A Grotto for Our Lady

Our Lady of Lourdes
"Fruity Pebbles" Grotto

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick butter or margarine
• 10.5 oz. pkg. mini marshmallows
• 13 oz. box Fruity Pebbles Cereal (about 8-1/2 cups)

Directions:

Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan and grease lightly.

In a large pan, melt butter. Add marshmallows, stirring constantly until melted

Add cereal; mix well. (Grease your spoon or spatula before mixing.)

Place cereal mixture into pan. Top with parchment paper and press mixture firmly into pan. Remove parchment and allow mixture to cool.

Before completley cooled (read: still pliable), lift cereal bars from pan using foil handles, and cut into 18 squares (or rectangles). A pizza cutter works well for this task.

Use four squares for the back wall of the grotto and one square cut in half for the floor. Build up the walls with all but four of the remaining squares. Mold three squares into the roof and cut the last square in half to add to the sides of the roof. You may need to play around with it a little bit and trim the edges if you'd like.

(This idea was originally suggested in a thread at 4Real. I also posted other ideas for celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes here.)

Our Lady of Lourdes ~ Pray for us!!

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A (Blue) French meal for Our Lady of Lourdes

"'Cordon Bleu' is a French term, literally translated as 'blue ribbon'. The main dish for today's feast day is Chicken Cordon Bleu and for dessert we will have Crepes with vanilla ice cream and blueberries.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream


Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

Dessert Crepes

4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt


In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, flour sugar and salt until smooth.
Heat a medium-sized skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Grease pan with a small amount of butter or oil applied with a brush or paper towel. Using a serving spoon or small ladle, spoon about 3 tablespoons crepe batter into hot pan, tilting the pan so that bottom surface is evenly coated. Cook over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes on a side, or until golden brown. Serve immediately. Top with vanilla ice cream and blueberries.

These recipes can be found at Allrecipes.com

Litany to Our Lady of Lourdes

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Blueberry Muffins for Our Lady

An easy way to celebrate any of the Blessed Virgin Mary's feast days is by incorporating the colors that symbolize her into our meals for that day. The color white symbolizes Mary's purity and blue is the traditional color of her mantle and/or sash.

Since the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is coming up on February 11th, I thought I would share a yummy recipe for Blueberry Muffins that we are planning on including in our celebration. (This recipe was adapted from one I found over at All Recipes.)

These muffins would also be great for any Saturday morning breakfast, since Saturdays are devoted to Mary.

Blueberry Muffins for Our Lady

INGREDIENTS

Muffins:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
  
• 2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  

I prefer increasing the blueberries to 3 cups, though I didn't have enough in my freezer for our latest batch. They were missed!

Crumb Topping:

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 TBS butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray muffin pan with Pam or other non-stick spray or line with muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in large bowl. In a 2 cup measuring cup, place vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and enough milk (just over 2/3 cups) to fill to the 2 cup mark. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. (Note: The batter is extremely thick.) Fill muffin cups right to the top for oversized muffins.

To make the crumb topping: mix together 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 3 Tbs butter, and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with a fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

This recipes yields approximately 12-16 extra generously sized delicious muffins.

Our Lady of Lourdes ~ Pray for Us!

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Saint Agatha Rolls

From Catholic Culture: St. Agatha died in defense of her purity, in Catania, Sicily, where she was born. After Quintanus, the governor of Sicily, tried in vain to force her to consent to sin, she was imprisioned for a month with an evil woman. He then turn from sensuality to cruelty and had her breats cut off; but that night Agatha was healed by St. Peter. She was then rolled over sharp stones and burning coals, and finally taken to prison where she died while praying. Her name appears in the Roman Canon.

In iconography, Saint Agatha is often shown carrying her breasts on a platter, though later artists thought the breasts to be either bells or loaves of bread, leading to the custom of blessing bread on Saint Agatha's feast day and her patronage of bell makers.

Saint Agatha Rolls from a recipe found at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions

Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in mixer and knead for 7 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.


Prayer to Saint Agatha

Oh St. Agatha, who withstood the unwelcome advances from unwanted suitors, and suffered pain and torture for your devotion to Our Lord, we celebrate your faith, dignity and martyrdom. Protect us against rape and other violations, guard us against breast cancer and other afflictions of women, and inspire us to overcome adversity. Oh St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, mercifully grant that we who venerate your sacrifice, may receive your intercession. Amen

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Fun and Fancy Folds - Napkin Folding for Feast Days

Napkins, a functional part of every meal, can be folded into fanciful forms to become a joyful addition to your table and feast day meal. There are numerous napkin folding styles that could be used to represent symbols of saints or liturgical seasons. Especially for those days when you don’t have the time to prepare any feast oriented foods to serve, this can be an easy and appealing way to dress up the feast day table. Folding napkins need not be a time consuming chore, but a quick and enjoyable experience with dramatic results. It’s a great hands-on project for the children. When getting started it's helpful to know that cotton and linen napkins hold a better crease. Polyester blends require less care but do not hold a crease well.

Take today for example – the Feast of the Presentation or Candlemas. Need a last minute addition to help the feast day have some visual appeal? – there are several different napkin folds reminiscent of tapers or candles:

Pictured here are the “Candlestick” or “Candle” style on the left, and Nightlight” on the right. You can link to a tutorial of the “Candlestick” here and “Nightlight” here.

This idea – which, for lack of a better description, I have been referring to as liturgical napkin folding, holds much promise . There are so many ideas and there is much that could be done with it if you are so inclined. Even if there is not a particular shape we can fold to fit the feast day as a symbol, there are many folds that will enclose a favor that can be used to tuck a holy card, or flower, or other seasonal token inside to remind us of the focus of the feast day. Another simple idea like varying the napkin colors, even if not folded at all, can tie in the liturgical seasons - Purple in Advent and Lent, Red for Pentecost, the Passion, or Martyrs’ feasts, White (or Gold) for the feast of Our Lord, Blue (or White) to honor Our Lady’s feasts, Green in Ordinary Time. You can also stick to simple folds or rolled napkins and dress those up with napkin rings that tie into the feasts and seasons. I have lots of ideas and will be sharing those with you in upcoming posts.

****And I know I am posting this late this afternoon, so if you don’t see this in time for Candlemas don’t fret, the candle napkins would be perfect again tomorrow, February 3, for the feast of St. Blase.

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Candle cake for Candlemas

Fisheaters have an excellent commentary on the feast of Candlemas, it is worth a visit to read it all, I've just quoted below on the significance of candles:

Now, before Simeon gave this prophecy to Our Lady, he referred to her Infant Son as the Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and because of this, light and candles play an important role before and during the Mass, hence the most common name for this Feast -- "Candlemas."

On this day, there will be a Blessing of the Candles and Procession. The symbolism of the candles is described by Dom Prosper Guéranger, OSB, in his "Liturgical Year":

The mystery of today's ceremony has frequently been explained by liturgists, dating from the 7th century. According to Ivo of Chartres, the wax, which is formed from the juice of flowers by the bee, always considered as the emblem of virginity, signifies the virginal flesh of the Divine Infant, who diminished not, either by His conception or His birth, the spotless purity of His Blessed Mother. The same holy bishop would have us see, in the flame of our Candle, a symbol of Jesus who came to enlighten our darkness. St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking on the same mystery, bids us consider three things in the blessed Candle: the wax, the wick, and the flame. The wax, he says, which is the production of the virginal bee, is the Flesh of our Lord; the wick, which is within, is His Soul; the flame, which burns on top, is His divinity.

The candle blessing -- one of the three principle blessings of the liturgical year, the others being the blessing of palms and ashes -- will be given by the priest wearing a purple cope. He will pray 5 prayers over the candles placed near the Altar. The candles are sprinkled three times while the Aspérges me is sung, and then they are incensed and distributed. When we take a blessed candle from the priest's hand, we kiss the candle and then the priest's hand, just as we do on Palm Sunday when we kiss the palm and then the priest's hand when receiving the blessed palms.

During the Distribution, the Nunc Dimittis -- the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32) -- is sung:

Now dismiss Thy servant, O Lord,

In peace, according to Thy word:

For mine own eyes hath seen Thy salvation,

Which Thou hast prepared in the sight of all the peoples,

A light to reveal Thee to the nations

And the glory of Thy people Israel.

Latin Version: Nunc Dimittis

Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine

Secundum verbum tuum in pace:

Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum

Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum:

Lumen ad revelationem gentium, Et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.

I've just posted our Candlemas craft activity, the idea orginally coming from Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda. for anyone looking for a craft and a recipe.

Quick and Simple Candlemas Candle Cake

In typical fashion, I've wanted something easy but eye-catching for the children, so this is what I've come up with.

I bought a jam and cream sponge roll. Placed it vertically on the plate.

Made up a fairly thick batch of icing...using icing sugar, butter and water. (vanilla essence for flavour may be nice)

I bought a fruit stick and stuck it in on the top.

Some red candy strap...folded over and using sissors, cut into the shape of a flame.

The strap is folded over the stick and pinched together on the sides.

All done! Very simple and fuss free.

My youngest child's baptismal day is Candlemas, so this cake is for her!

Happy Feastday!

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Candlemas Crepes

I would like to thank Jessica for extending me the invitation to be a contributor of this lovely blog. I admire all of the women who contribute here, and appreciate being invited to offer my own family's traditional recipes for honoring all of the celebratory days on the Catholic liturgical calendar.

February 2 is the Feast of Candlemas -- the Presentation of Our Lord, traditionally known as the Purification of Mary. According to Catholicculture.org, "In obedience to the Old Law, the Lord Jesus, the first-born, was presented in the Temple by his Blessed Mother and his foster father. This is another 'epiphany' celebration insofar as the Christ Child is revealed as the Messiah through the canticle and words of Simeon and the testimony of Anna the prophetess. Christ is the light of the nations, hence the blessing and procession of candles on this day. In the Middle Ages this feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or 'Candlemas,' was of great importance."



To celebrate Candlemas, my family enjoys these cream-filled crepes. Crepes are traditionally eaten on Candlemas and Shrove Tuesday "to celebrate renewal, family life, and hopes for good fortune and happiness in the future," according to Catholicculture.org. I think that the crepes look like a swaddled baby, and visually remind us of Mary's First Sorrow, when she and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple and Simeon prophesied that Mary's heart would be pierced by her love for her Son. As we enjoy these sweet cream and berry crepes, we can remember Mary's sweet sorrow as she both loved her infant Son, yet knew that the future would bring great sorrow.

Candlemas Crepes (Sweet Cream and Berry Crepes)
serves 6 (12 filled crepes -- two for each)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. milk
1/2 c. lukewarm water
4 large eggs
4 T. butter, melted
3 T. sugar
pinch salt
baking spray or a bit of butter for the crepe pan
1 bag frozen mixed berries, thawed
4 T. sugar
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
4 T. powdered sugar
4 T. juice from the sweetened berries

Sprinkle thawed berries with 4 T. sugar.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Make crepes:
Place flour, milk, water, eggs, butter, 3 T. sugar,
and pinch salt in blender.
Blend until well whipped.
Pour batter into a container with a pouring spout (if your blender doesn't have one).
Heat non-stick crepe pan (omelet pan) over med. high heat.
Spray with baking spray or lightly butter.
When pan is hot, pour two tablespoons batter into pan
and rotate pan until the bottom is coated with a thin, but not paper thin, layer.
Cook until the top is set and the bottom is lightly golden browned.
Flip, using your fingers, or a spatula.
This might take a few times to get it right,
if you've never made crepes before.
Just sacrifice a few for practice.
After turning, cook until the other side is lightly browned.
Remove from pan and cool on wax paper.
Place wax paper between each finished crepe.
You may have a little more batter than you need for this recipe,
depending on the size of your pan.
You can make them and freeze them or just pitch the extra batter.

Crepes can be made hours, or even days ahead,
refrigerated, and then assembled at the last minute.
Or you can make them just before assembling, like I did.

Whip whipping cream with mixer,
adding powdered sugar and berry juice until soft peaks form
(the berry juice is really just for pink color -- this step can be omitted if you don't care about the color).

Place two crepes on each plate.
Place 2-3 T. whipping cream down the center.
Roll crepe, and place the seam on the bottom.
Repeat with other crepe.
Spoon several spoons of berries and juice across both crepes.

Repeat with five more plates.

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