A Twelve Days of Christmas Dinner Party

I mentioned the other day, on the Catholic Cuisine Facebook page, that I was planning a Twelve Days of Christmas Dinner Party on Twelfth Night for my family! I just finished posting a couple recipes here and all the details over at Shower of Roses, but thought I'd include the menu here as well, for next year.  

Inspired by the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, I came up with twelve menu items for our party. Legend has it that each gift represents an aspect of our faith and it has been said that this song was used to help teach catechism to children when religious instruction was prohibited.  Whether or not this is true, I just love all the symbolism and am always looking for ways to teach my children more about our faith.  (Note:  You can find our Twelve Days of Christmas Lap Book here.)  When creating the menu I drew from both the original gifts and the Catholic aspects of our faith which they symbolize.

.: The Menu :.

Eight Maids-a-Milking Eggnog and/or Pure White Punch

Four Calling Birds Chicken Wings or Salad with Grilled Chicken

Five Golden Onion Rings with Dipping Sauce

Six Geese-a-Laying Deviled Eggs or Egg Salad

Seven Swan's a Swimming Bean Dip

Nine Ladies Dancing Fruits of the Holy Spirit Salad

Twelve Drummer's Drumming Chicken Drumsticks

A Partridge in a Pear Tree Pie 

Turtle Dove Chocolates

Twelfth Night Rum Cake  

Ten (Lord's a Leaping) Commandment Cookies

Eleven Piper's Pretzel Rod Pipes and/or Chocolate Choir of Angels 

I set the table with a red tablecloth and our Silent Night Table Runner, moved our Twelve Days of Christmas Ornaments from the kitchen to the table as well, and used the lovely new little ornaments from Jesse Tree Treasures to place next to each food item.

.: A Partridge in a Pear Tree :.

Partridge in a Pear Tree = 
1 Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross

When I saw the Partridge in a Pear Tree Pie over at Taste of Home, I knew I had to try making it... It was pretty simple and turned out so cute and delicious. I didn't have a partridge cookie cutter so I just hand cut a design with a butter knife. I also added some little leaves and cross shapes as well.  I just posted the recipe here. 

.: Two Turtle Doves :.

Two Turtle Doves = 2 Testaments (Old & New) 

Turtle Dove Chocolates!  You can find the recipe here. 

.: Three French Hens :.

Three French Hens = 3 Gifts of the Magi
 and/or 3 Virtues, Faith, Hope & Love

I made our Twelfth Night Rum Cake with three Chocolate Coins hidden inside.  I had a small gift for each person that found a coin in their slice.  (This year it was my husband, Chiquita and Snuggles.)

I also made some Gluten Free Mini Rum Cakes, and used Coconut Sugar for the rum syrup.  You couldn't even tell the difference. (I knew I needed some healthier options for myself or I'd never be able to resist a couple of the treats.  

.: Four Collie Birds :.

Four Collie/Calling Birds = 
4 Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

I planned to pick up four kinds of Chicken Wings/Appetizers for this menu item, but that was the one thing I forget to get at the store.   Grilled Chicken on top of Salad, or even bird shaped sandwiches would have worked as well.  Our meal was made up of mostly appetizers and desserts, but a chicken main dish could be easily incorporated here too.  Instead, I just ended up pulling our our Church Windows game for the kids to play - tying in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the 4 Gospel Writers.

.: Five Golden Rings :.

Five Golden Rings = 5 Books of Moses: 
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Snuggles (by far our pickiest eater) decided to try one of these "Golden Rings" (Onion Rings). After taking a couple bites he asked "What's inside this?" When nobody gave him a direct answer, just asked if he was going to eat the rest, he said, "No... It tastes odd!" lol Next time I think I might opt for dried apple rings!  

.: Six Geese A-Laying :.

Six Geese A-Laying = 6 Days of Creation

Deviled Eggs made a yummy and healthy addition to the party and tied in nicely to the six geese a-laying!

.: Seven Swans A-Swimming :.

Seven Swans A-Swimming = 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Since the seven swans a-swimming represents the seven gifts of the holy spirit, I decided to serve our Pentecost seven layer dip with chips.

.: Eight Maids A-Milking :.

Eight Maid A-Milking = 8 Beatitudes

I already had some eggnog leftover from Christmas.  

.: Nine Ladies Dancing :.

Nine Ladies Dancing = 9 Fruits of the Spirit

A simple fruit salad made from nine fresh fruits: Kiwi, Banana, Apple, Pear, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Red Grapes, Oranges, and Pineapple. 

.: Ten Lords A-Leeping :.

Ten Lords A-Leeping = 10 Commandments

Pepperidge Milano Cookies with the Roman Numerals written with black sparkle gel.

.: Eleven Pipers Piping :.

Eleven Pipers Piping = 11 Faithful Apostles 

Pretzel Rod Pipes and A Choir of Chocolate Angels to match the beautiful illustrations in our book. 

.: Twelve Drummers Drumming :.

Twelve Drummers Drumming = 12 Points of the Apostles Creed

Originally I was going to make Chicken Drumsticks, but when I saw these Chicken Drumellas at Trader Joe's I thought they would be perfect quick and easy! 

I hope you all have a very blessed and joy filled Twelve Days of Christmas and Feast of Epiphany!

Pin It

An Our Lady of Guadalupe Festa!

Last night I shared our Celebration in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe over at Shower of Roses.  I thought I would add it here as well, so you can all see this year's variations on our past Tea in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   Also, here is a link to the beautiful Mananitas Recording from the Sister Servants! I'll be back later to post this year's Santa Lucia Day link-up.  Be sure to take pictures to share!

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!  

We have dear friends visiting from out of state for the rest of the week, but I wanted to hop online and share a few pictures from this year's celebration in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe!   In addition to reading the two books pictured above, we enjoyed another Tea in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The kids helped set up everything while we anxiously awaited their arrival this afternoon!

Our Lady of Guadalupe by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

Our Lady of Guadalupe Pop-up by Francis Serrano

All ready and waiting for our guests to arrive! 

.: Aztec Chocolate :.

(not quite) Mexican Hot Cocoa (but it is organic!) ;)
Remembering the many innocent lives that were sacrificed by the Aztecs

.: St. Juan Diego :.

Gingerbread Marshmallows for our Mexican Hot Cocoa

.: St. Juan Diego's Sombrero :.

 Pringles with a little round of string cheese

.: Tepayac Hill :.

This year I decided to skip the food for this item and create "Tepayac Hill" with an upside down bowl, some Our Lady of Guadalupe Fabric, and a statue of Our Lady as a centerpiece for the table.

.: A Woman Clothed with the Sun :.

Sun Taco Dip

2 cans refried beans, topped with 1 package cream cheese mixed with 1 cup of sour cream and 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning, and then topped with cheddar cheese.  Surround with chips to create the sun's rays.   (Before serving, I did pop it in the oven to melt the cheese.)

.: A Crown of 12 Stars :.

Peppermint Dipped Pretzel Snowflakes Stars

.: Crescent Moons :.

Crescent rolls

.: Supporting Angels :.

Chocolate Lindt Angels 

.: Praying Hands :.

Praying Hand shaped tea sandwiches

.: The Tilma of Roses :.

Tortilla and Cream Cheese with Tomato and Turkey Roses

.: Bishop Zumarraga :.

... leftover from St. Nicholas Day! 

.: Crushed Serpents :.

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, intercede for the Church, protect the Holy Father, help all who invoke you in their necessities. Since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from your most holy Son the Grace of a firm faith and sure hope amid the bitterness of life, as well as an ardent love and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.

Pin It

Miracle of the Sun Liturgical Tea

*Celebrate Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun*

~October 13th~

I thought I'd share a post from our family archives about celebrating the final apparition at Fatima The Miracle of the Sun.

Our family never seems to tire of hearing about the Message of Fatima...and the amazing spinning sun!

 Miracle of the Sun Tea and Lunch

On October 13, 1917, in Fatima, Portugal, Our Lady appeared for her promised miracle.  The sun seemed to revolve about three times within ten minutes, and cast off great shafts of colored light which fell upon the sky and earth, hence the rainbow colors often associated with this miracle of the spinning sun.

Our Menu:

(Based on the rainbow colors of the spinning sun)

Rainbow Pasta Alfredo

Rainbow Fruit Salad

Rainbow punch Tea

Miracle of the Sun Krispy Treats

These Miracle of the Sun Krispy Treats were definitely the hit!  We just followed the instructions for Rice Krispy Treats on the cereal box but used rainbow-colored Fruity Krisp Rice Cereal instead.  After spreading them on to a large cookie sheet, we used a sun-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the shapes.  

We used a squeezable white icing for the spinning, swirling, effect and yellow sparkles were the final effect for the shining sun.  This one (below) didn't have sparkles.  All agreed that sparkles were better!

~Our cookie cutter was large so we decided to share these 3 treats~

Last May, we made the fun Miracle of the Sun Fruit Platter...

But didn't have the chance to do it this time.

How can you resist Rainbow Sherbet Punch tea!

We just mixed Rainbow Sherbet and Sprite!

*Have a blessed celebration*

Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of Peace, may we always profit by your prayers, for you bring us life and salvation through Jesus Christ your Son.  Hear our prayer and give us peace in our time that we may rejoice in God's mercy and praise Him without end.  Amen

Pin It

A St. Therese "Shower of Roses" Tea Party

"My mission-to make God loved-will begin after my death.

I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.

I will send a shower of roses."

Saturday afternoon, in honor of St. Therese, we had a "Shower of Roses" Tea Party.  It was just the children and I, since my husband was working on a fire engine for the day, and I actually nearly skipped doing anything special (other than letting the kids work on some of the printables I had created) since I had a low grade fever on Friday and still wasn't feeling completely back to normal - thinking we would just wait until today, her traditional feast to celebrate.

However, dear St. Therese must have come to my rescue once again... I started feeling a little better that afternoon, and decided to try and pull together a simple little tea party.  After a quick trip to our local market (to try and find some eclairs, ingredients to make our own eclairs, or maybe some cream puffs) everything just fell into place, and our "Shower of Roses" Tea Party turned out much lovelier than I had imagined!

~ On the Menu ~

St. Therese of Lisieux Tea

Red Rose Naturally Decaffeinated Tea

Cream and Sugar Cubes

Heavenly Rose Garden Tea Sandwiches

Fruit and Veggie Platter

"The Story of a Soul" Cookies

Saintly Symbols Cupcakes :: St. Therese of Lisieux

Rose Petal Scones

French Vanilla Rolled Wafers

Éclairs

St. Therese of Lisieux Tea

 I pulled out my St. Therese Tea from Sancti-Teas, a couple precious statues, and my rose tea pots to get started!  I purchased the tea awhile back, and use it for special occasions only, so I still have plenty.  I also made a decaffeinated Red Rose tea that my children like as well. 

Heavenly Rose Garden Tea Sandwiches

I then started working on some Tea Sandwiches.   I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to make, but wanted to try to come up with a Rose themed sandwich and ended up with these "Heavenly Rose Garden Tea Sandwiches!"  They turned out so pretty and were not only delicious, but healthy as well!   The perfect alternative to all the sweets, especially for this pregnant momma who has been gaining weight a little quicker than I would like! 

I then went on to make some more Rose Tea Sandwiches, using Turkey Roses and Snap Pea Leaves - some with the Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese that I had used for the first tea sandwiches, and some with plain cream cheese for my younger children. 

"The Story of a Soul" Cookies

These "Story of a Soul" cookies were a last minute addition, when I happened to see a package of Rose Colored (Strawberry) Bar Cookies on an end cap at the market.   I put a little icing on the top of each (left over from my Little Flowers Meeting) in addition to a small mini candy rose, after deciding that it would take forever to write on them all with my Easy Writer Food Decorators.   

Saintly Symbol Cupcakes :: St. Therese, the Little Flower

I haven't posted about them all yet, but this is another one of the "Saintly Symbol Cupcakes" that I came up with for Wreath IV of Little Flowers, in honor of St. Therese, decorating the cupcakes with gold sprinkles, mini candy roses, and a chocolate cross.

Rose Petal Scones

I had recently run across this recipe for Rose Petal Drop Scones and considered making them, but honestly didn't feel up to baking, nor was I able to find Rose Water, or edible Roses for that matter.  Instead I purchased a little package of freshly baked Orange Cranberry Scones (the cranberry's at least look somewhat like Rose Petals!) from the bakery, and placed them on one of my daughters Rose Tea Platters.

French Vanilla Rolled Wafers

Since St. Therese was French, these French Vanilla Rolled Wafers from the cupboard were a great addition to our tea. 

Éclairs

Of course, our tea had to include Éclairs, St. Therese's favorite treat, and I was happy to find four at the bakery.  (In the past we have made our own, but our local market doesn't carry the ladyfingers.)  We already had plenty of treats to choose from, so each of my children split them, just one half each, which was plenty. 

I scattered rose shaped and pink tea lights over the table, which was covered with a light pink tablecloth and then our Angels and Roses lace tablecloth, while the boys set out our China and tea spoons.  

Everyone enjoyed our tea very much!  You can see a few more pictures from our afternoon over at Shower of Roses.  

St. Therese, the little flower,
please pick me a rose from the heavenly garden
and send it to me with a message of love; 
ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore 
and tell Him I will love Him each day more and more.

St. Therese, the Little Flower, 

Pray for us!

Pin It