Saint Germaine and the Sheep

Last week I baked a batch of twenty-four yellow cupcakes. I decorated the first eight for the feast of St. Columba, eight more for the feast of St. Anthony, and this afternoon I decided to decorate the last remaining eight as sheep to go along with the story Saint Germaine and the Sheep for today's feast of St. Germaine Cousin who was a shepherdess nearly from infancy. You can read more about St. Germaine here. 

Originally I thought I would use miniature marshmallows, similar to our Good Shepherd Cupcakes, but we're out and I didn't want to make a trip to the store so I improvised with the last of the frosting and a round decorating tip. They turned out so cute! 

Saint Germaine's Flock of Sheep Cupcakes

Supplies: 

Yellow Cupcakes

Fluffy White Whipped Frosting

Large Marshmallows

Pink Heart Sprinkles

Wilton Candy Eyeballs

Wilton Decorating Tip #12 

Unwrap each cupcake and frost top with Fluffy White Whipped Frosting. 

Cut the marshmallows to create face and ears for on top of each cupcakes. 

For the face: Cup marshmallow in half across the middle. Use one half for each cupcake. 

For the ears: Cut marshmallow diagonally from corner to corner. Cut one half of the marshmallow again, down the middle, to create two ears for each cupcake. 

Place the marshmallow face and ears on top of the frosted cupcake, sticky side up. 

Add two eyes and a heart shaped nose to each cupcake. 

Using a round decorating tip, pipe dots of frosting around the face and ears, covering the top of the cupcake to create a fluffy sheep. 

You can find additional ideas for celebrating the feast of St. Germaine, including the link to a lovely coloring page, over at Shower of Roses. 

Saint Germaine, pray for us! 

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Thunder Cake for St. Scholastica

February 10th is the feast day of St. Scholastica, foundress and sister of St. Benedict. This year her feast falls on Ash Wednesday so is a day of fasting. I had an idea for her feast day based on the story I shared last year about her association with thunder and lightning. This cake idea comes from a much loved children's picture book which has been a favorite of mine for years - Patricia Polacco's Thunder Cake.  In the story a little girl, afraid of an upcoming thunderstorm, is distracted by her grandmother as they find ingredients to bake a "thunder" cake. The book includes the recipe for a version you can do yourself.  I love the book for its story as well as the depictions of holy images (icons) in the home of the Russian grandmother - so lovely.

But since her feast this year falls on Ash Wednesday, Shrove Tuesday would be a great time to make this cake and "use up" the eggs and sugar and such, which would have been common in earlier days as preparation for Lent. So this is a way to both prepare for Lent and also to celebrate St. Scholastica the day before her feast. 

Thunder Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated 

1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
2  cups cake flour 

1/2 cup dry cocoa
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together one at a time the shortening, sugar, vanilla. Blend yolks in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in. Blend in water and tomatoes. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture. Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2 inch pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries. 

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A Lenten Dinner on Holy Thursday

I just realized that even though our family has been enjoying Lenten Dinners for the past six years (originally inspired Alice's Lenten Teas) I have never posted any of the pictures here at Catholic Cuisine!  It's a little late for this year, but at least next year this post will be in the archives! :)  It really isn't very hard to pull together this symbolic meal and it can be modified in so many ways, as you can see from the changes I've made from year to year.  You can find my posts from our 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009 Lenten Dinners/Teas on Holy Thursday over at my other blog Shower of Roses.  (Updated to add: In 2015 we had this Lenten Dinner on Holy Thursday.) 

Removing a thorn from our Lenten Crown of Thorns 

Note: This Post Contains Affiliate Links

Here are the pictures from this year's Lenten Dinner on Holy Thursday:

~ Palm on the Road ~

Like I did a couple years ago, I decided to add another book to our collection for this menu item. When I ran across a bargain priced version of The Donkey and the Golden Light I thought it would be perfect for this year.

"And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields." Mk. 11:8

~ Costly Oil ~

One of the boys made a salad and I pulled out the vinegar and some "costly oil" to use as dressing. 

"And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." Mk. 14:9

~ Thirty Pieces of Silver ~

I happened to have 30 Chocolate Coins left over from St. Patrick's Day so I used these for our "silver" this year.  Only a few of the children gave up candy this year so those few are saving their few coins (and Hershey Kiss) for Easter and put another sacrifice bean in the jar. 

"Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What will you give me if I deliver him to you?' And they paid him thirty pieces of silver." Mt. 25: 14-15

~ Unleavened Bread ~

I kept it extra simple this year and picked up a package of Naan since my husband loves it, although technically it is a leavened bread...  Don't tell the kids! 
It was perfect for with either the Chicken Curry Soup or the Fig Butter. 

"And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to Him, 'Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?'" Mk. 14:12

~ The Mount of Olives ~

This year's Mount of Olives was a mix of Black Olives and Garlic/Jalapeño stuffed Green Olives

"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." Mk. 14:26

~ The Cock Crows Twice ~

This year we had Chicken Curry Soup and Baked Chicken.

"Mom, did you just put the chicken in the baking pan so that it looks like it is homemade?!  Genius!!" 

Um, no.  I put it in the pan so that I could heat it up! ;)  And I should have washed and dried my hands before touching the little sign with my greasy fingers... The Chicken Curry Soup was homemade though, using my mom's recipe. YUM!!! 

"And Jesus said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.'" Mk. 14:30

~ Gethsemane Figs ~

Fig Butter representing Gethsemane Figs to spread on the "unleavened bread." 

"And they went to a place which was called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I pray.'" Mk. 14:32

~ Sleepy Apostles ~ 

Not all of the children like herbal tea, but a few of us enjoyed some Sleepytime Tea after dinner. Thanks again Jennifer for the suggestion!

"And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not watch one hour?" Mk. 14:37

~ Judas' Kiss ~

One Hershey Kiss each to represent Judas' Kiss. 

"And when he came, he went up to him at once, and said, 'Master!' And he kissed him." Mk. 14:45

~ The Clouds of Heaven ~

Since we were traveling on the solemnity of St. Joseph this year I still had a package of Cream Puffs in the freezer that I had purchased for our annual feast day celebration.  They made perfect little "Clouds of Heaven" for our Holy Thursday Dinner. 

"And Jesus said, 'I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'" Mk. 14:62

~ Peter's Tears ~

Roasted and Salted Almonds were perfect for Peter's Salty Tears.

"And immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, 'Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.' And he broke down and wept." Mk. 14:72

I'm adding this last picture to give you a peek at the supplies for this year's dinner. (The soup and salad are not pictured, and we ended up not using the Fig Bars.)  It really isn't that difficult at all to pull together these symbolic meals!  The girls set the table, the boys helped prepare the soup and salad, and I printed off some new little card stock signs. (You can still download my document over at Scribd or Dropbox.)  

I hope you all had a very blessed Holy Thursday!

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Cranberry Valentine :: Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

from Cranberry Valentine (affiliate link)

Ingredients: 

1 box of yellow cake mix

4 to 5 cups raw cranberries (we forgot to measure and used one bag... probably pretty close)

2 1/2 cups of white sugar

1 cup of brown sugar

1 stick of butter (1/4 lb.)

1 cup of walnut halves or pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚.

Slice the stick of butter in thin pieces.  Distribute the pieces evenly over the bottom of a 9-13-inch pan or a large round one.  (We used a 12 inch heart pan - affiliate link) Sprinkle the walnut halves or pieces over the butter.

Wash and dry the cranberries, and pour them over the nuts.

 Add the white sugar and the brown sugar, spreading evenly over the cranberries.   

Mix the sugar and the cranberries slightly.

Follow the directions on the box to prepare the yellow cake mix, and pour it over everything.

 

Bake at 350˚ for 40 to 50 minutes.  It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Let cool for 10 minutes.  Then, with a knife, loosen the cake from the edges of the pan, and turn over on a plate.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Happy St. Valentine's Day! 

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Saint Felix and the Spider :: Spider Web Snacks

In honor of the memorial of Saint Felix of Nola which is celebrated on January 14th, and inspired by the newly published picture book Saint Felix and the Spider, yesterday afternoon we made Spider Web Snacks.  These delicious sweet and salty snacks were easy to make and so much fun!

Spider Web Snacks

adapted from Mom Endeavors

Ingredients: 

• pret­zel sticks 
• white chocolate/bark candy coat­ing (I used white candy melts)
• milk choco­late (baker’s, candy melts, or chips would prob­a­bly all work)
• raisins
• bag­gie or pas­try bag
• wax or parchment paper

Directions:

Lay out your pret­zels on the wax paper in “star­burst” arrange­ments of 6 or 8 pretzels. (You can place the paper on a cookie sheet for transport stability, but I just made ours on the counter.  The candy melts set up pretty quickly.) 

After melt­ing your white chocolate/bark coat­ing, place in a pastry bag or bag­gie and cut the cor­ner off. Start pip­ing your choco­late in the mid­dle of the pret­zel arrange­ment, mak­ing sure to coat all the pretzels.

Con­tinue pip­ing out­ward around the pret­zels, until you have a web. Then, place two raisins in the mid­dle for the body of the spider.  Melt your milk chocolate and pipe over the raisins. On some of the spiders I used a toothpick to add the legs from the chocolate on the body.  

Note: On the second batch I piped the legs of the spider first before adding the body and these spiders turned out the best.

Let set on the counter, or place in the fridge for a few minutes, until the choco­late is hard.  Gently peel back the wax paper and serve. 

I posted a few additional pictures over at Shower of Roses. 

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St. Jerome and the Lion Cupcakes

St. Jerome and the Lion Cupcakes

11 leftover cupcakes from Michaelmas - frosted with a swirl of white and chocolate frosting

1 - 6" yellow cake - I ran out of frosting so I just trimmed off the top and flipped it over

3 Hershey Kisses for the eyes and nose and a little more chocolate frosting for the mouth

Quick and easy! 

Every year on September 30th my children pull our copy of St. Jerome and the Lion off the bookshelf.  This book is currently out of print,  but you may be able to find a copy at the library!  Cay Gibson has an excellent study guide to go along with it in her book Catholic Mosaic.  If you'd like to be entered to win a copy of Catholic Mosaic, hop on over to my other blog, Shower of Roses, and leave a comment!

Happy Feast of St. Jerome! 

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St. George and the Dragon :: A Sugar Cookie Story Quilt

I just realized that I never shared our Sugar Cookie Story Quilt, inspired by our much loved picture book,  here at Catholic Cuisine!  Our children had so much fun creating this last year on the feast of St. George. You can find my original post over at Shower of Roses.

"A story quilt is an ideal whole-class extension project that works at all grade levels. Quilt squares feature chapters, characters, or significant scenes from the literature circle book. They can include a border with a repeated design or symbol that represents a key idea. Quilt squares can incorporate visual as well as written components (e.g., an important quote or brief summary). Effective adaptations are possible for all grade levels." ~ Source

Our Supplies:

St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges

Study Guide from Catholic Mosaic: Living the Liturgical Year with Children

Sugar Cookie Dough

Marble Rolling Pin

Square Cookie Cutters (I love that these are plain on one side and fluted on the other!) 

Green and White Candy Melts

Dragon Candy Mold

Castle Candy Mold

(From Captain's Medieval Knights, Dragons, and Castles Birthday Party)

Cookie Icing

Gel Decorating Icing

Food Writers

Sprinkles

The completed cookies for our St. George and the Dragon Story Quilt:

The Path traveled by the Young Knight and Princess by Rascal

"In the Days when monsters and giants and fairy folk lived in England, a noble knight was riding across a plain...   The Red Cross Knight had never yet faced a foe, and did not even know his name or where he had been born.   But now he was bound on a great adventure, sent by the Queen of the Fairies to try his young strength against a deadly enemy, a dragon grim and horrible."

The Dragon by Rascal

"He was laying waste to her land so that many frightened people had left their homes and run away. Others had shut themselves inside the walls of a castle with Una's father and mother, the king and queen of the country. " 

The Castle by Captain

"Now we have come to my own country," said Una. "Be on your guard.  See, there is the city and the great brass tower that my parents built strong enough to stand against the brassy-scaled dragon."

St. George's Shield by Captain

"He wore heavy armor and carried an ancient silver shield marked with a red cross.  It was dented with the blows of many battles fought long ago by other brave knights."

St. George Pray for Us by Mom

"He called your George, which means 'Plow of the Earth' and 'Fight the Good Fight.' For you were born to be England's friend and patron saint, Saint George of Merry England." 

St. George's Sword by Chiquita

"And the knight's bright weapon, taking advantage of that open jaw, ran it through with such strength that the dragon fell dead, breathing his last in smoke and cloud."

The Battle by Chiquita

"Then they heard a hideous roaring that filled the air with terror and seemed to shake the ground.  The dreadful dragon lay stretched on the sunny side of a great hill, like a great hill himself, and when he saw the knight's armor glistening in the sunlight, he came eagerly to do battle."

Defeating the Dragon by Twinkle Toes

"Like a mountain he fell, and lay still.  The knight himself trembled to see that fall, and his dear lady did not dare to come near to thank her faithful knight until she saw that the dragon would stir no more."

The Victory Celebration by Twinkle Toes

"Trumpets sounded the news that the great beast had fallen...  And Una and the Red Cross Knight were married and lived together joyfully." 

Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. ~G. K. Chesterton

   

Happy Feast of St. George!

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