A Continual Feast... Continued!

I Corinthians 13: The Christmas version

2010-12-08T17:15:00.007-05:00

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals,
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity,
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata,
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love does not envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return,
but rejoices in giving to those who cannot.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things, and
endures all things.

Love never fails.
Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.

Now, how about a quiet cup of tea with some prayers--and kisses and hugs all around to our beloved family members!

(My thanks to Barbara Falk who gave this to me, from a church bulletin.)

Our Daily Bread: Gingerbread Basilica

2010-11-09T18:41:00.005-05:00

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the dedication of The Lateran Basilica.
Thanks to my daily companion, In Conversation with God, (in volume 7) I was able to understand this feast!

It explains that The basilica of St. John Lateran was one of the first churches built by Christians following the early persecutions. It was raised in Rome under the Emperor Constantine and s the first Western church to have the invocation of the Saviour. The Lateran Basilica was consecrated by Pope Sylvester on this day in the year 324.

Originally celebrated in Rome, the feast became universal in the Roman Rite as a sign of unity with the Holy See. This church continues to be the Cathedral of the Roman Pontiff to this day. Its long history evokes memories of the many thousands of people who have received Baptism within its ancient walls.

Here is an image of the beautiful basilica:

Thanks to Nabisco for gingerbread flavored crackers, here is the Vitz family version:

And here is our son Simon's version of a cathedral in blocks:

I think that we will have to experiment with gingerbread recipes for Christmas cathedrals!
Keep a look out!

Saint Jude, Patron of Hopeless Cases, Pray for Us! Celebrating (Near) Disasters in the Kitchen

2010-10-28T16:54:00.005-04:00

When I was in (Catholic) high school, I was graced with a rather eccentric English teacher. At the beginning of every class he started with a prayer (not an unusual thing). He always ended it with “St. Jude, Patron of Hopeless Cases, Pray for Us!” accompanied by a shake of his thick, white hair.

I have often had recourse to this saint in extremis, and I thought it might be appropriate to consider some of the times when divine wisdom or intercession has saved us from what would otherwise be a culinary disaster.

Honestly, we have known so many disasters in our years of food preparation that it is hard to pick just one. But I think our family favorite would have to be the time that a birthday cake, lovingly prepared for the child of the day, was sitting on the kitchen counter. Somehow, someone jostled the spice shelf above it, and down came the pewter pepper grinder: right into the middle of the unsuspecting cake. With no time to do much—let alone bake another, my resourceful mother covered up the enormous hole with a nice spackling of frosting and no one (we believe) was the wiser.

So many times, when following a recipe, it seems like there is just no possible way you’ve done the thing right…and then, lo and behold, out comes your finished product, surprising you! My sister Anna and I recently had that experience with a recipe for Navajo fry bread. It just all seemed wrong, somehow. But at the end of the day, after we decided we’d go ahead and complete the seemingly-failed project, it was delicious.

I encourage you all to post your favorite experiences with “Rescued Disasters”—in honor of St. Jude, that great intercessor in all those “hopeless” cases. If you need a little additional comic relief, I recommend "Cake Wrecks"....

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2010-10-22T08:00:00.015-04:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month--in which we remember and pray for all the women who suffer from this disease, and their families as well.

How can we, on this blog, take up the challenge to honor and encourage these women? Many of them are so heroic in their courage!

I think we will draw on the memory of Agatha, that 3rd century Sicilian martyr, whose torture by the Roman authorities included the cutting off of her breasts. She is an inspiring figure because--like so many other martyrs--she triumphed over her suffering through her faith in God. (We'll return to her on Feb. 5, her feast day.) This is why, in Christian art, Agatha is always shown carrying her breasts boldly on a platter, as in this great painting by Zurbaran. (It is perhaps useful to explain that there is a long tradition, in Christian art, of showing the martyrs cheerfully displaying the instruments with which they were tortured and/or the parts of their body in which they suffered--this, to demonstrate that they rose above that suffering; they are not victims but victors.)

What shall we eat for this commemoration--and to remember Saint Agatha? I vote for foods that remind us of the breast and of Agatha's--and many women's--triumph over suffering!

I propose, for our main dish, ravioli (flat on the bottom, rounded on the top) with Pink Sauce. If you are feeling ambitious, here is a lovely recipe for Lobster Ravioli with Pink Sauce.

For dessert--keeping to our pink theme--how about a nice mound of strawberry ice cream with a strawberry on top?

And let's all raise a glass to the endurance and courage of all these women--and the families and friends who cherish and support them!

Our Daily Bread: Celebrating Patron Feast Days

2010-10-19T14:58:00.006-04:00

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Isaac Jogues. We named our sweet second born Isaac for this saint who had spirit of courageous apostolate. Many boys have remarked that St. Isaac Jogues is "so cool" or "awesome" and there is no wonder why!

St. Issac Jogues came to the New World from France in the 1630s and was the first Catholic priest to set foot on the island of Manhattan. (A fun fact considering that my husband grew up on that island!) St. Isaac then set out to his mission near Lake Superior to bring the message of Christ to the different Indian tribes there. He was captured, tortured and taken to a town near present day Albany on the Mohawk River where he was enslaved. He managed to escape and was sent back to Europe where he arrived on Christmas morning.

He was allowed by Pope Urban VII the very exceptional privlege of celebrating Mass, which the mutilated condition of his hands had made canonically impossible; several of his fingers having been eaten or burned off.

Then St. Isaac Jogues requested to go back to the missions he had left behind in the New World. He was well received by his former captors and the treaty of peace was made. However, a small group of Iroquois stripped him naked, slashed him with their knives, beat him and then led him to the village. On 18 October, 1646, when entering a cabin he was struck with a tomahawk and afterwardsdecapitated. The head was fixed on the Palisades and the body thrown into the Mohawk.

So why name our son Isaac? While we know that our boy would most likely never be called to be a blood martyr for his faith- we are well aware of the fortitude necessary to be a martyr as we witness our faith in the simple, everyday moments of life. A conversation shared with a friend, a job well done, daily small sacrifices are all ways to give your life to God and witness your faith.

Last year, Isaac's Godfather, Uncle Colin, helped to organize a trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs. It was a wonderful place to visit, and well worth the trip!Here is an image from the shrine showing St. Isaac carving a cross and the word "Jesus" into a tree. He was known to carve this into trees as he would pass through the forests to help his contemplative prayer- and he would use it also as a teaching tool!

What to eat? Perhaps your family may enjoy succotash. Our family will enjoy our usual feast day cake!

Celebrating St. Denis, Bishop of Paris

2010-10-09T08:46:00.004-04:00

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Denis (or Dionsysius), Bishop of Paris, an early martyr (AD 272) who, along with his companions, was beheaded for the faith. Sent to the Gauls, Denis appears to have had much success in his missionary endeavors. He and his friends suffered under the persecution of Valerian (though it's not entirely certain which persecution). The martyrs’ bodies were originally thrown into the Seine, but they were later retrieved and buried. A couple of centuries afterwards, a church was erected over their graves which became a favorite among pilgrims.

It seems appropriate to mark the feast of this early and devoted martyr with foods typical of the Gauls, the people whom he came to convert. The Gauls were very involved in pig-farming and so the most natural foods to look at are pork products of all kinds. Blood sausage would be appropriate for St. Denis, but for the more squeamish (or those without ready access to blood sausage like most of us living in North America), pork chops, roasts or other pig-products would also make sense. As this is also apple season, I am suggesting a dish that involved both pork chops and apples (and is quite healthy, as an added bonus)!
(This recipe is taking from Cooking Light)

Pork Loin Chops with Cinnamon Apples

Cooking Light says "Warm flavors like sage and cinnamon play up the contrast between the juicy chops and caramelized apples. Tart Granny Smiths and slightly sweeter Braeburn apples both work well for this dish."

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 3/4 cup apple mixture)

1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon butter
4 cups (1/2-inch) slices peeled Granny Smith apples (about 4 medium)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt

Combine first 3 ingredients, and sprinkle over the pork. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add pork; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the pork from pan. Cover and keep warm.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add apples and remaining ingredients, and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Serve the apples with pork.

Little House on the Prairie learns about Our Lady's Victory at LEPANTO

2010-10-07T16:47:00.006-04:00

"Vivat Hispania!
Domino Gloria!
Don John of Austria
Has set his people free!

Cervantes on his galley sets the sword back in the sheath
(Don John of Austria rides homeward with a wreath.)
And he sees across a weary land a straggling road in Spain,
Up which a lean and foolish knight for ever rides in vain,
And he smiles, but not as Sultans smile, and settles back the blade....
(But Don John of Austria rides home from the Crusade.)"

the closing lines of G.K. Chesterton's poem Lepanto

On October 7^th, 1571, the "Holy League", which was comprised of forces from the Papal States, Spain, Venice and some other Italian states and led by Phillip II's brother Don John, fought and defeated the Ottoman Empire in the sea battle of Lepanto. In the 1560s, the Ottomans attacked the Christian mediterranean and quickly defeated the eastern islands. Pope St. Pius V saw the imminent danger and in 1570 called on the leaders of the West to put aside their differences and unite against the force that was a threat to them all. His appeal, however, was made in vain. Queen Elizabeth in England was focused on her rivalry with Spain, France had befriended the Turks in the past and was at the time under the reign of a sickly Charles IX, and Phillip II of Spain was preoccupied with his new American empire. Phillip II, however, did send his brother Don John of Austria with many ships and men. Rallying all the different forces, Don John led them into a very bloody (it is said that the sea was red with blood for miles around by the end of the battle), but victorious battle in which 8,000 Christian soldiers died but more than 10,000 Christian prisoners, that had been enslaved on the Ottoman ships, were freed.

Pope Pius V, had a particular devotion to Mary, and placed his hopes in the Lord and her intercessory powers. He made sure that all the Christian sailors had rosaries and that they all prayed the rosary before going into battle. It is also said that before setting out, Giovanni Andrea, the Genoese admiral, hung in his flagship a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which had been touched to the original image on Juan Diego’s cloak. It is for this reason that the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (also celebrated under the name of Our Lady of Victory) falls on October 7^th. Apparently, Pope Pius V was in a meeting the moment the battle was won. He immediately rose up and said: "This is not a moment for business; make haste to thank God, because our fleet this moment has won a victory over the Turks.”

I think many meals would be appropriate for this feast day. Maybe something mediterranean? Or Mexican, in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe's intercession. We're having tacos tonight!

Saint Bruno and the Carthusians--October 6

2010-10-06T13:30:00.007-04:00

On October 6, we honor the great 11th-century German founder of the Carthusian order of monks, St. Bruno. The form of monasticism that he founded was (unlike the Benedictines) based on a solitary, hermit-style of life, inspired by the early Christian hermits who lived in the Egyptian deserts.

The Carthusians, though always rather few in number, have had great influence on the spiritual life of the Church throughout the centuries.

If you have not yet seen the film "Into Great Silence," this is a good time to do so. It is a truly remarkable film about the Carthusian monastic experience. Note: it is almost entirely silent and it is long, so be prepared to settle in for several hours--but it is well worth it!

Rather than eating something in St. Bruno's honor, I propose that we take a sip or two of the famous liqueur made by the Carthusians ("Chartreux," in French) called Chartreuse. This is a sweet, strongly herbal (130 Alpine herbs to be precise) alcoholic drink, that promotes digestion. (The drink also gave the name to the color: a bright yellow-green.)

Many other orders of monks and nuns have made foods and drinks enjoyed by millions around the world. Soon we'll devote a special post to some of these delicious concoctions.

October 4: Saint Francis of Assisi

2010-10-04T18:45:00.004-04:00

Yikes!
I was traveling all day and nearly let the day go by without remembering with you the man who is probably the most famous saint in Christendom: Francis of Assisi, beloved by Christians of every stripe, and many others besides. (In particular, his love for animals has endeared him to a great many people.)

May I refer you to pp. 273-4 of A Continual Feast for a discussion of his remarkable life--and for a recipe for the one and only food that he is known to have loved: Mostaccioli, which are delicious little almond cakes.

You might like to do some reading about this amazing man, and if so I recommend The Little Flowers of Saint Francis--full of anecdotes about his life and miracles, and quite fun to read!

And as you remember him--and that great Franciscan spirit--you can also say the beautiful prayer that is associated with him:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

You can also sing this prayer as the beautiful hymn: "Make me a channel of your peace." You can hear it sung at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI1Gst7pEqc&feature=related

Thanking St. Jerome for the Bible on September 30

2010-09-30T13:29:00.005-04:00

I love this image of Saint Jerome--as the Renaissance imagined him: in his study. (I keep it on my desktop at work.)

On Sept. 30, we should thank him for the Bible: he was the great editor of the Bible, and in the 4th century he translated it into Latin--that's the famous "Vulgate"--to make it widely accessible. He said that everyone should read Scripture. Jerome was also a scholar of Hebrew: he went to the Holy Land to study with learned rabbis when he was already well along in years.

Jerome was clearly a rather crusty man--one who did not suffer fools (or heretics) gladly. But he was a great scholar, and we should remember him today and thank him for all he gave us.

What shall we eat in his honor? Let's keep it simple and to the point: how about a sheet cake baked in a large rectangular pan, with white icing like a page of the Bible, with some great Biblical quote written on top? Perhaps "In the beginning was the Word"?--but you may have other thoughts, and you can hardly go wrong.

Grilling for the Feast of the Archangels

2010-09-29T18:14:00.007-04:00

Today is the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Saint Gabriel is named twice in the New Testament -- when appearing to Mary at the Annunciation and when foretelling to Zachary the birth of John. However, it is commonly supposed that he was also the angel who spoke to Joseph and the shepherds. The angel Raphael appears only in the Book of Tobias in a capacity as healer and protector of Tobias. Saint Michael, meanwhile, appears twice in the Old Testament and twice in the New. He is famous for his role as protector. Many people learn the Prayer to St. Michael in their childhood and it is one worth invoking as an adult, too:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

We have some powerful intercessors in the archangels!

In honor of St. Michael's role of conquering the devil, I made a "deviled" barbecue sauce from p. 273 of A Continual Feast. Together with the fiery kick to my sauce, I added a special ingredient to the charcoal itself -- alder wood chips. There are many different woods that can be used to add flavor when grilling (hickory and mesquite being perhaps the best known) and I was very happy with the results. Be sure to soak them in water for at least an hour before grilling so that they smoke rather than burn.

After preparing the barbecue sauce, all that is left to do is marinating the meat -- and grilling the hell out of it!

Our Daily Bread: Padre Pio Pizza

2010-09-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

So many people have a great devotion to Padre Pio, a recently canonized saint in 2002. I knew very little about him- other than the fact that he suffered the wounds of Christ in the stigmata.

I was surprised to find that his feast day is my son Simon's birthday, September 23rd- AND that Padre Pio's birthday is the same as my own, May 25th. Needless to say, I feel very confidant that he will be a particular intersessor and guide as I parent my sweet 4 year old!

Just a few quick things about his life
1. The pinnacle of his apostolic activity was the celebration of Holy Mass. The faithful who took part witnessed the summit and fullness of his spirituality. He said of the Eucharist: "Do not be afraid to come to the Lord's altar to be fed with flesh of the Immaculate Lamb, because no one will better reconcile your spirit than your king, nothing will warm it more than his sun, and nothing will soothe it better than his balm"

2. John Paull II spoke at his canonization about Padre Pio's "diligent dedication to the ministry of the confessional." He demonstrated to the full his love of neighbour by welcoming, for more than fifty years, countless people who had recourse to his ministry and his confessional, his counsel and his consolation. He was almost besieged: they sought him in church, in the sacristy, in the friary. And he gave himself to everyone, rekindling faith, dispensing grace, bringing light. But especially in the poor, the suffering and the sick he saw the image of Christ, and he gave himself particularly to them.

3. On the level of social charity, he committed himself to relieving the pain and suffering of many families, chiefly through the foundation of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (House for the Relief of Suffering), opened on 5 May 1956.

So how can we celebrate this beautiful saint? Why not follow his holy example. When was the last time we made a good confession? Can we make it to mass on his feast day? Can we make a cheritable donation for the poor/sick?

And as for the food for the feast...Padre Pio gives us a great oppertunity to go Italian! Originally from Benevento in Campania, Italy, where he was also ordained, it seems fitting to celebrate with pizza- as Campania boasts about it.

So whether you make it on your own, or order from your favorite spot- here's to Padre Pio!

Here is Simon (2 years ago!) helping us make pizza!

Celebrating St. Matthew: Taking an Unconventional Approach to Tradition

2010-09-21T14:35:00.003-04:00

Who can forget the story of the calling of Saint Matthew? This tax-collector followed Christ to the end. There is a great deal we do not know about Matthew, but he has certainly left us with a tremendous legacy in many areas; his gospel is a great gift in and of itself. Much of our knowledge of the Nativity comes from Matthew. In addition, Matthew's is considered the most "Jewish" of the gospels; we see in St. Matthew's account of Jesus's life the strongest sense of Christ's Jewish identity.

But this beautiful example of a sinner-saint has been sadly neglected when it comes to culinary tradition. What, we wondered, did tax collectors eat? It seems that something expensive and lavish (skimmed off the top of many others' wages) would be appropriate. But also something somehow "Jewish". Here is our suggestion, with a modern twist: Matzoh Toffee. Decadent, and also (if you make it right), Kosher.

Here is the recipe, courtesy of David Lebovitz:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/01/chocolatecovere/

Pul-Kogi or Korean Beef Barbecue for September 20th, Feast of the Korean Martyrs (d. 1791 – 1867)

2010-09-20T10:47:00.005-04:00

Andrew Kim and Companions, Missionary Martyrs

Few nations on the face of the earth have demonstrated the unique welcoming of Christ and his missionaries as displayed by the Korean people. In most lands, men and women wake up one morning to discover Christians in their midst, hearing the Good News of the Gospel for the first time because missionaries have arrived unbidden on their doorstep. In Korea, the Gospel was known and revered long before any priest dared to enter the country. Actually, the Church was invited into Korea by a convert to the faith.

The title Martyrs of Korea has been bestowed upon Andrew Kim and 102 companions who died at the hands of brutal opponents of the faith over a period of years. These martyrs represent the more than eight thousand Koreans who died in demonstration of the faith in their native land, displaying calm bravery and heroic fidelity.

The Catholic faith was brought to Korea in a unique fashion, the result of curiosity by the intellectuals of that land who were anxious to learn as much about the outside world as possible. They discovered some Christian books produced through Korea’s embassy to the Chinese capital, and one Korean, Ni-seung-houn, went to Beijing in 1784 to study Catholicism. There he was baptized Peter Ri. Returning to Korea, he converted many others. In 1791, when these Christians were suddenly viewed as foreign traitors, two of Ri’s own converts, Paul Youn and Jacques Kuen were martyred. This is hardly surprising even though it was tragic. Korea had long been the victim of foreign aggression, in particular by Japan. The Hermit Kingdom—as Korea has traditionally been termed—was concerned about alien powers overcoming the nation once again. As the Empires of Europe were at that time extending their spheres of influence across Asia, the Koreans were doubly concerned about the Christian faith, seeing it as a prelude to possible Western attack and as a threat to traditional Korean life.

Despite these obstacles, the Catholic faith endured in Korea so strongly that three years after the martyrdoms of Youn and Kuen, Father James Tsiou, a Chinese, entered the kingdom and discovered more than four thousand Catholics. He labored in the country until 1801 when Korean authorities martyred him.

Pope Leo XII (r. 1832-1829) established the Prefecture Apostolic of Korea in response to a plea from Korean Catholics who needed a greater Church structure for the growing community. In 1836, Bishop Lawrence Imbert managed to enter Korea, despite the fact that the government had banned all foreign influences and was hostile toward all non-native religions. Others followed Bishop Imbert, who labored until 1839 when a full scale persecution claimed his life and the lives of other European missionaries.

Meanwhile, Korean young men who wished to enter the priesthood were sent to Macau, which was owned by China but administered by Portugal. There they were trained and ordained. Andrew Kim Taegon was the first native priest ordained. He returned to Korea in 1845 and was martyred the following year.

Severe persecution followed, and Korean Catholics fled to the mountainous regions, where they established new parishes in exile. In 1864, the Korean government instituted a new persecution, one that claimed the lives of two bishops, six French missionaries, a Korean priest, and 8,000 Korean men, women, and children.

Some of the better known martyrs are:

Andrew Kim  The first priest (shown in the image) to die for the Catholic Faith in that nation. He is sometimes called Andrew Kim Taugon. Andrew was a member of one of the highest-ranked noble families in Korea. He was educated in the faith and despite the threat of persecution; he maintained his devotion even when a government-sponsored program began in earnest in 1939 in all regions of the land.

Andrew went to Macao, where he received seminary training and was ordained. He returned to Korea to labor in the missions but was arrested by the authorities almost immediately after reaching his homeland. Joining his countrymen and European missionaries in prison, Andrew was martyred by Korean officials.

Lawrence Imbert  Born in Aix-en-Provence, France, Lawrence entered the Paris Foreign Missions Society and was ordained with the express hope of serving the Church in its distant missions. His aspirations were fulfilled in 1825 when his superiors decided he was ready for the missionary work and sent him to China. There he labored for over a decade and proved himself so capable and respected a missionary that he was named titular bishop of Capse.

In 1837, he entered Korea in secret and devoted himself to the very difficult task of assisting the faith in the kingdom. Known as Bom among the Koreans, he added his strength to the growing Catholic population, eventually surrendering to Korean authorities in 1839 when the persecutions worsened. Korean Catholics were being tortured to reveal the whereabouts of foreign missionaries, and, rather than have innocent men, women, and children die to shield him, Imbert gave himself up as did Fathers Philibert Maubant and James Honore Chastan on August 11, 1839. After severe beatings, they were beheaded in Gae Nam Do, near Seoul, on September 21, 1839.

Columbia Kim  A devout laywoman, Columba was martyred with her sister, Agnes, in 1839. She was twenty-six when arrested. Imprisoned, the women were pierced with red hot awls and scorched without mercy. Stripped of their clothes, they were placed in a cell with male criminals, but, to the surprise of their captors, the prisoners refused to harm them. Columba complained about such treatment for women, even Catholics—who were criminals in the eyes of the Korean government—and the authorities heeded her objection, ceasing the practice. Nevertheless, Columba and Agnes were sentenced to death and were beheaded at Seoul on September 26, 1839.

Peter Ryau  A Christian Korean, Peter was only thirteen when he presented himself to the authorities as was demanded by the law of the land. For what his captors considered obstinate devotion to an outlaw creed, Peter was tortured with such excessive cruelty that his arms and legs were shredded. To demonstrate to the judges the severity of his treatment, Peter pulled away some of his torn flesh and threw it at their feet. The horrified judges were joined by an equally stricken group of on-lookers, and Peter was taken back to the prison and strangled on December 31, 1839.

Companions  Others are commemorated in this glorious gathering of the blessed, including: thirteen year old Peter Yu Tae-Chol, slain for confessing the faith; Anna Pak A-gi, a simple woman who was not advanced in her doctrinal knowledge but went faithfully to death as a disciple of Christ and his Mother; John Nam Chong-sam, a high-ranked noble who served as a model of chastity, charity, and poverty until he was slain; Damien Nam Myong-hyok and Mary Yi Yon-hui, both martyred, were models of family life; and John Yi Kwong-hai, who dedicated himself in celebrating consecration to the service of the Church.

The Martyrs of Korea were canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984, in Seoul, Korea. At the ceremony, the Holy Father declared that the Church in Korea was a community unique in the history of the Church. The pope said: “The death of the martyrs is similar to the death of Christ on the Cross, because, like his, theirs has become the beginning of new life.”

This article is an excerpt from “John Paul II’s Book of Saints” by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, Stephen Bunson, Pope John Paul II

Korean barbecue is a dish that was most likely enjoyed by many (if not all) of the Korean martyrs and is certainly one of the more popular of Korean delicacies. Here is one you can try at home. It's quite easy and so tasty.

Pul-Kogi recipe:

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pear - peeled, cored, and minced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine beef with garlic, pear, green onions, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, sesame seeds, fresh ginger, and ground black pepper. Seal, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat grill pan over high heat. Brush oil over grill pan, and add beef. Cook, turning to brown evenly, for 3 to 6 minutes, or until done.

Our Daily Bread: St. Ninian Gingery Muffins

2010-09-16T15:14:00.005-04:00

Chances are you haven't heard of Saint Ninian [whose feast we celebrate today]. But he is known in Scotland where a number of places still bear his name. And visitors and pilgrims still go to see the cave that was his hermitage, long ago, on the southwestern coast. (A Continual Feast, page 268)

The recipe for St. Ninian gingery muffins is a MUST ADD to your family tradition. They are so very delicious, my two sons simply could not eat them fast enough. They also fill the home with holiday scents- thanks to the molasses and spice mixture. I hope to experiment with this recipe soon and try a gingerbread loaf so stay tuned for future holiday posts!

*Tip: Melt the butter before mixing with the molasses, sugar and boiling water.

*Suggestions: These muffins make a great morning breakfast- or sprinkle them with confectioners sugar, or drizzle with a sugar glaze to pair with afternoon tea!

Thank you, St. Ninian- your muffins are now a new family favorite!

Our Lady of Sorrows--September 15

2010-09-14T07:25:00.010-04:00

One of the beautiful things about our faith is how it accompanies us in good times and also in the hard, sorrowful moments of our lives. So many individuals, families, and entire peoples have known such great suffering over the centuries!--but have felt comforted by their faith. The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the sufferings in the life of the Virgin, who consoles us in the sorrows of our own lives.

This feast has a complex history which I won't go into here. In any case the seven sorrows commemorated are: 1) The prophesy of Simeon. 2) The flight into Egypt. 3) The three day disappearance of the child Jesus. 4) The painful progress to Calvary. 5) The Crucifixion. 6) The taking down from the cross. 7) The entombment.

For this feast, we propose something bittersweet: a chocolate cake made with bittersweet chocolate. (Thanks to Ann for the idea, and to Rebecca for the great recipe.)

Flourless Chocolate Cake (from Epicurious/ Gourmet mag 1997)

Ingredients:
4 oz. fine quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line
bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over
a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring,
until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar
into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift ½ cup cocoa powder
over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan
and bake in middle of oven for 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin
crust. Cook cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes and invert onto a serving
plate.
Dust cake with additional cocoa powder.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream--or just solo.

NOTE: This is a good dessert recipe for those who suffer from celiac disease.

Let's close with another beautiful image of Our Lady of Sorrows:

(Note: This image is from a website that sells icons: http://www.crosses.org/icon/ )

Our Daily Bread: Celebrating Patron Feast Days

2010-09-14T07:24:00.000-04:00

Today the Church celebrates The Exaltation of the Holy Cross and our family celebrates our son, Simon's, feast day. We named Simon after the man from Cyrene who helped to carry the cross with Christ. We are all called to pick up our cross, daily, and carry it with love, but can you imagine what it must have been like to actually walk the path of Calvary and behold the eyes of Jesus as he offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. While Simon of Cyrene does not have a special feast day in the Church, we thought he would be OK celebrating him as our son's patron on this day.

What a glorious triumph the cross is! And what a beautiful feast found in ordinary time that asks us to pause and reflect on the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord. As we all know, the story of our Redeemer did not end with the cross- rather the cross points us to the glory of the resurrection.

The cross, which disappeared after the Crucifiction, was believed to have been discovered by Helena, around 355. Tradition says that basil grew all over the hillside where Helena discovered the cross. And so you ask what to serve to celebrate this feast? A Continual Feast has a delicious recipe for pesto!

It makes a great side dish paired with orzo pasta.

And what would a namesake feast day be without a special dessert? We decided to fill the crumb crust recipe found on page 267 with a custard pie in order to make a cross tart!

A picture will come just as soon as I take it out of the oven!

The Holy Cross: September 14

2010-09-13T19:16:00.005-04:00

On September 14 falls a feast called "The Exaltation of the Holy Cross," honoring the Cross itself as instrument of salvation of the world.

I discuss this feast in some detail in A Continual Feast (pp. 166-7), and give some recipes for dishes for this ancient feast.

But let me add a few extra images and thoughts here. Above, you see a cross-shaped cake pan (made by Wilton), and a beautiful cake that emerged from it. This sort of cake pan can also be useful for baptisms and other religious occasions.

But you can also make a cross cake by just putting together two store-bought pound cakes into the form of a cross (you'll need to do a bit of cake-surgery, of course), and frost and decorate them. This is something your children will enjoy doing!

If you want to read about the finding of the Cross--which had been lost for centuries--by St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, you must read Evelyn Waugh's marvelous, delicious historical novel Helena. (http://www.amazon.com/Helena-Loyola-Classics-Evelyn-Waugh/dp/082942122X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284420813&sr=8-1) Ahh! You have a treat in store for you!

One last thing to read, if you are so inclined: the great Anglo-Saxon poem, "The Dream of the Rood" in which the Cross itself speaks (the word "Rood" means Cross). Here is a modern translation of this grand poem: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Dream_of_the_Rood_%28translation%29

Happy Feast!

The Nativity of Our Lady

2010-09-08T08:29:00.002-04:00

Everyone enjoys being sung to on their birthday! Why not sing a Marian hymn to the Blessed Mother. Here is our son Isaac on his 2nd birthday singing Immaculate Mary at bedtime.

The lights were out, but you can still hear his sweet toddler voice!

Our Isaac was born in May, the month of Mary, on the Feast of the Visitation at 11:54am. The first thing we did when they laid him in my arms was say the Angelus.

Our Daily Bread: A Baby Always Comes with a Loaf of Bread Tucked Under His Arm

2010-09-07T10:06:00.003-04:00

A Continual Feast talks about the traditions of Christian hospitality. Matthew's gospel reminds us that by serving others we serve Our Lord. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. We can also think of St. Martha who had the special oppertunity to serve Christ Himself!

I am still humbled when I look back a few months to when our daughter was born. So many family and friends prepared meals for us as we settled in with our newest addition. The dinners were such a help, the visits were a blessing, and all of the personal details of the meal were signs of affection! It was so fun to try new recipes and to settle into the comfort foods that people shared with our family. And oh did little Miss Martha come with many loaves of bread under her arm. There were loaves to accompany the meal- and even sweet breads and muffins for our family to enjoy the next morning!

Rebecca reminds us that while we always remember that mothers with new babies need meals, newly expectant mothers often need help as well! So do families that have recently lost a loved one, or families with a loved one in the hospital or very sick at home. In these cases, perhaps you could help by organizing an online meal sign up for the family with one of these tools.

It is September, the start of a new school year, and every one is busy these days. But if we look around, there are so many great opportunities to serve those around us. The tradition of Christian Hospitality is so beautiful, and a great one to teach by example to our children.

And we should remember to take our cue from Sarah and Abraham.
We never know when we might be serving angels!

“Servant of the Servants of God”: Saint Gregory the Great, September 3

2010-09-01T20:29:00.011-04:00

On September 3 we remember Pope Gregory the Great, honored as one of the four major Fathers of the Western Church, along with saints Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome.

Gregory’s life is long and complex. (You can read all about him in Butler’s Lives of the Saints, as revised by Thurston and Attwater; this is a 4-volume work that anyone with a real interest in the saints should, if possible, have handy.

But three facts are key: Gregory was a great public servant. He was a monk. He was pope—and as pope, he combined, in extremely important ways, his roles as public servant and as monk.

A few details. He was born in 540 to a very distinguished Catholic family in Rome—one that had already given two popes to the Church; his mother, Silvia, is also considered a saint. Quite a family! We know little about his education, but by age 30 Gregory was already prefect--essentially, mayor--of Rome. And this was a terrible period: for centuries now, Rome had continued its decline, and the city had been sacked four times during the previous century. As Gregory once said in a letter: "Ruins everywhere!" The imperial authorities were increasingly weak, and Gregory himself had to negotiate with the new Lombard invaders.

But then he decided to leave the world and become a monk. He turned his beautiful Roman home into a monastery.

But he was called out of the monastery, first to ordination to the diaconate; then he was sent as the papal ambassador to the Byzantine court in Constantinople.

But let’s jump ahead. When Pope Pelagius died of the plague in 590, Gregory (who had at some point become a priest) reluctantly accepted election to the papacy, He was, in many respects, a great pope--one who combined a deep love for the monastic life with genuine concern for his people’s welfare and for pastoral care. He provided a new model for the papacy, one that lasted throughout the medieval period.

We can thank also Gregory for the conversion of England to Christianity: it is he who sent missionaries there.

Gregorian chant bears his name.

He died in 604. He wanted to be known as "Servant of the servants of God"--a great title!

So, to honor Saint Gregory the Great, perhaps we should serve some nice Italian food--indeed, it should be Roman cuisine: he was as Roman as they come. But, to be authentic, it will have to be Roman food from before the existence of tomatoes and pasta--not to mention coffee and chocolate! (It is before tea, as well, but then Italians aren’t so apt to miss that.)

What would this Roman food be like? What did those old Romans eat? (To know about late Roman cuisine, read the Cookery Book written by Apicius.

The Romans loved spices, and used them very generously. Favorites include many we enjoy today--coriander, cumin, dill, ginger, mint, oregano, parsley, pepper, saffron, savory, sesame, thyme, and others--but also some spices we aren’t very familiar with, such as rue, lovage, and asafoetida.

They enjoyed most of the meats we do today--but also stuffed dormice, and stuffed cow wombs and udders (these latter must have been a bit like the Scottish dish haggis; anyway, I think we’ll give those dishes a miss). They loved fish, crayfish, and octopus, oysters and mussels.

They loved sauces. Their favorite sauce, which they put into just about everything--the way people do chicken stock, or A1 or Worcestershire Sauce today--was a fish sauce called liquamen.

Here is the menu I propose--all tasty stuff, but nothing too fancy. Recipes are provided below.

The menu
Fava (or cannellini) bean salad with garlic, green onions, and mint.
Grilled fish steaks (tuna, ideally) or fillets, with a sauce of anchovy paste and pine nuts
A lettuce salad (the Romans loved their lettuces, and their cucumbers as well)
Flat bread
Black olives (they already loved olives)
Sheep or goat cheese (the Romans were specialists in the cultivation of cheese from an early period and, among others delighted in mozzarella and pecorino type cheeses. (Have a look at this history of cheese.
With this meal you can drink some Italian red wine--if possible, Castelli wine from the region of Rome itself. Check out Roman wines.
For dessert, fresh peaches or figs? (Do you want something fancier?- the Romans loved fruit stewed in honey, with nuts.)

There is another option--but I propose this only to those who will be celebrating this feast on their own, not to mothers feeding a family. This option is to fast in honor of that austere and serious monk, St. Gregory the Great.

Recipes:
Bean salad:
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked beans
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

Directions
Drain the beans.
Mix with the garlic and green onions.
Add oil and vinegar.
Stir in the mint, and mix thoroughly.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4 lightly

Grilled fish:
Ingredients:
4 fish steaks or fillets
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (this is the closest convenient equivalent we have today to the taste of liquamen, the fish sauce so prized by the ancient Romans).
1 Tablespoon wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
3 Tablespoons pine nuts

Directions:
Sauté the pine nuts until golden-brown in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
Mix the remaining oil, anchovy paste, wine vinegar, oregano and coriander
Brush the fish steaks or fillets generously with the mixture.
Grill or broil the fish, basting frequently.
Sprinkle the fish with the pine nuts.

BBQ Sunday--a day of rest!

2010-08-29T19:35:00.004-04:00

For us husbands who have the blessing of coming home to a lovingly-cooked meal every day, grilling provides a wonderful way to show some appreciation. And what better day than Sunday to give our wives a little rest in the kitchen. There are hundreds of different ways to cook virtually any cut of meat or fish. Vegetables, bread, and even a few desserts can also be prepared on the grill while enjoying the late summer evenings outside -- perhaps while the kids roam so that mom has that much more freedom to kick up her heels.

However, with so many options, it can be tough to know where to start. One of the cuts with which I have had success is boneless top sirloin steak. A simple yet delicious way to prepare this (or any) cut of meat is as follows:

1) make small stabs on both surfaces of the steak and insert slivers of garlic
2) rub the steak generously with salt & pepper, put the meat in a tall-sided dish, and pour in beer (here you can have a lot of fun testing what brews give your favored flavor)
3) marinate the steak for 30-60 minutes
4) cook the meat for 6-8 minutes per side for medium rare*
5) remove the meat and let it sit, covered, for 15 minutes before carving (remember to cut across the grain of the meat)

*The final temperature for this cut of beef, medium rare is 145 degrees. However, the meat will continue to cook while sitting -- so take it off the grill at 5-10 degrees below that "done" temperature.

Saint Augustine

2010-08-28T10:49:00.020-04:00

August 28 is the feast of Saint Augustine--a great convert, and one of the most powerful minds in the history of the Church. Over the centuries, his thought and writings have had tremendous influence on the Christian tradition. And he is immensely readable - if you have never read his Confessions, you have a treat in store for you.

Augustine was born in 354 in Tagaste, a town in North Africa, which was then a province of the Roman Empire; that region is now part of Algeria.

Here are just a few details about his life, you can read all about him here .

Augustine's mother, Monica (her feast was celebrated yesterday), was a Christian. However, Augustine was not baptized as a child: the postponing of baptism until adulthood was a common practice at the time (Augustine wrote and preached against the practice later). As a young man, Augustine was deeply interested in philosophy, but was not attracted to Christianity. He was a student of Rhetoric--a common intellectual pursuit and profession at the time--and he was a seeker after philosophical truth. He was also a lover of women; he had a mistress for many years, by whom he had a son.

But while teaching Rhetoric in Milan, Augustine got to know Saint Ambrose, who was then bishop of that city. Ambrose was kind and gracious to the young Augustine--and helped him see Christianity as both reasonable and attractive. After a dramatic religious experience, Augustine converted to Christianity and completely changed his life. He was baptized, became a priest, and was soon bishop of Hippo.

He wrote a tremendous amount, on many topics: aside from his engagingly autobiographical Confessions, he wrote against several important heresies; on theology; on history (in The City of God); and other topics. Many of his sermons also survive. All his works still find many readers today.

Augustine died in 430 at the age of 75, as the Vandals--one of the many barbarian groups that attacked the declining Roman Empire--were storming the gates of Hippo.

Here is a prayer by Augustine that I have long loved:

O thou who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
the strength of the wills that serve thee,
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee
whose service is perfect freedom.

What shall we eat--and serve to our families--in Saint Augustine's honor? There are of course various possibilities. But I propose that we return to the kind of food that Augustine himself might have eaten in Hippo, and that we ate in honor of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas . This is to commemorate and honor the great Christian tradition in North Africa. This Christian world was mostly swept away by the Muslim conquest of North Africa, then of Spain, in the 7th century.

PS I mentioned earlier that Saint Monica's feast day is August 27, the day before that of her great son. During his years as a pagan, Augustine's mother never stopped praying for him--and trying to help him see the truth of Christianity; this is why she herself is honored as a saint. A great quote from her: she died far from her home; before she died she said to Augustine, who was with her: "Lay this body anywhere; this only I ask of you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be."

Remembering Mother Teresa of Calcutta on her 100th birthday

2010-08-26T07:08:00.008-04:00

never
Thursday, August 26, is the 100th anniversary the birth of the great Mother Teresa. This tiny but altogether remarkable nun was one of the most memorable and important figures--and forces for good--of the 20th century. She is now well on the path to canonization, and is honored by the title "Blessed." You can read about her life in detail here: http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/ Tell your children about her: her life and her wonderful work with the poor, the suffering, and the dying of Calcutta--and all around the world.

Today let's remember her birthday--light candles on a cake, and sing to her in heaven! But, you know, if you can't quite get to baking that cake, and you're out of birthday candles, never mind! The important thing is to recall her and honor her memory--and try to imitate her, as much as we can. Here are two of her famous thoughts and sayings:

"God has created us for greater things – to love and to be loved."

And emphasizing the importance of family life and love, she said:

"Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family, we never know how much good just a simple smile can do."

And one more great quote:

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."

Ahhh, now I can't stop!--she said so many great things! Here is one last one:

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

(There are lots more great quotes from Blessed Teresa at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mother_teresa.html )

The Feast of Saint Lawrence

2010-08-10T16:51:00.005-04:00

A Continual Feast describes the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, a Roman deacon during the third century Christian persecution. Ordered by the Roman prefect to surrender the treasures of the church, he assembled the poor and took them to the prefect, saying, “Here is the church’s treasure.” According to legend he was put to death by being roasted on a grill. He is said to have remarked to his torturers: “One side is done now; you can turn me over.” Traditionally, in some places nothing hot is served at all, in compassion for his martyrdom; it is a day for cold soups and salads. (ACF p. 262.) We decided that serving barbecued chicken is a great way to signify his triumph over the fire...after all, St. Lawrence is now one of the patron saints of cooks!

Basic Barbecue Sauce

1 cup ketchup

¼ cup yellow mustard (for tang)

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup A1 Steak Sauce

* You can modify the amount of any ingredient to fit your taste preference. If you like it bolder, add some more A1. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar. We have even substituted 2 Tablespoons of honey for the brown sugar.

* This sauce tastes great on pork, chicken, and beef. Marinate the raw meat prior to grilling and then baste with the sauce throughout the cooking process. These instant marinaters are great.

Our Daily Bread: Wheat and Barley Loaves

2010-08-04T16:46:00.003-04:00

Painting by LANFRANCO, Giovanni

The gospel reading from this past Monday (Matthew 14:13-21) invited us to witness the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The hunger for the word of God led over five thousand eager souls to follow Our Lord to a deserted place. Their spiritual hunger caused them to forget their physical hunger, as no one packed a meal. There were only two loaves and five fish to feed the crowd so the apostles suggested that Jesus dismiss the people to go to the villages for food.

Jesus, who is always so generous with us, took compassion on the people. He blessed the food, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples- who then gave it to the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over --twelve wicker baskets full.

It is so easy to get discouraged at times when it seems like our human means are lacking. Perhaps as we reach the end of the month we find ourselves pinching pennies- or no matter how much time we spend trying to solve a problem, the answer remains hidden. We must be optimistic! Many saints teach us how to live spiritual optimism well. St. Teresa of Avila was known to say “Teresa can do nothing alone. Teresa and a maravedi (a penny, say), less than nothing. But Teresa, a maravedi and God can do anything.” (A. Ruiz, Teresian Anecdotes, Burgos, 1982) With God, nothing is impossible! We set before Him our meager two loaves and five fish, and just look at what He can do with them!

There is a wonderful recipe for Wheat and Barley Loaves on page 182 of A Continual Feast. We are eager to feast on this loaf tonight, and we marked it with a cross on top (as suggested in the cook book) to remind us of the wonderful miracle.

(all it needs now is butter!)

On Name Days and Nachos....

2010-08-02T16:11:00.005-04:00

On the 31st we celebrated the feast of a great saint, Ignatius Loyola. A former soldier from the Basque Country, he ended up dedicating himself to Christ and founding the Jesuits. I once lived with a family in Madrid where the father was named Ignacio and one of the daughters, Ignacia. The 31st held a great celebration in their honor, complete with authentically delicious Spanish food.
What many Americans may not know is that the standard nickname for Ignacio is Spain is Nacho (Nacha for girls). While I do not know how that came to be, nor how nachos came to be the name for tortilla chips covered in some sort of delicious, Mexican-inspired topping, I think we need to have some nachos in the honor of this great saint. And those named after him! Given his stature, my mother has suggested an octave in his honor.
I, personally, would also suggest some sangria to wash it down, though beer works, too (or at least for those allowed to drink such things….)
My family and I have come to love black bean nachos. They’re a bit lighter and healthier than the more traditional meat variety, but still very tasty! (Warning: children may skip dinner if they eat enough of these!)

Black Bean and Corn Nachos

Ingredients
• 4 cups tortilla chips (about 4 ounces)
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup corn (frozen, thawed, or cut off the cob)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, cheddar, queso quesadilla, Chihuahua, and/or asadero cheese (8 ounces)

If you want them spicy:
• 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh or canned sliced jalapeno peppers, drained

For garnish/ extra dipping:

• Salsa
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Sour cream

Directions
Arrange tortilla chips in one layer, overlapping slightly, on an 11- or 12-inch ovenproof platter.
In a medium saucepan combine black beans, corn, and the 1/2 cup salsa; cook and stir over medium heat just until heated through. Remove from heat; spoon bean mixture over chips.
Sprinkle cheese and jalapeno peppers (if desired) over bean mixture on chips. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately with additional salsa, if desired. Makes 10 servings.

Our Daily Bread: Celebrating Patron Feast Days

2010-07-29T11:12:00.007-04:00

My husband and I love the process of naming our children. We enjoy the 20-week sonogram discovery of a little boy or a little girl and then embark upon the quest of discovering their name. We read the lives of many different saints until we find the one to whom we entrust our little child. Our oldest son is Simon for Simon of Cyrene, as we are all called to carry the cross with Christ. Isaac was named for the Jesuit martyr, St. Isaac Jogues, who showed remarkable perseverance returning to his mission after being captured, tortured and escaping. And our newest little one is named Martha.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Martha- a saint for whom we have a lot of affection.
Her home was frequented by Our Lord and His apostles on their journeys and I love to think about the holy bustle that most certainly took place there. We catch a glimpse of her passionate service in the Gospel(Luke 10: 38-42). Note that Jesus does not tell her to stop serving. Rather, it seems that she is called to continue her life of active service in the home while contemplating Our Lord in her heart. It is no wonder that she is the patron saint of single lay women and housewives. Her life of service for Our Lord exemplifies the call of the laity!

We celebrate patron feast days with a feast day cake. It has become family tradition to make a pound cake (my husband’s favorite) sprinkled with powdered sugar. And even if our little Martha Evelyn is only 2 months old, at least the rest of us can enjoy her feast day cake!

(Sweet Martha being baptized by her Uncle)

Our Daily Bread: The Big Pancake

2010-06-29T14:58:00.008-04:00

Saint Joseph must have been so wonderfully tender! His strong hands led the donkey carrying Blessed Mother to Bethlehem. Those same loving hands held the baby Jesus in the humble stable and placed him in the manger. Those patient hands held onto Jesus as he learned to take his first steps. Those wise hands taught Our Lord the noble craft of carpentry. And those holy hands most likely held Our Lord’s as he passed from this life to the eternal while in the beautiful gaze of Our Lady. No wonder he is the patron saint of happy deaths!

My first night in the hospital after our sweet daughter was born was magical. The second night, however, was long. No matter what I tried I could not get our little darling to stay sleeping. As soon as I placed her in her bassinet she would be awake again. And so I would hold her, nurse her, and hope she would fall back asleep. The nurses wouldn’t take her, it was too busy of a night. And I kept falling asleep while I was holding her- I was terrified I would drop her!

And then the Holy Spirit put the sweetest prayer in my heart. He whispered to me “Ann, go to Joseph.” And as I laid my baby down into her bassinet I begged St. Joseph to hold her in his loving hands…and she slept. Soundly. Finally. And I thought of all the times St. Joseph must have taken the “night shift” with the infant Jesus so that Our Lady could rest.

My husband has been heroic with the night shifts. He is the first to jump from bed when our daughter wakes at night. He consoles her, changes her and then brings her to me to feed. Even in the morning- he gets up to make the coffee…and at times even makes the breakfast! Like this morning…he made a Vitz family favorite: the big pancake.

How lucky am I to have St. Joseph and a husband like Pete!

The Big Pancake
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
splash of vanilla to taste
4 tablespoons butter
juice of ½ a lemon
confectioners sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, milk, eggs, nutmeg, and vanilla in a bowl until just combined (it should still be a little lumpy).
2. Melt butter into a 12 inch cast iron skillet. When the butter is very hot (but not brown) add the batter.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
4. Sprinkle with lemon juice and confectioners sugar.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake?!

2010-06-26T08:57:00.003-04:00

Another favorite birthday cake in our family was always ice cream cake. Easy to prepare (just stop by your local Carvel or B & R), easy to enjoy...especially tasty in the summer: ice cream cake is delightful. Yesterday, when preparing to celebrate our youngest daughter's birthday, my children unanimously proclaimed that they wanted ice cream cake. Strangely enough (!?), we had none in the house. We did, however, have a couple of gallons of ice cream--and some vanilla ice cream I'd made last week. So I decided I'd try homemade ice cream cake.

Now, you might wonder, why MAKE ice cream cake when it's so easy to buy in the supermarket at this time of year? Those who wonder this underestimate a) my eccentric frugality in certain regards and b) I'D HAVE TO GO WITH ALL FOUR OF MY CHILDREN TO THE SUPERMARKET. Did I mention that the helium balloon stand lies between the entrance and the cake zone?

I imagine my reasons are now clear. This story has a very happy ending, though: this is an experiment I think I'll repeat. Ice cream cake is not hard, you can vary the ice cream to suit your tastes (we used a double flavor chocolate mint and mint chip). It was delicious--and cheap! And, as an added bonus, you look like you made more effort than you did....

I took the recipe from Allrecipes.com. I modified it slightly per some other reviewers' suggestions--and my own experience.

Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients:
-1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix (or any normal flavor; I used yellow)
- 1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream, softened
-Quart Vanilla ice cream/ Rediwhip/Whipped cream for frosting (You can really use anything, but I like something that that will freeze nicely and blend flavor-wise with the rest of the cake; I used a combo of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream to which I added a few drops of green food coloring in keeping with our mint theme)

Directions:
1. Prepare cake according to package directions; bake in a 9x13 inch baking dish and cool completely. (I used parchment paper to line it since I didn't want to risk breakage)
2. Use ice cream that comes in a rectangular carton. Remove the carton and, using a piece of string or dental floss, cut the ice cream in thirds lengthwise (long side to long side) and place the layers side by side on a piece of waxed paper. [You could also make this cake in another shape, though cutting the ice cream might be more challenging; the original recipe called for cutting the ice cream in half; I found thirds fit the 9 x 13 better. But you can just test your pan against the size of your ice cream container]
3. Place the cooled cake over the ice cream. Trim the cake and ice cream so that the edges match.
4. Place a board or serving platter over the cake, hold onto the waxed paper and board, and flip the ice cream cake over. Remove the waxed paper and smooth out the seam between the ice cream slabs.
5. Cover with waxed paper and freeze until very firm. Decorate as desired.

I recommend freezing again after you've added the frosting. Delightful!

(I'll put some pictures up once I download them....)

Our Daily Bread: Zucchini Bread

2010-06-22T11:06:00.004-04:00

Our family recently welcomed to the world our third little baby and we have been thoroughly enjoying her! The familiar saying that a new baby always brings a loaf of bread under its arms has been all too true in our case! We have been the recipients of an outpouring of generosity from family and friends in the form of meals…and more often than not, these meals have included a loaf of bread!

As I am now easing my way back into the real world of cooking and baking after so many weeks of generosity, I have decided that my return to bread making should be in the form of a quick bread! I have tried many different recipes for zucchini bread, and I think this is my favorite. It is a great way to use the summer vegetable, and the sugar always sweetens the deal for the children! I hope you all enjoy it as much as our family did this morning for breakfast!

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

Beat eggs until foamy. Add next 4 ingredients and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans.Bake at 325° for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pans.

My husband commented just last night as I was preparing the breads “Wow, you haven’t used yeast in a long time...” I think it is time to roll up my sleeves and tie my apron! Stay tuned for more bread recipes! After all, baking for my family is loving my family…what a wonderful life I live!

Ordinary Time's Blessings and Bounty: The (Cherry?) Plum Torte

2010-06-21T14:45:00.003-04:00

While I am a huge lover of variety, I really love it when there are specific cakes or meals associated with a given person's birthday. In my own family of origin, (aka The Vitz Family!), we are now in "high birthday season" as four of the six children were born betweeen June 9 and July 5, and my father and one brother were born in August. My sister Anna celebrated her birthday recently with one of her favorite family cakes: the plum torte. It's an extremely versatile cake that is always tasty, and which seems to have origins in a recipe printed in the NY Times years ago. Ever the lover of tradition and experimentation, I am fortunate enough to have a fruiting (tart) cherry tree in my backyard. It's wonderful and excitin to see just how much fruit one tree produces--but only for a short period (as I learned the hard way one year when I didn't pick the fruit in time and came back to a tree without a SINGLE cherry left!)

This year, after making the requisite cherry jam and cherry pie, I tried mixing up the plum torte with cherries, which were excellent; I only regret that we ate it too fast for pictures (the picture here is the original plum version). Any fruit that has some tartness and some backbone can work in this, but put a lot in--the cake will sort of "envelop" whatever goes on top!

The Original Plum Torte Adapted from the NY Times
TOTAL TIME 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt, optional
2 eggs
8 large plums, halved, or the equivalent of some otherfruit
Sugar and lemon juice, for topping
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
3. Spoon the batter into an 8-, 9- or 10-inch spring form. (I prefer 9 or 10 inch; I find it cooks more evenly for me)
4. Split and pit the plums and place the halves, skin side up, on top of the batter.
5. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about a teaspoon of cinnamon, to taste.
6. Bake about an hour. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm, then serve plain or with whipped cream.
YIELD 8 servings NOTE: To freeze, double wrap torte in aluminum foil, place in plastic bag and seal. To serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost and reheat briefly at 300 degrees.

Grandmothers!--prayers, goodies and surprises, mending...

2010-06-18T10:32:00.008-04:00

The image here is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci showing Jesus with his grandmother--St. Ann--and Mary. (Amazing to think that God had a grandmother, isn't it!)

Recently I have been thinking a lot about grandmothers and their roles and importance in the family. This is partly because I have received some cute, funny emails with lots of quotes about grandparents. Let me share a few of the thoughts with you:

Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting. ~Author Unknown

What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars' worth of pleasure. ~Gene Perret

Grandchildren don't stay young forever, which is good because Grandfathers have only so many horsy rides in them. ~Gene Perret

An hour with your grandchildren can make you feel young again. Anything longer than that, and you start to age quickly. ~Gene Perret

Here are perhaps my favorites:

Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete. ~ Marcy DeMaree

And:

Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. ~Mary H. Waldrip

(There are lots more of these little aphorisms out there...)

Thinking seriously about what we grandmothers can do for our grandchildren--and their parents, our children:

* We can pray for them daily! And when we are with them, we can pray with them.

* When we are with them, we can make sure to take the time to focus particular attention on each child--to shine the full beam of our love on each one, individually. Maybe take each child for a little walk, or some other sort of outing? We want to have a special, personal bond with each of them.

* We can provide special surprises and treats--yummy cookies? brownies? special candies?(There are many other kinds of surprises we can provide as well!) That is part of the great fun of being a grandparent! The point is not to spoil our grandchildren or to undercut their parents' discipline, but just to bring in something special. I know my children remember with loving gratitude the goodies my mother and mother-in-law (two wonderful women!) always had waiting when we arrived for a visit.

* Speaking of my mother-in-law: whenever she came for a visit she would say "Bring out your mending"--and she would do it all for me! It was great because of course when the children were young I didn't have time to keep up with the mending, and children's clothes so often get torn or develop holes! I now try to do that whenever I visit my married children.

If you have other thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to add them in the comments.

Corpus Christi--and the banquet in heaven

2010-06-06T18:15:00.007-04:00

June 6: The feast of Corpus Christi, or the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

This major feast dates from the 13th century. St. Thomas Aquinas--great theologian, great philosopher, great poet--wrote the entire Office.

There is such beautiful music for this feast! You can hear Aquinas's "Ave Verum," as composed by William Byrd at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvXMVAITwWg, and in Mozart's wonderful setting at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UXLKmhd920 . Many other beautiful recordings and settings are available as well. Would you like to mention ones you particularly love, in a comment?

The centuries-old tradition of Corpus Christi processions, as shown in the picture here, is a beautiful expression of our belief that Christ is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

I have come to particularly love this prayer after communion, written by Aquinas:

Lord, Father all-powerful and ever-living God, I thank Thee, for even though I am a sinner, Thine unprofitable servant, not because of any merit of my own, but in the kindness of Thy mercy, Thou hast fed me with the precious Body and Blood of They Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray that this Holy Communion may not bring me condemnation and punishment but forgiveness and salvation.

May it be an armor of faith and a shield of good will. May it purify me from my vices and put an end to my evil passions.

May it bring me charity and patience, humility and obedience, and growth in every virtue.

May it be a firm defense against the wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible, and the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses, bodily and spiritual. May it unite me more closely to Thee, the one true God, and lead me safely through death to everlasting happiness with Thee.

And I pray that Thou will lead me, a sinner to that ineffable banquet where Thou, with Thy Son and Holy Spirit, art to Thy Saints true light, total fulfillment, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Spirit and The Visitation

2010-05-26T14:02:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to go on retreat (the annual “Spiritual Exercises” for the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation). On Pentecost Sunday, the homilist (Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete) spoke of what it means to pray to the Holy Spirit. He recalled a Mexican woman he knew who explained (when he asked her how she prayed to the Spirit) that she found it “difficult to pray to a pigeon.” In her difficulty, she turned to Our Lady of Guadalupe, reasoning that it was the Holy Spirit who had made her pregnant, and she understood how to pray to Our Lady. Imaging the Holy Spirit can be difficult, as the dove is not as relatable as God the Father or Jesus. We can, however, understand the *fruits* of that Spirit, which provide us with an easier way of directing our prayer.

The original and most obvious fruit of that spirit is the fruit of the Virgin’s womb: Jesus Himself. In this week between Pentecost and the Visitation, there is a natural connection both in my mind and in our calendar between the two events. The Visitation has long been one of my favorite feast days. One of the fascinating and compelling things about the life of the Virgin is the sheer lack of information we have about her, coupled with her supreme importance in Catholic theology. The Visitation is one of the few episodes about which we know rather a lot. I find it very moving that the angel unites Mary with her cousin in the Annunciation itself: when Mary says yes to Our Lord, she is immediately provided with a companion in what would otherwise have been a very lonely moment. And the first thing Mary does is to seek out that companion “in haste.” Elizabeth is given to Mary—and Mary to Elizabeth--in a profound and beautiful way; they remind each other from the start of the miraculous way in which God entered their lives. Mary, in her purity and perfection, has no objections: this newly pregnant woman takes off on her 150 km journey right away. There are many problems she could have come up with—“It’s too far,” “I’m feeling so tired..” “I have to go alone…” None of those seem to occur to our Lady. We know the beautiful moment of their encounter, and the witness that Mary is to Elizabeth and to her unborn son.

But we do not know much of what happens during the time after that initial and miraculous greeting. I wonder about those months they spent together before John the Baptist’s birth. What did they talk about? What did they do while they were together? Was Mary the one to care for Elizabeth most of the time—or did Elizabeth (as the older cousin), instruct and guide Mary? How I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in that household!

Tradition tells us that Mary, unstained as she was by original sin, did not suffer during childbirth as other women do. I can’t help but wonder if that applies to her pregnancy as well: did she suffer from morning sickness? If so, what did she eat or cook? I have some friends and relatives who find it very difficult to eat normal food (let alone cook it) and so their first trimesters are challenging times for both themselves and their families. Ginger root is often recommended for helping ease nausea. Below is one of my favorite “gingery” recipes. This soup can be eaten hot or cold and all of my family loves it… I’d like to think that Mary and Elizabeth would have enjoyed it too, morning sickness or not! You might want to pay your own visit to a pregnant woman you know. We often bring food to new mothers, but newly-pregnant women sometimes need some extra help as well!

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Serves/Makes: 6
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 large chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped; (or grated) fresh ginger
3 cloves minced garlic
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups carrots; (peeled & sliced into 1/2 inch slices)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
pinch curry powder

Directions:
Melt butter in large pot and cook onions, ginger & garlic for 15 - 20 minutes, until onion is very soft and translucent. Add stock, wine & carrots & heat to boiling, then simmer on low for 45 minutes, or until carrots are very soft. Puree soup & season with salt, pepper, curry powder & lemon juice. Serve hot or chilled.

Pentecost - decorating a memorable cake

2010-05-18T08:39:00.009-04:00

This Sunday, May the 23, is Pentecost--the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the greatest feasts of the Christian year, along with Easter and Christmas. It essentially marks the birth of the Church as a teaching, preaching, baptizing Body: from this day on, the Apostles went forth to evangelize the whole world.

I talk about the history and meaning Pentecost a good deal in A Continual Feast, and provide a number of delicious and appropriate recipes (pp. 210-215). But let me just focus here on the Pentecost cake--very memorable to me. It was when I was trying to explain the meaning of Pentecost to my young children some years ago that my eyes were opened to the usefulness of food in teaching religious ideas! I was talking away to them--and their eyes were glazing over (mothers and fathers well know that sort of glassiness). But when I suggest that we make a cake and decorate it with tongues of flame, and fruits, and rays of light, they brightened right up! We made a pretty amazing-looking cake that time--and many other times after that. Give it a try! Here are a few ideas:

Any kind of cake and icing that you and your family like will do.

Here are some Pentecost symbols, taken from Christian art. You can use as many of them as will fit onto your cake, and as you and your children want. (The decision-making process itself can be interesting and memorable.)

- Red flames--they hovered over the Apostles, as in the image above (and see Acts 2:1-4)
- A White Dove to represent the Holy Spirit
- Rays of yellow (gold) around the Dove, to suggest divinity
- Seven of some shape (doves? rays of light?) to suggest the Sevenfold Gifts of the Holy Spirit (taken from Isaiah 11:2): wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord
- Twelve strawberries or other fruits, to suggest the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (from Galatians 5): charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity

When they are through decorating this cake, your children will know what Pentecost means--and what is more, they will remember!

The Little House: May Crowning of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13th) and Rose Madeleines

2010-05-11T10:15:00.005-04:00

The other day the children and I, along with their Aunt Ann and cousins Simon and Isaac, made a crown of roses for our parish's statue of Our Lady of Fatima. We were not allowed to place the crown on her head at the time (our pastor did so later), but we all knelt before her and prayed the rosary. It was recess for the parish school and we all enjoyed listening to the joyous cries of children as we prayed together; it was as if their happy chorus joined ours! We then went home and made some rose-scented madeleines. My mother has the best recipe for these scallop-shaped cookies on page 258 of the Continual Feast. I substituted 1 tablespoon of rose water for the vanilla extract; it makes for a very fragrant cookie!

Lovely May Days: 'Tis the Season for Most Holy Communions...

2010-05-05T08:06:00.006-04:00

Early May is a particularly beautiful time of the year in the Northeast of the U.S., and in many other places as well. May has always been my favorite month, and I half-jokingly refer to the days from the 4th to the 6th of May as my "personal triduum" (with no theological claims). The 4th is my half-birthday (my husband sweetly surprised me with flowers yesterday!); the 5th is the anniversary of my Confirmation, and the 6th marks the day I received Holy Communion. While these are my own special dates-- and Confirmations are pretty much all over the calendar these days-- First Communions are generally still celebrated in this first week or two of May. It seems especially fitting that the month of Mary should be the time when most children receive Jesus into their own bodies for the first time. Just as Our Lady is esteemed especially for welcoming Our Lord into her heart and her womb, so too we have this opportunity to take Him into ourselves, whether it's for the first time or the thousandth.

First Communions also mean parties! And, for many parents, hectic moments of trying to get children ready for this momentous occasion. The following are a couple of recipes that may be helpful for a First Communion Day. The "Easy Doughnut" recipe is from Real Simple magazine, and is a great recipe for making a special breakfast that is also quick and easy (and, actually, not too high in fat or sugar!) First Communions are generally early in the day, and so the food often needs to be lighter than at many other gatherings. . The Asparagus and Leek Frittata (from Men's Health, originally) is great for a brunch, and makes use of two vegetables in season right now. It is a healthy--and quite foolproof--recipe.

May the Lord pour abundant blessings on all this week--especially those receiving their First Holy Communion!

Easy Doughnuts

Serves 8
Hands-on Time: 15m
Total Time: 15m
Ingredients
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 8-count package large refrigerated biscuits (such as Pillsbury Grands)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Heat ½ cup of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Place the biscuits on a cutting board. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or shot glass, cut a hole in the center of each biscuit, reserving the extra dough for "holes."

3. Test the heat of the oil by dipping the edge of a doughnut in the pan. When the oil is hot enough, the edge will bubble. Place 4 of the doughnuts and holes in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 1 to 1½ minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel–lined plate to drain. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, reheat, and cook the remaining doughnuts and holes.

4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Gently toss the warm doughnuts in the mixture a few at a time. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe makes 8 doughnuts, plus holes.

----------------
Asparagus and Leek Frittata

Servings:
6 people

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium leek, white and some green parts halved lengthwise, rinsed, and thinly sliced
3/4 pound thin asparagus, tips left whole and stems sliced 1/4 " thick
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
6 eggs
2 egg whites,
3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

PREPARATION
Preheat the broiler.

Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet with an ovenproof handle over medium-high heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, or until soft.

Add the asparagus, broth, 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper, parsley, and chives. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender-crisp and the broth has evaporated. Spread the asparagus mixture evenly in the bottom of the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, cheese, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Pour into the skillet with the asparagus. Shake the skillet to evenly distribute the egg mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, without stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the eggs begin to set at the edges.

With a spatula, lift up an edge of the frittata and tilt the skillet to allow the uncooked mixture to flow to the bottom of the pan.

Place under the broiler. Broil for 1 to 3 minutes, or until the eggs are set on the top and the frittata is lightly puffed.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Our Daily Bread: Easy Drop Biscuits

2010-05-04T22:18:00.004-04:00

Today’s gospel reading focused on peace. The peace that Our Lord gives is not of this world: it is a supernatural peace that enables us to maintain our optimism despite the many trials and tribulations we face here on earth. Because we are children of God, we can be confidant that our heavenly Father remains with us always…and this simple and glorious fact is the root of our peace.

This whole notion of peace presented itself quite beautifully today. While preparing dinner, our two boys were a bit rambunctious and enjoying pushing each other’s temper buttons as only brothers can! Just when I thought that they had reached their limit, we heard footsteps on the front porch followed by the glorious sight of my husband walking through the front door. Immediately the boys were gleefully singing: “Daddy is home.” Joy flooded the home and peace was restored! We must remember to welcome God Our Father in just this same way, for he is always there willing to restore peace!

Along with the idea of peace, here is a family favorite comfort food:

Easy Drop Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar (I have often substituted baking soda)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup melted butter (1/2 a stick)
1 cup milk

Mix the wet ingredients. Add the dry and stir until just combined.
Bake at 450° for 8-12 minutes on a greased baking sheet.

St. Catherine of Siena--April 29

2010-04-28T08:48:00.005-04:00

Catherine of Siena: one of those remarkable women--and there have been quite a few of them!--who have commanded respect since their lifetime, and increasingly so over the centuries. St. Catherine is counted among the official Doctors (or Teachers) of the Church. Her written works--her deeply mystical Dialogue and her over-400 Letters to a wide range of people--still find many admiring readers today. (The image shows Catherine dictating her Dialogue to a monk, under divine inspiration.)

She was born in Siena, Italy, in 1347 on the Feast of the Annunciation, one of a large family of 25 children born to a dyer and his wife. At the age of six, Catherine had a mystical experience that changed her life: she saw Christ in glory with Saints Peter, Paul and John. In her vision, Jesus smiled at her and stretched out his hand to bless her. From then on, Catherine considered herself his. Her parents wanted her to marry, and pressured her considerably to do so, but she refused, eventually cutting off her beautiful long hair to discourage their efforts. God, she later said, encouraged her to build a little cell or refuge in her heart where nothing could disturb her. In another vision, she saw herself as in a mystical marriage to Christ. She became a Dominican Tertiary (a Third Order member), living at home and, despite ill health, doing housework for the family—-but also, increasingly, conversing with, and guiding by her wise advice, an ever-expanding circle of friends. She nursed those sick of the plague, and did many other good works.

Since she was widely respected, she also became drawn into important issues of the Church at the time. Among her letters are those to Pope Gregory XI, then in Avignon: she urged him to bring the Papacy back from Avignon (where it had been largely under the control of the French) to Rome. Her letters to the Pope make for very interesting reading--they are quite blunt and forceful, but she often addresses him as “"Babbo" (Daddy); she then went to Avignon and met with the Pope in person, in part trying to make peace in Italy. (He returned to Rome.)

She died in 1380, at the age of 33, offering herself for the Church, which was by that time suffering from a new affliction--the Great Schism.

Catherine was clearly a remarkable person--a powerful and also a charming woman, and a great saint. She is patron to many places and groups, among them firefighters (she once fell into the fire while in ecstasy but was not burned); the sick and nurses (for her own ill health and her work with plague-victims), and temptations of all kind (she suffered greatly from them herself).

So, you may be waiting: What shall we eat in St. Catherine's honor? I was casting about for Italian treats--I am sure the Sienese must have something scrumptious for her feast day! But Catherine herself spent important periods of her life fasting, and indeed consuming nothing but the Eucharistic host. As she said in one of her dialogues, speaking to the Eternal Trinity: "The food of angels, you gave yourself to man in the fire of your love… In our hunger you are a satisfying food, for you are sweetness and in you there is no taste of bitterness, O triune God." I think that, if possible, the most appropriate food for us to eat in St. Catherine’s honor is the Eucharist--the bread of heaven.

Our Daily Bread: Chocolate Pretzels

2010-04-27T21:55:00.002-04:00

Every day my children ask me if it is still Easter while we drive to mass- and I am always happy to respond with an enthusiastic YES! This is usually met with a chorus of Alleluia and the eager question : What are we going to have for dessert?

In this joyful season of Easter let us revisit our penitential pretzels in a sweeter way!

Chocolate Pretzels
3/4 C. butter softened
3/4 C. sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla extract
2 C. all-purpose flour
1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

Shape 1 tablespoon dough with hands into a 9-inch-long rope. Shape rope into a loop-shape pretzel; press ends lightly to seal. Place pretzels about 1/2 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer pretzels to wire rack, sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional) and cool completely.

St. George, patron of England—April 23

2010-04-21T05:48:00.005-04:00

St. George is among those many saints whose story has largely been taken over by legends—-but he did exist: he was martyred in the 3rd or 4th century; from an early period there is devotion to him as a soldier saint in the region of Palestine. At the time of the Crusades, European Christians fighting in the Holy Land became aware of the strong veneration in which George was held there. Knights fighting at the siege of Antioch saw a vision of St. George helping them—-and great devotion to him arose throughout Europe.

St. George is the patron of England, and in the 17th and 18th centuries his feast day was a holy day of obligation for English Catholics. He is also the patron of soldiers and the boy scouts—-and of many churches throughout the world.

However legendary some parts of his story may be, we do well to honor the memory of this martyr; and to honor as well the ideals of chivalry--of courageous and virtuous manhood--that he came to represent. And we all need saintly help with dragons, of one kind or another...

In England, St. George is often honored with mushroom dishes: the new mushrooms arrive in the market around his feast-day.

Here is a tasty dish, slightly modified from Ernst Schuegraf’s beautiful and useful book, Cooking with the Saints (Ignatius Press).

Creamed St. George’s Day Mushrooms
Ingredients:
2 lbs. St. George’s Day [=little, new] mushrooms, if possible. If St. George’s Day mushrooms are not available, other mushrooms can be substituted.
4 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping [heavy] cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 Tablespoons dry cider
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Optional: 1-2 Tablespoons capers

Directions:
Wash and clean mushrooms. Pat dry and slice if half if mushrooms are large.
Melt butter and sauté mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and half the cream. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove mushrooms from pan. Mix cornstarch with cider and remaining cream. On full heat add this mixture to the pan and heat thoroughly, adding the optional capers. Season with salt and pepper; taste for seasoning. Pour sauce over mushrooms, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve.
Suitable as a side dish or a light lunch. Creamed mushrooms are delicious on toast.

Our Daily Bread: Raisin Bran Muffins

2010-04-20T13:54:00.003-04:00

Keeping to the “breakfast theme,” this is another delicious morning muffin recipe. One simple thing I like about this recipe is that is uses pantry items. We had recently purchased some raisin bran cereal and I was looking for a different way to serve it other than only in the bowl. I came across the recipe below while searching online.

Making use of what we have can sometimes be a challenge, and other times a treat! Either way, it is a wonderful opportunity to teach children a simple yet valuable lesson in the spirit of poverty. We may never experience third world hunger, but it is still never the less important to use up what we have! We can’t be wasteful simply because we have an abundance.

Raisin Bran Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups Raisin Bran
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil or shortening
Directions
1. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

2. Measure KELLOGG'S Raisin Bran and milk into mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and vegetable oil. Beat well.

3. Add flour mixture to cereal mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion batter evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin pan cups coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Fishes and Fishermen: Divine Mercy at Breakfast

2010-04-15T14:10:00.004-04:00

Like my mother, I particularly love the readings from the gospels and Acts that we get this week. Hearing stories from Acts--especially with Holy Week still a recent memory--stuns me with the awareness of the apostles’ transformation after Christ’s resurrection. It is exciting watching them; men who cowered while Jesus was being put to death, suddenly intrepid in the face of all the powers that be. It is immediately apparent that the Lord is with them—and in them. When I read about the apostles and Peter standing up to the Sanhedrin, it’s hard not to feel like I’m watching a movie where the good guys have finally gained the upper hand. St. Peter is front and center in many of these passages, and it is beautiful to see the maturation of his personality in his relationship with Christ. Here is this impetuous, hot-headed guy, with the limitations of his temperament, but he sincerely loves his Lord. He loves Him so much that when the Lord first appears to him on the shore of Tiberias, he doesn’t let his shame get in the way. The last time he saw Jesus was before His Passion, and only shortly before that, he had denied Him and wept. But when he realizes it is Jesus on the shore, he leaps up and rushes to his side, totally undaunted by his own failure and limitation. This is the greatness of Peter! His own weakness does not prevent him from knowing the truth and running after it. The Lord takes him, knowing all his imperfections, and yet loving him in all of them; making him the rock of His Church. It is such a reminder to me, especially in the light of the Divine Mercy we just celebrated, and in anticipation of the Ascension and Pentecost.

It is also wonderful being reminded that these ordinary men were fisherman: we have had readings about fish and fishing all week, and we’ll come back to the gospel reading my mother referenced this Sunday (John 21: 1-19). We see this in an obvious way at the beginning of John 21. We can imagine the strangeness that Christ’s rising must have engendered: it is an exciting time, but also an uncertain one. The apostles are all waiting around, not knowing what to do with themselves; hoping they will see Him again, but not knowing if. So: what does a good fisherman do in a time like this? He does what he’s used to doing—he goes fishing! And some of the guys go with him. The rest is history. It’s beautiful seeing the tenderness of Christ in this episode, the way He shows up where they are, in all its “regular life” capacity, making their fishing experience wholly new. Like at the very beginning of their history with Him, He grants them a miraculous catch. But not only does he make them catch the fish, he cooks it for them. Before His death He washed their feet, and now He prepares their meals.

The “foodie” in me can’t help but think about the breakfast they have with Jesus. Fish? For breakfast? I know it is common in some places, but it is a bit much for my taste. I remember being surprised, in fact, while in the Holy Land, that our breakfast included strong tasting- foods like olives. If you’re not quite ready for the real, grilled, thing, here is a recipe for gravlax that may ease the transition…(you can also have it at other times of day!)

GRAVLAX (Scandinavian pickled salmon)
2 lb fresh salmon w/skin on, cut into 2 fillets from the central (thickest) part of the fish
½ cup sugar
¼ cup salt
1 TB spoon coriander seeds, crushed
1 TB spoon white peppercorns, crushed
1 bunch fresh dill, coarsely chopped
¼ cup vodka

Mix salt, sugar and crushed spices.
Place a large piece of plastic wrap in a rectangular glass baking dish.
Place one fillet on center of plastic wrap and cover with spice mix, rubbing gently. Put spice mix also on second fillet.
Cover first fillet with chopped dill, pour vodka on top, and cover with second fillet.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
Put a small dish or small cutting board over the fish and place a heavy weight on top.
Refrigerate for 3 days, turning the wrapped fish over every 12 hours, and putting back the weight on top.
On forth day scrape off gently the spices and dill from fillets and slice very thinly.
It can be served on crackers, or toasted bread (great if you cream a ripe avocado with some lime juice and spread it on the toasted bread putting a slice of fish on top). Any un-sliced leftover fish keeps for a few days in the refrigerator.

"Come and have breakfast": breakfast with Jesus by the Sea of Tiberias

2010-04-12T05:42:00.007-04:00

A few days ago we had one of my favorite Gospel readings, from John 21 (we will read it again soon): the disciples are out fishing, catching nothing. The risen Jesus is standing on the shore: they see him but don't recognize him. He calls out to them to cast their nets to starboard, and they make an astounding catch--so many fish that they can't even haul them all in. At that point, John and Peter realize that it is Jesus--and Peter hops into the water to get to shore as fast as he can.

When they reach shore, there is Jesus on the beach with a charcoal fire, grilling fish for them. He says "Come and have breakfast."

This is one of those beautiful passages where we see Jesus taking care of the most fundamental needs: he is cooking breakfast for his friends. (And we are reminded yet again of the importance of the theme of fishing in the Gospels!)

We will soon begin a series of posts on grilling, by my son Peter, inspired by this great passage. We are looking forward, Pete!

Our Daily Bread: Monkey Bread

2010-04-07T21:03:00.004-04:00

This delicious recipe found its way into my family’s home when my sister met the man she would marry. It is just one of the many ways that our in-laws enrich our familial life! Simple to make, quick to bake, and a definite crowd pleaser! I hope this becomes a new addition to your holiday celebrations.

I did manage to make a mistake this most recent time I prepared the scrumptious treat. I over stuffed the bundt pan, and refrigereated the dough overnight before baking. Both led to tripling the baking time and the need to transfer it from the bundt plan to a baking sheet to finish cooking through.

This is what Monkey Bread should look like:

This is what our Easter Sunday bread turned out to be:

Not skipping a beat we relied on a sense of humor to redeem the visual disaster. We found a deeply symbolic meaning behind this artistic presentation: just as the curtain of the temple was torn in two, so was our Monkey Bread. Fortunately, the rift did not affect the taste.

Luckily we have until Pentecost to celebrate with many more intact Monkey Breads!

Monkey Bread

1. Open 3-4 cans refrigerator biscuits, cut into quarters, and roll in a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar (you can also add nutmeg.) Add to a greased bundt pan.

2. Melt 1 ½ sticks butter. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 cup of brown sugar. Mix well. Pour over the biscuits in the bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before turning over on a plate.

Easter week! We are beginning the longest party in the Church!

2010-04-06T08:38:00.012-04:00

We are now fully launched into the Easter season--that grand party that will last for many weeks; it has been called the longest party in the Church. We keep rejoicing at the Resurrection of Christ, at his victory over sin and the grave--and at what that means for all of us!

So don't just serve leftovers! (When you must, disguise and renew them by the addition of new touches: a new vegetable? a new flavoring? a delicious new sauce?)

And if you didn't get around to it for Easter, perhaps make a Kulich--a Russian Easter Bread--now! It is really glorious looking, and delicious.

Here is the recipe for Kulich, slightly modified from A Continual Feast.

Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 100-110F)
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons brandy or rum
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/4 cup blanched almost, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins, plumed in hot water, drained
Optional: 1/4 cup orange and/or lemon peel, and/or candied fruits

Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Regular white icing (of any kind) for the letters on top of the bread

Directions:
You will need a 2-pound coffee can. Or you can make two loaves, using two 1-pound tins—but you get much more visual effect with a single, large can!
Sprinkle the yeast I the warm water, stirring to dissolve.
In a large bowl, combine the milk and the melted butter. Stir in the sugar, salt, lemon rind, vanilla extract and brandy. Stir in the yeast. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the flour, a little at a time, adding only enough to make a soft, non-sticky dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Place it in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and place in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto the floured surface again. Press the dough flat and work into it the almonds and raisins, and the candied peels and fruits (if used).
Form the dough into a large ball and press it, seam down, into the greased coffee can(s). It should only fill half of the can.
Cover the can lightly and let the dough rise for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until it just reaches the top of the can—no higher!
Bake the Kulich at 375 F for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown, and until a toothpick stuck into the center of the top comes out clean.
Frost with confectioners’ sugar icing. Mix the confectioners’ sugar with the milk and vanilla. Let the icing drip down the sides of the cake.
With regular (that is, solid) white icing, pipe the letters XB on the top of the cake—these Russian letters stand for “Christ is Risen.”

"Harrowing hell" at the "Little House"

2010-04-03T16:06:00.005-04:00

I love Holy Saturday. I love that Easter is almost here. I love preparing the children's baskets. I (mostly) love dyeing eggs. And I love thinking about Jesus freeing Adam and Eve and all the great heroes of the Old Testament. So this year, the children and I put on a very, very short reenactment of the harrowing of hell. For once, I felt like I didn't have NEARLY enough children. (Next year I'll do some recruiting of neighborhood kids.) Casting was a little difficult but we muddled through: James was Adam; Julia, Eve; Lily, Sarah; Luke, Samson (he's obsessed with super heroes, and Samson was as close as I could get); Agnes, Moses; and Natalie was Jesus. You might find it a bit curious, maybe even heretical, to have my very girly one-year old baby play Jesus, but since EVERYONE wanted to be Jesus and Natalie was the only one who had NOT sinned that morning, I picked her. Anyway, we all went down to "hell" (the basement schoolroom: I wonder, should I be offended?) whereupon the children all moaned and cried for Jesus to save them. Natalie (on my shoulders) comes triumphantly down the stairs, crashes down the "imaginary" door and greets those worthy prisoners of hell with a toothy grin and a kiss. "Jesus" then punches out the devils and leads her brothers and sister up into paradise--the kitchen, of course!--where they each receive a little treat. Who would have thought that something "harrowing" could be so much fun?!

Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday

2010-04-03T10:27:00.021-04:00

Holy Saturday: Christians throughout the world are in mourning for the death of Christ.

And according to ancient tradition, on this day Jesus went down into hell to rescue the patriarchs and prophets and all the virtuous men and women of the Old Testament, and to take them with him to heaven. This rescue is called the "Harrowing of Hell": Christ robbed or pillaged Hell of the faithful souls in it.

But we cooks really do have to look ahead, to live in anticipation of what is to come next--and that is Easter joy and the Easter feast: the breaking of our Lenten fast in a grand, glorious way.

Easter is the fundamental, the original, the most important feast in Christianity. Christ has (or soon will be!) risen from the dead. It is on this extraordinary fact that the Christian religion is based; Christ triumphed over sin and death. And we are invited to share in his triumph.

So you will forgive us cooks if we talk about and plan for Easter now, while we are still in penitential, mourning, fasting mode. ("To everything there is a season"--so true! But cooks are always, of necessity, just a bit ahead of the season!)

The dishes associated with Easter are among the most symbolically marked of all Christian foods, primarily because they are rooted in the Jewish passover traditions and they also reflect the meaning of Jesus as the Lamb of Sacrifice: thus, lamb and bakery items in the shape of lamb are favorites. Also, of course dishes featuring the egg--a symbol of immortality: new life emerges from the death of the tomb-like shell. Some dishes accentuate the breaking of fast and abstinence--the reintroduction into a great feast of foodstuffs that had been given up for Lent: loads of butter, eggs, cream (many people have renounced these delicious foods during Lent). Easter dishes based on ham and pork may also point to the Christian break with Jewish dietary law--but it is also true that many people, over the centuries, have just plain loved pork!

A Continual Feast offers recipes for many traditional dishes for Easter. One of our family favorites is the Lamb Cake, which is great fun to decorate with children. In my family, some are coconut lovers, some are not (well, actually, they hate coconut). Our solution to this difficult dilemma?--a tiny contribution to peace in the world: the lamb is richly coconutified on one side, with plain (but delicious) white icing on the other.

A blessed Easter to all of you from all of us!

Clean hands--and FEET--for Maundy Thursday Supper at the"Little House on the Prairie"

2010-04-01T13:39:00.024-04:00

I find Holy Week to be a somewhat difficult time for home schooling. The children have begun their count down to Easter and I struggle to keep their enthusiasm from erupting into irreverence. "Yes, yes, Lent IS almost over, but not yet! Remember, this is the HOLIEST, most solemn week of the year! Keep your hearts on Jesus and on His Passion, not on treats. No, No, no egg dying until Holy Saturday!" Lent is a little bit like taking a long, dusty hike with your children to a beautiful lake, and just when you can see the cool, clear waters, a steep hill looms ahead.

Here is where Holy Thursday (aka "Maundy Thursday" or "Shire Thursday") comes in! It is a little oasis for the children, both literally and figuratively. First, there is the practice of visiting the Blessed Sacrament in seven churches. Admittedly, we will only have made it to two today: our own parish, the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and that of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Cross (which we visited with Aunt Ann, Uncle Pete and cousins Simon and Isaac). Then, there is the washing of feet. I remind the children that we are always trying to imitate Christ: we are called to love as He did; to forgive as He did; to live as He did. And so today, we are to wash each others' feet as He washed those of His disciples before the Last Supper. We decide who will wash whose feet: Daddy does Lily's; Mommy does Daddy's; James does Julia's, and so on. We all watch as each person's feet are cleaned and dried. A little perfume is poured into each person's tub. There is NO grimacing allowed. It does take a little while, but everyone enjoys the water's sweet coolness and the soft touch on their feet. (Because of their enthusiasm, the littlest children assist during each person's foot bath.) We talk about Jesus washing his followers' feet and why it was so unusual: the master kneeling before the servant! We talk about Lazarus's sister washing the feet of Jesus and how we should pretend that we are washing His feet as we wash each others'. Christ lives in me! He lives in you!

Children are so easily distracted. I am so easily distracted! This act of service reminds us that Lent is NOT over and that we are preparing now, together, for Our Lord's final

trials. And so we sit down together for our Last Supper meal, which admittedly is not a meat-lovers repast. In Germany, "Holy Thursday" is called "Mourning Thursday" or "Green Thursday" and so they typically eat various different types of green vegetables, especially spinach. Go to The Continual Feast, pp.187-188 to try the delicious seven-herb Vichyssoise. Tonight, however, I am making a large spinach salad with a balsamic vinegrette (vinegar to remember the vinegar wine offered to Christ on the cross) and rosemary buns (CF, p. 188). Everyone will get a little bit of wine. And if there is too much grumbling, I might allow a few children to eat some leftovers or carrot soup. But maybe, just maybe, they can hold off for some hot-cross buns in the morning!

Water: Living Water

2010-04-01T07:01:00.006-04:00

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about water—-and about thirst. There are so many Scripture readings, especially in Lent, about water and our deep need for it—like the beautiful passage about the Samaritan woman at the well, to whom Jesus promised that he could give her living water: "water springing up to eternal life." To take just one other quotation, this one from the Beatitudes: "Blessed are they who thirst after righteousness." Water is also an element that bathes and purifies—and Easter is also the special season for Baptisms and for the washing away of sins.

Thinking at a lower, culinary level-—so many foods that we prepare depend on water. They are, if you will, reanimated and revivified by water: pasta, rice, beans, flour, and many other foodstuffs. Like us, they too are dried up, desiccated, perhaps freeze-dried. We need generous additions of water—-both at the literal level, and spiritually.

Let’s remember to give thanks for water.
And for our thirst for the Living Water.
And for the amazing--the truly astonishing--gift of God's thirst for us.

Our Daily Bread: Hot Cross Buns

2010-03-30T15:18:00.004-04:00

Hot Cross Buns date as far back as 1361 and have since been a traditional food item for Good Friday. This was our first year preparing them from a recipe found in A Continual Feast on page 190. They are surprisingly simple to make and the symbolism of the cross is a wonderful way to help children continue to get into a Holy Week mindset.

The world takes care of our anticipating the birth of Baby Jesus. Christmas songs can be heard on the radio, shops display Christmas themes, and cities are adorned with lights. We are surrounded by many visible signs that point us towards the miraculous and humble birth of Our Savior. The same is not true as we anticipate Easter.

We must make an effort to remain faithful during Lent. Ash Wednesday provides quite a dramatic outward sign on our foreheads, but the rest of Lent draws us inward as we reflect on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a beautiful opportunity for deepening our friendship with Christ. Inside the church during Holy Week, however, there are so many signs that remind us that Easter is near…but first we must enter the Passion.

My 3 year old was struck by the dramatic veiling of the crucifix and statues for Holy Week. He was happy to know that Jesus was still in the tabernacle, in his “house” as the boys call it. The red vestments also struck him. I asked him why the priest was wearing red, because of the blood of Jesus. Yes! We can’t lose sight of the passion of our Lord- but we can’t linger in that state of sadness, either. And so I always ask what happened three days after Jesus died on the cross? He rose from the dead. Yes! And why? So that we can go to heaven. And why are Jesus’ arms stretched out like that on the cross? Because he wants to hug us. Yes!

He was not pleased to hear, however, that there will not be mass on Friday or Saturday- and that Jesus won’t even be in his “house.” But Mommy, I will miss Jesus, because I need to see Jesus and be with Jesus. That we may all have the simple, beautiful faith of a child and feel that starved for Our Lord!

Even today as we left mass there was a grounds crew hard at work. My curious three year old wanted to know what they were doing. I explained that they were preparing the church for Easter. For Jesus? Exactly. My boys think that even the daffodils and tupils know that Easter is coming and so are blooming in anticipation. May our inner faith be that of a child this Holy Week.

Embracing the Season of Lent in Holy Week: Moving from Privation to Plenty

2010-03-29T11:13:00.001-04:00

Today we hear the gospel story of Lazarus’ sister Mary bathing Jesus’ feet with costly perfumed oil. It has always been interesting for me that it is Judas who objects to the woman’s extravagant expenditure. And I imagine we can relate. I mean, really, why would you pour expensive perfume on someone’s feet? Especially if you consider that it’s a culture of sandal-wearers: people whose feet are constantly getting dirty (as we’re reminded in the Holy Thursday Liturgy where Jesus tells Peter that people who have bathed only need their feet washed). Feet are dirty all the time when they are exposed to the sandy streets of the Holy Land. The wastefulness of the woman’s action is obvious. Yet, it is the traitor who questions the woman’s action—no one else-- and Jesus responds by reminding him that He would not always be with them. It is a reminder, first, of the preciousness of every part of Jesus, down to his feet, which were probably calloused and none-too pretty (these were not the pedicured toes of contemporary metrosexuals!). His preciousness is mysterious and unexpected: his dirty feet are worthy of much more than the costly perfume with which they were anointed.

It is also a blessed reminder as we pass from Lent to Holy Week and Easter that there is a season for everything: for abstaining and indulging, for saving carefully and for giving freely. As I try to exercise wisdom and prudence with our family finances, I can sometimes get frustrated around holiday seasons. It seems like I can be so careful and save so much, but then all the savings goes out the window when I prepare for a great holiday. This aggravation is a sign that money, too, comes from Him: saving and spending are meaningful only in relation to Him. It is also a sign of the great gift of loved ones with whom we can celebrate Easter: we must rejoice with them, for He is Risen! Those loved ones will not be with us forever, as the sudden death of a good friend at the beginning of Lent reminded me last year. He—and they—are precious gifts; far more precious than anything we can give or make. So, too, after the abstinence from meat and other favorite foods that characterizes Lent, preparing for Easter dinner can be a bit disorienting. We can almost feel guilty as we set up planning, purchasing, and preparing the Easter meal. As we pass from a season of privation (Lent) to a season of plenty (Easter), it is good to be reminded that all seasons—like all things—come from the Lord, and we are called to feast no less than we are called to fast. As we prepare ourselves to do both this week, let us keep the mystery of His gift of self foremost in our minds.

As we enter Holy Week: fasting--and suffering

2010-03-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

We are entering Holy Week. As we make ready for a final round of fasting, abstinence, prayer and self-denial, in preparation for Easter, here is a thought for you on the importance and value of suffering. It comes from one of the great 20th c. masters of spirituality, Fr. Jordan Aumann, OP:

While the desire for pleasure is a great obstacle to our eternal salvation, the horror of suffering is a great impediment to sanctification. Many souls who halt along the way to perfection do so because they have not dominated their dread of suffering. Only those who have determined to combat this tendency with an unswerving energy will arrive at the height of sanctity. This, says St. Teresa, is an absolutely indispensable condition for reaching perfection. Those who do not have the spirit for this can renounce sanctity, because they will never reach it. St. John of the Cross gives to the love of suffering an exceptional importance in the process of our sanctification, both to make amends for sins and for the sanctification of the soul.

It is time for each of us to take up our cross and follow Him.

March 25--The Feast of the Annunciation

2010-03-25T06:25:00.005-04:00

March 25 is the Feast of the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to Mary; it is also called the Feast of the Incarnation: this is the moment at which God came into the world as Man--He took flesh in the womb of the Virgin.

This is so major a feast that for a long time March 25, rather than January 1, was the first day of the new year.

Here are the words of the great prayer spoken in response to Gabriel by Mary:

My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;
for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty,
hath done great things to me;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations,
to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant,
being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed for ever. (Douay-Rheims translation)

There are many beautiful musical settings for this prayer, known as the Magnificat.

Along with a discussion of the history of the feast, A Continual Feast (pp. 248-9) has a delicious Swedish recipe for waffles, the traditional dish for this feast, going back hundreds of years.

Our Daily Bread: Jewel Muffins

2010-03-23T14:36:00.002-04:00

Many of us struggle to wake up in the morning. There are the perpetual “Snoozers” who repeatedly hit the button on their alarms, the coffee drones who don’t function until their cup of caffeine and those who have even been known to walk into walls.Those early hours don’t agree with all of us.

No matter if you are a morning person or not, however, the first moment when you do wake up usually requires at least some perseverance. Especially in the winter. Who wants to leave the warmth of their bed for the chilly early morning? We find yet another ordinary moment in our daily life that calls for an act of heroism: waking up on time, and with the right disposition.

Perhaps more important that waking up on time is the idea of waking up with the right disposition. Are our first thoughts “5 more minutes” or “I hate mornings?” We can instead help to form the habit of sending our first thoughts to God. A friend was once commenting about how sweet young children are. The last people they see at night are their mother and father and their first words when they wake up are usually “Mommy” or “Daddy.” You can say their last thoughts at night and their first thoughts in the morning are for their parents. How much our Heavenly Father must love this same sentiment coming from us. We are after all, children of God. Do we say goodnight to Him before we get in bed- and do we start our morning thinking of him?

The idea of a morning offering, a simple prayer said at the start of each day that offers all the works of our day to God, has been in place since the early Christians. As soon as they wake up, before facing back into the hurly-burly of life, before making any plans or even thinking about their family duties, the Christians offer their thoughts and everything, to God. (Cassian, Conferences, 21- found in Conversations with God volume 2).

We can do the same, especially as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week, to turn our first thoughts each day in a simple prayer: Good morning, dear Jesus, this day is for you. Then we can put on the pot of coffee!

Here is a delicious morning muffin recipe taken from A Continual Feast. Jewel Muffins (found on page 53) are made from the cinnamon-nutmeg muffin recipe. You fill the baking cup ½ full then add a teaspoon of jam before topping them off with a remaining spoonful of batter. These treats take no more than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish and so make a wonderful morning breakfast…and for those of us who need all the help we can get in the mornings: they can be prepared the night before!

Advice on fasting from St. Bernard of Clairvaux

2010-03-22T06:25:00.000-04:00

Lent is not just about fasting and abstince from foods. Here is what St. Bernard had to say:

Let the eyes fast from curiosity.
Let the ears fast in not heeding vain words or anything unnecessary for the soul’s salvation.
Let the tongue fast from defamation and gossip, from vain and useless words.
Let the hand fast from idleness and unnecessary busyness.
Let the soul fast even more from all vices and sins, and from imposing its will and judgments.
For without such fasting, all other fasting is rejected by God.

(From a Lenten sermon by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercian abbot, 12th century)

Pausing During the Season of Lent: Let's Embrace a Saint Both Steadfast and Fearless!

2010-03-18T04:27:00.007-04:00

(A Sicilian Altar to Saint Joseph, Made of Breads Baked in Symbolic Shapes)

As my mother noted in her post yesterday, tomorrow (March 19) is the Feast of St. Joseph, a solemnity in the Church. In many places, it is celebrated as Father’s Day. The Church gives us three readings for the solemnity, which are striking and beautiful in light of the man we celebrate. The first is about David, the second is Saint Paul commenting on Abraham’s righteousness, and the gospel passage from Matthew tells of the angel who came to Joseph and encouraged him not to be afraid of taking Mary as his wife. Both Abraham and David were men promised much by the Lord who lived to see their descendents prosper. Not so Joseph. What we know about him from Scripture is remarkably lacking in promises, but his faithfulness is manifestly apparent. When we think of Saint Joseph, we generally remember him as a tireless worker as well as good and steadfast man. But I wonder how often we think of his courageousness? Considering the episode where the angel tells him to flee into Egypt made me consider the fearlessness of this simple man, confident in his Lord. To flee your homeland with a young bride and infant son without any of the usual warnings or plans must have been an act of great courage and self-abandonment. What a beautiful example to have as the model for Christian fatherhood—a man who is both steadfast and brave!

A friend recently referred me to a website that shows some amazing pictures of food made in Sicily in honor of Saint Joseph (the image provided is one example). Apparently, in addition to being the patron of fathers, families, carpenters, and tradesmen, Saint Joseph is honored for having saved Sicily from famine during the Middle Ages. *And* he is the patron of pastry chefs! This seems especially appropriate to Saint Joseph’s being an example of steadfastness, patience, and bravery. For baking requires an additional measure of patience (sifting, kneading, and waiting for baked goods take time); as well as an extra dose of courage (breads may not rise, cakes might not set…)--the precision and risk is greater for the pastry chef. How appropriate that many honor St. Joseph by making cream puffs! They are a dessert that requires both some patience and some bravery…But, like the sacrifices Joseph himself made—so worth it! Even someone with limited pastry skills like myself can be inspired by Joseph to be a little more patient and a little more courageous in the kitchen-- and in the rest of life.

(The picture at the top of the page is taken from the following web page:
http://marsalamia.wordpress.com/. Many thanks to Elisabetta Erickson who sent me the link!)

St. Joseph--March 19

2010-03-17T18:38:00.004-04:00

St. Joseph, husband of Mary, foster father of Jesus, patron of the universal Church, patron of the interior life, patron of carpenters, patron of fathers, patron of unwed mothers—-a great saint! And one whose life is largely hidden from history. He simply served. He took care of Mary and Jesus. He is a great model for us all.

The great Theresa of Avila—who strongly promoted devotion to St. Joseph—said she always went to him when she needed light from heaven.

St. Joseph is today among the most beloved of saints.

A Continual Feast has several delicious Italian recipes for St. Joseph’s Day treats, on pp. 243-4: Sfinge (Creampuffs) and Frittelle (Rice Fritters) di San Giuseppe. Here is a picture of the Frittelle--they are so good!

Little House on the Prairie Spills the Beans on Bean Soup

2010-03-15T15:28:00.006-04:00

I try to feed the children a warm lunch, especially in the fall and winter, and so I often offer them soups. Lent complicates this a bit since most of my soups involve chicken broth and/or meat. And so I have been offering them beans. “I’m not much of a bean man,” my nine-year old son informed me. Undaunted, I prepared a few lessons on beans in an attempt to cultivate their interest and appreciation for the mighty little bean. So, we dissected a bean. We soaked beans and placed the hilium (the bean’s “belly button” facing up, down, left and right so see which way the roots would grow (hint: everything must obey gravity!); and we examined the sprouts that grew from the tiny black seed. They all seemed impressed. And so we started on the soup. This hearty Italian Bean and Vegetable Soup (on page 172 of the Continual Feast) is chock full of vegetables and is so healthy! I made it with black beans instead of pinto and with brown rice, instead of pasta, and added a bit of balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes (julienne cut and soaked in olive oil) to add a little kick. I served it warm with shredded cheese and some monastery bread.

Now I do have to admit that my 5year old daughter, Lily, did weep when she saw the soup, but she is an extraordinarily picky eater. As my husband said, “Well, children, looks aren’t everything when it comes to food.” And I don’t even think it looks bad, but you be the judge!

For my son’s entertainment, after we ate the soup, I gave the children another lesson on, um, well, you know the song... For an explanation on this intestinal mystery, go to http://ilovebacteria.com/beans.htm

For links to the lessons, go to:

http://www.lessonplanspage.com

ScienceExTempGravityAffectSeedGerminationMO68.htm

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/life12.html

Saint Patrick’s Day: The potato! (Skip the Corned Beef this year.)

2010-03-14T08:55:00.001-04:00

I know that Corned Beef and Cabbage are practically de rigueur for the feast of St. Patrick. We are not doing that!—not this year.

I propose that we honor the great Patron Saint of Ireland this time around with the potato, that humble but precious import from the New World. Why? The potato is what kept the Irish alive for centuries, and the potato blight—-the Great Potato Famine—-is what brought our Irish ancestors to the US. Our Irish great grandfathers and -mothers were, most of them, “Potato Famine Irish.” Indeed that famine drove the Irish all around the world.

A few words about St. Patrick to start us off. Considering how legendary a figure he is, it is interesting that we actually have letters written by him that tell his story. Patrick was born in Christianized Roman England in the late 4th century. When he was 16 years old, he was captured by raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland (which was at the time still pagan). After 6 years, he escaped and returned home to England. He entered the Church as a priest—-and kept feeling called to go back to Ireland. He went there as a missionary bishop, and the rest is history—-aside from the legends, that is!

Now to the potato! A Continual Feast has several wonderful potato recipes on pp. 44-46, such as Scalloped potatoes! French fried potatoes! Stuffed baked potatoes! What’s not to love here?

Any of these potato dishes will, I guarantee, make Irish eyes smile. They will produce a similar effect on eyes that are only demi-Irish, or semi-Irish, or pseudo-Irish, or not the tiniest bit Irish.

And keep in mind that St. Patrick's just gives us one day off from Lenten fasting and abstinence--potatoes make a nice, solid, delicious, nutritious, inexpensive main dish.

So let’s hear it for the potato! Here is a quote I’ve always liked:

Pray for peace and grace and spiritual food,
For wisdom and guidance, for all these are good,
But don’t forget the potatoes.
(From J.T. Pettee, Prayer and Potatoes)

Now let’s raise a glass (it does not have to be an alcoholic beverage!) to St. Patrick on his feast day.

Here is a grand poem—often sung as a hymn—which is attributed to St. Patrick: his “Breastplate” or Lorica. It us a great poem to learn by heart.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

A new use for your kitchen timer--stay recollected

2010-03-10T19:32:00.009-05:00

One problem that I have--and I imagine that others do too--is that I find it hard to stay recollected. It is difficult, in the press of daily life, to remember to keep lifting my mind and heart to God. I want to--but I just forget... I am busy! Here is where a kitchen timer comes in handy. You can keep setting it for any unit of time that is useful for you--and its ringing reminds you to say another quick prayer. These prayers may be very short ones indeed--maybe just "Help!" Or we may need to ask, over and over, for patience, or cheerfulness, or light, or the strength to carry some cross that God has given us. Or it may be a quick but heart-felt "Thank you, Lord!"

But whatever the prayers we need to say, it is good to be reminded to say them. Often.

And when you aren't hanging around the kitchen, and you need to leave your little black hen at home, try carrying a watch that beeps on the hour. That works well too. No one else notices--but you are reminded.

A further thought on all this (inspired by the useful comment of Anonymous, below). Monks and nuns have followed the Liturgical Hours for centuries: the Offices, from Matins (very early in the morning) through Compline (in the evening), punctuated their day, with fixed times for prayer. Generally, a bell called them to prayer. Many of us today are lucky to grab what we might call Liturgical Moments; they are short, to be sure, but they are still good! Even in the midst of a conversation, we can typically take off that milli-second to raise our thoughts to God. I just wish I could program my cellphone to (discretely) ring the Angelus...

Our Daily Bread: Sour Cream Pound Cake

2010-03-09T15:12:00.002-05:00

The fourth Sunday in Lent, or Mid-Lent, has many different names. It’s liturgical name is “Laetate” or “Rejoice” Sunday, from the first words of the liturgy for that day: “Rejoice, O Jerusalem.”
The English name for this day is “Mothering Sunday.” This term arose from a custom connected with the ancient idea of the Church, “Jerusalem,” as our Mother. On this day, Christians have traditionally gone to the church in which they had been baptized and confirmed, to their Mother Church. And on this day it has also been a custom for people to visit their own mothers. You took your mother flowers and a cake, and asked for her maternal blessing. The cake was called a “Simnel,” from the fine-quality white flour (latin simila) with which it was made. This day was thus the original, the Christian, Mother’s Day! (Text from A Continual Feast p. 184 which includes more information and a delicious recipe for Simnel Cake)

While a pound cake is in every way a cake and in no way a bread, it is still none the less baked in a loaf pan and too delicious not to include in one of our bread posts! It also happens to be a family favorite and it is the cake we traditionally bake to celebrate each person’s feast day. While the thought of my children presenting a delicious cake to me on Mothering Sunday is delightful, I also realistically know that it will be mother who bakes it! Perhaps this delight will be baked on Saturday night!

Sour Cream Pound Cake
½ cup butter
3 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

1. Allow butter, eggs, and sour cream to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour an 8x4x2 inch or 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping bowl frequently. Alternately add flour mixture and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in a 325° oven for 60-75 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.

*This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens cook book.

What do “Magic Squares” and "Eucharistic Healing Processions" Have in Common?

2010-03-08T20:32:00.008-05:00

At first blush, nothing. But leave it to the wonderfully imaginative and holy Sisters of Life to find some way to connect them! I was on a deeply moving and beautiful retreat at their retreat house in CT this past weekend where I experienced both the magic of Sister Mary Joseph’s “magic squares” and the miracle of Christ’s healing power in a eucharistic procession. Wow! Perhaps you have taken part in such a procession before, but I hadn't and it has changed me. It began with the sisters telling us that we were going to participate in a kind of reenactment of Mark 5:24-34 ("Daughter, your faith has made you well.") I thought it sounded like a great idea, but I wasn't as excited as the sisters. The procession started with the standard exposition hymn ("O Salutaris Hostia") and the benediction continued as it would normally, but then the priest read Mark 5:24-34 and exhorted us to pretend we were that faithful woman and to hold on to the humeral veil as if it were the cloak of Christ while he blessed us with the monstrance. As I processed up with the sisters and my fellow retreatants, my heart began to beat faster and I started to weep. I was afraid I was going to make a scene! As I knelt down and the priest raised the monstrance, I looked up and for the first time I understood that famous utterance of a certain peasant of Ars: "I look at Him and He looks at me." I was overwhelmed by what could only have been the piercing and purifying gaze of Christ. I was healed.

A special thanks to Mother Agnes who encouraged all of us to put aside our lenten observances for the weekend and partake of the many glorious treats prepared so lovingly by the Sisters of Life. Thank you!!

For more information on the Sisters of Life and the wonderful retreats they offer, go to http://sistersoflife.org

Magic Squares

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup roasted, salted pecans, peanuts or almonds coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, oats and melted butter. Pour into prepar

ed pan and press into an even layer, using your fingertips,the back of a spoon or a spatula. Spread chocolate chips in a layer on the graham crackers. Spread pecans in a layer on the chocolate chips. Spread coconut in a layer on top. Pour sweetened condensed milk over everything.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until

coconut is golden brown.
Cool completely before slicing.
Bars can be served at room temperature or chilled. Sprinkle some confectioner’s sugar on top.

Makes 25 squares.

Saints Perpetua and Felicity, March 6th

2010-03-04T20:43:00.006-05:00

I have read various martyrdom stories to my children but few have had the impact as the story of Saints Felicity and Perpetua. The girls were weeping (especially my seven-year old, Julia) by the time I got half way through the story and even my son had a hard time keeping his usual stoic expression. I imagine that there are several reasons for this: unlike many saints’ lives, we have Perpetua’s first person account of their imprisonment; the details of their martyrdom are vivid and horrific; and both women were young mothers (Felicity was about to give birth and Perpetua was still nursing). My daughters were so worried about the babies! Perpetua’s anxiety for her nursing child is palpable as she explains how her baby boy was brought to her in prison: “I was very unusually distressed by my anxiety for my infant ... I suckled my child, which was now enfeebled with hunger. In my anxiety for it, I addressed my mother and comforted my brother, and commended to their care my son. I was languishing because I had seen them languishing on my account. Such solicitude I suffered for many days, and I obtained for my infant to remain in the dungeon with me; and forthwith I grew strong and was relieved from distress and anxiety about my infant; and the dungeon became to me as it were a palace, so that I preferred being there to being elsewhere.” My daughters’ concern, and I daresay that of most women, is echoed by that of our Christian heroine. She is not just a Christian, but a Christian mother. To me, her desire, her deep need to hold and nurse her infant child--a need which greatly unsettled her--underscores her humanity. And I wonder at how, once her baby son is with her, her “dungeon” became a “palace”! Without love and tenderness, without gratitude, a mother’s life can feel like a dungeon, okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic...like a prison camp, where there is nothing but anxiety and work. But when she was handed her son, she was so happy, so grateful, that it was as if she were in heaven. She didn’t worry about the future, but was content. How many times have I become anxious about problems that were looming (and none of them as extreme as execution!), only to be reminded, “Sufficient unto the day (is the evil thereof).” Worrying about the future deprives us of the joys that the present moment offers us. Our freedom is here in the present, not in the future. Our children are here with us now to love and be loved. So maybe the next time you are feeling low or fearful, grab hold of one (or all) of your children and transform your prison into a palace!

Another quick thought regarding these glorious examples of mother martyrs: do not forsake your prayer life. It was through prayer that both Felicity and Perpetua received the peace they needed in order to march happily to their martyrdom. We may not be all called to give up our lives for the Lord, but we are all called to love Him, and how can can we love Him if we do not know Him and how can we know Him, if we do not talk to Him?

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity died in the year 203; they and their companions in martyrdom have been honored for many centuries, throughout the Christian world. The first part of their story--their arrest and their time in prison--was written by Perpetua herself; the final part--the account of their martyrdom--was written by an eye witness to their deaths who may well have been the great Tertullian. For the full text, which has been called one of the "great hagiological treasures," go to http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian24.html

Below is a dish that Felicity and Perpetua as North Africans from Carthage, which was then part of the Roman Empire and is today in Tunisia, might well have enjoyed:

Tagine chicken with apricots and almonds

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded or 2-3lbs. of boneless chicken breasts

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 5 fresh cilantro

• 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 2 tablespoons mild honey

• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

• 1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves

• 1/3 cup whole blanched almonds

Stir together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.

Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or in skillet), uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of chicken, skin sides down, turning over once, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown remaining chicken in same manner, adding any spice mixture left in bowl.

Add onion and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Tie cilantro and parsley into a bundle with kitchen string and add to tagine along with 1/2 cup water, chicken, and any juices accumulated on plate. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. (If using boneless chicken breasts, reduce the time to about 20 minutes.)

While chicken cooks, bring honey, remaining cup water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apricots are very tender (add more water if necessary). Once apricots are tender, simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes.

While apricots cook, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over moderate heat and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Ten minutes before chicken is done, add apricot mixture to tagine. Discard herbs and cinnamon stick, then serve chicken sprinkled with almonds on top.

Embracing the Season of Lent, Part II: Waste Not, Want Not

2010-03-04T20:37:00.006-05:00

I’ve been thinking some about my sister’s references to the Ingalls family in her “Little House on the Prairie” series, especially some of her initial comments about seasons seeming much less real to us these days in regards to eating and food. This is unavoidably true; it’s part of the mixed blessing of our advances in transportation and communication: we can be in touch with so many more people in so many ways, but we also have less sense of place, particularly when it comes to the natural world. We can so easily lose sight of nature and its reality: a world which is fundamental for understanding the supernatural realm as well, as we see in Jesus’ parables, with their references to seeds and sparrows. But there are ways of re-integrating an awareness of the natural world into our daily lives. It is a great blessing in this regard that the liturgical season of Lent more or less coincides with the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is, thus, both penitentially and practically, appropriate to make use of what we have, without wasting.
Traditionally, in cultures and climates where there wasn’t much to eat in the winter, people found ways of preserving what was plentiful in other seasons: canning, salting (per my mother’s reflections) and so forth. Lent, a time of food-deprivation, was also the time when you would be using up the end of the winter stores in preparation for the new crops and supplies of spring and summer.

I was reminded of this at the end of last week, when we had *another* significant snow storm, and my older daughters were home from school, and I was unable to go to the supermarket. What to make? Well, I had a lot of eggs! I also had some potatoes that were looking a little past their prime, and some onions (ah, the beauty of food that stores well!). Plus some stale bread I wanted to get rid of. We always have pasta and cheese and so I made macaroni and cheese and Spanish tortilla (like a kind of frittata; recipes follow). This led me to reflect, however, on the importance and relevance of small food deprivations during Lent; trying to base my food choices on what I have rather than what I feel like eating. There is a spiritual dimension to this as well; recognizing that I have already been given a great deal more than what I need. But sometimes I need extreme circumstances to make me see that.

Southern Mac and Cheese (adapted from Everyday Food)

Serves 4
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more for ramekins
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni [I double this—I want a lot of food, and I think it’s still good with a full pound…but if you want it really saucy and rich, double everything else]
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (8 ounces)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 small garlic clove, minced [ I prefer using about 1 tsp of garlic salt and eliminating the other garlic and salt; the clove garlic seems too strong to me but the garlic kick adds flavor]
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, torn [this is fine without the breadcrumbs, too: any form will do, but I especially like it for using up otherwise-dead bread]
Directions
1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 350. Butter four 10-ounce ramekins [I almost always do this in a 9 x 13 inch pyrex—pretty much anything oblong will do—I have ramekins but they’re too fancy for my every-day taste, and too small for our appetites!].
2. Cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups cheddar, eggs, half-and-half, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pasta, and stir to combine; divide among ramekins.
4. In a food processor, pulse bread and melted butter until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, top pasta mixture with 1/2 cup cheddar, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until mac and cheese is golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. [Increase this to 25-30 minutes if making in larger pyrex] .Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

And here is a link to the Spanish Tortilla I made:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=147109&origin=detail&servings=6

It’s not a perfect recipe (I don’t think you should have to change pans so much) AND I left out the red pepper, ham, and parsley (I like my tortilla simple and my family is iffy on parsley…and it WAS Friday!) but I was generally happy—the trick for me with Spanish tortilla is a) making sure the potatoes get cooked all the way through-so err on the side of slicing too thin rather than too thick and b) flipping it without making a mess. This recipe worked well on both those counts. I used a cast-iron skillet which I think is probably a good choice for most people…(just be a bit careful when it comes time to ‘flip’).

Our Daily Bread: Thin Crust Pizza Dough

2010-03-02T17:32:00.004-05:00

Today’s gospel (Matthew 23:1-12) warns us not to be like the Scribes and the Pharisees who “all their works they do in order to be seen by men.” We are called instead to serve with simplicity and humility for “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Looking ahead in Lent, we will see Our Lord wrap a towel about his waist and wash the feet of his beloved apostles. I was moved just the other night when my 3 year old son took a baby wipe, got onto his knees, and started to wash his father’s feet as we got them ready for bed. He wanted to be helpful, as do all toddlers, and had no idea the divine example he was imitating!
Do we serve those closest to us, our spouse, our children, our relatives, our coworkers, our friends, with love and humility? Perhaps the most important tasks of love are those many daily acts of service that will go completely unnoticed, unless omitted: making an effort to be cheerful in the morning, preparing someone’s morning coffee, correcting our children with patience instead of irritabilty, emptying the garbage when we see it is full, refilling the ice trays when we see they are empty etc.
And perhaps the 5:00 hour, affectionately called the arsenic hour, can present the most challenges. Like morning sickness, that can in fact plague even nights, the arsenic hour can sometimes last all day. The moments while the children hungrily await the return of their hungry fathers from work call for heroic service in the form of cheerfulness. Extra smiles can help remind us that we still love our children, a quick application of lipstick can freshen our beauty for our husbands, and a simple recipe for dinner always helps to ease that difficult hour.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough
2 ¾- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (120°F to 130°F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 ¼ cups flour, the yeast, the salt; add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
3. Grease two baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with cornmeal. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into rectangles large enough to fit your baking sheets. Transfer to pans, you may need to stretch the dough a bit to fit the pans, but he careful not to tear the dough. Bake 425° for 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Remove from the oven, top with your favorite toppings and return for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Three Cheese White Pizza with Mushrooms
8 oz. Mushrooms
Grated parmesan cheese
9 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese
8 oz. grated asiago or mozzarella cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
2 thin crust pizza shells, baked (see above)

1. Drizzle olive oil over 1 pizza crust and spread with a basting brush. You may need to crack some bubbles that may have formed during the baking. Evenly sprinkle 1 of the minced garlic cloves over crust. Top with half the ricotta/cottage cheese and then half of the grated asiago/mozzarella cheese. Evenly distribute half of the mushrooms and top with parmesan cheese. Repeat for the second pizza shell. Bake at 425° for 10- 15 minutes.

This meatless dinner is great for a Friday in lent!

2010-03-01T14:11:00.004-05:00

I love the Gospel reading for today (from Luke 6), about being compassionate. Here is how it ends:

"Give and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back."

Beautiful!

St. David of Wales

2010-02-27T09:43:00.013-05:00

March 1 is the feast of the great patron of Wales--St. David (the Welsh form of his name is "Dewi"). He lived in the 6th century, and was a bishop and abbot who founded many monasteries, known for their austerity of life. He was widely popular in the British Isles, and many churches are named for him. Legends about St. David abound.

The dove you see in the image comes from the legend that once while he was speaking a white dove landed on his shoulder--and moreover the ground on which he was standing rose to form a hill; he stood at the summit and his voice resounded like a trumpet to the vast assembly.

For reasons that are rather mysterious, the leek is associated with St. David's Day: Welshmen wear or display leeks, in his honor. This goes back a very long way: in Shakespeare's Henry V (Act 5, Scene 1), this custom is spoken of as "an ancient tradition begun upon an honourable respect."

We (of course!) propose that you display leeks in their delicious edible form, on your dinner table. A Continual Feast (pp. 237-8) has two nice recipes for leek dishes to serve in St. David's honor: "Braised Leeks," and "Leek and Potato Soup" (aka Vichyssoise).

Another food often associated with St. David's day is a delicious bread with currants and/or other dried fruits called Bara Brith. Let me add that this bread is very high on my list of all-time favorite bakery items: it is rich (I love currants!), moist, delicious--quite addictive!

Bara Brith (it means “speckled loaf”)
Ingredients:
1 cup currants (or combined currants, raisins, mixed candied peel, and/or dried apricots)
1 cup strong tea (I use Irish Breakfast)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon (about a half package) dry yeast
6 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon mixed spices: 1/8 cinnamon, 1/8 nutmeg, 1/8 ginger, 1/8 cloves

Variations: I mention these in part because there are many different recipes for this traditional bread--and also because you may be missing an ingredient, but have something else that will work on hand!
You can cut back on the butter; you can add an egg or two; you can skip the tea, and put in more milk; you can modify the spice mixture, replacing the ginger and/or cloves with allspice, mace, and/or white or black pepper; you can use all brown sugar, or all white. This loaf is sometimes made with self-rising flour rather than raised with yeast; that is too big a shift to go into here--but you can easily find recipes that make it that way.

Directions:
Brew the tea, and soak the currants (and other fruit) in it for several hours or overnight.
Drain the fruit and pat it dry. Reserve the tea.
In a small saucepan, warm the milk slightly—it should just be tepid, not hot.
Stir a few teaspoons of the milk into the yeast and let it froth.
Melt the butter in the rest of the milk.
Add the salt to the flour, stir the yeast and milk mixtures into the flour, and blend well.
Add enough of the tea to form a soft dough.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover well, and let rise until doubled in bulk—about an hour and a half (but that can vary a good deal).
Punch the dough down.
Mix the fruit with the white and brown sugar, and the spices.
Gradually work the fruit mixture into the dough, making sure that it is well blended in throughout.
Place the dough in a rectangular bread tin, lined with parchment paper. Make as even a loaf as possible.
Cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let the dough rise to the top of the pan; this will take about an hour to an hour and a half.
Bake at 400 F for 20-30 minutes. Cover the loaf with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes or so if the top seems to be getting too brown. When done, the loaf should sound hollow.
Delicious fresh from the oven--sliced, with butter! This bread is also nice toasted.

And while we are honoring St. David and our Welsh heritage, let me recommend to you Welsh choral music! Wales has the most wonderful male choirs, often made up of literally hundreds of men--and they sing grand hymns and other songs ("Men of Harlech"!) in a truly unforgettable way. I first heard them in Wales, and was completely blown away; I have become a devotee of their singing. There are lots of recordings of Welsh men's (and mixed) choirs available on Amazon and elsewhere

Little House on the Prairie “celebrates” Lent

2010-02-26T10:27:00.007-05:00

That there is school in Lent and that, unlike Advent, there is no real decorating involved, quelled a good deal of the children’s natural enthusiasm regarding a new liturgical season. And of course, there’s the fasting business. That’s just not any fun either. No treats?! No pepperoni for Friday’s pizza night?! Mass during the week?! Is there anything fun in Lent? It’s kind of hard to get excited over lentil soup. So, how does one “sell” Lent to kids? The answer? Family rituals, and lots of them! Children love ritual: they love movie night and game night and, in our family, they LOVE our Lenten Friday Night Fish Fry! And, of course, they love it even more if we have friends or family over to “abstain” with us!

Eating fish on Fridays is a great occasion to discuss the idea of abstinence with your children. Why not eat meat? How does abstaining from chicken or pork or beef unite us to Christ in His suffering? The children get the idea of solidarity, after all, they have come to expect it of each other: “Mom, since I gave up sweets this Lent, shouldn’t everyone give up sweets?! It hardly seems fair that I should have to do this alone!” moans my nine-year-old son. It’s not hard to understand why we should not eat meat when Jesus ate nothing at all! I explain that fasting is a kind of physical form of prayer. When we pray, we pray with our hearts and minds and souls and our bodies participate some, especially if we are kneeling. However, we allow our bodies to participate more fully when we fast or when we give up something we love to eat

Fish Fry Fridays are also a perfect time to tell stories about early Christians and the symbolism of the fish. The idea that early Christians used to identify each other by drawing a fish in the sand is fascinating. Kids love the accounts of the early martyrs, the catacombs, and the evil Roman emperors. Disney, eat your heart out!

Fish Fry

2 lbs. tilapia or some other flaky white fish

4 eggs

2 cups of flour

3 cups of panko

Salt

Pepper

1 cup vegetable oil or olive oil

Prepare three bowls: one, with the flour, salt and pepper; another with the eggs, whipped together; and the last, with the panko. Cut the fish into about three inch long pieces. Dredge them in the flour, salt, and pepper. Place the floured fish into the eggs, and then cover them with the panko. Put onto a clean plate. Meanwhile, pour the oil into a frying pan. Make sure that the oil fully coats the bottom of the pan and is about 2 cm. deep . When hot, place the first pieces of panko fish in the pan and turn down the fire under the skillet. Do not overcrowd. When they are browned on both sides, take out and do the next batch. Be careful that the pan does not become overhot or the fish will burn and make sure that there is always about a 2 cm. layer of oil. Continue until all pieces are cooked.

For the children, I often just give them some fish with ketchup and jasmine rice. For the grown-ups, however, I usually toast some tortillas and serve the fish with some shredded cabbage and spicy thai sauce (good one at Trader Joe’s) or with a salsa like the one listed below:

Spicy Sauce:

fresh lime juice

½ cup yogurt

½ mayonnaise

1 habenero chili (use a milder one if you wish)

½ teaspoon - crushed oregano

½ teaspoon - ground cumin

½ teaspoon - dried, crushed dill

½ teaspoon - cayenne chile

ground white pepper to taste

Our Daily Bread: The Pretzel

2010-02-23T20:19:00.007-05:00

The pretzel is a very ancient bakery item, which traditionally was eaten only during Lent. It appeared each year on Ash Wednesday and disappeared on Good Friday. It goes back at least to the fifth century. This image from a Roman manuscript in the Vatican Library, dating from that period, shows pretzels: they are on the table, surrounding the fish.
As to the shape: the pretzel is made in the form of two arms crossed in prayer. The word bracellae, “little arms,” became in German Bretzel, then Pretzel.
These early Christians ate no dairy products in Lent, so the pretzel was made only of flour, salt, and water: it was as simple as it could be. (This text [updated by the addition of the image] and the recipe for pretzels are from A Continual Feast p. 180. We also saw a pretzel at the feet of Lent, on the post on "The Battle between Carnival and Lent.")

Today’s gospel (Matthew 6:7-15) teaches us how to pray, calling God by the intimate title of: Our Father. It gives the powerful reminder that “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” What an intimate friendship we can have with Our Heavenly Father who knows our dearest needs! Let us be sure to fold our own little arms in prayer this Lent reciting the Our Father with more reverence and thinking of each of the powerful petitions it contains when we say it.

The "Examen Prayer"--and Lent

2010-02-22T06:28:00.005-05:00

Yesterday in church, I was fortunate enough to hear Fr. Joseph Koterski, SJ, speak about the “Examen Prayer” in his sermon. This prayer, which comes to us from St. Ignatius of Loyola, is a good one to say—to meditate on—every day, but especially, of course, in Lent. It is recommended to do this prayer for about 10 minutes a day, ideally perhaps before going to bed.

The Examen Prayer is easy to remember: the key word is GRACE.

G stands for Gratitude: We thank God for something—or perhaps many things—in our life.

R is Request for Light: We request the grace to see ourselves clearly. We ask God to show us what He wants of us.

A stands for Account: We review in our mind our actions and thoughts since the previous day (or since we last made this prayer). We note the patterns of our thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

C: Chart Your Course: Do we keep moving ahead in the same way? Or should we change direction? Where do we need Contrition? Do we need to go to Confession?

E refers to Enthusiasm: We ask God for the grace to carry out our resolutions with Enthusiasm.

In Lent, here are a few issues that we may want to take up in our Accounting and Course-charting: How are we keeping Lent? How are we practicing the fasting and abstinence that are essential to this great penitential season? Are we practicing self-denial?--and greater charity and prayerfulness?

And how might we do it better, more generously?

Back to the 'Miserere' Psalm

2010-02-19T07:25:00.006-05:00

It is time to return to the 'Miserere' Psalm.
But this time around--this is Lent!--shall we skip the cookie we might previously have dipped in our tea?

Lenten Fasting: Thoughts

2010-02-19T07:13:00.008-05:00

Let me pass on a few thoughts:
It is not in general a great idea, I think, for mothers (and fathers) to go around hungry during Lent: that is not guaranteed to sweeten their disposition or increase their spirit of charity toward their children. (Many of us are fairly loathsome when hungry!) And we all know that children--and other family members!--require all the charity and patience we can possibly manage. We want to be more loving, not less, in Lent!
It may be wiser to deny ourselves small pleasures--enough sugar in our coffee? butter on our toast? a cookie with our tea?--pleasures whose very absence serves to remind us that all these pleasures--and so many more besides!--come to us from the hand of God. This way, our small acts of fasting and self-denial make us more grateful to God for his great gifts to us.

Embracing the Season of Lent

2010-02-18T15:12:00.002-05:00

In the Gospel this week, Jesus reminds us that we need not fast when the bridegroom is with us. The time for fasting is not during a wedding feast…but Christ also notes that His disciples will fast when the bridegroom is no longer around. In this passage, Jesus, reminds us of the appropriateness of behavior being linked to circumstances. There are times and places for different attitudes towards food. To every thing there is a season—and, specifically, a liturgical season. I was struck yesterday, during our church’s Ash Wednesday service, by the mercy of Christ and His Church in giving us these seasons. Our pastor was recommending (especially, though not exclusively, to the parochial students in the audience) the practice of morning prayers during Lent. Sure, it would be better to say morning prayer every day, but our God knows our nature! And so we are given the blessing of times that are set aside as special, where we can devote ourselves to the Lord especially, and take on good habits, with the hope of continuing those habits. But if we don’t, there will be another special chance in Advent and again next Lent.

Lent is clearly a season of abstinence, a time of year where we’re asked to re-focus our hearts, minds, and stomachs on what is most valuable and essential for our lives. Jesus Himself fasted in the desert for forty days, and the devil’s first temptation was to challenge him to turn stones to bread. We are asked to remember what really gives us life: before any of the things we “need”, we need Him! We can incorporate this into our approach to food in general…not just by eliminating meat on Fridays, but in our general approach to eating during this time. One of the strange aspects of the Lenten meat prohibition in our modern era is that it often feels more like an inconvenience than abstinence: many people don’t eat meat every day, and for most of us, fish or seafood is a delicacy, something reserved for special occasions.

To that end, I have been thinking about how to incorporate the spirit of fasting into my family’s Lenten practice. One familiar idea is to have an inexpensive meal and to contribute the ‘extra’ money to charity. I think this works best if the whole family can be aware of this practice and actually see or bring the money to someone or see it sent (even if it’s virtually) to the charity in question. But I was also thinking of the value of our *time*. A meal—and its cleanup—can be a lengthy operation. It seems very appropriate to the season to simplify one or more of our meals during the week. Instead of a regular dinner, we can have something very easy to make-- be it soup, plain pasta, or another low-maintenance dish, and give the time that we would have spent in its preparation to some worthy cause. That may mean additional family prayer time, individual spiritual reading, a visit to a soup kitchen, or some other sacrificial work. But becoming aware of how we use our time can help us to purify our hearts and unite ourselves to the Lenten fast on more than one level.

Our Daily Bread: Naan

2010-02-17T13:42:00.002-05:00

I am so grateful for my daily companion, In Conversation With God. Bringing two toddlers to mass can oftentimes distract me from being fully present. My body may be in the pew, but my mind may be contemplating how to best keep my little darlings quiet instead of the daily readings. And so it is so nice to have the second chance to reflect on the Gospel readings at home while the little ones are napping!

Lent is all about second chances. It gives us a wonderful season to reflect on our relationship with God and to come up with concrete resolutions that will bring us closer to Him.

Many people use this time to abstain from favorite foods. It is also a wonderful time to add a little more to our spiritual life. Can we try to get to mass and receive Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist daily? If we are already going to daily mass- can we try to receive the Eucharist with a greater devotion? Perhaps we can recite the words of Ash Wednesday every day this lent as we walk up the aisle to receive the Holy Eucharist: Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. After all- we are truly nothing without Our Lord and we need the Bread of Life for our spiritual nourishment. What a gift!

As we are all abstaining from meat- let’s also abstain from yeast! This is a simple recipe for and Indian flatbread: Naan. It has been taken from a great cookbook, The Food of India: Authentic Recipes from the Spicy Subcontinent. There are so many wonderful meatless Indian dishes that may be a fun exploration for our Lenten Fridays.

Naan
4 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
4 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (I didn’t have these on hand)

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Mix the milk, sugar, egg and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a bowl. Pour this into the center of the flour and knead, adding more water if necessary to form a soft dough. Add the remaining oil, knead again, then cover with a damp cloth and allow the dough to stand for 15 minutes.

Knead the dough again, cover and leave for 2-3 hours. About half an hour before the naan are required, turn the oven on to the maximum heat. Divide the dough into 8 balls and let them rest for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle a baking sheet with nigella seeds and put it in the oven to heat up while the dough is resting. Shape each ball of dough with the palms to make an oval shape. Bake the naan until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot.

Lent has begun

2010-02-17T06:57:00.006-05:00

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him: 'If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.' He said in reply, 'It is written: "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." ' (Matthew 4: 1-5)

Lent has many themes, including sorrow for our sins and repentance, self-denial and self-mortification. But our attempts to imitate Christ throughout these forty days--and our resistance to the temptations of the devil--are among the most ancient themes of Lent. And with these, the recognition that we are fed not just by bread--by ordinary food--but, most importantly, by the word of God.

Mardi Gras - Apple Fritters from Normandy! BTW Eat up your bacon and sausage!

2010-02-15T06:46:00.014-05:00

Mardi Gras--"Fat Tuesday"--is upon us! Lent is about to begin. Lent will get us ready for Easter. Mardi Gras cheers us as we start Lent.

So it's time to eat up your bacon and sausage, and almost time to start fasting and abstaining from meat--and from other favorite foods and drinks. (We'll be discussing all this a good deal in coming weeks.)

So back--briefly!--to Mardi Gras, with its many traditional pancakes and crèpes, its Russian blinis with caviar and sour cream, and, for the French, Apple Fritters. In A Continual Feast, on p. 236, there is a glorious recipe for deep-fried Apple Fritters, from Normandy. (There are other Mardi Gras recipes in the book, as well.)

Let me add a little reminiscence and reflection on these Apple Fritters--and on the power of food in Christian family life. One of our primary purposes as mothers (and fathers and other cooks) is to make the life in our family as fun, as interesting, as meaningful, and as memorable as we possibly can. And food is one of our most powerful tools--our greatest helpers--in this. When my children were away at college, they always tried to get home for Mardi Gras--for those Apple Fritters; they didn't want to miss them! And they would bring a friend or two along with them. They all wanted to be home especially for this ritual meal--and those beautiful, delectable Fritters!

These are the rich opportunities that the Christian year, with its many different moments and seasons, and its powerful messages, gives to us. It is a great gift.

Little House on the Prairie: “To infinity and beyond!" for St. Valentine's Day

2010-02-12T12:34:00.020-05:00

“So....Mom, I was just wondering... Will we have a party for St. Valentine’s Day?” My children invariably pose this question as we approach a holiday, whether it be President’s Day or St. Patrick’s. And most recently, it has been: “Mom, are we going to have a snow day tomorrow?”* One of the challenges I have as a homeschooling mother is that my older children have not always been homeschooled. They remember class parties and school “holidays.” They sense, somehow, when the public schools are not in session. And since I want to make homeschooling fun, I try to oblige.

So, for this Valentine’s Day, I have decided to have a few fun yet meaningful activities. The first is to compose a neatly written and illustrated love note to their father in which they tell him how much they love him and refer to at least one activity they enjoy doing with him. The second is to make Love Knots.

You can find the recipe for these delicious treats on page 232 of A Continual Feast. (To the basic recipe we added a little twist: we brushed the tops of the Love Knots with a thin mixture of vanilla extract, sugar, and a little bit of water.) This is a very easy recipe and the children really enjoy forming the dough into the "lemniscate," or sidewise-8, shapes. The making of the love knots segues nicely into a lesson and discussion on infinity. We talk about the idea of infinity. We begin with love: God loves us without bounds! Nothing can contain God! I remind them of Buzz Lightyear and his famous line: “To infinity and beyond!” Not even infinity can contain God or God’s love and mercy. Interestingly, this the children understand easily, maybe even intuitively. Then we talk about numbers and “space” in very simple terms. This is a bit harder--for all of us! Numbers just keep on going: you can always add a bit more; inversely, you can always take a bit away.

After they have formed a few love knots, they all draw the lemniscate for each of their siblings and write inside a few of the reasons they think God loves them and made them. (This can be kind of a challenge!)

The third activity is the baking and decoration of heart-shaped Sugar Cookies, from A Continual Feast, p. 95. Ordinarily, when we bake cookies there is a good deal of fighting

over whose cookie was whose, so for this Valentine’s Day no one got to keep the cookies they decorated. Each child made 7 cookies: 1 for each of their siblings and parents. At first there were groans and complaints, but when they were presented with (mostly!) delectable-looking treats from their brothers and sisters, their excitement grew. I “heart” you infinity style!

* During the massive snow storm this past week, we copied the Ingalls: we scooped up some fresh, clean snow from the backyard and ate it up with some really good maple syrup. Yum! It was like eating maple sorbet!

Loving Leftovers...and Spanish Rice (quick, what do these things have in common?)

2010-02-11T11:39:00.009-05:00

This week’s Gospel readings have been taken from Mark. They will culminate with the very memorable story of the loaves and fishes on Saturday. This great public miracle of Christ’s marks a dramatic moment on many levels, and is an episode that has been extensively commented on by a host of intelligent and thoughtful people. I would like to focus on an aspect of this miracle that I imagine is near (in practice if not in spirit) to many mothers’ hearts: leftovers. The Gospel tells us of the multitude of people who were following Christ and who had no food to eat. We learn of the scant amount of food that the apostles had at their disposal. Yet, Jesus transforms the meager portions into an abundant supply—so much that there were twelve baskets of food left over after everyone had eaten. It’s a beautiful reminder of the way in which the Lord transforms our inadequate supply of X (you name it, whatever it is!) into something overflowing with abundance. In fact, this excessiveness marks one of Jesus’ consistent characteristics: he doesn’t merely fulfill needs, he outdoes Himself. He doesn’t just cure people, He forgives sins; he doesn’t just make some wine for a party; He makes excellent wine; He doesn’t just redeem us; He gives Himself totally to us. And when He makes food, there is a lot left over. I’m guessing that a many people had a lovely snack later that day…or perhaps a delicious breakfast of bread and fish?

We tend to think of leftovers as something “lesser” on many levels. But leftovers are, first and foremost, a sign of abundance. Leftovers are a sign that more was given than was necessary: the food exceeded the need. This can also be a sign of affection and concern, as we tend to recognize in the U.S. around Thanksgiving, when our entire nation seems to plan on leftover turkey in order to turn it into soup, sandwiches, and casseroles the next day.

I’d like to reconsider leftovers in this light. In my family, my husband is actively *upset* if there aren’t any. He takes food to work, and he’s not a big sandwich person, so he counts on extra food for his next day’s lunch. Plus, there are children still at home who will eat up extra food from the evening’s meal for their lunch if he doesn’t take it. Having more than you need can be a really good thing—as long as you like the food! (which can be the tricky part). I’d like to give a specific suggestion on this front: cultivating dinner choices that either a) are tasty as leftovers or b) can be incorporated easily into some other meal. In the first category, I’d say that things with sauce do much better—perhaps part of the reason I always wish there were more left over when I order Thai food. In the second category, I’d suggest simple things that can be reintroduced (pleasantly!) into quesadillas, casseroles, or other hodge-podge dinners. I would also like to offer a recipe: for paella. This may sound counter-intuitive: paella is a delicious meal, generally thought of as high maintenance; which it can be. But it is also a very flexible meal, which can include a number of ingredients and allows for a pretty wide variety of cooking methods, as long as you like saffron rice. The recipe that follows is based on the recipe for “Easy Lobster Paella” from the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). If I offend any purists, I apologize. But I’ll also note that giving a recipe for any traditional food sparks controversy—no one ever agrees on the “right way”…and I first learned to loosen up my attitude about paella from a Spanish priest friend who came over to our place and made paella with me.

Easy (non-lobster) Paella
[editorialized with my ‘user comments’ in brackets]
Ingredients:
¼ cup good olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions) [add more or less according to taste]
[I add a tomato or two which I chop and cook with the onions; you can a bit of tomato sauce for a bit of tomato flavor]
2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into ½ strips [I leave this out for my kids, but it’s better and more authentic with them; roasted peppers can also be added at the end if you like]
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4-6 cloves) [again, you can modify according to preference]
2 cups white basmati rice [any rice will do, actually, which may surprise many people. I have actually never made paella with basmati rice, though I have used both Arborio and long grain and even a combination of both and been happy with the results]
5 cups good chicken stock, preferable homemade [superior chicken stock will make for superior taste, but any broth/stock will do—including bouillon. The Hispanic aisle of supermarkets even has a bouillon flavor with saffron already added in if you want to try that. I would recommend adding a cup or so of clam juice and/or seafood broth or bouillon to enhance the seafood aspect, especially if you’re leaving out the Pernod. White wine is a nice addition to this mix. So 4 cups chicken stock +1 cup clam juice/ seafood broth+ ½ cup wine is a good mix…slightly more than the 5 cups called for]
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes [I leave these out; my family doesn’t like spicy and I don’t think of Spanish paella as spicy at all…but to each his own!]
1 tablespoon kosher salt [or any salt]
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup Pernod
1 ½ lbs. cooked lobster meat [I do between 1 and 1.5 lbs. shrimp; the frozen kind, defrosted, since they are easy to have on hand and my family loves them, though you could modify the seafood]
1 lb. kielbasa, sliced ¼- ½ inch thick [or any other cooked sausage. Or skip the sausage if you don’t like it or don’t have it]
½ pound leftover chicken or other meat, cut into bite sized pieces [warning: do not use something very ‘saucy’ or something with a strong flavor: leftover roast chicken is great, but you don’t want anything that will assert its own flavor instead of becoming one with the paella—no chicken parmesan! You can also fry up some chicken thighs or other chicken pieces and add them towards the end if you like]
1 (10 oz. package) frozen peas [I also sometimes include green beans]
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley [or you can omit]
2 lemons, cut into wedges [again, to taste]

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven [or something else big, that has a lid and can go on the stove and in the oven]. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers [and tomatoes, if including] and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic and cook for one minute longer. Stir in the rice, chicken stock, saffron, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. After 15 minutes, stir the rice gently with a wooden spoon [I generally add the chicken or any other ‘leftover meat’, and return it to the oven to bake uncovered for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.
Transfer the paella back to the stove top and add the Pernod [if using]. Cook the paella over medium heat for 1 minute, until the Pernod is absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat and add the lobster [raw shrimp], kielbasa, and peas and stir gently. Cover the paella, and allow it to steam for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve hot. [If you like some of your rice crispy, you can turn the heat up to 425 or so on your oven and finish it there for 5-10 minutes].

Our Daily Bread: Simple Scones

2010-02-09T17:26:00.003-05:00

At times, the art of homemaking calls for culinary creativity. One morning, I was hoping to make breakfast just a little more special for my family only to discover that we were low on flour & sugar and had no chocolate chips or any special baking additive in the house!

The result? I came across a scone recipe and adjusted it to fit the ingredients I had in the pantry. I love scones, almost as much as my father does, and have been in search for the perfect recipe for quite some time. While this recipe will certainly not satisfy the scone purist, it does come in handy for a quick, simple and delicious way to add just a little bit of special to any ordinary breakfast.

Apricot Scones
1 cup flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup chopped, dried apricots
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup milk

1. Mix dry ingredients. Add chopped apricots and, using a wooden spoon, stir to coat.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined.
3. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes.
This recipe will make 9 small scones.

We just enjoyed our delicious afternoon treats with a cup of milk in honor of St. Scholastica whose feast day we celebrate tomorrow. Thanks for this full week of snow days, St. Scholastica. We are enjoying the family time!

Remembering St. Scholastica

2010-02-08T17:20:00.008-05:00

I have a special devotion to St. Scholastica and always remember her on her feast day—February 10.

Hers is an interesting and charming story, told by no less than Pope St. Gregory the Great in his Dialogues. St. Scholastica, a 6th century abbess, was the sister of St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism. The brother and sister were very close (perhaps twins). They generally met once a year at a house near his monastery at Monte Cassino. On one occasion, they spent the day together. At the end of supper, she asked him to delay his return to his monastery until the next day so that they could continue praising God together. He said he couldn’t stay. She then prayed fervently to God to make her brother stay—and suddenly there was a great storm with thunder and lighting. He couldn’t leave. He said to Scholastica: "God forgive you, sister, what have you done?" She replied: "I asked a favor of you and you refused it. I asked it of God and he has granted it." So they spent that night speaking of the joys of heaven, and he left the next day. It was their last visit together on this earth. She died three days later—and Benedict, in his cell, saw her soul ascend to heaven in the form of a dove.

What shall we eat and drink to honor this great saint--and the holy Benedict? We cannot be sure just what Scholastica served her brother that last evening they ate together—but we can be quite sure that it included some simple monastic bread--and probably a glass of wine or two. (Wine is food, and was part of the monastic diet.)

The recipe for Monastery Bread is in A Continual Feast, on pp. 246-8. (Ann Vitz has been having some fun with it lately.)
And, like the nuns at St. Emma’s convent, let’s add that little bit of sugar for some extra sweetness.

Why my devotion to St. Scholastica? Some years ago, I was involved in an unpleasant quarrel. A peaceful resolution to it was offered to me and, despite some reluctance on my part (original sin, no doubt), I thought: "I should make peace on the feast of St. Scholastica."
I’ve always been glad I did.
I try to remember to thank her each year on her feastday for her heavenly inspiration.

The Battle between Carnival and Lent—it’s on!

2010-02-07T10:06:00.014-05:00

We are now fully launched into the season of Carnival. The word "Carnival" means--somewhat surprisingly, perhaps--"the putting away of flesh"; so this is the great mad party before the flesh is put away. Carnival will rise to its climax on February 16—Mardi Gras, meaning "Fat Tuesday"; in English, it's Shrove Tuesday. Carnival will then give way to Lent, with its many austerities; the flesh is indeed to be put away for a time.

In the past, this season was sometimes thought of as a great struggle between the pleasures of the flesh—out of control, and gone somewhat berserk—and Lenten mortification and self-denial. In his famous--and darkly comic--painting titled "The Battle between Carnival and Lent," the great 16th century Flemish painter Peter Brueghel showed the dramatic conflict between the two seasons—the two spirits: love of the flesh vs. self-mortification and charity. Some people are drinking beer, eating waffles, dancing and kissing, many of them masked or wearing party hats--now, that’s Carnival! Others (on the right) are coming out of church, giving charity to beggars, and doing other works of mercy: that’s Lent.

Down toward the bottom, you can see Carnival--shown as a hugely fat man riding a big beer barrel, with a pig’s head on his lance--getting ready to joust with Lent, represented as a skinny old woman dressed in gray mourning, sitting in an uncomfortable prayer chair; her lance is a flat baker’s paddle with two herring lying on it. See the pretzels sitting on her cart? Pretzels--thin ropes of bread in the form of praying arms--were Lenten food.

Here are Carnival and Lent in more detail.

She may not look very tough, but Lent is about to win--for a season!

V-Day: A Feast for All Kinds of Lovers...

2010-02-04T11:27:00.008-05:00

Valentine’s Day planning is already well underway at my daughters’ school (complete with shoe boxes to collect cards in), and so I figured it’s probably on others’ minds as well; hearts and candy have already become ubiquitous…V-Day provokes very strong reactions in many people…I know a lot of people who really despise it. I don’t always know their personal reasons, but I can think of some: a) they were burned by a former lover and it brings back bad memories; b) they are opposed to sentimentality and clichéd greeting cards; c) they are allergic to chocolate and don’t like roses d) they are bitter at the restaurant industry’s capitalizing (so soon after New Year’s) on a golden opportunity to guilt people into spending money on below-average food and service or e) they just hate the color red. This being said, I have always really enjoyed Valentine’s Day—despite the fact that until the year I met my husband (in my late 20’s) I had never really been dating anyone for Valentine’s Day. For me, Valentine’s Day was a celebration of love of all kinds—mostly the love my parents had for me, accompanied by cute cards and chocolate. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered the dark underbelly of Valentine’s Day, and the way our images of love can sometimes put a stranglehold on true love. I became aware that many couples break up before Valentine’s Day; Valentine’s Day seems to place such a set of romantic expectations on people that if they don’t feel up to the appropriate level of enthusiasm, someone often decides it’s time to throw in the towel. There is something perverse in this to my mind---not that all couples should be together—but I have certainly seen cases where an artificial (and Hollywood-created) myth of the Perfect Relationship threatens to nip the bud of what could be the real thing.

Valentine’s Day (in addition to Cyril and Methodius) is, of course, the feast day of St. Valentine—a 3rd century priest who was martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Claudius the Goth. His connection to a romantic love-fest is not immediately obvious. My mother mentions in A Continual Feast that the most likely reason for the association of Valentine’s Day with lovers is that birds were believed to mate on February 14th, and so lovers followed suit, asking the martyr to bless them in their choice of mate. Valentine’s Day seems like a natural day to extend and expand our celebration of love: first, by recognizing love in all its depth and forms; including corny love poetry, but not limiting it to that. It also makes sense to recognize (as medieval lovers did) our need for assistance in choosing our mates, and finding our vocations. Valentine’s Day, a celebration of lovers on the feast day of a priest and martyr, is a perfect moment to reflect on vocations in general, and celebrate not just earthly love, but the divine source of that earthly love. It’s an opportunity to remind ourselves, and our families, that our love for even those nearest to us is rooted in a love beyond ourselves, a love which comes to us, first and foremost, as a gift.

On a practical level, we may want to integrate this awareness of our vocation as a gift into our celebration of the day. Telling stories of how you met your spouse, and also recalling how other important people have entered our lives as gifts might be one great way: the birth of children is always a great event that we recognize as a gift (particularly evident to me right now since my baby son was born just a month ago!). I know my children love hearing stories about themselves, and when they were born. Why not retell those events, recognizing the graciousness of their arrival in our lives? We might also want to read some Lives of the Saints that feature intense or dramatic vocations: both to the married life and to the priesthood. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, and Saint Francis of Assisi are a couple of examples that might be worth considering, as is the amazing life of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. During this Year of the Priest, too, it would be beautiful to celebrate all vocations on Valentine's Day…Why not invite a priest for dinner? (For one thing, they’re less likely to have other plans!)

The feast of Saint Blaise--over a thousand years of veneration

2010-02-03T08:17:00.013-05:00

Today, February 3, is the feast of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr. To him we go for protection against diseases of the throat; throats are blessed in church today.

Catholic Cuisine--a lovely and useful blog--has a charming recipe for this feast, as it does for many other saints' days. Go visit at http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/

This is a very ancient feast! A dear Croatian friend writes me:

"In Dubrovnik there is a large celebration today as St Blaise (=Sveti Vlaho in local tradition) is being commemorated for the 1038th time! Not even 50 years of tough Communism could break that age-long festive tradition and loyalty!"

Let's hear it for Saint Blaise, and for all the other saints whose great stories and commemorations have contributed so richly and powerfully to the history--indeed the very identity--of Europe and the West.

Our Daily Bread: Basic White Bread

2010-02-02T21:43:00.011-05:00

I have been meaning to bake my bread all day long! Only now, with the children in bed, was I finally able to fill my loaf pans. I can not help but look back on the many contradictions of my day with a sense of gratitude. I am aware that I will never be called for acts of heroism to fill the nightly news. Rather, my peace talks will be saved for toddlers and my big budget plans for a monthly grocery list. My acts of heroism will remain hidden to most eyes. And yet, it is through those daily contradictions that my path to heaven lies.

Today I made 2 loaves of Basic Bread from A Continual Feast, found on page 62. After my yeast bread baking debut with Monastery Bread I found this a great next recipe to tackle. It follows a very similar method with only two added ingredients (scalded milk and butter). The results have just come out of my oven, and they are fabulous!

The smell of fresh baked bread is intoxicating…and the falling snow outside holds the hope of a snow day for tomorrow. This day of contradictions has turned into quite a lovely evening!