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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A Simple Treat for the Feast of Sts. Louis & Zélie Martin

Happy feast of Sts. Louis & Zélie Martin!  Today is the first time we celebrate their feast as canonized saints! I had hoped to have time to bake another French Vanilla Cake and Cupcakes in Honor of the Watchmaker and Lace Maker but our schedule was too full and I had to simplify. After searching through the pantry I decided to simply twist open some Oreo cookies, decorate each as a "watch face" using some melted chocolate, and then serve them on top of small rose covered lace paper doilies.

Tip: After twisting open the cookies, scrape off any cookie crumbs with the smooth side of a knife.

I just cut off the corner of a snack baggie and squeezed the melted chocolate through the small hole to decorate each cookie. Not perfect by any means, but my little ones loved them!  You can see the rest of our celebration over at Shower of Roses. 

Sts. Louis & Zélie Martin, pray for us! 

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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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Sacred Heart Quesadillas

The month of June is dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The following recipe for Sacred Heart Quesadillas was submitted by Tatiana. Thank you, Tatiana! 

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I made these homemade organic flour tortillas, cut with a cookie cutter, and decorated with what I had on hand...tomatoes. It is much easier to cut pre-made tortillas if in a hurry.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Directions: 

1. Mix 5 tablespoons of soft coconut oil or butter into to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour until evenly distributed.  
2. Dissolve 3/4 teaspoon salt into 3/4 cup of warm water. 
3. Add water gradually flour until a dough ball is formed. Use your hands to knead. Add more flour or water as needed. 
4. Separate dough into 12 balls. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. 
5. Roll out as thin as possible. Use flour if needed. 
6. Cook on medium until it starts to bubble. Flip over and add cheese, cover with another tortilla that has one side already cooked, then flip over again as cheese starts to melt. 
7. Garnish with tomatoes in honor to recall the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, have mercy on us!

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St. Anthony "Little Tongues" Linguini

In a recent post for St. Mark's feast day I suggested a penne pasta dish for the pasta shape symbolism of quills. As shared then, there are hundreds of kinds of Italian pastas, and each one has its own special name and the names are usually symbolic to the shapes. I am finding it fun to make a connections for creative dish or celebrations for saints and their symbols.

Linguini is a long flat pasta, (thinner and more narrow than fettucine). Linguine means “little tongues” in Italian due to this shape. It is a versatile pasta and often used with a savory seafood sauces.

 In thinking of the significance of the tongue shape for any saints, I thought of several with a tongue association. St. Anthony of Padua, whose feast is June 13 was known as a gifted preacher. When his crypt was opened, they found that the saint’s body had been reduced to dust and bones, but his tongue was intact and life-like. This was taken a sign from God confirming the ardent gifts of preaching and teaching that Saint Anthony had enjoyed on earth. There are also a couple saints who are referred to as "honey-tongued" doctors - St. Ambrose and St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

Pasta is a great option because it is quick to prepare and can be paired with a prepared sauce or simple seasoning and make an easy feast day meal or side. I decided to pair some linguine with pesto for a light side dish. In addition to being delicious pesto contains basil as a main ingredient. There is a custom in Italy of giving pots of basil away on St. Anthony's feast day and so I have come to associate basil with St. Anthony. Including a basil component to the linguine increased that symbolism, but any Italian sauce or flavoring would be appropriate for this beloved saint, who died in Italy. Thinking ahead to the other possible tongue symbol saints, a honey based pasta sauce seems fitting.

So I hope you consider an easy side for St. Anthony's feast day - "little tongue" linguine in remembrance of his eloquent preaching.

St. Anthony of Padua, Pray for us!

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Holy Spirit Cupcakes for Pentecost

Decorate cupcakes with red sprinkles and white chocolate doves for a simple and symbolic Pentecost dessert! I packed along these cupcakes to share at our Homeschool Family Camp last year.

Candy molds are easy to use and can be purchased inexpensively online. Other options include these Pentecost Cupcakes made with dove cupcake picks from the wedding section of the craft store and these beautiful Flaming Cupcakes for Pentecost! 

You can find additional recipes for Pentecost in the archives. Our family favorite has always been a Symbolic Birthday Cake for our beloved Church. I hope you all have a blessed Pentecost Sunday!

One loving spirit sets another on fire. 

~ St. Augustine

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Ascension Cake

Our diocese is one that has moved the Solemnity of the Ascension to Sunday -- today, so today we celebrated Ascension Sunday and Mother's Day. 

My mother happens to love my deep dark chocolate cake frosted with whipped cream rather than buttercream frosting, and whipped cream just makes such heavenly looking clouds of yum, that I was reminded of the Ascension of Jesus. 

"When they had gathered together they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? ' He answered them, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight." Acts 1:6-9

GAROFALO
Ascension of Christ

I created some edible Sacred Hearts of Jesus with strawberries, some melted chocolate chips in an icing bag (or ziploc bag) and some whipped cream tinted orange for some flames. It didn't turn out quite exactly what I had in mind, but the ratio of result to work was pretty high (ie very little work) and the taste was delicious, so I'll not complain. Believe me, if you've never decorated a cake, you can handle this one.

You could technically hide any cake under the whipped cream, but my mom loves the contrast of the dark chocolate cake with the whipped cream, and it was Mother's Day, so dark chocolate it was. This cake is from scratch, but don't let that fool you -- it couldn't be easier. And frosting with whipped cream is so foolproof, you can have this cake finished in no time. 

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 ½ t. baking soda
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cups oil
2 t. vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two round 9” pans.
In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
Beat on medium speed for two minutes.
Stir in boiling water (by hand). (Batter will be thin.)
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes
(inserted toothpick will have moist crumbs, but nothing "wet").
Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Cool completely before frosting.


Whipped Cream Frosting

3 c. whipping cream
4 T. instant vanilla pudding mix
4 T. powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, begin whipping cream on medium.
Add pudding mix and powdered sugar and turn up to high.
Whip until cream is very fluffy and holds its peaks
(just don't go to far and make butter).
After cake is completely cool, frost in between layers, sides and top of cake.
Decorate if desired.

For Sacred Heart strawberries:

Wash and pat dry two large strawberries (cut them so that you get 
two heart-shaped halves from each).

Cut the leaves out by cutting out the hull and creating a heart shape at the cut end. 

Place 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in an icing bag. Microwave for 30-60 seconds until melted. Cut tip off bag and pipe chocolate onto the strawberry in the shape of a crown of thorns (it might help to refer to an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Let chocolate set and then place them in the center of the cake (if you have smaller strawberries than I did, you might need to use three -- for six halves). Tint a little bit of whipped cream yellow or orange and place in icing (or ziploc bag). Pipe flames coming from the tops of the "hearts".

Refrigerate cake before serving and refrigerate leftovers.

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