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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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...
I was pretty excited to learn that there was in fact a traditional pastry meant to be eaten on Good Friday, and considered so Catholic that their sale was forbidden by decree of Elizabeth I (not a fan of Catholics). When I first...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
Jesus walks into a restaurant and says to the maitre'd, "Table for twenty-six please." The maitre'd does a quick head count, and says, "I see there are only thirteen of you here. Please let me know when the rest of your party arrives, sir, and I’ll be happy to seat...
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...
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. 1 pound lamb...
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...
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...
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...
Laetare Sunday Buttercream Frosting This delicious buttercream frosting is dyed pink by the berries that are used in the recipe and is the perfect topping to cupcakes or a cake to celebrate this particularly joyful Sunday in the midst of Lent. 1/2 cup blackberries1/2...
Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce Ingredient bowlsMeasuring glassesSaucepanWhisk 1/4 cup Butter1/2 cup Flour2 cups Cheddar Cheese (grated)1 cup Milk1/2 cup Beer1 tsp Grainy Mustard1/2 tsp Oregano1/2 tsp PepperCayenne Pepper (or Tabasco Sauce) (to taste and garnish on top)...
