

The following recipe was submitted by Eliana Murphy.  Thank you Eliana! 

My brothers and I made candy corn saints a few years ago for All Hallow's Eve. We adapted a candy corn recipe and used the candy dough to make all sorts of shapes! I couldn't find the original recipe link, but I found another one that appears to be very similar, if not identical:

Candy Corn Saints

adapted from The Washington Post  

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup non-fat milk powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red and yellow food coloring (Note: If you wish to avoid the chemicals in artificial food coloring, you can use natural Earthgrown Food Colours from Dancing Deer Baking Co. as we did, purchasing them from our local Whole Foods. India Tree also makes natural food colors. The natural colors are more pale than artificial colors, which is why our candies are not brightly colored. )

Directions

Sift powdered sugar, milk powder and salt and reserve in a medium mixing bowl.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (wide and shallow is preferable, as is nonstick or enamel coated), bring granulated sugar, corn syrup, fat and vanilla up to a boil over high heat. When you begin to see bubbles, reduce heat to medium-high and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently with a heat-proof silicon or rubber spatula. A candy thermometer will read 225-230 degrees, just before thread stage. You want to set a timer or use the thermometer - this is very important. (Note: If you live at high altitude, subtract 2 degrees F for every 1000 ft above sea level, otherwise the candy may overcook or even burn.)

Remove pan from heat, and gradually add powdered sugar mixture to pan, incorporating with spatula. Make sure that mixture is completely integrated. Let mixture cool until slightly warm to the touch. Be careful that little ones do not burn themselves by molding the candy before it has cooled! It is recommended to not have children working with boiling candy, but they can safely participate in the measuring, kneading, and molding stages.

At this point, if you wish to create only candy corn shapes, you can link back to the original recipe. We got very creative with our candy and created a variety of shapes related to All Hallow's Eve and All Soul's Day. Knead food coloring into candy as desired before shaping. If the candy is too squishy or sticky, especially once you add the food coloring, try adding a little extra powdered sugar to the mixture. If you wish to avoid staining your hands, knead inside of a plastic bag or use plastic wrap between your hands and the candy. Once the candy is colored, you can mold into shapes on a surface covered with wax paper, so it won't stick.

After the candy is shaped, if you wish to keep it for a longer time (if it is not all eaten up immediately!), store at room temperature in airtight container, separating layers with parchment or waxed paper.



Shapes we made include saints, pumpkins and squash, skulls for All Souls, a harp for St. Cecilia, a shamrock for St. Patrick, and a sword and shield for St. Michael. This candy could also be used to make shapes for Christmas, Easter, St. Valentines Day, or any other feast day!
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All Saints’ Day ~ Saintly Steak Sandwich - French Dip

 

This is a simple and warm dish to serve up on chilly day before the festivities. 

This EASY French Dip Sandwich is an offshoot of Papi’s creation. Papi loves steak (including tri-tip).  Bread comes a close second for him.  He made a tri-tip sandwich one night in September when dinner was served up.  Papi declared, “This is a Saint Steak Sandwich.”  The girls agreed, “A Saint Steak Sandwich, perfect for All Saints’ Day!”  

Prayers for a blessed All Saints’ Day!

~~~

Prayer for All Saints Day

Dear Father,
You have given the saints in Heaven eternal happiness and they now live in the fullness of Your glory. Because of their holy love for You, they also care about me and my family, my friends, my church, and my neighbors. Thank You for the gift of their friendship and the witness of their holy lives. I ask our patron saints and every saint who has become especially dear to me to intercede for us. I ask them to help us journey safely on the narrow path that leads to Heaven. O Lord, give us their protection. Grant us their assistance in overcoming temptation and gaining the fullness of life with You.
Amen.

 ~~~

Recipe: All Saints’ Day Saintly Steak Sandwich – French Dip

Prep Time: 5 min. | Cook Time: 10 min.| Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 7 Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans beef consomme
• 2 pounds thinly sliced deli roast beef
• 14 slices provolone cheese
• French bread

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Slice French bread and butter one side of the sliced bread
• Place sliced French bread, butter side down, on a baking sheet. 
• Heat beef consomme and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Adjust water amount to suit your preferences.  Less water will make a richer beef broth.
• Place the roast beef in the broth and warm for 3 minutes.
• Arrange the meat on the sliced French bread and top each side of meat with 2 slices of provolone.
• Top the meat and cheese with another slice of French bread, butter side up. 
• Bake the sandwiches in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese just begins to melt.
• Serve the sandwiches with small bowls of the warm broth for dipping.

ENJOY YOUR SAINTLY SANDWICH!

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Candy Caramel Corn for All Hallows' Eve

I've been busy preparing for our All Hallows' Eve/All Saints Party this year.   In the past I have always helped organize one with a local homeschool group, but this year we are looking forward to having just family and close friends over to our home for a party!

One of the activities I have planned for the children is a Saintly Symbols Scavenger Hunt, and I've been working on making treat bags, filled with homemade Caramel Corn mixed with Candy Corn, to use as prizes for this game.   They were so easy to make and I thought they turned out cute.

Candy Caramel Corn Recipe

2 1/2 qts. Popped Corn
1/4 c. Corn Syrup
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 c. Butter
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Vanilla
2 cups Candy Corn

Cook syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt in microwave, on high for 2 minutes, stirring once after a minute. Add baking soda and vanilla. Stir well. Place popcorn in a large brown bag; pour syrup mixture over popcorn, stir a with wooden spoon. Roll up top of bag and put in microwave. Cook on high for 1 minute. Shake and repeat 2 more times for 30 seconds each. Add Candy Corn.

I made four batches and ended up with 3 dozen treat bags.

I filled each bag with about 1-2 cups of Caramel Corn and tied it shut with some green ribbon and a tag (a modified version of the tags I made for our Patron of Students Back-to-School Treat) that reads:

These earthly treats will pass away.  

Store your treasure in heaven.  

You can download and print the tags here, 

which could really be used on any sort of treat bag! 

(Note: My original tags had a typo... The link has been updated to the corrected tag!) 

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Soul Cakes: The Original Halloween "Treat"

The following recipe was submitted by Lisa, from Catholic Missionary Family. Thank you Lisa!

During the Middle Ages in England, on the night before All Saints Day, or Hallowmas, pesants and children called "soulers" would go about town singing and praying for the souls of the dead. They would stop at homes and beg for a "soul cake" and promise in return to pray for the household's deceased family members to be released from purgatory. If homeowners did not give out cakes it was believed their home would be cursed. And this my friends is thought to be the origination of trick or treating.

There are many recipes for soul cakes from a small round cake to a doughnut shaped treat. Some variations include cutting a cross on the top or adding rasins. It seems that the recipes developed over time and region.

Because my children need more sugar from October 31st to November 2nd, we made our own soul cakes today. I'm hoping someone comes by singing the traditional song:

Soul, Soul, a soul cake!
I pray thee, good missus, a soul cake!
One for Peter, two for Paul,
three for Him what made us all!
Soul Cake, soul cake, please good missus, a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul, & three for Him who made us all.

Chances are if I try to hand one out people will quietly usher their children to the next house and later report me to the police, so perhaps I'll just stick with taking them to our churches All Souls Day party.

If you are looking for a festive treat to make on All Souls Day these are a delicious little treat. They are a bit like a spiced shortbread cookie, not really fluffy cake like.

I decided to go with a traditional recipe from food.com, but I'll still post the full instructions with pictures for you below, as I made a few changes as I went.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
3 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons milk
powdered sugar, to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1. Using a pastry blender cut 1 c. of butter into 3 3/4 cups of flour. I bought my first pastry blender just for this occasion.

2. Blend in the sugar, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. Allspice smells like Christmas.

3. In a separate bowl beat eggs, vinegar and milk together. I would like to add a little shout out here to my amazing mother-in-law, who is always gifting me with amazing things for my kitchen, like these awesome Pyrex measuring cups, Thanks!

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.

5. Kneed thoroughly to form a stiff dough. You really have to work this dough, I thought there was no way it was moist enough, but once I mashed it all up it was just right.

6. Roll out to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out 3 inch circles with a cookie cutter or glass.

7. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. I use a slotted spoon for this.

9. Eat, yummy.

You can find additional recipes for All Hallows' Eve and All Saints Day in the archives! 

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