St. Monica's Tears~A Feast Day Treat!

Happy Feast of St. Monica!

St. Monica is the perfect model for perseverance.  She never gave up prayers for her wayward son. (St. Augustine) Begging God for his conversion, she cried many tears. Legend says that a drain formed in the ground where her tears fell while she prayed for her son.  

When she approached her local bishop to ask him to help win over her son to the faith, the Bishop consoled her by saying: "God's time will come.  Go now, it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish."  

The good news is that Monica never gave up and her son's heart was turned away from his evil ways.  Augustine later became know for his famous conversion and became "St." Augustine after his death, one of the greatest saints and doctors of the Catholic Church.  

St. Monica's life was a message of hope.  Her tears gave way to God's sweet grace and bountiful blessings!  

These teardrop treats represent St. Monica's tears that were "sweetened" by the sweat of her prayers.

St. Monica's Tears

Easy 2 ingredients:

1.Crescent dough

2. Nutella/Hazelnut spread

Break apart crescent dough into triangles.

Spread a small amount (approx. 1-2 teaspoons) of Nutella or favorite spread on the top end of the triangle only. A little bit goes a long way...Otherwise the chocolate will leak all over! 

Roll dough from the larger end down to the smaller end as if making a croissant.  Then, fold the two ends inward to form the shape of a teardrop.

Pinch the ends together to increase the chances of holding the teardrop shape.

Here are before and after photos.  

Remember that the dough will rise/puff up a little bit so try to elongate the ends as much as possible.

Enjoy the sweetness!

Intercede for us, dear St. Monica, example for Christian motherhood, hope, and perseverance!

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Sacred and Immaculate Heart Fruit and Veggie Platters

 

+Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, followed by the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary+

 

I think these 2 Feast Days are my favorite during Ordinary Time.  Hence, the many ways I enjoy making them special.  Last year I made fruit pizzas for my family and friends but this year I came up with an even healthier alternative! 

 

It's always so much fun to contribute here at Catholic Cuisine. (Thank you, Jessica!)  I hope you will find these easy fruit and veggie platters a nice addition to your family or parish celebration.

 

Sacred Heart Veggie Platter

Ingredients:

Baby carrots

Cherry/grape tomatoes

Red bell pepper

Pretzel sticks

 

Simply line your platter with baby carrots to make the shape of a heart.  Next, I added the pretzel (thorns) and filled in with cherry and grape tomatoes.  The red bell peppers made a great flame for the top and more pretzel sticks for the cross.

 

Looking for platter ideas?  I purchased these two 18" clear Sturdiware platters from a local party store a few years ago.  They were only a few dollars a piece!  They are at the top of my list of favorite, frugal, kitchen purchases...I use them constantly for a variety of entertainment occasions.

 

Immaculate Heart Fruit Platter

Ingredients:

Watermelon

Mini Marshmallows

Red apple

There's a post on Pinterest from Women Living Well about how to cut a watermelon.  This is extremely helpful! 

Clump your watermelon together to make the shape of a heart.  Then, add marshmallows to make the string of white flowers and place the sliced red apple on top for the flame.

 Enjoy!

 

"Love overcomes, love delights, those who love the Sacred Heart rejoice." ~St. Bernadette Soubirous

 

"If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart, it still would not equal the love of the heart of Mary for her children."~St. Louis de Montfort



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Our Lady of Fatima Miracle Morning Breakfast

Adapted from Creative Kid Snacks

 

~May 13th is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima~

The Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to three shepherd children on this day in Fatima, Portugal in 1917.  She continued to appear to them on the 13th of each month, until the famous Miracle of the Sun on October 13th.  The call to conversion, repentance and dedication to praying the Rosary still echoes today...

 

A Miracle (of the Sun) Morning Breakfast

and Rosary prayer would be a beautiful way to celebrate this feast!

This would also be a great way to celebrate the Miracle of the Sun on October 13th. 

The Miracle of the Sun was a solar phenomenon where the sun was seen to be spinning with many brilliant colors.

Ingredients:
Eggs according to number of people serving
Colorful fruit of choice

Instructions:
Scramble eggs and set aside.
Arrange dishes according to what you have...This is what we used: (These small glass bowls can be found in a set of 3 at the Dollar Tree)

Place scrambled eggs in bowls at the center of the plate to represent the sun.

Arrange fruit around the bowls to represent the colors that were seen during this miracle.

 Enjoy your Miracle Morning Breakfast!
(And it's healthy too:)
+Happy Feast Day+
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of thy mercy.



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Italian Flag-Shaped Caprese Salad

Here's an idea for any Italian Saint's Feast Day or Papal Celebration!  We used this idea to celebrate the Canonization of JPII and John XXIII this past weekend at the same time as we gathered for our Rome Pilgrimage Reunion.

 

Caprese salad is a common salad entrée found in Rome so we thought it quite fitting for an Italian feast! 

 

Don't forget that both St. Catherine of Siena and St. Francis of Assisi are the 2 Patron Saints of Italy...It would be quite fitting for their feast days as well:)

It's very simple to put together and even more festive in the shape of the Italian flag!

Ingredients:

Typically, Caprese consists of  sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. It's that easy and it's so fresh and delicious!

*I used a fresh mozzarella log and Roma tomatoes for the flag so the shapes would correspond in size.*

 

Depending on your taste, balsamic vinegar may be added or a different blend of spices.  Dining in Rome, we rarely experienced it being served with vinegar.

Instructions:

Wash and gently dry fresh basil leaves and set aside.  Slice fresh mozzarella log and tomatoes of choice.  (We used Roma) Arrange according to flag colors, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Buon appetite!

 

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All Souls Prayer Parfait

I know that most of our families have had an overload of treats this time of year!  However, just in case you might be looking for a quick dessert to fill tummies after your All Souls Day prayers, here's an easy idea for you…All Souls Prayer Parfaits!  

You could use a variety of things but this is what we used...

Ingredients:

Clear plastic cups or glasses

Instant Jell-o vanilla pudding

Orange sprinkles

Crushed oreo cookies

Ghost Peeps

Opt: Whipped cream

*Toothpicks and tape to hold paper prayer sign*

We just cut out little slips of paper and taped them to the back of the toothpicks.  The toothpicks work great, sticking right into our little "souls":)

Easy Instructions:

Make Jell-o pudding according to box.

Layer pudding, sprinkles and crushed oreos.

*Note: We thought it would be cute to add whipped cream to the top but didn't have any on hand!*

God bless you for your generous prayers for All Souls!

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Queenship Cheese and Cracker Crown Platter

+Happy Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary+

Sharing a very simple idea to celebrate our most holy mother and Queen of heaven.

Crown Cheese and Crackers

Ingredients:

Mini Babybel cheese

Pita chips or favorite cracker

Tools:

Paring knife

Instructions:

After taking off the wrapping paper, gently carve a crown-shape in the top layer of the wax.  You don't need to press very hard and the wax pops right out, leaving the paper tab in place underneath.

Place on a platter, with crackers, for serving.

If you have a crown-shaped cookie cutter, you could add some fruit!

Father, you have given us the mother of your Son to be our queen and mother.  With the support of her prayers may we come to share the glory of your children in the kingdom of heaven.

(Taken from the Mass of the Queenship of Mary)

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St. Ignatius Cupcakes

~Happy Feast of St. Ignatius~

Our family loves this story of a brave Spanish soldier, who longed to be a knight.  In fact, his story inspired our cupcake decor!

After surviving a shot in the legs with a canon, he read the Bible and the lives of the saints while he recovered for months in bed.  Deciding he wanted to give his life to God, he made a pilgrimage to Montserrat, Spain, where a statue of the Virgin Mary still stands, carved by St. Luke.  There at the altar, he left his sword and all of his riches, deciding to devote his life to God.  

(Hence, the sword-shaped toothpicks came in handy for cupcake decor:)  

He went on to be a soldier for Christ and helped protect the teachings of the Church as part of the counter-Reformation in the 1500's.

He started the Society of Jesus, known as the "Jesuits."

IHS 
is the greek translation for the Holy Name of Jesus which became the symbol for the Jesuits.  Our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis, is a Jesuit so how neat is that?
St. Ignatius of Loyola is also know for writing the well-know Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.

Ingredients:

Your favorite cake/cupcake mix

Chocolate frosting

Icing for writing

Sword-shaped toothpicks 

Instructions:

Bake the cupcakes according to instructions and decorate according to the symbols of St. Ignatius above.

Enjoy learning about another great saint!

"Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow his grace to mold them accordingly." ~St. Ignatius Loyola~

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Chocolate Graham Scapulars

+Happy Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel+

Here's a simple idea to help celebrate!

This is all you need!

(No, I take that back. Our Lady is really all you need...To lead you closer to Jesus, of course!;) But here's a few more things you might need to make these treats...

Ingredients:

Chocolate Graham Crackers

Marshmallow Creme

Various colors of icing

Instructions:

Spread graham crackers with marshmallow creme and decorate with preferred scapular pattern.  The basic designs are obviously easier to make:)

Enjoy!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, please pray for us!

Enjoy more information about this feast day here.

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Sacred and Immaculate Heart Fruit Pizza

Here's an idea for the upcoming Feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary...

Fruit Pizza!

Ingredients:

1 16 oz roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 Cup of Cool Whipped topping

1/2 Cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 Cups strawberries 

1 Cup blueberries

Handful of chocolate chips

(Double ingredients for a larger sized cookie sheet)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Press roll of refrigerated cookie dough into a 15x10 cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla.  Fold in Cool Whip until combined.  Spread on completely cooled sugar cookie crust and top with fruit for design.  Chocolate chips were used for the cross above the Sacred Heart.

This was a larger sized cookie sheet that I made for our family.

Design trick: I used a paper template and traced the heart shape gently with a toothpick.  

This provided an easy guide to outline with blueberries and fill in with strawberries!  It was really very easy...

Then I made an extra one for a friend:)

+Happy Feasting in the name of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary+

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Happy Pentecost!

Sharing a fun Holy Spirit fruit platter to make for Pentecost or even a Confirmation celebration.  It's super easy and healthy too:)

Ingredients...Sliced strawberries (bananas used for eyes and wing tail).

+Come Holy Spirit+

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St. Mark Fruit Plates

Hi there!

Just popping in to share fun, healthy and easy fruit plates for the feast of St. Mark.  I do think they're kind of cute too:)

They're so easy, kids of all ages could even assemble themselves!

We made individual fruit plates but one large plate would be sweet too.

For one individual plate, I used approximately 2 cutie oranges.  In addition, making 4 plates used 2 kiwi, 1 apple and 1 banana.  

(I cut slits in the apple for the teeth....The kids liked this part the best:)

+Happy Feast of St. Mark+

"Evangelist Mark is represented as a lion because he begins his Gospel in the wilderness, `The voice of one crying in the desert: Make ready the way of the Lord,' or because he presents the Lord as the unconquered King."~Catholic Culture

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Pre Ash Wednesday Dust Cake

Believe it or not, Lent is coming soon!

Here's a hands-on idea to do with young children Pre-Ash Wednesday to talk about the meaning. 

Warning...It's messy! Be Not Afraid because that's just the point! The messiness highlights us, we who are all messy sinners, when left to our own devices. It's only with God's help that we are clean again.

As you crumble up the messy "Dust" Cake, talk about how it reminds us of Ash Wednesday and the words of the priest when he places the ashes on our foreheads: 

"Remember, you are dust, and unto dust you shall return."  (Genesis 3:19)

It's a tangible reminder that God made us out of dust (a lifeless existence) and someday we all return to dust until we are (hopefully) raised again by Christ on the last day. The hopeful part is where the ashes come in as they remind us to turn away from our dirt (sin) and get right (clean) with God!

*Only God can bless our dirty mess*

Dust Cake

There are many variations that you can use, even Gluten-free, but we used this one: 

• One box chocolate cake mix, baked ahead of time according to the directions on box 
• One small box of instant chocolate pudding 
• One small package of gummy worms 

Have the cake ready and cooled ahead of time. Make the pudding according to directions. Dump the cake into individual bowls and let the children break it up with their hands until there are plenty of chunks broken down into "dust" or crumbs. Stir in the pudding and add the gummy worms, representing our sin and messiness. Eat up and clean up, just like the results of God's mercy and grace!

Just A Few Fun Facts about Ash Wednesday To Share

 While Making Dust Cake:

• People have been using ashes as a sign of repentance since Old Testament times. Look it up! (Daniel 9:3-6) 
• Since Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Catholics, it's a time for us to stop and reflect upon our own walk with God and where we might have gotten off track. For many of us, the ashes are an outward expression (and reminder) of our broken nature and the deep necessity for reconciliation (repentance) in order to be whole again. 
• For over 1200 years, faithful followers have received ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. 
• Remember those palm fronds from Palm Sunday? They were saved to be burned for this year's ashes. They are burned, incensed, and blessed with holy water, using prayers that are thousands of years old. 

+God Bless your Lenten preparations+

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