Easter is upon us! Really, Holy Week is upon us . . . but after that Easter is upon us! We know that you are searching for some simple and meaningful gifts to tuck into baskets this year, so we've put together a great mix of items to gift, as well as items to help you...
Kendra’s Pilgrimage to England: All the Details
If you haven't seen it yet, I'm going on a pilgrimage to England with Fr. Tim Grumbach! Our friends at Select International Tours have planned the whole thing, and I worked with them to pick the BEST of the best stops for the ultimate Catholic trip.I would love for...
Come to England with me!
You read that right! I’m going on a pilgrimage to England and I’d love to have you join me! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kendra Tierney (@kendra_tierney) Sign up to join me here! We’ll be spending time in London, visiting the sites of St. Thomas More’s...
Shop Catholic: 2023 Catholic All Year Christmas Gift Guide
Another Advent is almost upon us! At Catholic All Year we are BIG believers in getting all of your Christmas shopping done before Advent starts so that you can actually focus on Advent and not on watching sales. In this guide you'll find gift ideas from all of your...
The 2023 Costume Contest: Winners & Honorable Mentions
Another All Saints' Day has come and gone, and it was amazing to get to see all of the saints that your families chose to dress up as! The Catholic All Year team loved getting to look through each and every costume to choose the winners and honorable...
Y’all Ready For This? It’s a CAY All Saints Day Costume Contest!
The very first Catholic All Year costume contest was in 2015. We brought it back last year because it was so cool to see you and your families in your most saintly attire, and we can't wait to do it again!Need some inspiration? Check out our previous costume...
Saint E-Clares
Saint E-Clares Okay, it’s really “eclairs,” we know. But these delicious desserts have the perfect name for the feast of St. Clare! It seems like a lot more work than just buying store bought eclairs. . .but wait until you taste them. It’s well-worth the effort to...
Our Lady of the Snows-Cones
Our Lady of the Snows-Cones Santa Maria Maggiore is a Papal major basilica in Rome, Italy. It’s also known as Our Lady of the Snows, after the story of its founding. A husband and wife who were without heirs made a vow to donate their fortune to the Virgin Mary. They...
Maple Snow Taffy Pops
Maple Snow Taffy Pops Eighteenth-century Jesuit missionaries like Father Sébastien Rale and Father Joseph-François Lafitau described the making and use of maple syrup by the indigenous peoples with whom they lived. Making maple snow taffy is a simple way to enjoy...
Seven Spice Chickpea Stew
Seven Spice Chickpea Stew Mary Magdalene is remembered, among other things, for having been exorcized by Jesus of seven demons (Luke 8:1-3) and for being the first to see the risen Jesus, having arrived at the tomb at daybreak on Easter morning, carrying spices with...
Tortillas
Tortillas Fresh, homemade corn tortillas are WORLDS away from their crumbly store-bought counterparts. And they’re a fun activity to do with kids. It’s like playing with play-dough! A medium dough scoop makes measuring quick and foolproof. I’m generally not a fan of...
Tarte de Santiago
Tarte de Santiago This cake, which features many traditional Spanish ingredients, is said to have been offered as a celebratory reward to pilgrims who had just finished the Camino de Santiago, the long, prayerful walk to the grave site of St. James. Many pilgrims walk...
Lace Cookies
Lace Cookies Saint Anne is one of MANY patron saints of lacemaking, which, I guess, seems complicated enough to warrant that. These cookies, on the other hand, are pretty straightforward. And quite tasty. Almond flour is available in the baking aisle of my local...
St. Peter’s Fish
St. Peter’s Fish In Matthew 17:24–27 we find the story of the miracle known as the “coin in the fish's mouth.” Jesus tells Peter to go catch a fish in the Sea of Galilee, in which he will find a coin with which he is to pay the temple tax. Galilean tradition tells us...
Sacred and Immaculate Heart Veggie and Fruit Platters
Sacred and Immaculate Heart Veggie and Fruit Platters While you can’t go wrong with a heart-shaped cake or jello mold (well, scratch that, you CAN definitely go wrong with a heart-shaped jello mold, but it will still be fine), sometimes you want a healthy feast day...
Ugandan Kabobs
Ugandan Kabobs If you’ve got The Catholic All Year Compendium, you might remember the story of our Advent novena with a Ugandan priest who told the kids a VERY memorable tale about the Christmas Eve slaughtering of cows in Uganda. So we make these Ugandan Kabobs for...
Ss. Peter and Paul Tents and Fish
Ss. Peter and Paul Tents and Fish This is more of a concept than a recipe and as much an activity as a meal, but I wanted to share it as an example of how catechism and food are tied together in our home. Whether it’s as simple as an apple on the feast of Ss. Adam and...
St. John the Baptist Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie
St. John the Baptist Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie I think you guys already know where I stand on whether you should be eating actual locusts/grasshoppers for the nativity of St. John the Baptist. (Spoiler alert: I think you should.) But you might ALSO like to serve this...
Pastrami on Rye
Pastrami on Rye St. Anthony died at the age of thirty-five after becoming sick with ergotism, the result of long-term exposure to grains (in his case rye) contaminated with a fungus. The condition is sometimes called “St. Anthony’s Fire.” He was canonized less than a...
Gumdrop Dancing Sun Cupcakes
Gumdrop Dancing Sun Cupcakes 12 yellow-frosted cupcakes24 red (yellow, and orange gumdrops)Powdered sugar2 Tablespoons chocolate chips + a scant ½ teaspoon vegetable oil (optional, if you want a smiling dancing sun!) Make 12 cupcakes using the cake recipe (not the...
Delivery Chocolate Fridge Cake
Delivery Chocolate Fridge Cake This old-fashioned dessert is easy for kids to help put together and makes a great addition to a meal delivery for the feast of the Visitation, or any time. It keeps in the fridge for weeks, so your recipients can enjoy it at their...
Vanilla Cloud Cupcakes
Vanilla Cloud Cupcakes What better way to celebrate Jesus ascending into the heavens than with fluffy, cloud-topped cupcakes! This recipe uses real vanilla beans, right in the batter, which is so cool. For the best effect, top with Jesus cupcake toppers (for all the...
Airing Our Grievances – A Very St. Catherine Way to Make a Difference
Do you know St. Catherine of Siena? She's one of our favorite saints! A doctor of the church, and a marvelous example of "holy feistiness". She did everything with a Holy Spirit-driven intensity! This intensity gave great fuel to her prayer life and inspired a holy...
What’s That in My Kitchen? (You Guys Asked for It!)
Many of you, after watching the episodes of Catholic All Year at Home on FORMED, have written us kind and encouraging and complimentary comments and emails (especially about Barbara and her regrets about that mouthful of salt—both times). Thank you! You’ve also...
CAY Holy Week and Easter Playlists on Spotify
We've talked a lot on this blog about prayers, pious practices, and foods associated with particular days and seasons of the liturgical calendar. The deep and wide deposit of Catholic tradition ALSO includes beautiful music associated with these feast days. You might...
Braided Easter Bread
Braided Easter Bread In the Compendium, I named this recipe as one I’ve always wanted to try. . .so we finally did! It’s not as hard as it looks, and it makes for a visually stunning and delicious Easter brunch addition. You’ll need dyed NON-boiled eggs for this...
Catholic All Year at Home, Ep. 6: Holy Thursday
Join my family as we prepare to celebrate Holy Thursday! WATCH NOW Holy Thursday is a day of contradictions. On the evening of Holy Thursday, Jesus' Passion began. But before that, he gathered with his friends to celebrate the Last Supper and at this meal, he...
Fruit Water
Fruit Water Super simple, but sooooo fancy, fruit water is a perfect addition to tea parties, luncheons, and . . . water fights? I think so, anyway. It’s most flavorful when prepared ahead of time and left to steep for 2-4 hours (not more than 10-12). But it’s fun to...
Water Cake
Water Cake This traditional Italian cake is light, fluffy, and great if you happen to be out of (or avoiding) eggs and dairy. Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, cinnamon, fresh herbs, and/or citrus zest for a punch of flavor, but it’s tasty as is! 2 cups all purpose...
Hearts of Palm Salad
Hearts of Palm Salad This traditional Brazilian dish uses canned hearts of palm, which is convenient if you don’t want to harvest the inner core of a palm tree stem yourself. The flash of red from the tomatoes and red onions makes it especially appropriate for the...