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...
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...
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...
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...
Flatbread
Flatbread These tasty flatbreads are quick and easy and make an excellent side for curries and any meal that needs a “pusher.” They’re great with dips or folded and filled with sandwich fixin’s. They are relatively flat, but allowed to rise (chametz again). A more...
Applesauce
Applesauce In a Jewish Passover seder meal, haroset (an applesauce-like mixture with wine, nuts, apples, etc.) represents the mortar used by the Jews in Egypt. Recipes for haroset are available, of course, but my family prefers to go the straight-up homemade...
Bitter Herb Salad
Bitter Herb Salad At a Jewish Passover Seder meal like the one Jesus was celebrating on Holy Thursday with the apostles, bitter herbs are served as a reminder of the bitterness of the slavery endured by the Jewish people in Egypt. This salad is bitter and sour (and...
Rice Crispy Treat Lamb
Rice Crispy Treat Lamb You could make a lamb cake . . . but those turn out creepy, like, 90% of the time. That’s kind of their charm. But you can make a slightly-less-weird-looking Rice Krispie Lamb in a fraction of the time. Everyone wins! Let a kid do the sculpting...
Potato Knishes
Potato Knishes These hearty and delicious doughy-potatoey bundles are a traditional Jewish delicacy. However, full-disclosure, they wouldn’t be served at an observant Passover meal, because chametz (anything containing grain that has come into contact with water and...
Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic
Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic Lamb rib chops make for an impressive presentation with their long handle, and kids like to pick them up and eat them like an ice cream on a stick. But this recipe also works with the little triangular lamb loin chops. Dish for...
2023 Easter Gift Guide
Easter is approaching! And we didn't want you to be caught unawares. We know that there's almost nothing worse than Holy Saturday coming and not having anything to stuff Easter Baskets with. Don't ask us how we know ;)But in all seriousness, as we prepare for the...
Catholic All Year at Home, Ep. 5: St. Joseph
St. Joseph is the patron that we have chosen for our family this year. So needless to say I absolutely had to do something special to share about our St. Joseph traditions with you! WATCH NOW Though he was a quiet man, who left us not even a single quote, there is...
St. Joseph the Worker Spiced Play Dough
St. Joseph the Worker Spiced Play Dough This smooth, natural, homemade playdough is fun to make, long lasting, and smells amazing. For the feast day, I let my kids go at it with real tools (on a protected surface, with supervision). 2 cups Flour1 cup Salt4 tsp Cream...
St. Joseph Sfinge Cream Puffs
St. Joseph Sfinge Cream Puffs These tasty cream puffs made with Choux pastry dough are traditionally served in Italy on the solemnity of St. Joseph. This Sicilian version is filled with whipped cream. A Neapolitan version is filled with custard cream instead. They are...
Pasta on the Table (Pasta Alla Tavola)
Pasta on the Table (Pasta Alla Tavola) One of the best parts of my high school career was eating at the home of a friend who came from an Italian-American family. Every meal his mom cooked was amazing, but the most fun were the days when they would invite big groups...
Melon & Prosciutto Skewers
Melon & Prosciutto Skewers Melon ballerPicks 1 Cantaloupe Melon (cut into cubes or melon balls)12 slices Prosciutto di Parma Cut each Prosciutto di Parma slice in half, crosswise.On a small skewer or toothpick, stack the melon and prosciutto, alternating between...
Caprese Skewers
Caprese Skewers ColanderPicksBottle 2 cups Balsamic Vinegar10 oz Cherry Tomatoes8 oz Ciliegine Mozzarella Cheese (also called "cherry" size, I like Belgioso)8 oz Clamshell Fresh Basil LeavesSalt and Pepper (to taste) Balsamic DrizzleAdd balsamic vinegar to a small...
Trash Can Soup Stock
Trash Can Soup Stock This is really just stock or bone broth, but my kids like to call it “trash can soup” because the stock is made entirely from things we would have otherwise thrown away. It’s free. It’s an authentically “whole” way to eat. It’s a natural way to...
Universal Homemade Soup
Universal Homemade Soup What to do with all that lovely stock you just made? Turn it into a simple and infinitely customizable soup. For a quick dinner option, I use two 10-12 ounce packages of frozen seasoned vegetables, and a 1 pound bag of frozen meatballs. It’s...
Lenten Soft Pretzels
Lenten Soft Pretzels Perfect for Lent, homemade pretzels are a great way to jump into bread baking. Pretzels are historically associated with Lent, as their traditional shape is meant to look like arms folded in prayer (with a twist!). This easy recipe makes chewy...
Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce
Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce Ingredient bowlsMeasuring glassesSaucepanWhisk 1/4 cup Butter1/4 cup Flour2 cups Cheddar Cheese (grated)1 cup Milk1/2 cup Beer1 tsp Grainy Mustard1/2 tsp Oregano1/2 tsp Salt1/2 tsp PepperCayenne Pepper (or Tabasco Sauce) (to taste and garnish...
Catholic All Year at Home, Ep. 4: St. Frances of Rome
Calling all homemakers, wanna-be homemakers, and reluctant homemakers! I've got the perfect saint to introduce you to in the latest episode of Catholic All Year at Home! WATCH NOW This episode is all about St. Frances of Rome, a young woman who wanted to dedicate her...
Catholic All Year at Home, Ep. 3: Fat Tuesday
Introducing the newest episode of Catholic All Year at Home! This episode is all about celebrating Fat Tuesday before we buckle down with our Lenten Disciplines for the next 40 days. As you watch you'll discover creative, family-friendly ideas for your own Fat Tuesday...
Boeuf Gras Sundaes
Boeuf Gras Sundaes King cake gets eaten for breakfast at our house, so we need a dessert after dinner. And in our family we’re going to be giving up all treats and desserts throughout Lent except for special treats on Sundays and solemnities, so we need to get all...