St. Anthony and the Lost Bread

I think St. Anthony is probably one of the most popular saints among moms! :)

"Dear Saint Anthony, please come round -
Something is lost and must be found."

A Franciscan, he was known for his great humility as well as his eloquence in defending the faith. His sermons are described as so delightful that even the fish listened to him. Many times he is pictured holding the Christ child because of a vision he had of the Divine Child.

His feast is this Saturday, June 13. In cruising some of my liturgical year books and looking for something simple to do as a way of remembering this great and gentle saint, I came across an idea that absolutely appealed to me - Pain Perdu. Literally translated - Lost Bread, but most are more familiar with the name, "French Toast."

This idea instantly jumped out at me. My mom's family is French (Cajun French) and Pain Perdue was a staple of our diet growing up.

"For his feast day we suggest a dish with a name we are sure would delight his heart, for no doubt a saint who finds lost things for people must be one saint how hates waste of any kind. We refer to Pain Perdu, which is made of stale rolls."Feast Day Cookbook by Katherine Burton

My recipe is slightly different than the one listed in Feast Day Cookbook....


Pain Perdue or Lost Bread

**NOTE** You can expect that for every 2 eggs you put in the mix, you will get about 3 slices of Pain Perdue. I've never counted exactly, but for my family of 6 I usually follow the following proportions:

:: 8 eggs
:: 1/2 cup of pet milk (evaporated milk)
:: 2 tablespoons of sugar
:: 1 loaf of stale bread (french bread is great, but any bread will do...I will say that Pepperidge Farm Hearty White bread fresh off the shelf at the market makes an excellent Pain Perdue and doesn't require the soaking in the batter as a stale bread would...just sayin') :)

Whisk together thoroughly in a shallow baking dish. Distribute the stale bread in the shallow baking dish with the egg/milk mix. Allow them to soak for a few minutes. Let your fork be your guide...after about 5 minutes, fork a slice of bread to determine if it has soaked up enough batter - as it soaks up the batter it will become more fork tender. Flip it to ensure both sides are covered in the mix. The more stale your bread is, the longer this soaking will take. (If you're cheating and using a fresh white or french loaf of bread, simply take one slice at a time and dip it in the mix, flip it to cover both sides and go straight to the hot skillet.)

While your bread is soaking, heat a skillet on medium heat. If you're not using a non-stick skillet, you might consider oiling the pan with some palm oil (I like using my cast iron skillets for this). When the pan is good and hot add slices of bread to the pan and fry to a golden brown, flipping once so that both sides brown nicely.

Serve nice and warm with plenty of butter and a topping of confectioners sugar or fresh jam or preserves.

And don't forget that gentle and humble St. Anthony is a powerful heavenly intercessor for more than your lost keys - unfailing prayer to St. Anthony. Pin It

Summer or Whit Embertide

We've talked before about Ember Days with some interesting recipes and history. Summer or Whit Embertide is upon us. This year, the Summer Embertide is observed on June 3, 5, and 6.

Summer or Whit Embertide (follows Whitsunday, or the Feast of the Pentecost):

The Summer Embertide is observed in June or July depending on when Pentecost falls that year.

"Gratitude, not penance, is the dominant Ember spirit of the Summer Embertide. Even fasting can be an act of thanksgiving!"Pius Parsch, Year of Grace, Volume 3, Ember Wednesday

Seasonal significance: It is a time of thanksgiving for the grain harvest since this was typically the end of the wheat harvest in Mediterranean countries.
Liturgical significance: Summer or Whit Embertide falls within the Octave of Pentecost. It is fitting then that this Embertide, though still a mini-Lenten time of fasting, is characterized by its spirit of thanksgiving and joy at the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Ember Wednesday is a day of partial abstinence (only one meal of meat should be offered on this day). The day is dedicated to Mary, Our Blessed Mother and is a day of interior recollection.
Ember Friday is a day of complete abstinence (no meat is offered today). The day is dedicated to penance.

"For the Lord looks with pleasure upon those who humble themselves, even as He regarded the lowliness of His handmaid."Pius Parsch, Year of Grace, Volume 3, Ember Friday

Ember Saturday is another day of partial abstinence. The day is one of great thanksgiving - thanksgiving for the seasonal harvest of wheat, thanksgiving for the spiritual harvest after the abundant graces given throughout the Easter season, and thanksgiving for the harvest of vocations and those men preparing for ordination in the service of Holy Mother Church.

Menu ideas for the Summer Ember Days could reflect the seasonal offerings for your area for the summer months. I was inspired by Mary's Confirmation Party Foods post, so I'm adding my offerings for the Summer Ember Days to include some seasonal produce that continue to focus on Pentecost as we find the Summer Ember Days nestled in the Octave of Pentecost.

Pentecost Parfait
Layer granola, vanilla yogurt and sliced strawberries in a dish. The red slices of strawberries can be arranged in the parfait to resemble the tongues of fire/descent of the Holy Spirit. This cool and light dish makes a wonderful breakfast or afternoon snack. I thought it would be symbolic to arrange thirteen strawberry tongues of fire - one for each of the apostles, as well as one for Our Lady, also present at Pentecost.


Gifts of the Holy Spirit Pasta Salad
Choose a favorite pasta. We prefer Rotini because the spiral shape is great for holding the dressing. You could also choose a whole wheat pasta to reflect the thanksgiving of this Ember season for the harvest of wheat. Cook your pasta to desired done-ness. Rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it and then allow it to drain for a couple of minutes - a drier pasta will hold the dressing better.

Add in 7 items to round out your pasta salad (7 to represent the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit). If you're having trouble finding seven things on this list that your family likes, you could certainly count the pasta, the olives in the olive oil dressing as well as the grape forming the basis of the red wine vinegar (also in the dressing) - so that leaves you with four things to add to your pasta salad. Some of our favorite additions are:

:: black beans
:: frozen sweet green peas
:: sweet corn kernels (frozen or sliced off a fresh ear)
:: broccoli florets
:: sweet green bell peppers
:: sweet red bell peppers
:: onions
:: garlic
:: cherry tomatoes
:: basil

Make a simple dressing using a packet of dry Italian dressing seasoning mix, 1/4 cup of a good red wine vinegar, and 3/4 of a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Pour these over the top of the pasta salad, mix thoroughly, refrigerate for a couple of hours and enjoy. By no means are you limited by the suggestions above! Brainstorm some favorite seasonal produce and add them in. This dish is a wonderful summer meal, and the addition of black beans gives it a heartiness with a bit of protein!

Fresh Summer Tomato Sandwich
Use a very good bread for this - again, a whole grain bread would be most appropriate for the seasonal focus. Layer the following together to form a sandwich:

:: 2 slices of hearty whole wheat bread
:: Tomato slices
:: Fresh mozzarella (it's so worth it to buy a good mozzarella for this sandwich)
:: Fresh greens - basil leaves, arugula, salad greens or alfalfa sprouts all make excellent sandwiches or you could use sliced avocado
:: Mayonnaise or plain yogurt to spread on the slices of bread.
:: Salt and Pepper to taste


God bless you during the Summer Embertide!

"We are temples of the Spirit of Christ! Week in, week out it will be a mutual task for the Holy Ghost and ourselves to adorn this temple more perfectly. Deeply grateful we say farewell to the Easter season - many indeed were the blessings we received."Pius Parsch, Year of Grace, Volume 3, Ember Saturday

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Hot Cross Buns - A History

This is really meant as a follow-up post to Jessica's great sharing and recipe on the hot cross bun.

Many wonder about the use of icing on the bun - and I did too, particularly icing on Good Friday. It doesn't seem to make sense. I decided to look up a little more information and history on the tradition and custom of the Hot Cross Buns.

From Father Francis Weiser in Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs (emphasis mine):

"It was a universal custom (and still is in Catholic countries) to mark a new loaf of break with the sign of the cross before cutting it, in order to bless it and thank God for it. On special occasions the cross was imprinted on the loaf before baking, as on the Christmas loaves in southern France and in Greece, the Kreuzstollen (cross loaf) in Germany, the cross bread of Mid-Lent among the Slavs. On Good Friday, loaves bearing an imprinted cross (Karfreitaglaib) are eaten in Austria. In England, from the end of the fourteenth century, buns were baked with a cross marked on them. They are said to have originated at Saint Alban's Abbey in 1361, where the monks distributed them to the poor. Whatever their origin, these "hot cross buns" became a famous Good Friday feature in England and Ireland, and later in this country. They were made of spiced dough, round in shape, with a cross made of icing on the top. In recent times these cross buns are sold not only on Good Friday but all through Lent."

I find it difficult to believe that devout Christians of the time, those in Ireland who often observed a Black Fast (taking only water or tea during the day) on Good Friday, would break the fast to eat a bun with icing. But, I could be wrong. It seems more plausible that the hot cross bun would be marked with the cross before baking as those from Saint Alban's Abbey were.

Interestingly, an entry at the Food Timeline seems to suggest that the cross was originally scored in the top of the bun with a knife and that the pastry or icing cross was a modern decorative feature as Jessica alluded to.

Many quibble over the date of their origin - they are first mentioned by name as "hot cross buns" in Poor Robin's Amanack in 1773. Most agree that they predate this mention. They are popular in Tudor days, as there are specific mentions of them being permitted to be baked under certain conditions by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592. But, perhaps most fascinating is this mention taken from Sue Ellen Thompson's Holiday Symbols and Customs:

"When archaeologists excavated the ancient city of Herculaneum in southwestern Italy, which had been buried under volcanic ash and lava since 79 C.E., they found two small loaves, each with a cross on it, among the ruins."

An early hot cross bun?

And, if you're interested, Wikipedia has the entirety of the music based on the selling of the hot cross buns (...one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns...).

It is so interesting to dig into the rich history and traditions of our faith! Whether your hot cross buns are adorned with an icing cross, scored with a cross, or store bought, I pray your Good Friday is blessed with adoration and deep reflection of Our Lord's Passion and Crucifixion. Pin It

An Overview - Planning the Menu for Holy Week

There are some weeks during the year, liturgically speaking, that allow us to link our offerings in the kitchen to the Church year more than others - Holy Week is one of those weeks.

Florence Berger perhaps sums it up best in her book, Cooking For Christ, when she says,

"...the cooking which we do will add special significance to the Church Year and Christ will sanctify our daily bread. That is what is meant by the liturgical year in the kitchen."

There are so many recipes here - ideas for those lovely teas, Resurrection Rolls - and so many others in the archives...and yet to be posted. How does one organize and shop for all these ideas to live the liturgy through our humble offerings in the kitchen?

I'd like to offer a weekly menu planning sheet for you to use as you plan your offerings next week.


Click on the image, and then print the menu. Fill in your plans as you go, add in a teatime next week, your meals, the significant focus of each day. Use the menu to shop from as you go to market. I know on a week like Holy Week I like to have a good plan going in so that I too can observe a little silence rather than rushing around wondering if I have everything I need for Hot Cross Buns.

I use this menu sheet year round to help me plan because it helps me link seasonal offerings at the market with meals, teas, and menu plans that link the liturgical year with my family table.

Consider the days of Holy Week:

Palm Sunday
Figs are associated with Palm Sunday - possibly because of the traditionally held belief that Christ ate figs after His entry into Jerusalem. There is also the account of the withering fig tree right after Our Lord's entry.

**A plate of fresh figs and cheese would be lovely on Palm Sunday.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week
These days are usually set aside for intense cleaning and tidying so that the house is made ready to rejoice in the Resurrection and so that the woman of the house can spend Holy Thursday and Good Friday immersed in the liturgy, observing silence, and reflecting in prayer. These days are good days for baking and preparing foods for the days to come. Consider:

**Pretzels
**Several loaves of homemade bread
**Your Maundy Thursday meal as you are likely to return home late after the liturgy that evening.
**Get a head start on Easter baking.

Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday
Maundy comes from the Latin "Mandatum", more specifically "Mandatum novum do vobis" -- "A New Commandment I give to you", Our Lord's words spoken to His disciples on the eve of His death. In Germany, Holy Thursday is referred to as Green Thursday. It's actually quite odd how the name came about - Father Weiser explains in Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs,

"In all German-speaking countries people call Maundy Thursday by this name (Grundonnerstag)...Scholars explain its origin from the old German word grunen or greinen (to mourn), which was later corrupted into grun (green)."

**In light of the green connection, albeit a strange one, why not consider a Spinach pie? (recipe below). It is easy to use a paring knife to etch a symbol into the top of a Spinach pie...consider a simple crown of thorns, a Cross, a nail.
**How about shaping your bread dough into a rope to signify the ropes Our Lord was bound by during the scourging?

Spinach Pie

2 boxes of Pillsbury frozen pie shells (in the refrig section)
2 pkgs. frozen spinach - thawed and squeezed to remove excess water
1 lg container ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh grated parmesan
1 large onion - chopped and sauteed in olive oil
3 eggs

You'll need 2 9inch pie dishes. Press a pie shell into the bottom and sides of each pie dish.

Mix spinach, ricotta, onion, eggs, and cheeses in large bowl. Divide in half and split between the two pie dishes. Cover with remaining two pie shells. Trim edges and slit top for venting. Brush with egg if desired. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes.

Good Friday
Without a doubt, the Church leads the faithful on a journey throughout Lent building us to this point - Good Friday. Pius Parsch calls this "Christendom's great day of mourning" and that is exactly what it is. On this one day of the year, out of reverence for the day that Our Lord sacrificed Himself for us, Holy Mother Church restrains from offering the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass. The altar is stripped, sanctuary lamp is dark, lights are out. Our Lord is on the Cross. He thirsts. We mourn.

This one statement by Our Lord, "I thirst", motivates my entire meal plan for the day - it should leave us thirsting. I don't mean that I withhold liquids from my family, but I do mean that the meal offerings are stripped of every extra, every shred of decadence. According to Florence Berger in Cooking for Christ, "Pope Gregory (I) directed that only bread, salt, and vegetables be eaten on Good Friday." For a few years now, we've tried this.


**Consider a hearty, whole-grain bread to sustain everyone on this day.
**How about a vegetable tray for lunch?
**Try roasting or baking some vegetables as a dinner with the whole grain bread - roasted sweet potatoes, baked potatoes (minus all the toppings) with chives and salt, cucumber salad tossed with vinegar.
**Consider incorporating vinegar into an offering this day as a remembrance that vinegar was offered to Our Lord on the Cross.
**Consider water only as a drink for the day remembering that from the Cross Jesus thirsted.

May your Holy Week plans allow you and your families to immerse in the sorrowful tone of the week so that you may rejoice all the more when we hear the Alleluia once again on Easter morning! Pin It

Pretzels

Traditionally, the pretzel was only eaten during Lent. It is available all year round now, but before it became a popular snack food it was available from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday. There are records of Lenten pretzels in a 5th century manuscript in the Vatican Library. Early Christians ate no dairy products during Lent, so pretzels were made from the simplest of ingredients - flour, salt, and water.

It is made in the shape of two arms crossed in prayer. The origin of the name comes from the word "bracellae" (little arms). In German it became "Bretzel" which then changed to "Pretzel".

If you haven't yet made pretzels during Lent, why not try it during Holy Week?

Pretzels

1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour (I make mine with half white, half whole wheat sometimes)
Coarse or kosher salt
1 egg, beaten

Add the honey to the water; sprinkle in the yeast and stir until dissolved. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Blend in flour, and knead the dough until smooth. Cut the dough into pieces. Roll them into ropes and twist into pretzel shapes. Place pretzels on lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush them with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 425 for 12 - 15 minutes - or until the pretzels are golden brown.

These pretzels make a lovely Lenten tea. Pair them with a nice Earl Grey or your favorite tea. Pin It

St. Valentine's Day - A Celebration of Heroic Love

St. Valentine's day is a commercial dream, with its greeting cards and chocolates and big sparkly gifts for those you love. I'm not one to shun any reason for chocolate consumption! But, in celebrating this Feast in my home, I wanted to show the children that St. Valentine was not the patron saint of chocolate consumers, but rather a martyr who would offer his life out of love for Our Lord. This was the connection I wanted to make to St. Valentine's day.

Tradition holds that there are actually three martyrs named Valentine associated with February 14, Valentine of Rome, Valentine of Terni (whom some scholars believe to be the same person as Valentine of Rome) and another Valentine of Africa of whom not much is known. One thing is certain about all three of these men, they died out of heroic love for Our Lord and His Church.

There are differing traditionally held beliefs associating St. Valentine's feast with that of romantic love. Some believe that it was an attempt to "baptize" a pagan ancient Athenian celebration of the god Zeus and Hera's marriage. Others tie the the day to an ancient Roman feast that had tones of romance called Lupercalia, which took place on February 15. Another connection is made through the observation that birds naturally choose their mates in the second week of the second month - February 14.

For the Feast, I wanted to tie in the connection to the martyrdom St. Valentine underwent. The most traditionally held story is that St. Valentine was a priest, and possibly a bishop around the middle of the 3rd century. He was imprisoned for his faith and refused to convert to the pagan religion. While imprisoned, he converted one of his jailers and stories relate that he cured the jailer's daughter of blindness writing to her the very first valentine, a note that said simply, "From your Valentine."

Red is the color that is symbolic of martyred saints, and also of love. The vestments worn today (for those Masses following the traditional Church calendar **see note below**) are red. My meal tonight would be red in honor of the martyr and his heroic love!

Baked Red Snapper


~ 2 pounds red snapper fillets [NOTE: Cod is a much more inexpensive option here! Red Snapper is great if it fits your pocketbook. Choose a mild, white fish. 2 pounds generally feeds about 6 (adjust for teens!)]
~ Tony Chacheres original seasoning - you can find this in your grocery store on the seasonings aisle, but any seasoned salt will do in a pinch
~ 1 stick of butter (or...1/2 stick of butter and 2 tablespoons good olive oil)
~ 1 cup (1 small/medium onion) - diced
~ 1 cup celery - diced
~ 1 cup bell pepper - diced
~ 2 garlic cloves - minced
~ 1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce (I used a 15 oz. can in my meal because we like extra sauce)
~ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
~ 1/4 cup of white wine (Optional: substitute water)

Rinse fish and pat dry. Sprinkle with a little Tony's seasoning and keep cool. In a large microwaveable casserole dish, combine butter, diced onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic cloves. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add worcestershire and tomato sauce and microwave for 5 minutes more. Remove and add wine and stir. Add the fish fillets, covering each fillet with sauce. Microwave for:
3 minutes for thin fillets
5 minutes for thick fillets

The fish should be flaky. Let the dish stand covered for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

This recipe is originally from a cookbook entitled, "Tony Chacheres Microwave Cajun Country Cooking". It is no longer in print.

Roasted Red Potatoes


12 - 14 small red potatoes
Good Olive Oil
Chives
Salt
Pepper

Rinse potatoes, but leave skins on. Cut potatoes into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle chives, salt, and pepper over potatotes. Toss to cover all potatoes. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, tossing potatoes once or twice to ensure even browning.

Some other foods to consider for a martyr's feast incorporating as much red as possible:
**Red wine
**Roasted Red peppers
**Strawberry Shortcake
**Red Velvet cake

...and for tonight, we're having some of Charlotte's incredibly addictive and sweet Valentine Dots. I hope it's ok with Charlotte if I share her delicious Valentine treat with you!

You'll need:
1 bag of pretzels. I used the heart shaped small pretzels
1 bag of Hershey's Kisses, some plain chocolate, some white chocolate striped
1 bag of Valentine colored M&M's

Set the oven to 200 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer and add a Hershey's kiss on top of each pretzel. Place them in the warm oven. Let them bake for about 8 minutes. The plain chocolate Kisses won't melt completely, they'll get shiny. The white chocolate Kisses will melt quickly. Remove from oven and press an M&M in the top of each soft Kiss. Let them cool and enjoy!

I must warn you, these are extremely addictive!

May your St. Valentine's day be filled with a heroic love for Our Lord!

****A Note: After the revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1969, the feast of St. Valentine was removed and replaced with the celebration of Saints Cyril and Methodius for February 14. Catholics who follow the traditional Roman calendar still honor the martyr, St. Valentine on February 14. Pin It

Ember Days and Autumnal Fasting

The post that follows was written by Jennifer at Wildflowers and Marbles and submitted to Catholic Cuisine for publication. Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your plans for this week's Embertide and giving readers a glimpse into your efforts to weave these days so meaningfully into your hearth and home.

The autumnal Ember days are September 24, 26, 28 - that is Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. They are days of abstinence and fasting. Specifically...

**Ember Wednesday is a day of partial abstinence and fast - one full meal which may contain meat with the two other meals of the day small and together not equaling one full meal.

**Ember Friday is a day of full abstinence and fast - one full meal with the other two meals of the day small and together not equaling one full meal. No meat offered on this day.

**Ember Saturday is a day of partial abstinence and fast again.

For more reading on Ember days check here at my blog, or check out the many very helpful sources found on Family in Feast and Feria.

My children enjoy participating in these penitential times. While I certainly do not require them to participate in a fast, I like to offer foods that allow for the entire family to offer penitential acts of fasting and abstinence while providing for the high calorie, high energy needs of the children.

In as much as I considered carefully the spiritual focus of our days during the Embertide, and the seasonal preparations to be made in and around the home, I also considered the meals to be offered. I am coming to appreciate more and more the central role that my offerings in the kitchen - the heart of the home - impact our focus and recollection for the liturgical year. Meals are a time of re-connection for the family - when we come together again after our individual efforts throughout the day. They are a source of nourishment and of connection with the day. It makes sense then to connect them to the liturgical rhythm, to connect them to the rhythm of days set for us by Holy Mother Church.

I consider the tone of the days when I consider the menu - for Embertide, the tone is penitential, but also one of thanksgiving for the harvest, one of thanksgiving for the seasonal bounties gifted us by God. I took this into consideration when planning the meals. I wanted my menu to reflect a simple sparseness that allowed the family (including the younger children) to still feel like they were included in the family fast and abstinence while still offering enough calories and heartiness for them to function. This week's menu was really a labor of love. I focused on simplicity of ingredients, and nothing that spoke of richness while keeping in mind the seasonal bounties.

These are our family plans for observing the upcoming autumnal Ember Days:
My offerings for Wednesday:

**Breakfast - oatmeal blueberry muffins, water (orange juice for little people)
**Lunch - turkey slices rolled in whole wheat tortillas with cheese, water
**Dinner - Vegetable and Bean Soup, sliced whole wheat bread, water
+ Thanks offered for the harvest of oats, wheat, blueberries

My offerings for Friday:

**Breakfast - Skillet toast (buttered whole wheat bread toasted on cast iron skillet) with cheddar cheese (sort of like an open faced grilled cheese sandwich), water (orange juice for littles)
**Lunch - Baked sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon, water
**Dinner - Meatless spinach pie/quiche, wheat bread, water
+ Thanks offered for the harvest of wheat and vegetables and for the humble chicken

My offerings for Saturday:

**Breakfast - English muffin with fried egg and slice of cheese, water, (orange juice for littles)
**Lunch - Small cup of leftover veggie and bean soup, water
**Dinner - *Considering that we are allowed to eat meat for one meal on this day, and considering this is the night of our bonfire I am opting for roasted hot dogs, pickles and chips tonight.
+ Thanks offered for the past season's harvest as well as asking God to bless and abudantly provide for a rich harvest of grapes for the vintage (Autumn is the traditional season to ask God's blessing for the vintage and the grape).

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

2 cups oats
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter - melted or extremely soft
2 cups fresh blueberries
In medium bowl combine oats, milk, and lemon juice - let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, soda, and brown sugar. Add eggs and butter to the oat and sour milk mixture, mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix carefully just until combined. Gently fold in blueberries.

Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees for 15 -20 minutes.

These are delicious anytime of the day and because of the whole grains are quite filling. Eat them warm!!!

Mom's Vegetable Bean Soup

1 medium onion chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic minced
butter or olive oil for sauteeing onion and garlic
1 box of chicken stock
3 -4 good size carrots cut up and cooked to soft
1 bag of frozen sweet corn
1 can of beans (pinto or white beans will do)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 package of frozen chopped spinach - thawed
basil - to taste
1 cup macaroni noodles

Saute onions in butter or olive oil. Add garlic. To a large stock pot add all other ingredients except for spinach. Cook for about 20 minutes then add spinach, turn off heat. Let sit about 10 minutes. You may have to add some water to suit your family's preference for soupiness - chunky or soupy :).

This can be prepared in the morning and allowed to simmer during the day - but expect to add more water as the macaroni absorb a lot of the liquid if allowed to sit all day. It's a very forgiving recipe - if all your liquid disappears, just add more water or stock to your taste. This recipe was written for the cold weather months so it assumes many vegetables have been canned or set aside. Because so many of the vegetables used in this recipe are readily available at Farmer's Markets or from your own garden - choose fresh as much as possible!!!

Spinach Pie

2 boxes of Pillsbury frozen pie shells (in the refrig section)
2 pkgs. frozen spinach - thawed and squeezed to remove excess water
1 lg container ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh grated parmesan
1 large onion - chopped and sauteed in olive oil
3 eggs

You'll need 2 9inch pie dishes. Press a pie shell into the bottom and sides of each pie dish.

Mix spinach, ricotta, onion, eggs, and cheeses in large bowl. Divide in half and split between the two pie dishes. Cover with remaining two pie shells. Trim edges and slit top for venting. Brush with egg if desired. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes.

We love embellishing the top pastry shells of these pies with decorative vents that bespeak the feast or feria we are embracing - so for this evening we might use a small paring knife to etch the initials of our Lord into the pie shell, or if we're ambitious a group of grapes. If nothing else, we etch the Cross into the shell of the pie. Pin It