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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Campanelle "Little Bells" or Gigli "Lily" Pasta Ideas

Campanelle is a pasta shaped like a cone with a ruffled edge. It is Italian for "bellflowers” or "little bells" due to its shape like a bell or bell-shaped flower. This pasta shape is also referred to as gigli which means lily. Campanelle is intended to be served with heavier sauces or in a casserole.

It is part of tradition in Christian art to use lilies as a symbol of purity when portraying Our Lady or the Saints and even Angels.  The lily is an emblem of purity and chastity. It is the flower the medievals found to best symbolize the purity of Mary, and was admired as a flower of purity since the time of the Ancients. By the 14th century, it became common to find the lily in Annunciation paintings and illuminations, with either St. Gabriel holding it on in a vase between them.

There are numerous saints depicted with a lily or a bell which would be fitting for a campanelle pasta meal idea on feast days.  This week we happen to have a prominent lily associated saint - St. Kateri, the Lily of the Mohawks. But it is a good year round option due to the many saints associated and depicted with lilies or bells, as well as all the Marian feasts.  

St. Anthony the Hermit - January 17
St. Agnes - January 21
St. Agatha - February 5
St. Casimir - March 4
St. Joseph - March 19
Feast of the Annunciation - March 25
St. Agnes of Montepulciano - April 20
St. Catherine of Siena - April 29
St. Anthony of Padua - June 13
St. Aloysius Gonzaga - June 21
St. Maria Goretti - July 6
St. Kateri Tekakwitha - July 14
St. Dominic - August 8
St. Philomena - August 11
St. Gabriel the Archangel - September 29

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Celebrating Saint Joseph :: Gluten-Free Brownie Staff with Coconut Ice Cream

The following post was submitted by Mary at Better Than Eden, in honor of today's feast of St. Joseph!  Thank you Mary! 

We're taking the day off in honor of today's Solemnity of St. Joseph. I thought about taking the kids somewhere but Brian had to go to work and they seem just as happy building forts in the playroom. I was trying to think of a special way to celebrate today. I've never actually understood why St. Joseph's Day is traditionally an Italian thing. I guess they just like him a lot. We're not Italian so we've never done all those neat traditions and I've never even been to a St. Joseph's Table. I'd love to learn more about them all but in the meantime, I think we'll celebrate in a different way.

I decided that in honor of Saint Joseph we would treat our own family's Saint Joseph to a feast tonight. We're having rib-eye steak, baked potatoes, and glazed carrots.
And for dessert I spent this morning making his favorite...brownies.

Normally, Solemnities for us mean a suspension of any Lenten fasts but since we've been testing the gluten-free thing so long, I want to keep it going, hence the black bean brownies.
So here's what we're treating ourselves to tonight.

I had some black bean cake at a friend's house the other day and we were shocked with how much it tasted just like regular cake. It was delicious! So today I used this recipe for black bean brownies but made a few changes (don't you think it's hysterical when people write reviews like that? Like..."This recipe is perfect! I just switched out the apples and used potatoes, then I added shredded chocolate and increased the sugar from 1/4 cup to 3 1/2 cups. I also decided not to bake it and boil it instead. Oh, and I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and truffle oil on top. Superb. This is my FAVORITE recipe!!" But I totally do the same thing.) So here's what I did:

Blend 1 can of rinsed black beans, 3 eggs, 3 tbsp. banana (not pictured), 3 tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 c. cocoa powder, and 3/4 c. sugar.  I also added about 3/4 c. crushed walnuts because we like them.

I used our immersion blender and blended everything completely. I put in the beans and eggs first just to make sure the beans were completely pureed then added everything else.

After lots of internal debate and going through my cupboards to figure out how best to make a "Joseph's staff" shape, I decided on using a loaf pan and a circle pie pan. I greased both with butter and filled the pie pan half as deep with batter as the loaf pan. You can see in the picture how I cut the circle in half, stacked them and did a tiny bit of shaping to make it look sort of staff-esque. The extra pieces may or may not have ended up in my mouth as a "taste test."

The lily was a spur of the moment spark of liturgical genius. I used marshmallows cut in half, smooshed and sort of shaped like petals and a yellow licorice Trader Joe's candy leftover from Christmas (my kids sure know how to save their candy as long as possible...). The leaves I cut off a pineapple that happened to be in the fridge. This is why people think I'm a weirdo.

Because one of my husband's favorite things is a brownie sundae with bananas, I decided to experiment with a coconut milk ice cream creation. I couldn't find one faux ice cream recipe that used ingredients I had on hand so here's what I did:

Blend 1 can coconut milk, 1 banana, 1 tbsp. vanilla, and 2 tbsp. coconut nectar.

I again used my Cuisinart immersion blender which is one of the most used kitchen tools I own. I blended a while until it was well mixed and had whipped a tad. I chilled for about an hour and then put it in the ice cream maker for about 15 minutes. And...it worked! It looks like ice cream and tastes pretty good! It has more of a light banana flavor than I would prefer but I think the husband will enjoy it. We'll add some sliced bananas and chocolate syrup when it's time to put it all together.

I think St. Joseph will be pleased that I'm attempting to honor him and his fatherhood of Jesus by honoring my husband. Perhaps that's what he would want more than me stuffing myself with spaghetti which was the other option for the evening. Here's hoping that my interior resolution made early this morning to give him the evening off and lead the boys in serving him doesn't give way to the 5-7 p.m. daily occurrence of me wanting to curl up in a corner covering my ears after throwing all the children at him as he walks in the door. I'm much better intentioned and grace-filled at 10 a.m. than I am at 5 p.m. Is that just me?

At least today there'll be brownies.

Happy St. Joseph's Day!

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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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St. Maria Goretti's Flames of Forgiveness Cupcakes

Today, July 6th, is the feast of St. Maria Goretti!  We have a bunch of friends coming over for some Saintly Summer Fun to honor this beautiful saint, who was a "Martyr for Purity."

As I was trying to come up with a snack for the children I decided to focus on tying in the lily, the symbol for St. Maria, and the vision Alessandro had of Maria, leading to his conversion: 

"While in prison for his crime, Alessandro had a vision of Maria. He saw a garden where a young girl, dressed in white, gathered lilies. She smiled, came near him, and encouraged him to accept an armful of the lilies. As he took them, each lily transformed into a still white flame. Maria then disappeared. This vision of Maria led to Alessandro’s conversion, and he later testified at her cause for beatification." ~ SQPN

Supplies:

Lily Lollipops - St. Maria is often pictured with an armful of Lilies, which symbolize purity.  You can purchase the mold here.

Mini Marshmallows - 7 for each cupcake, cut at a diagonal to create 14 flames. These represent the 14 lilies that St. Maria offered Alessandro in a vision, one for each of the 14 times she was stabbed in the heart, which then transformed into 14 still white flames.

Red Cupcake Liners with White Cupcakes and Frosting - Symbolizing the fact that St. Maria was a Martyr (red) for Purity (white).

St. Maria Goretti, Pray for us! 

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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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