Blueberry Pie for the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The following recipe was submitted by Julie Machado, from Marta, Julie e Maria, for the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary. Thank you, Julie! 

I found the recipe for this blueberry pie on the Like Mother Like Daughter blog. The recipe is originally from Taste of Home and is super easy to make. I used filo dough for the crust and cut out Mary's name to put on top. Even though the recipe doesn't call for baking, I baked it about ten minutes (and had prebaked it before) until the letters were slightly golden. This recipe for blueberry pie really is delicious!

Blueberry Pie for the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 5 cups fresh blueberries, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked
• extra filo dough for "MARY" 

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and water until smooth. Add 3 cups blueberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from the heat. Add butter, lemon juice and remaining berries; stir until butter is melted. Cool. Pour into pastry shell.

Add the name of Mary to the top of the pie and bake for about ten minutes, or until the letters are slightly golden. Let cool. Refrigerate until serving.

Additional recipes for the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary can be found in the archives. 

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Holy Name of Mary - Our Lady Star of the Sea

According the Catholic Encyclopedia, “We venerate the name of Mary because it belongs to her who is the Mother of God, the holiest of creatures, the Queen of heaven and earth, the Mother of Mercy. The object of the feast is the Holy Virgin bearing the name of Mirjam (Mary); the feast commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God and all the graces we have received through her intercession and mediation.

The feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary originated in Spain and was approved in 1513.  In 1683, Pope Innocent XI extended the celebration of the feast day to the universal Church to be celebrated September 12. While the feast day was removed from the universal calendar following 1970 Missal revisions, Pope John Paul reinstituted the feast day, as an “optional memorial” in 2003. 

Our lady is known by many names. Some are place names associated with her or with apparitions. Others are based on her intercession for particular needs. Many evoke images of her leading us to her Son so are symbolic. On this official day which we recognize the holy name of Mary, it is a good time to think of the many names by which she is known and which hold special significance for devotion. Learn a new name. Find out why she is referred to by that name.

One name that I particularly love is Our Lady Star of the Sea, or Stella Maris. Listed here are some of the quotes related to the name and on the origin of this title in reference to the Blessed Mother.

The Hebrew name Miryam, meaning drop of the sea, was translated by St. Jerome into Stilla Maris, but at some later stage a copyist transcribed this into Stella Maris - star of the sea, and this transcription error became widespread.

Paschasius Radbertus in the ninth century wrote of Mary, Star of the Sea, as a guide to be followed on the way to Christ "lest we capsize amid the storm-tossed waves of the sea." At this time too the plainsong hymn "Ave Maris Stella" ("Hail, Star of the Sea"), became increasingly popular.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote: "If the winds of temptation arise; If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation look to the star, call on Mary; If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary. Should anger, or avarice, or fleshly desire violently assail the frail vessel of your soul, look at the star, call upon Mary."

Pope Pius XII in his encyclical, Doctor Mellifluus, also quoted Bernard of Clairvaux in saying; Mary ... is interpreted to mean 'Star of the Sea.' This admirably befits the Virgin Mother.. (for) as the ray does not diminish the brightness of the star, so neither did the Child born of her tarnish the beauty of Mary's virginity.

I saw this candy mold online last year thought it would be perfect for something Stella Maris themed for this feast day. It could be used for a variety of sea star treats - like chocolate, candy melts, fudge.  I adapted a favorite peanut butter ball recipe and instead of rolling it into balls, pressed it into the mold.

Sea Star Bites for Our Lady Star of the Sea 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 2 Tbsp wheat germ
• ⅓ cup raw honey
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

If your molds are small it is a good idea to grind the oats into smaller pieces. In a mixing bowl, mix oats, peanut butter, wheat germ, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla. Make sure it is mixed well.  Press into molds.

Chill the mixture in the fridge for an hour or freezer for 10-15 minutes so that they bind together and can be extracted from the molds more easily.  Serve on plate with sprinkle of crushed graham cracker sand (optional).

Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Pray for Us!

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Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!

Birthdays are always joyous occasions in families. On September 8th, the Church, the Family of God celebrates the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.



We can bake or purchase a white cake to symbolize Our Lady’s purity and top it with a circle of 10 candles to represent one decade of the rosary.

Pray a “Hail Mary” as each you light each candle and then sing Happy Birthday.

(pictures from our family's celebration last year)

Rejoice, O earth, because from the womb of Anna, as from a fertile vine, has sprung a sweet ripe cluster. To the harvesting of this vineyard all are invited, none are excluded - it is the joy of all.  ~ St. John Damascene

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King St. Louis IX, French Food, & Hospitality

King St. Louis, Feast Day: August 25

St. Louis, king of France from to 1236-1270, was known for his generosity and hospitality. Every day King Louis had 13 special guests from among the poor to eat with him, and a large number of poor were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent, all who presented themselves were given a meal, and Louis often served them in person. To remember King St. Louis of France on his feast day let us recall his hospitality with a French dish.   Ratatouille is a hearty French dish and the vegetable ingredients are abundant now in late summer.  It seems a fitting dish to prepare in honor of King St. Louis and experience a little French cuisine.  And in the spirit of King St. Louis, invite some guests to share the meal with you. 

Easy French Ratatouille

Makes 4-6 servings

1 large eggplant
1 medium yellow onions
2 medium bell peppers
3-4 medium zucchini
2 large tomatoes
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1/8 cup loosely packed basil, sliced into ribbons
Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant (if desired) and chop into bite-sized cubes. Transfer them to a strainer set over a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of salt. Let the eggplant sit while preparing other  ingredents. Dice the onions and chop the peppers, zucchinis, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Mince garlic. Veggies will be cooked in batches. 

Warm a teaspoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and salt to taste. Sauté until the onions have softened and are just beginning to brown, (approx. 10 minutes). Add the peppers and continue cooking until the peppers have softened (approx. 5 minutes). Transfer the onions and peppers to a clean bowl.

Add another teaspoon of oil to the pot and sauté the zucchini with a generous pinch of salt until the zucchini has softened and is beginning to brown (approx. 5 minutes). Transfer the zucchini to the bowl with the onions and peppers.

Rinse the eggplant under running water and squeeze the cubes gently with hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to pan and sauté the eggplant until it has softened and has begun to turn translucent (approx. 10 minutes). Transfer the eggplant to the bowl with the other vegetables.

During cooking, a brown glaze will build on the bottom of the pan. If it looks like this glaze is starting to blacken, turn down the heat. To dissolve the glaze between batches add 1/4 cup of water or wine into the pan and scraping up the glaze. Pour the deglazing liquid into the bowl with the vegetables.

Finally add 1 teaspoon of olive oil in the pan and sauté the minced garlic until starting to turn golden. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and sprigs of thyme. As the tomato juice bubbles, scrape up the brown glaze on the bottom of the pan.

Add all of the vegetables back into the pan and stir until everything is evenly mixed. Bring the stew to a simmer, then turn down the heat to low. Stirring occasionally, simmer for at least 20 minutes or up to 90 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Just before taking the ratatouille off the heat, stir in the basil.   Bon appetit!

St. Louis, Pray for us!

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Heavenly Cloud Cookies

Sacred Art Series Rosary Flip Book and Trader Joe's Vanilla Meringues

I picked up a box of Vanilla Meringues  - "Heavenly Cloud Cookies" -  from our local Trader Joe's to serve as a little treat following our family rosary. 

Additional ideas and recipes can be found in the archives. 

Happy Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! 

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Onion Ring Chains "Linked" to August 1 Feasts

While it is no longer on the current liturgical calendar, the feast of St. Peter in Chains was a feast day commemorated on August 1st to recall St. Peter's miraculous release from imprisonment and the dedication in the 4th century of the church Pietro in Vincoli - St. Peter in Chains in Rome.  Last year I posted this St. Peter in Chains Feast Day Bread recipe as an idea to commemorate the feast.

This year I found a quote from St. Alphonsus Liguori whose feast is also on August 1.  He wrote in his sermon "On the Love of Christ":

Since God knew that man is enticed by favours, he wished to bind him to his love by means of his gifts: “I want to catch men with the snares, those chains of love in which they allow themselves to be entrapped, so that they will love me”. 

So another "link" to making chain related feast day foods for August 1. 

Onion Chain Links - Fried Onion Rings

1 onion, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 egg
1 t. baking powder
1 ¼ c. flour
1 t. salt
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
1 c. milk
oil for deep frying

Heat oil to 350 degrees.  Separate the ¼ inch slices of onion into separate rings.  Mix egg and milk, whisking until combined. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in another bowl. Dip onion rings in egg mixture, then in flour mixture.  Dip the flour-coated onion rings back into egg-milk mixture a second time. Place on a wire rack to let excess egg-milk mixture drain.  Place dipped onion rings into Panko bread crumbs and coat completely.  Drop in hot oil and cook 1 minute per side until golden brown color.  Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Sprinkle onion rings with salt to taste.

Serve either as individual links or cut the links so they open and link together several onion rings for a chain of onion rings.  Serve with ranch dressing or spicy dipping sauce.

St. Peter in Chains, Pray for us.

St. Alphonsus Liguori, Pray for us. 

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Serve it in a Scallop Shell

No time for anything fancy on the feast of St. James? Still want to make it fun? A really simple idea is to just serve anything in a scallop shell. Since I had purchased the large shells for the Coquilles St.-Jacques dish, I realized how fun it would be to use for any serving on St. James day. The shells are available at many craft stores and kitchen stores, as well as online outlets like Amazon.

Try serving up a condiment or spice like sea salt pictured here.

The scallop makes a nice sized side dish for serving up salad or fresh fruit. 

A fun dish for snack time, apple slices, orange wedges, carrot stick, etc. Pictured here are goldfish crackers since St. James was both a fisherman and a "fisher of men." 

How about cookies?

It is a great little dish for a dessert, like ice cream for a warm July evening.

The possibilities are numerous.  Enjoy!

Why a scallop shell?

The scallop shell is a common symbol of St. James and is associated with travelers/pilgrims especially on the Camino de Santiago. Earliest connection of the scallop shell to the Camino and saint James is dated in the 10th century. The shell is commonly found on the shores of Galicia and served as a proof of completion of the pilgrimage. In a practical sense, the shell was the right size for gathering water to drink or for eating out of as a makeshift bowl.

There is a legend with a couple versions linking St. James to the shell.  One says that after St. James' death, his disciples took his body by ship to the Iberian Peninsula to be buried. Off the coast a storm hit the ship, and the body was lost to the ocean. After some time, the body washed ashore undamaged, covered in scallops.  Another version states, that as the ship carrying St. James' body approached land, a wedding was taking place on the shore. The young bridegroom was on horseback, and on seeing the ship approaching, his horse got spooked, and the horse and rider plunged into the sea. Through miraculous intervention, the horse and rider emerged from the water alive, covered in seashells.

There are two metaphors I have seen for the shells. The grooves in the shell, which come together at a single point, could represent the various routes pilgrims traveled, eventually arriving at a single destination at the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela. The scallop shell could also represent the pilgrim. As the waves of the ocean wash scallop shells up on the shores of Galicia, God's hand also guides the pilgrims to Santiago.

Whatever the meaning – the various symbolism and stories associated with the scallop and St. James, make it a great visual for the feast day.

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