St. Carlo Acutis Nutella Puppy Chow Snack

Blessed Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager with a devotion to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Mother, will be canonized soon.  An interesting fact about him is that he was a pet lover and his family had 4 dogs (and 2 cats and a goldfish). He was known to make videos of his dogs. It has been shared that one of his favorite foods was Nutella - the Italian hazelnut chocolate spread. A fun melding of the love of dogs and of Nutella would be to make a hazelnut puppy chow snack.  Very simple to make for a low key celebration of his canonization September 7 or on his feast day which will be October 12. 

Puppy Chow, Muddy Buddies, Reindeer Chow, Muddy Munch - whatever you want to call it, is a delicious and simple snack to make. The traditional variation is made with melted chocolate and peanut butter, but a variation substitutes Nutella (or other hazelnut spread) for the peanut butter. 

Ingredients:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella hazelnut spread (or peanut butter for classic puppy chow) 

8 cups rice or corn squares cereal 

1 ½-2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:   

Measure cereal squares and add to large bowl (with lid). Melt together the chocolate chips and butter, either in the microwave or on the stove-top in a double boiler, until smooth. Add Nutella and vanilla to melted chocolate mixture and stir until mixed and smooth.  Pour mixture over cereal and toss to coat. Then add powdered sugar.  Place top on the container, shake again until the Nutella Puppy Chow is well coated with sugar and ready to eat.

St. Carlo Acutis, Pray for us!

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St. Thomas S'Mores

This clever feast day treat, with its play on words and creative symbolism to honor St. Thomas More, was shared by Rebecca Collazo. Rebecca is a homeschool mom to four wonderful kids who shares that she loves reading to her children, having poetry tea times, teaching writing at a Catholic co-op, and traveling to places of literary and Catholic significance. [And I would add thinking up creative liturgical year ideas to her talents.] Thank you, Rebecca, for sharing such a cute idea that is special to your family.

One of our family’s favorite feast days to celebrate is the feast of St. Thomas More. This fact is due partly because we go to the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More and partly because my husband is an attorney and has a special devotion to the patron saint of lawyers. This servant to King Henry VIII knew that service to the King of Heaven was more important than service to any earthly king and so allowed himself to be martyred for the faith rather than sign an oath stating he would honor England’s king as the head of the church. While we remember St. Thomas More for his brave sacrifice to stand up for the Church he believed in, it is said that he was also a man of great humor. It is for that reason that I feel like St. Thomas More would appreciate our family celebrating his feast day by enjoying St. Thomas S’Mores!

S’mores are such a classic summertime treat, perfect for his June 22 feast day. I have realized over the years, with my brood of four, that if I bring my kids to the table with a tasty treat, they are pretty likely to sit quietly and listen to me teach about any number of things. Sticky s’mores keep everyone contentedly occupied while I show them a video like this three-minute one summarizing the life of the saint: St. Thomas More video, read an excerpt from a book, or just regale them with the tale of More’s courage. My eldest daughter is a huge fan of the Ignatius Press saint books and gobbled this one up: St. Thomas More of London. Another great way to introduce the family to the story of this inspiring saint is to watch the classic movie A Man for All Seasons starring Paul Schofield. You can find it on Amazon Prime.

If you are not convinced that clever wordplay alone is enough to warrant this kind of decadence, then perhaps making it into a creative symbolic activity would allay your mommy guilt. Tell your children that the chocolate is like the husband and the marshmallow is like the wife. The heat of the bonfire unites the two just like the sacrament of marriage unites husband and wife. Trying to separate them after they have been bonded through the sacrament is messy and nearly impossible to do. Remember that is what Henry VIII was trying to do by divorcing Catherine of Aragon. St. Thomas More’s disapproval of the king’s divorce and remarriage and breaking away from the Catholic Church ended in his martyrdom. “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Mk 10:9) Maybe that’s a stretch. Maybe you do not need an excuse to eat s’mores. I feel like St. Thomas More would approve of a little celebration in his honor either way!

However, if you need to balance it out a bit, how about having some classic English fish and chips? It honors not only St. Thomas More’s English roots, but it recognizes that he shares his feast day with St. John Fisher, another great English saint from the same era. You get bonus points for the pun on the name Fisher! St. John Fisher was also beheaded for not signing the Oath of Supremacy. So, for a complete dinner, dessert, and movie night on Friday night, go for some fish and chips, maybe a pint of cider (the hard variety for mom and dad and apple juice for the kids), and those tasty s’mores, followed by A Man for All Seasons while everyone digests. Happy feasting, friends!


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The Great O Antiphons

Visit Shower of Roses for the details on how to make these O Antiphon Chocolate Coins. 

Catholic Cuisine contributor, Jennifer Gregory Miller has a great article on Observing the O Antiphons over at Catholic Culture. 

From the Archives here at Catholic Cuisine:

O Antiphons (also by Jennifer Gregory Miller)

O Antiphon Coins

O Antiphons :: Incorporating an Old Monastic Tradition in the Home 

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel...

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St. Clement's Sweets - Chocolate Sea-Salt Clementines

Pope St. Clement, disciple of St. Peter and St. Paul, is mentioned in Philippians 4:3, "I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." He was consecrated a bishop by St. Peter and is listed as the 3rd or 4th pope (depending on listing). He is considered to be the first Apostolic Father of the Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Clementines in the name given to the curious religious romance which has come down to us in two forms composed by Pope St. Clement I. The Greek form is preserved only in two Manuscripts and consists of twenty books of homilies. Pope St. Clement was exiled to the Crimea and was martyred in the persecutions of Trajan around 100 AD, being thrown from a ship with an anchor around his neck. He is depicted in papal robes and his primary symbol is the anchor. Among his many patronages are sailors and blacksmiths.

St. Clement's Day was a big celebration in many places, with metal workers and blacksmiths getting the day off. There are many traditions associated with it, including "clementing" or "clemening" - a custom of children going door to door asking for apples or other treats in exchange for singing.

When I learned in my reading about his writings being referred to as Clementine literature, the tasty little citrus fruits immediately came to mind as a great connection to this papal saint.  It is perfect timing as the clementine cuties are just starting to become abundant in the stores - this is the beginning of their peak season - right as we celebrate St. Clement's feast!

Here is a snack idea to make to celebrate his November 23 feast day. The recipe comes from The Food Network blog (contributor Dana Angelo White). It is a tasty, unique blend of sweet and salty, and I have always loved the combination of citrus and chocolate. In addition to the clementine name similarity, the use of the sea salt recalls his connection to the sea, place of his martyrdom and receding sea miracle associated with that. They are so pretty, too. It is a simple snack to prepare so great for a busy day when you want to celebrate the feast but don't have a lot of time. And so easy to make that it is a good cooking with kids project.

Ingredients:
3-4 clementines
2 ounces dark chocolate, shaved
fleur de sel (sea salt)
~amounts can be adjusted as desired

How to:
Peel clementines and separate into sections. Melt chocolate in microwave (or in double boiler). Dip each wedge in chocolate. Set on wax or parchment paper. Sprinkle chocolate with pinch of sea salt flakes while chocolate still soft. Let set to cool and solidify chocolate. Serve when set. Can be placed in the refrigerator to speed the setting of chocolate.

Pope St. Clement, Pray for us!

[NOTE: This year November 23 falls on a Sunday, which also happens to be the Solemnity of Christ the King, so a major feast which takes precedence.  St. Clement could also be recognized in your domestic church or you may opt to celebrate him on a different day this weekend. One other idea I had was that these citrusy chocolate nuggets look a little like succulent jewels - fitting for a royalty - the King of the Universe. ] Pin It

St. Patrick's Day Chocolate Gold Coins

This past weekend, while one of our boys was attending a birthday party, my oldest daughter and I went out to lunch and then did a little (very little, since we had the baby with us) shopping.   Since there happened to be a See's Candy store right next to the restaurant, I ran in to purchase some of the super cute Hollow Easter Eggs with White Chocolate Chicks that we love to include in our children's Easter baskets.   While I was there I also purchased a box of St. Patrick's Day Gold Coins.   The box is rather expensive but comes with 50 Chocolate Coins - 30 large coins and 20 small - making each coin about .17 cents each!

A couple years ago I shared our St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins with you all and, this year, thought it would be fun to make St. Patrick's Day Coins too!    We thought these coins would make a fun addition to place on the tables during our coffee hour after Mass this Sunday honoring St. Patrick.

I cropped some old favorite images of St. Patrick to fit on the face of the large 1 1/2" Chocolate Coins (The See's coins are the same size as the ones that come in the smaller $1.00 bags that you can find at various grocery stores or online), created a word document with all the images adding an optional border to the images, cut them all out, and then my children glued them to the front of the coins.

I thought I would share my documents with you all as an early St. Patrick's Day gift, in case any of you would like make some for your own St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

St. Patrick's Day Coins

I printed out a second document at 70% to use for the smaller 1" coins.  I saved it as a pdf, already in the reduced size, to share as well.

St. Patrick's Day Coins - Small

St. Patrick, pray for us! 

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St. Valentine’s Sweet Pizza

 

SAINT VALENTINE

Priest and Martyr

~~~

Here is a yummy and semi healthy treat.

I found my inspiration from here.

Last year I used a boxed brownie mix and skipped on the suggested cream cheese spread.

This year I’m following a recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes found at Elana’s Pantry.  I’m also using her Vegan Chocolate Frosting.  It has quickly become a family favorite.  These cupcakes even passed the test for extended family who despises coconut flour and loves sugar.  

ENJOY this Sweet Treat with your loved ones on St. Valentine’s Day!

~~~

Recipe: Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 min. | Cook Time: 15 min.| Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6-8 Cupcakes or 1 - 8in round cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• /4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup agave nectar

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a med. bowl, mix coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, and agave.
• Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Mix well.
• Grease cake pan with coconut oil or line cupcake pan with 1/4 cup of batter
• Bake at 375 ° for 10-15 minutes or until middle is set.
• Cool and cover with icing and heart-strawberries.

NOTES:

I recommend that you adjust the amount of agave nectar to suit your taste.  This was a bit sweet for me. 

----

Recipe: Chocolate Icing

Prep Time: -- | Cook Time: 25 min.| Difficulty: Easy | Servings: enough frosting to lightly frost 2 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil.
• In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, and agave.
• Stir in agave, vanilla and salt.
• Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to chill and thicken.
• Remove from freezer and whip frosting until it is thick and fluffy.
• Frost cake

NOTES:

“This gluten-free, dairy free and creamy chocolate frosting” fools everyone who tries it.  Sparkles and dad even ate the frosting in its solid state.  I love the sea salt!

----

Love Berries

INGREDIENTS

• strawberries

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• remove the stem by cutting a small triangle into the top of the strawberry
• slice strawberry in half – horizontally

NOTES:

Best with fresh strawberries. Pin It

Champurrado por Nuestra Dulce Madre!

…Champurrado for Our Sweet Mother!

On this beautiful feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe we will be celebrating with a few books, coloring pages and food.

I think I've mentioned before that in our family food is a BIG part of the way we celebrate. So, after a conversation with a sweet friend on facebook the other day, I decided to make Champurrado to go with tonight's dinner of shredded chicken burritos and tacos.

Champurrado is a thick Mexican hot chocolate drink. It is traditionally made during Las Posadas (the Christmas season) and other festive Mexican holidays. Mexican chocolate, finely ground corn flour, milk and cinnamon are combined to make this frothy treat. I thought it would be perfect to make this drink in honor of Our Lady's sweetness. :)

Here is a recipe for Champurrado that I found on Foodnetwork.com --

Ingredients:

1/4 cup masa harina

 (You can usually find this in the Hispanic aisle of your supermarket. We bought ours at Walmart.)

3 1/2 cups cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups of milk

1 (3 oz.) tablet of sweetened Mexican chocolate, flavored with cinnamon

(Again, you can usually find this in the Hispanic aisle of your supermarket. We bought ours at Walmart.)

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl combine the masa harina with 1/2 cup of water mixing by hand to form a paste. In medium saucepan add the paste and the remaining 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Cook slowly for 20 minutes, the mixture will thicken.

While this mixture is simmering, in another saucepan add the milk and bring to a boil. Add the chocolate and cook for about 10 minutes until the chocolate has completely dissolved. Pour the chocolate into the masa harina mixture stirring until well incorporated. With a milinillo or an eggbeater, whisk until a foam forms on the top, about 3 minutes. Serve in a large bowl, spooning some of the foam on top.

Serves 4 

Nuestra Dulce Madre Santa Maria de Guadalupe, 

ruega por nosotros!

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Easter Symbols: Handcrafted Candy for Easter!

I mentioned, in my post on Catholic Easter Basket Ideas, that I was planning on making the candy for my children's Easter Baskets this year.  We have always included a Candy Cross in their baskets, but this year I thought it would be fun to tie in as many Easter Symbols I could, and then include a little homemade "coloring book" in their basket explaining each of the symbols .  I spent a little time the other afternoon getting started and thought I would share a few pictures. Unless you have Amazon Prime 2-day shipping, it might be hard to get any of these molds in time for Easter, but you can always keep these Easter Symbols in mind when looking for candy at the store!

~ Cross ~ 

The cross is perhaps the best known of all Christian symbols.  In the ancient Church the cross was usually depicted without the figure of Christ. It was adorned and decorated as a symbol of the victory Christ won through His suffering. For the ancient world it was a symbol of humiliation, but for Christians it was a symbol of victory and glory. In Christian art, the figure of the suffering Christ was added to the cross only in medieval times. ~ Immaculate Conception Parish

On the very first two that I made (pictured at the top of this post), and you can see that the green leaves ran a little bit.  I still though that they turned out pretty!  To add the color, I used a toothpick to carefully fill in the leaves and flowers.

After the colors had hardened I filled the rest of the mold with the melted white candy. 

I love that I have the option of personalizing the crosses, choosing a different color flower for each of my children!  I made white chocolate crosses for my girls (yes, I made one for myself too!) and still need to make the brown chocolate crosses for my boys.   You can find all sorts of Cross shaped molds, but here is the link to the one that I used for these chocolates.   

I made these Cross Lollipops using the 2-1/4-Inch Cross Sucker Chocolate Mold. You can usually find Chocolate Crosses pre-made at some stores as well!

~ Lamb ~

We refer to Christ as "The Lamb of God," and "The Paschal Lamb," because he was sent as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  We also lovingly refer to Him as "The Good Shepherd," since He is our Shepherd and told Peter to feed His sheep.

Although mixing colors adds such a pretty touch, it does take a little bit of time.  I made these little white Lambs in a matter of seconds with some of the leftover candy from the crosses above.  Didn't they turn out cute?!?  

Like the crosses, there are many lamb molds to choose from, and you could even use the little lambs included in the Nativity mold which I posted about last Christmas.  Here is the link to the lamb mold I used to make the lambs pictured above.   

Lindt Chocolate Lambs are a cute and delicious store bought alternative.

~ Bread of Life ~

Bread and Wine/Wheat and Grapes: Because of the bread and wine they produce, the symbols of wheat and grapes are often used to designate the Eucharist. Bread is the basic food of every culture and of every age in human history. Made from the toil of human hands, the many grains of wheat are transformed and become one to nourish and sustain us. A meal, in which bread is broken and shared, becomes a means of bonding human beings together. This is the sign Jesus used to describe Himself as the "Bread of Life." Following His command, in faith we take and eat this Bread, His Body, and become one with Him."  From ancient times wine is associated with banquets, joy and celebration, a gift of God to gladden our hearts. The grapes, like the grains of wheat used for bread, are fruits of the earth and give of themselves in order that we might celebrate and be glad. This sign which Jesus used for His Blood, speaks to us of giving and of sacrifice in order that we might enjoy the benefits of His love in the banquet which is the foretaste of heavenly joy.

IHS: IHS stands for the first three letters of the name Jesus in Greek.

I'm updating this post to include the "Bread of Life" candies I ended up making as well, using a Communion Chocolate Mold.  A number of other variations, including a smaller version of this mold, are also available. 

~ Lily ~

The lily represents purity, chastity, innocence, and St. Gabriel's trumpet, and is a symbol of Our Lady and used to depict the purity of the Saints, especially SS. Joseph, Francis, Clare, Anthony of Padua, and Catherine of Siena. In America, it has become, too, a symbol of the Resurrection. Legend says that lilies originated with Eve's tears when the first couple was banished from the Garden of Eden. Other legend says that they sprang up from the ground when drops of blood fell to the foot of the Cross. It is interesting that these two legends exist, because Christ, the New Adam, wipes away the tears of the children of Eve who became the children of Mary when Christ gave her to us, through John, from the Cross. Mary herself is symbolized also by another lily, lilium candidum, or the Madonna Lily.  ~ Fisheaters

These sweet little Lily Lollipops were made using this mold.   I also have the non-lollipop version as well, and plan on making a batch of them for Easter too.  You can find many other options here.  I used Charlotte's suggestion and added a dab of yellow to the center with a toothpick.   So pretty and soooo easy!! 

~ Egg ~

The egg is like Jesus’ tomb. It is enclosed, it is quiet, and it seems lifeless. Yet within an egg, the promise of new life is waiting to burst forth. Jesus’ tomb was like an egg until early on Easter when Jesus rose up to a new and glorious life.  ~ Catechist.com

See's Chocolate Butter Easter Egg with Pecans

Now, there are all sorts of Easter Egg Candy Molds available for making your own candy eggs, but I decided to just purchase this symbolic candy for my children's baskets.  There are just too many yummy options available!  My favorites are the Decorated Eggs from See's and the Cadbury Mini Eggs, my husband loves the solid Chocolate Eggs from Hersheys, and our kids are happy with just about anything!



Update:  I ended up purchasing these adorable Hollow Eggs with a White Chocolate Chick inside from See's.   They were only about $1.00 each, and my children LOVED them!

~ Butterfly ~

Butterflies are an apt symbol of the day's meaning. Beginning life as lowly humble caterpillars, they "entomb" themselves in cocoons only to emerge with jewel-colored wings and the ability to soar. What better symbol of the Resurrection -- except maybe for eggs, which had always been symbols of Spring and were items of wonderment to all -- an inanimate object out of which comes life. For Christians, they became the perfect symbol of the tomb Christ conquered.  ~ Fisheaters 

I opted to use one of the very first chocolate molds I ever purchased (a few Easters ago), the Wilton Butterfly Pretzel Mold!  I won't be making these until just before Easter, but here is a picture of the ones the girls and I made back in 2008.   You can find quite a few additional options here. 

~ Peacock ~

"It was once believed that the flesh of the peacock never corrupts, so peacocks became the classic symbol of immortality. They are an ancient Christian symbol of the Resurrection, and representations of them are found on the tombs of ancient Christians as an expression of their hope to follow Christ in His defeat of death. " ~ Fisheaters

I found this Peacock Chocolate Mold on ebay, though I am still waiting for it to arrive.  If it doesn't arrive in time for Easter, these candies would make a fun addition to the last Good Shepherd's Garden Party! 

~ Bells ~

"In countries like France and Italy the bells are silent from Holy Thursday until Easter Sunday.  In Germany and central Europe even the bells on farm buildings are still, though they begin to ring again on Holy Saturday.   With the bells silent, the farm people of the Middle Ages felt uneasy.  So, to comfort themselves and their children, they would say, "The bells have flown to Rome, but they'll come back on Easter."  ~  Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs: The Story of The Easter Symbols

In France and Belgium, it is these bells, not the Easter bunny, that bring the Easter eggs!

 

These pretty chocolate bells are sold at Ladurée in Paris, France!

Here are the ones we made this year, using the  1-Inch 3-D Bell Chocolate Mold, though there are many other options available as well.

Be sure to let me know if you end up trying any of these!

Update:  Charlotte has created a great little Easter Symbols Booklet to go along with these Easter Candies!

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