Angel Food Cake for the Archangels' Feast

Heavenly King,You have given us archangels
to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.
Saint Michael is our protector;
I ask him to come to my aid,
fight for all my loved ones,
and protect us from danger.
Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News;
I ask him to help me
clearly hear Your voice
and to teach me the truth.
Saint Raphael is the healing angel;
I ask him to take my need for healing
and that of everyone I know,
lift it up to Your throne of grace
and deliver back to us the gift of recovery.
Help us, O Lord,
to realize more fully the reality of the archangels
and their desire to serve us.

Holy angels,
pray for us.

Amen.

Every baker should have a good angel food cake in her (or his) repertoire for the angels' feast days (the feast of the Archangels, the Guardian Angels, Our Lady of Angels, etc.). This is one of those baked goods that seems daunting, but is really very easy to  make, and rather budget friendly. It stands alone with a dollop of whipped cream, or can be dressed up simple with berries, a drizzle of chocolate glaze, or really kicked up a notch with creme anglaise. 

One true key to a successful angel food cake is to make sure there are no traces of oil in the batter, so  make sure your pan is completely clean and that you don't get any yolk in your egg whites.

Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

12 large egg whites

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 t. cream of tartar

1/2 t. salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Be sure that your 10 inch tube pan is clean and dry. Sift together the flour, and 3/4 cup of the sugar, set aside.

In a large bowl (the egg whites will whip up to completely fill a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl), whip the egg whites along with the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt, to medium stiff peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. When the egg white mixture has reached its maximum volume, fold in the sifted ingredients gradually, one third at a time. Do not overmix. Put the batter into the tube pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when touched. Balance the tube pan upside down on the top of a bottle, to prevent decompression while cooling. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a plate.

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Buffalo Hot Wings - St. Gaspar del Bufalo

Born (and baptized) in Italy on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 1786, Gaspar Melchior Balthazar del Bufalo was named after the three Magi who visited the Christ child.  The feast of the Epiphany is celebrated as a manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi. This was a perfect name for a man who would spend his life to bring the Word of God to others, constantly on the move as a missionary.  St.Gaspar was the Founder of the Missioners of the Precious Blood and his feast is observed October 21.

I confess… whenever I see the name of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, I always think of the bison that roam America’s plains or the hot wings originating in Buffalo NY. So I like the idea of actually having Buffalo hot wings (or buffalo burgers?) on his feast even though St. Gaspar's family name has nothing to do with either of those “buffaloes”.

I have included a typical hot wings recipe or you can cheat like I did and just buy them ready-made from your favorite wing stop.

 

Buffalo Hot Wings

Ingredients
20 -25 chicken wings
2 cups vegetable oil
1⁄4 cup melted butter
1 (3 ounce) bottle Louisiana hot sauce (Frank’s)

Directions
Disjoint and cut the chicken wings into two pieces and discard the tips. Rinse and pat dry. The wings must be completely dry in order to fry properly, since there is no batter or breading.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or a large deep pan to 350°F.

Add the chicken wings a few at a time to the hot oil. Do not allow the oil to cool as the chicken is added. Deep-fry for 10-12 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Drain well by shaking in the fryer basket or place on metal rack to drain.

Blend melted butter with 1/2 bottle of hot sauce for medium-hot wings. Add additional hot sauce for hotter wings or additional butter for milder wings.

Combine the wings and the hot sauce in a large container. Let stand, covered. Serve. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

Side notes for additional feast days: 

My son thought that wings would also be a great meal for the feast of St. John Paul II because of this well-known quote:  “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” St. JP II, FIDES ET RATIO Encyclical

Wings (hot or BBQ) are always a good option on the angel associated feast days as well. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

St. Gaspar del Bufalo, Pray for us!

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Blackberry Mint Sparkler

As you can tell, I love the legend of blackberries associated with the Feast of St. Michael. It makes for so many fun ideas for foods and treats to celebrate the feast of the Archangels, September 29. I have included beverage ideas for feast days before, as I think they are a simple and generally healthy way to celebrate the feasts. Sparkling water always adds a flair of festivity to the mix. So here is a refreshing blackberry infused sparkling water recipe that would be a great way to remember St. Michael this year.  And if you want to go even simpler, just use a lime flavored sparkling water and add blackberries. So easy!

Blackberry Mint Sparkler

Ingredients

20 ounces chilled sparkling mineral water

1/4 cup blackberries

2 sprigs mint leaves

1 lime, 1/2 sliced plus juice of other 1/2

2 T. agave sweetener (or adjust to suit your taste)

ice

Directions

In a small bowl mix together lime juice and agave.
Muddle a few mint leaves in liquid.

Pour into 2 glasses.
Add lime slices and blackberries to each glass.
Top with ice.
Add sparkling water, stir, and serve. 

St. Michael and all the Archangels, Pray for us!

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Angel Food Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

Angel food cakes or cupcakes are always a good go-to option for the feast of the Archangels (September 29) or the Feast of the Guardian Angels the following week (October 2). This recipe which includes a buttercream frosting flavored with blackberry puree makes the treat an especially fitting one for the feast of the Archangels.  The blackberry addition recalls the legend of the blackberries associated with St. Michael's feast day.

Jessica has posted in the past about her wise and thrifty idea for making a batch of cupcakes and using a portion for one feast day and the other portion(s) for saint's days that follow closely after.  I do something similar by only baking half a batch. A typical cake mix makes 24 cupcakes but if you only make half at a time then you have 12 cupcakes which is usually more reasonable for a family dessert for one day. I just measure out half of the cake mix and add half of the additional ingredients. Some recipes call for 3 eggs and those are good boxes to make in 1/3 batches (8 cupcakes). Anyway, with angel food cake mixes, the only other ingredient is water so it is very easy to split the mix and add half the water. Continue to make batter as directed. Scoop batter into lined cupcake tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until top is dark golden and any cracks feel dry and not sticky.  Cool and frost with buttercream frosting.

For the buttercream frosting:

1/2 stick butter, softened

3 ounces fresh blackberries, pureed and strained

2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

food coloring, if desired

Cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add blackberry puree and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency. The puree makes the frosting a pretty pink so if you want it more purple add a little blue food coloring and mix until blended to a solid color. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. Frosts approximately 12 cupcakes. Add blackberry to top if desired.

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Blackberry Tartlets For Michaelmas

According to an old legend, when St. Michael cast Lucifer out of heaven, the Devil fell on a blackberry bush and cursed and spat on the blackberries thereby rendering them sour after September 29.  Consequently, people would eat blackberries on Michaelmas but not after. Catholic Cuisine has offered a variety of blackberry inspired ideas over the years for St. Michael's day. This is a simple to make, bite-size appetizer or snack that would add the blackberry theme to a Archangel/St. Michael feast day.

Blackberry Tartlets

Ingredients

1 sheet pastry puff, thawed 

1 (8 ounce) package of brie, rind removed

blackberry jam (or puree)

blackberries

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Thaw pastry puff as per directions.
• Cut pastry puff sheet into 20 equal squares (I rolled out the sheet with a rolling pin so that it would be slightly larger before cutting)
• Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Press each square of the pastry dough into the bottom of each muffin tin. Be sure to press the crust all the way up the sides.
• Place a small chunk of brie in each tin.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• If puffs have risen too much push down gently with spoon to form indent. 
• Let the pastries cool for a few minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely. Add a small spoonful of blackberry jam (or puree) and top with a fresh blackberry.

St. Michael and all the Archangels, Pray for us!

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Pumpkin Angel Food Cupcakes for Autumn Guardian Angels Feast

I am not intentionally getting Catholic Cuisine on the pumpkin bandwagon, but Fall brings many pumpkin flavored foods, which I love. Some people think that it goes a little overboard this time of year, but fall being harvest time and the time of pumpkins is part of God's natural cycle.  So to celebrate the fall season and the Feast of the Guardian Angels, a great combo cupcake.

Pumpkin Angel Food Cupcakes

1 box angel food cake mix
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup cold water

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with 20 cupcake liners. In a mixing bowl beat cupcake ingredients on low for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 1 minute and pour into the cupcake liners just under rim. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool. Frost with buttercream frosting or other frosting of choice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God's love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
~Amen.

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The Angel's Share

Last year while visiting a local winery for a field trip, I learned about "the angel's share." The winery we visited still stores the fermenting wine in oak barrels even though many wineries have gone to plastic barrels. The guide explained that the expression "the angel's share" refers to the quantity of the wine (or whiskey) which is lost to evaporation during the aging process for alcohol in oak barrels.  The angel's share phenomenon can reduce the amount of alcohol enough to allow the wine's more subtle flavors and textures to emerge - or in the case of whiskey to reduce the proof to mellow it and make it more palatable. It is estimated that the amount of alcohol lost annually is around two percent per barrel.

The evaporating alcohol is called "the angel's share," alluding to an old belief that guardian angels watch over the product as it ages and take their share. Ironically the day of the field trip was October 2 - the Feast of the Guardian Angels and we all thought is was fun to think of angels enjoying a "share" on their feast day.  So this year on the Feast of the Guardian Angels I am recalling this fun bit of vintners lore and toasting the angels tonight with a glass of wine. 

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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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Michaelmas Blackberry Cobbler

According to tradition (and Joanna Bogle in her Book of Feasts and Seasons) "blackberries are no good to eat after September 29th because 'the Devil spat on them when he was cast out of Heaven into Hell on Michaelmas'!" Here is an easy recipe for the Blackberry Cobbler I served my family today. It was delicious!

Michaelmas Blackberry Cobbler

adapted from The Food Network

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, rinsed and patted dry
• Whipped cream and/or ice cream, for serving (optional) 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk in the milk and melted butter. Pour the batter into the baking dish.

Catholic Cuisine Apron can be found here...

Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake for one hour, until golden brown and bubbly. 

Ten minutes before the cobbler comes out of the oven, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top. 

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  Enjoy! 

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Heavenly Angels

My plan for today had been to make Heavenly Angel Cookies inspired by this recipe from Kraft, which we hadn't been able to get to during our recent A is for Angels study.  They didn't turn out anything like I had pictured, but I thought I would go ahead and share them with you anyways... Next year I think I'll make Charlotte's variation or just stick with Angel Food Cake!

Ingredients 

• 1 OREO White Fudge Covered Cookies  (These must be seasonal, since I couldn't find them anywhere... Instead I tried using Golden Oreos and Coconut Delight Oreos.. Not the same, but those Coconut Delight Fudge Cremes are delish!)
• 1-2 individually wrapped round hard candies, unwrapped  (I just used one for each angel)
• 1 yellow ring-shaped hard candy
• 2 Tbsp. white frosting  (I used white candy/chocolate, melted)

Directions

Cut the cookie with sharp knife into 3 pieces to form the body and wings. (The wings should be about 3/8-inch wide at the widest part and the body section should be about 1/2-inch wide at the narrowest part.)

NOTE:  Since I wasn't able to find the White Fudge Covered Oreos, we ended up covering the whole angel bodies with melted white chocolate/candy.

Arrange the cookie pieces on sheet of wax paper to resemble an angel (cookie pieces will not touch at this point). Attach wings to the body with icing (or melted chocolate); fill in the space between the body and wings with more icing. Attach the head to the body with remaining icing (stacking two candies if using a thick cookie), and the yellow candy to the head for the halo.  Let stand until icing (or melted chocolate) is completely dry.

Holy Guardian Angels, pray for us!

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Guardian Angel Cookies

Our celebration snack for today was very simple. Inspired by an idea from Jessica, I used some leftover cookies...

...cut them in half and dipped them in some white candy melts to make wings.

Then we attached a Gingerman cookie on top with another glob of candy melt on the back.

We popped them in the fridge for a few minutes before transferring the angel cookies to a serving tray and giving them a Gingerman cookie to watch over.

My kids chuckled at some of the Gingermen with broken hands. I told them, "That's what happens when you don't listen to your Guardian Angel!"

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Gluten-Free Feasting for the Angels

This post is written by Catholic Cuisine Contributor, Sarah Mackenzie from Amongst Lovely Things. 

Thursday is Michaelmas Day, the Feast of the Archangels! I like to celebrate feast days in simple ways that our whole family can enjoy, and that means making everything gluten-free.

Last year, our family began the tradition of apple picking on Michaelmas Day. Apples are often associated with Michaelmas, and this year, I wanted an easy way to enjoy the fruits of our labor. This pregnant Mama isn't much up to canning this year!

Gluten-free apple dip is an easy, tasty snack.

Gluten Free Apple Dip

Mix together a block of softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Serve with fresh, sweet sliced apples (we used honeycrisp, and they were perfect!)

Want something more, for dessert perhaps? Nothing tastes quite so heavenly as Angel Food Cake, and just because you're gluten-free doesn't mean you can't indulge! I like Gluten Free Mommy's recipe best. Try topping your cake with fluffy white clouds of whip cream. Blackberries would make the perfect topping (and give you a great opportunity to tell your children the old story of how Satan landed on blackberry brambles when St. Michael kicked him out of Heaven!).

Hmmm... what happened to that other piece of cake? That baby-on-the-way... always getting into the goodies early! Such a naughty little thing! :)

Happy feasting!

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

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"Angel Curls" Cookies

The following recipe was submitted by Luis Acosta, a seminarian in Mexico.  Thank you Luis!  

I´m Luis from Mexico, I'm a Jesuit seminarian hoping to become a Jesuit priest someday.  This is a recipe I made for my seminarian brothers in a reunion we had. It´s perfect for all Hallows eve, all saints' day, all souls' day, guardian angels' day, St Michael's day, for any bakery sale at your church or just for fun!!!

"Angel Curls" Cookies

Ingredients:

-2 cups all purpose flour

-1 tsp baking soda
-400gr butter
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-4 tsp vanilla
-6 cups quick cooking oats
-1 cup pecans
-1 cup raisins

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Mix toguether flour and baking soda, reserve
-In a separate bowl cream toguether the butter with the sugar
-Add the eggs and the vanilla to the creamed butter and mix it all toguether
-Stir in the flour with the baking soda and blend well
-Add the raisins and the pecans
-Stir the oats, 1 cup at a time and mix just until blended
-Drop mixture by spoonfulls in an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned
-Cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack until they´re completly cooled
-Store in a covered container.

This recipe will give you like 7 dozen cookies!!!! I´m not kidding.

Tips:
-Add 2 tsp of cinnamon to the flour and baking soda for and extra-touch
-Instead of pecans and raisins you can use walnuts, almonds, coconut, chocolate chips or anything else you want!!!

I hope you enjoy the recipe!!!!

And please, pray for me, for my brothers and for all the priestly vocations in the world, your prayers are our strength. God bless you all!


Please join me in praying for Luis and for all seminarians preparing for the Holy Priesthood!

God our Father, You have chosen Your Son, Jesus Christ, to reveal Yourself to us. You have chosen Your Church to show us Your love through Him. You have chosen Luis, your son, to be a priest as a sign of that love to Your people. We pray that the Holy Spirit continue to fill him with Your peace and joy as he prepares for the holy priesthood. We pray that through his priesthood he may proclaim the wonder of Your faithfulness and love to all through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

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Angel Food Blackberry Trifle for Michaelmas

As Abigail mentioned in the post below, blackberries are traditional for celebrating the feast of St. Michael. In A Book of Feasts & Seasons, Joanna Bogle, says that "It is a tradition that blackberries are no good to eat after September 29th because 'the Devil spat on them when he was cast out of Heaven into Hell on Michaelmas'!" But what do you do if your family doesn't like blackberries? Here is a trifle recipe that my family enjoys that is great with or without real blackberries. Blackberry jam substitutes for the real berries and is a lovely compliment to the sweet lemon cream and light angel food cake which reminds of the other archangels we celebrate today.

Angel Food Trifle

1 angel food cake (store bought or homemade), chopped up into bite sized pieces
2 (8 oz.) tubs Cool Whip or equivalent whipped cream
2 lemons
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
fresh/frozen blackberries or blackberry jam or preserves


First, zest lemons to measure 1 tablespoon of zest. Next, juice lemons to measure 1/4 cup. In a bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, & juice. Fold in 1 1/2 C. of Cool Whip. Set lemon cream aside.


To assemble the trifle:
Put 1/3 of the cake bits in the bottom of a tall glass container. Spoon 1/3 of the lemon cream on top along with scoops of plain cream. Add blackberries, sprinkling a few here and there or enough to make a solid layer depending on your family's fondness of blackberries. If you are using the jam instead, drop spoonfuls of it on top of the cake before the cream layer. Repeat twice to make 3 layers finishing with a layer of Cool Whip. Top with more blackberries. (If you are making this ahead, you might want to wait and add the blackberries on top just before serving so they don't weep all over your whipped cream.)

In the event your family doesn't like blackberries, I thought I'd let you know we decided to use some Haribo Gummi Raspberries to decorate the top. Symbolic and tasty!

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Angels and Saint Francis of Assisi

The Memorial of the Guardian Angels is October 2nd. As we had an angels' fair earlier this week, there are already many good angelic ideas swirling around for this feast day. It's a great week for liturgical feasting! But on the negative side, all these back-to-back feast days can mean an accumulation of leftover sweets -- not always good for the waistline, nor for the budget. So this recipe idea can be double duty for both St. Francis of Assisi (October 4) and Guardian Angels (October 2) (and light on the waistline).

I was researching foods for the feast of St. Francis, looking for regional foods from Umbria, or directly from Assisi and found this recipe from Mary Ann Esposito, of Ciao Italia. It's a simple meringue recipe. The concept of having light, airy meringue kisses to remind us of the heavenly hosts isn't original. What makes this recipe unique is that it is an Assisi version that is a PINK meringue with sprinkles.

(And for some reason the pink meringue reminds me of a sweet little out-of-print booklet printed by the Daughters of St. Paul entitled The Little Angel with the Pink Wings.)

The angels connection with Saint Francis that immediately came to mind is the The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli or Saint Mary of the Angels which is in the foothills of Assisi, where the Portiuncula chapel is encased.

Mary Ann Esposito explains the flavoring and coloring she uses is Alchermes, an Italian liqueur, sweet, red, cinnamon and clove flavored. You can substitute with food coloring, cherry or cranberry juice.

Meringhe (Meringues)

4 egg whites of large eggs, at room temperature
3 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons Alchermes liqueur or other flavoring or coloring
Colored sprinkles
Parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. With an electric mixer in a glass or copper bowl (free of oil) beat until smooth the egg whites and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar together. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups sugar and the Alchermes or other flavoring and continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form.

Fit a large pastry bag with a large star tip and fill with the meringue. On the parchment paper on the sheets, pipe 1 1/2-inch star meringues onto the cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of the meringues with colored sprinkles. Alternately, use a teaspoon to drop meringue one inch apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake in 300ºF. oven for 1 hour or until the meringues are firm and completely dry. Rotate the baking sheets once or twice while baking. Carefully remove from the parchment paper and let cool completely on wire racks.

Our Guardian Angels, protect and pray for us.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us. Pin It

From Thy Bounty Fair: Feasting with the Angels!

All you Angels and Archangels, Thrones and Dominations, Principalities and Powers, Virtues of the heavens, Cherubim and Seraphim, bless the Lord forever.





Today is the Feast of the Saints Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, Archangels.
The angels play a large role in the life of the Church, from the beginning of Creation, throughout the Old and New Testament, and the daily lives of all. Women for Faith and Family capture all the teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the angels.

September 29 was originally dedicated only to St. Michael, with St. Gabriel formerly on March 24 (the day before the Annunciation), and St. Raphael on October 24. The 1969 reform of the General Roman Calendar combined these feast days for today's triple feast.

As discussed before, there are many traditions and foods connected with this feast. From CatholicCulture.org:

This day is referred to as "Michaelmas" in many countries and is also one of the harvest feast days. In England this is one of the "quarter days", which was marked by hiring servants, electing magistrates, and beginning of legal and university terms. This day also marks the opening of the deer and other large game hunting season. In some parts of Europe, especially Germany, Denmark, and Austria, a special wine called "Saint Michael's Love" (Michelsminne) is drunk on this day. The foods for this day vary depending on nationality. In the British Isles, for example, goose was the traditional meal for Michaelmas, eaten for prosperity, France has waffles or Gaufres and the traditional fare in Scotland used to be St. Michael's Bannock (Struan Micheil) — a large, scone-like cake. In Italy, gnocchi is the traditional fare.

Since this is a food blog, I'm highlighting the feasting. But food is just a part of the feast: the Liturgy, the prayers, the crafts, the reading, copywork, nature study, and other activities are the various colored threads woven together to make a beautiful tapestry in our domestic churches. May the angels continue to guide and protect us safely to our heavenly home.

Please note: This post was originally published in 2008, and there are several blogs that are not operating, but we will leave the post as originally written. Those blogs no longer linking will have an asterisk (*) before the paragraph.

Mary at Our Domestic Church loves to research feast days (almost as much as I do), and then loves to place a spin on some of the traditions. Angel Foods for Feasting and Angels From Thy Bounty Fair are two posts that give a wide range of ideas for these feasts that involve angels.

I haven't traced the originator of the idea, but one of the most popular item for today's feast is Devil's Food Cake accompanied by cocktail swords, so that everyone can assist St. Michael in defeating the Devil. It is a great hands-on activity that can give all of us the reminder that we need to constantly fight temptation and sin.

*And our tour continues with Suzanne at Gladdest Hours shares her photos and Michaelmas feast day plans. She includes reading, decorations, activities, and her menu, Oriental Chicken Wings, Angel Hair Pasta, Broccoli, and Devil's Food Cake with swords.

Chez Ouiz shares her pictures from last year for the feast of the archangels. Stabbing the Devil's Food Cake with swords is front and center tonight for dessert, and the picture of her boys in costumes acting out St. Michael and the Dragon is so wonderful!

Jessica at Shower of Roses shares in detail all her feast day plans for Michaelmas. The menu will involve St. Michael's waffles, Apple Chicken, and Devil's Food Cupcakes with swords. The feast day plans are also real learning -- so she includes crafts, copywork, and reading.

*Marci at 6Hands2Hold is having an angel themed day for the Feast of the Archangels. Menu highlights: Breakfast will include blackberries, lunch deviled egg sandwiches, and dinner will be Angel Hair Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce and Grated Carrots. Dessert will be...you guessed it, Devil's Food Cake accompanied with swords!

Carole, who now lives and learns in Wales, sent me her feast day plans. I have to admit, I wish I was breaking bread with her. Her menu: Bottled Blackberries, Roast Chicken with Sour Cream and Apple Stuffing, and homemade bread.

Lorri and The Mac and Cheese Chronicles shares her homeschool group Michaelmas celebrations. Dessert included angel food cake with whipped cream wings and devil's food cupcakes.

Eileen at Eileen on Him has her Michaelmas feast day celebration from last year. On the menu: St. Michael's Bannock with Honey Butter; Garden Salad with fancy-grated Parmesan cheese; Archangels on Horseback over Angel Hair Pasta Alfredo.

Heather at These Thy Gifts shares the successful feast day dinner, which seemed to be quite a hit by the pictures of the happy faces. The menu included deviled eggs, Deviled Chicken, Roasted Deviled Potatoes, steamed carrots (St. Raphael is the patron saint of eyesight!) and, Devil's food cake for dessert--with those little cocktail swords.

Feast of the Guardian Angels, October 2nd
Today's feast is first of two feasts of this week in honor of the angels. October 2nd is the Memorial of the Guardian Angels.

Jessica shares her Guardian Angel Plans which include include an angel food cake in a trifle bowl to incorporate whipped cream clouds.

Heather also has angel food cake and angel hair pasta on the menu for her her guardian angel plans.

Angel Crafts

I think the feast day crafting goes hand-in-hand with the menu plans. Some great examples can be found at Dawn's Tea and Craft ideas for these feast days. And while Alice doesn't have specific liturgical teas for the angels, there are angelic ideas on these pages, which combine crafting and foods for the feast. Many of the links above in this post also include creative angel crafts, and here are some more inspirational ideas:

Mary gives directions for some wonderful Angel Candy Favors, made from golden Hershey Kisses. These are just too cute!

Ana Braga-Henebry designed these darling angels to craft. Printer, scissors, tape, crayons, craft sticks and you're good to go! I plan on crafting as soon as I post this!

Eileen had some wonderful painting crafts for the Guardian Angels, too.

And for wonderful coloring pages, get your dance card and waltz on over to Waltzing Matilda where Charlotte shares her talent with us. First there is the archangels: St. Michael, St. Raphael, and St. Gabriel. Then she has the Guardian Angels based on one of my favorite Hummel pictures.

I'll close with the Collect Prayer from the feast of the Archangels:

God our Father,
in a wonderful way you guide the work of angels and men.
May those who serve you constantly in heaven
keep our lives safe from all harm on earth.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Michaelmas Feasting from Wales

This post was submitted by my friend Carole who is now living in Wales.

Most of what I learned about St. Michael's Feast, I learned from reading Cooking for Christ by Florence Berger and Joanna Bogle's A Book of Feasts and Seasons (thank you Jenn for all the great book recommendations)! My youngest son's patron saints are St. Michael and St. Patrick. Last year I made the easy recipe Archangels on Horseback (from A Continual Feast by Evelyn Vitz).

16-20 sea scallops
8-10 pieces thin-sliced bacon; cut each piece in 2
Buttered toast

With a half slice of bacon, wrap each scallop, fastening with a toothpick. Cook under the broiler until bacon is brown and crisp, serving on hot buttered toast, cut in squares or rounds.

To make these "Angels on Horseback" replace the scallops with shucked oysters.

This year I decided to center our celebration around the various customs involving food.

This afternoon, my dd and I will be taking some blackberries (which grow wild in this area), and making Bottled Blackberries from .A Book of Feasts and Seasons. I have told my dc that since the devil spat on the blackberries when he was cast out of Heaven on Michaelmas, then they will not be good after today. Therefore, we must preserve what we have to enjoy on our toast later in the year.

First make a syrup, 1/2 pound sugar to 1 pint of water (remember it is English measure)! Make sure the syrup is boiling when you use it. You wash and clean the These aren't canned in the typical way we do in America, and I am making so little I will keep mine in the refrigerator.

It is traditional in England to have a feast of roast goose and stuffing. We read that Queen Elizabeth was eating her Michaelmas goose when she received word that the Spanish Armada had been defeated. Since my ds is studying Medieval Literature/History this year, I decided to make an historical connection with our meal. Not being very brave or adventuresome about cooking a goose, we are settling for a Roast Chicken with Sour Cream and Apple Stuffing. My ds will tell the family a little bit about St. Michael and the traditions as we celebrate our evening meal.

For the chicken, I stuff the chicken with onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Then I coat the outside with thyme and Old World Seasoning (a Penzey's spice, but it is close to Rotisserie Chicken by McCormick). I place it in a 450 F oven which I then turn down to 350 F and cook for 20 minutes per pound.

We're also making a homemade bread (which we do a lot) to thank the Lord for the wheat harvest. This is part of the harvest end of the celebration.

I hate to say it, but for me, the celebration is frequently about the food! One last activity that we have planned is to plant a Michaelmas daisy. I have not fully planned our new garden, so we will probably just transfer it into a decorative pot. But the Michaelmas daisy is actually an aster with tall purple flowers ... very tiny and dainty. These plants bloom around this time of year and are frequently used to make posies for the table or to put on top of cakes given to the girls at London's Greycoat School after a special service (I learned this from Joanna Bogle's book). Pin It

Upcoming From Thy Bounty Fair: Angels, September 29

This is a very late reminder that the next installment of the From Thy Bounty Fair will be September 29. The theme is angels, since September 29 celebrates the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, and three days later on October 2nd we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels.

Submissions are encouraged and welcome from bloggers and non-bloggers. Please submit links to posts, pictures or ideas to me by Sunday evening, so I can post them on the feast of the Archangels. All ideas, small or great are welcome!

Looking for inspiration?

My first stop is Catholic Culture for September 29 and October 2nd.

September 29 was originally dedicated only to St. Michael the Archangel, and called Michaelmas. This was a harvest or thanksgiving feast, so there are many recipes and traditions attached to this day from many cultures. There are various foods, some based on culture or region and some based on legend or folklore, which are linked with the feast day and could be included in a celebration.

Bannock is a traditional bread eaten in the Celtic countries. Ernst Schuegraf, in Cooking With the Saints has this to say:

On the Islands of Scotland, St. Michael is a very popular saint, and it is an ancient tradition to eat St. Michael's bannock on his feast day. On that day, everyone in the household, family member or visitor, must eat a piece of this large cake baked on a griddle.

According to an old folk tale, blackberries were supposed to have been harvested and used up by this date, too, since it is told to children that when Satan was kicked out of Heaven, he landed in a bramble patch -- and returns each year to curse and spit on the fruits of the plant he landed on, rendering them inedible thereafter. So a dish or drink with blackberries would be fitting.

Goose is another traditional food served on the feast. Foods that are harvested around this time like apples are a nice touch and commonly included as well.

In The Catholic Home, Meredith Gould mentions that carrots play a prominent role in Scotland on this feast. As Raphael is the patron of eyesight, carrot dishes could be included.

There are numerous dishes that use angel somewhere in the title, all very fitting to include in either feast day celebration:

-angel food cake
-angel hair pasta

It would be fun to incorporate foods that remind us of angels -- light, fluffy evoking a sense of clouds or heavenly domain:

-whipped cream topped desserts
-cream puffs
--marshmallows
--meringue

Cakes are always a staple of feast day celebration, and angel feasts included. Angel food which has been mentioned is a fitting cake for either feast day. I'm particularly fond of the idea of serving Devil's Food Cake on the Feast of the Archangels with a figure of St. Michael perched on top. Include the cocktail plastic swords so that all who partake can pierce the cake, joining in St. Michael's victory over the Devil. The angel food can be saved for the Memorial of the Guardian Angels.

Incorporating symbols of angels is another direction to take. The artistic rendering of angels as winged messengers and defenders is unique to anything else in the Christian tradition.
Anything angel looking (or angel shaped) or with wings is a fun addition to the culinary table of this these feasts.

-chicken wings
-angel shaped cakes
-angel shaped cookies (Christmas cookie recipes often include angel shapes for ideas)

Examples:
Polish angel wing cookies (Chrusciki)

Angel Wing Cookies

Other types of symbols specific to the archangels:

Archangel Michael ("Who is like to God") -- sword and shield with symbol of the Trinity; armour; lance and shield; scales; millstone; piercing dragon or devil; banner charged with a dove;

Archangel Gabriel ("power of God") -- Fleur-de-lis; scepter and lily; MR or AM shield; lantern; mirror; olive branch; scroll with words Ave Maria Gratia Plena or Hail Mary Full of Grace; Resurrection trumpet.

Archangel Raphael ("God heals") -- staff, pouch, and fish; staff and gourd. Pin It