On the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

Our family is headed to a local parade and then swimming, but I wanted to quickly share our lunch plans for today repeated from our first unit of the Papal Lap Book:  "The Barque of Peter" Banana Boats with a Fishers of Men Snack!

"The Barque of Peter" Banana Boats

Ingredients:

• Bananas
• 1 bun for every banana
• 2 Tbs of Peanut Butter (or other spread of your choice)
• Optional toppings (chopped nuts, chocolate, or other toppings you might find on a ice cream sundae)

Directions:

Begin by toasting your bun. Let the bun cool a bit before spreading the peanut butter (or other spread) on each side.  Peel the bananas and place them inside each bun. If you are adding addition toppings, drizzle a little more peanut butter over the banana so that the toppings stay put.  Enjoy! 

Additional ideas for these great saints can be found in the archives (St. Peter and St. Paul) or in this post at Shower of Roses. 

O God, whose right hand raised up blessed Peter, when he walked upon the water and began to sink, and thrice delivered his fellow-Apostle Paul from the depths of the sea, when he suffered shipwreck: graciously hear us and grant, by the merits of them both, that we also may attain unto everlasting glory: Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Sts. Peter and Paul, Pray for Us! 

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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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Sacred & Immaculate Heart Cookies

In honor of the upcoming feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, here is an updated version of the Sacred Heart Cookies which can be found in the archives.

Sacred & Immaculate Heart Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• White Icing
• Chocolate Sprinkles
• Pearl or Flower Shaped Sprinkles
• Various colors of Sparkle Gel

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into hearts with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. 

 

Add caption

After the cookies have cooled, cover each heart with white frosting.  

 

Add a red heart to the center of each cookie with red frosting, using additional yellow or orange frosting to create a flame.

For Sacred Heart cookies add chocolate sprinkles to represent the thorns across the center.

For Immaculate Heart cookies add pearl or flower shaped sprinkles and green leaves. 

"In the Sacred Heart every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden. In that Divine Heart beats God's infinite love for everyone, for each one of us individually." 

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Tacos for Trinity Sunday

The following menu suggestions for Trinity Sunday, along with the pictures, were submitted by Angie from Jesse Tree Treasures.

To celebrate Trinity Sunday (last year) we had Trinity tacos!
The menu included a trio of fresh berries.
Three types of tortillas (soft flour, soft corn and hard shell corn)
A trio of dips and salsas (homemade guacamole, seasoned sour cream, and salsa)
Tri-color peppers
Three cheeses
And if you really want to go all out, you could do three meats with taco meat and fajita chicken and steak. We just stuck with taco meat.

This is a fun and healthy meal that the kids love. The best part is... It is allergy friendly. It is extremely difficult to find a meal the whole family can eat because of the various allergies. Tacos are a favorite, because everyone can stay away from their offending food. If you still have room for dessert, you can have a "Trinity Sundae" with 3 scoops of ice cream and 3 toppings or 3 cherries. Enjoy!  (Editor note:  You can also find a Trio of Sundae Solemnities in the archives!)

Guacamole Recipe
I used to be intimidated by the thought of making homemade guacamole, now I make it all the time, it is so simple.
All you need are: 2-3 avocados (they should yield a bit to your finger pressure, but not feel hollow).
Mash with a fork or two knives. If it is a little chunky that's fine, I like it better that way.
Add sea salt, chili powder and lime juice to taste, and that's it! Yum!
If you like to add things to it, try red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and red peppers.

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Celebrating Pentecost {and 2013 Link-Up!}

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday! Since Pentecost if the Birthday of the Church, our family always celebrates with a birthday cake! Our cake is a usually a white cake with white frosting since Pentecost is also known as Whitsunday. The large candle in center represents Christ our Light, who promised to send the Holy Ghost, and the 12 smaller white candles represent the 12 Apostle and the tongues of fire. The 7 red hearts (strawberry slices on this cake) represent the 7 gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the 12 strawberries, placed around the cake, represent the 12 fruits of the Holy Ghost.

After singing Happy Birthday to the Church, our kids blow out the candles with a "mighty wind."

Pentecost Sunday 2012 (full post at Shower of Roses)

You can find lots of other ideas for celebrating Pentecost in the archives and in last year's link-up. 

Be sure to take pictures tomorrow to share in the link-up below.
To Participate:

1. Create a post about your Pentecost Sunday celebration.
2. Using the linky below, enter the exact link to your post.
3. Add a link your post, referring back to this post so that others can find the link-up as well!
4. Be sure to visit the links and see how everyone else has been celebrating!

O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord.

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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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A Cupcake Rosary for Our Lady

The following post was submitted by Adoro Te Catholic Home Educators.  You can visit them on Facebook.  The girls in The Little Women’s Hospitality Club did an amazing job creating this Cupcake Rosary for Our Lady! 

Adoro Te Catholic Home Educators of Connecticut capped off their annual end-of-the-year May Crowning with a Rosary. A cupcake Rosary, that is. The 10-12 year old girls in The Little Women’s Hospitality Club (part of Catholic Children’s Clubs) baked dozens of fluffy “beads,” arranged the edible display, and served it to 100 hungry children and their moms.

Each cupcake was adorned with an image stamped in marshmallow fondant. The Hail Mary beads (standard-sized cupcakes) were baked in brown cupcake papers and stamped with a rose cookie mold from The Springerle Baker. The Our Father beads (baked in a Texas cupcake pan *) were stamped with a Greek cross surrounded by a Greek inscription that reads, “May the Blessings of the Lord be upon you.” We used a bread stamp from Prosphora Stamp Central.

The medal centerpiece was stamped with a Madonna and Child icon bread stamp, also from Prosphora Stamp Central, and baked in a Fat Daddio’s aluminum round cake pan. The crucifix was stamped with a Crucifixion springerle cookie mold from House on the Hill. It was baked in a rectangular Fat Daddio’s aluminum bread pan.

*Baking tip: To ensure straight, even crowns on your Texas cupcakes, place one cupcake pan on top of the other. Spray both pans with cooking spray and fill one pan ¾ of the way with batter. Invert the second pan and place it evenly atop the filled pan for baking.

The recipe for the marshmallow fondant can be found here.

Stamping marshmallow toppers: Dust your work surface and the stamp with powdered sugar. Roll out the marshmallow fondant like you would cookie dough. Press the stamp into the fondant, cut out design with a circle cutter, and remove the topper before stamping the next section of fondant. Be sure to dust your stamp every time you stamp the dough.
Use frosting to attach the topper to the cake.

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