Christmas Sugar Cookies in July by the Grandchildren!

 In my last post, I mentioned
that our grandchildren live all over the United States. Actually five of them now live in Italy! What I want to show you is the Christmas sugar cookies that they decorated in July of this year, 2021, when we were all together in Fletcher, North Carolina.  The youngest grandchild is 20 months. She did what most 20 months children do, she licked the frosting. The end! Damien, our three year old grandchild was the next youngest and he did a bang up job decorating his cookies. It is important when decorating cookies with children to let the child decorate as best they can. We are not making picture perfect cookies for magazine publication, rather we are creating bonds of love with our children and grandchildren. Without further ado, here are decorated Christmas sugar cookies from our grandchildren ages 3 to 13!

Damien's Christmas Cookies, age 3

Maddie's Christmas Cookies, age 5

Damien's Christmas Cookies, age 5

Ella's Christmas Cookies, age 6

James' Christmas Cookies, age 7

Vivian's Christmas Cookies, age 9

Erik's Christmas Cookies, age 11

Jack's Christmas Cookies, age 12

Hannah's Christmas Cookies, age 13

Mystery person Christmas Tree

Piper's Christmas Star with help, 20 months

Thanking God for Grandchildren, July 25 & 26

Saints Joachim and Anne are the grandparents of Jesus. July 26 is there feast day. In January 2021, Pope Francis instituted a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. It is to occur every year on the fourth Sunday of July on the Universal Calendar of the Catholic Church. Today is the fourth Sunday of July and the first celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly took place at the Vatican and in Catholic parishes throughout the world. 

Christmas cookies in July

Pope Francis reminds us, there are many reasons to honor both Saints Joachim, Anne, our grandparents, and the elderly. I am sure you can think of many reasons to remember your grandparents. For many of us it is their example of faith that they modeled in their daily lives and practices. Perhaps you saw your grandparents going to Mass or praying the rosary. You may have seen them reading Scripture or volunteering at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or a crisis pregnancy center. Some of you learned how to bake cookies, crochet, knit, or sew because of your grandmother. Others of you learned to fish, hammer a nail, change a tire from a grandfather. Maybe you learned all of those things and more from your grandparents. 

One thing all grandparents have in common with one another is their love for their grandchildren. Whether grandchildren live close or far away, they are precious to their grandparents. I imagine Jesus' grandparents loved to see Him, to hold Him, and to play with Him just like we do with our grandchildren. The fourth Sunday in July and July 26 are reasons for families to honor and celebrate their grandparents, elderly family members, and friends. And they are occasions, also, for grandparents and the elderly to thank God for the blessings of loving families and friends.

Our grandchildren live all over the United States, so when we are able to all be together as a family it is a very special time. I like to bake with our grandchildren. Here are some pictures taken recently of ten of our eleven grandchildren decorating Christmas sugar cookies. The recipe is given at the end of the pictures. 

Star, heart, angel, and Christmas tree cookies
with VivianS

Ella and Becket side by side decorating cookies

 

Damien dabbling with the frosting!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Hannah and Jack with Piper. All finished!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

PREP: 20 minutes                    CHILL: 1 hour or more BAKE: 10 to 12 minutes

INGREDIENTS*                                                                     EQUIPMENT

4 sticks of real, unsalted butter                                                  1 large mixing bowl

2 eggs                                                                                       Measuring spoons

5 cups all-purpose flour                                                             Measuring cups

2 cups sugar                                                                              1 small bowl

A pinch of salt                                                                          Rolling pin

1 tablespoon pure vanilla                                                           Variety of cookie cutters

1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in                                           Clean rolling surface

3 tablespoons of milk                                                                Wire racks

Frosting or icing

Decorations: colored sprinkles, colored sugars, candies, candy flowers, chocolate bits, etc.

 

DIRECTIONS:                                                            YIELD: 5 to 6 dozen cookies

1.     Soften butter to room temperature. (Microwave for 5 seconds. Check to see if butter is softened. Repeat until just softened.)

2.     Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 3 tablespoons milk.

3.     Mix butter, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, dissolved soda, and milk in a large bowl with clean hands until the dough is smooth. The dough does not seem to be adversely affected by handling. Form dough into a ball, dust with flour and chill thoroughly before using.

4.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5.     Break chilled dough into conveniently sized pieces. Take only the amount you want to bake for today. Add a bit more flour for ease in rolling out.

6.     Dust the surface with flour. Place dough the size of an adult fist on surface. Roll out . Cut out with cookie cutters.

7.     Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until light brown about 12 minutes.

8.      Cool on a rack.

9.      Decorate simply for Advent cookies but pull out all the stops when decorating Christmas cookies.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16

Our Lady of Mount Carmel photo courtesy of Carol Krieger

Although there is not one original founder of the Carmelite Order,

there are many well-known Carmelite saints, among them St. 

Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux to name

just a few.  Let us honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the gift

of the Brown Scapular to the Carmelites asking for their 

prayers as we strive to grow closer to Our Lady and her Divine

Son.

Here is a treat to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of 

Mount Carmel. You don't need a recipe for it. All that is required

is  vanilla ice cream,  caramel sauce, and a cookie. You can add

sprinkles or cherries if you want to go all out. Celebrate this 

beautiful feast of the Carmelites and enjoy your sunday!

This lovely statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel belongs to a dear friend of mine, Carol Krieger. Carol and I have been friends for over 25 years. This beautiful statue was a gift to her and holds a treasured spot at her home. She was kind enough to photograph it for this blog post. 

Our Blessed Mother is known under many titles. On July 16 we acknowledge her under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It was on July 16, 1251, that the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Simon Stock with the Christ Child in her right arm and the brown scapular in her left. She told Simon that any Carmelite who died wearing the brown scapular would be saved. This is a special privilege given to the Carmelites.

To learn more about the founding of the Carmelite Order, St. Simon Stock, and other Carmelite saints go to the following links:

https://traditionalcarmelite.com/learn/history/

https://www.carmelites.org.au/history/history-of-the-carmelite-order

 https://www.carmelholylanddco.org/who-we-are/the-history-of-the-carmelites/

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, July 14, Summer Saint

 

Kateri Tekakwitha is one of our summer saints. Born in New York  state to an Algonquin mother and a Mohawk father, she became a Catholic when she was 19 years old. You can learn more about Kateri and her faithful devotion to Jesus here:

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=154 or  

https://www.thecatholickid.com/saint-kateri-tekakwitha-coloring-page/ or

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-kateri-tekakwitha

Below is a recipe made from maple syrup. New York, Vermont, Quebec and many other states and provinces in the northeast are known for their maple trees and the delicious maple syrup made from the sap of the tree. It was native Indians that taught the European settlers how to tap maple trees and boil down the sap into syrup. 

MAPLE SYRUP PUDDING

INGREDIENTS                                     EQUIPMENT

3 tablespoons sugar                                2 Medium bowls

2 tablespoons butter                                Electric mixer

1 egg                                                       Measuring cups

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract                    Measuring spoons

1 cup of all-purpose flour                       Large spoon                     

2 teaspoons baking powder                    Baking 8 x 8 pan or

1/4 teaspoon salt                                     Stoneware dish

3/4 cup maple syrup                               Whisk, optional

2/3 cup of milk

Baking spray or butter

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven too 350 degrees Fahrenheit

1. Add sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract to bowl. With electric beater or Kitchen Aid mix until soft and creamy.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Mix well with a large spoon or wire whisk. 

3. Add the flour mixture a little at a time to the butter mixture. Alternate with the maple syrup and milk. Stir just enough to moisten the mixture. 

4. Grease your pan or stoneware dish with cooking spray or butter.

5. Add the dough mixture to the prepared pan.

6. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. The maple syrup will sink to the bottom of the dish. The top will be lightly browned.

7. Remove from the oven and serve while it is warm. You could top it with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Let us thank God for the Indians from the Northeast for sharing their knowledge of the sap of the maple tree which we all enjoy now!

St. Kateri, Pray for us!

                 

Feast of St. Junipero Serra, Mallorca French Almond Cake

 The feast day of St. Junipero is July 1. He is one of our many summer saints to honor with a simple but delicious cake using almonds. Almonds are found in abundance in his native birthplace: Mallorca, often spelled Majorca, a Spanish Island.

The wall hanging here is from a photo I took while attending his canonization in 2015 at the Basilica oIf the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. The hanging was placed on an outside wall for the canonization and then removed. It was through the gracious gift of Rita and Rosemary Sporleder that I received tickets to attend Fr. Serra's canonization.

Fr. Serra was a Franciscan missionary who brought the Catholic faith to the Indians living in California during the 18th century. To learn about Fr. Serra follow these links:

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-junipero-serra

https://cacatholic.org/article/biography-father-serra

SPANISH ALMOND CAKE

INGREDIENTS                                                        EQUIPMENT

 1 Cup of sugar                                                         2 Mixing bowls

6 Large eggs                                                             Hand mixer or Kitchen Aid

7 Ounces silvered almonds                                       Food Processor

1 Lemon                                                                    Grater

Cooking spray or butter                                            Springform pan or pie plate

Flour for dusting pan                                                Spatula or spoon

Confectionary for sprinkling                                    Cooling rack                                 

A few almond silvers for decorating                        Cake plate 

                                       

DIRECTIONS: Preheat over 360 Fahrenheit        YIELD: One 9 inch cake

1. Grind almonds in food processor to a fine powder. Set aside.

2. Grate zest of one lemon, be sure not to grate the pith, the white lining under the peel. Set aside.

3. Separate the eggs into yolks in one medium-size bowl and whites into another bowl.

4. Add one cup of sugar into the egg yolk bowl and beat on high with your mixer until the color is light yellow and the volume has increased. 

5. Add the ground almonds and lemon zest to the yolk mixture with a rubber spatula or spoon. Mix well.

6. Beat the egg whites in the other bowl until they reach stiff peaks. 

7. Add the eggs whites to the yolk/almond/lemon mixture carefully folding them in with your spatula. 

8. Grease your springform pan or pie plate well. Add a dusting of flour to keep the cake from sticking when you unmold it after baking and cooling.

9. Add your cake mixture gently into your well-greased and dusted pan. 

10. Bake on the center rack for 28 - 30 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean when tested in the center.

11. Cool on baking rack. 

12. Use a knife to separate the side of the cake from the pan. Unmold and gently turn cake upside down on a plate if your springform pan has an attractive design on its bottom to display cake; otherwise simply unmold and sprinkle the top with confectionary sugar and a few left over almond silvers for decorating.

This cake is a lovely, spongy cake on its own with a lemon flavor. Vanilla ice cream would be a nice addition, too, along with a glass of milk, tea, or a cappuccino!

Cheers, St. Junipero Serra!

St. Elizabeth of Portugal and St. Anna Wang, Chinese Martyr

 

St. Anna Wang, Chinese Martyr, July 9

Mint Oreo Balls

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, July 5

The following recipe is a very easy and fun one to make with the grandchildren, and one you will want to keep on hand for a variety of saintly celebrations. It uses a food processor, so now is a good time to go over a few standard "to dos" with children when baking.

• Always wash your hands before preparing food.
• Put on an apron or shirt you don't mind getting messy.
• Read the recipe completely before you begin assembling ingredients and equipment.
• Adult supervision or permission is required before you start a recipe which requires the use of a stove, microwave, oven, knife, hammer, food processor, or blender.
• Assemble all ingredients and equipment before you start baking.
• Clean as you go, if possible. Otherwise, clean-up when you have finished the activity.

Mint Oreo Balls

Ingredients                            Equipment

1 package Mint Oreo Cookies                                           1 large mixing bowl

1 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese, softened                      1 large spooon

Wilton Candy Melts, whatever colors you like                 Food Processor

Sprinkles, optional but fun                                                 Parchment paper

                                                                                     Lollipop sticks, optional

Directions                                                    Yield: 30

1. Place cookies in food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs.

2. In large bowl place softened cream cheese.

3. Add Oreo crumbs and mix until well blended.

4. Roll into balls and place on a cookies sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Place lollipop stick about half way in each rolled ball, optional.

6. Place in freezer for 3 or 4 hours. Overnight works well, too.

7. Melt candy melts in microwaveable bowl. About 1 cup of melts. One color at a time.

8. Work with only a few frozen balls at a time. Dip frozen Oreo balls in melted candy one at a time.  Coat on all sides. Remove. Add sprinkles at once. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

9. Repeat with the remainder of the frozen balls.

ENJOY!

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Pray for us!
St. Anna Wang, Pray for us

Summer Baking with the Grandchildren

It is summer time and the kids are out of school - home school, public school, or Catholic school. There is more time to do fun activities with our children and grandchildren. I am going to offer two recipes a week to prepare and bake with your grandchildren. Some are very easy. You can even make them with a cooperative two year old. Others require the kids be a bit older. All can be used to honor and celebrate a summer saint of the Catholic Church year. The saints on the Church calendar for the week of July 4 - 10: St. Anthony Zaccaria, St. Elizabeth of Portugal, July 5, St. Maria Goretti, July 6, and St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, July 9. 

Today we are going to prepare and bake an old favorite: The Dump Cake. I am sure many of you are familiar with it. Scroll through the photos to the recipe below. You can see how easy and tasty it is.

DUMP CAKE

Ingredients                                                                Equipment

2cups fresh peaches or blueberries                          9 x 13 1/2 inch rectangular baking dish

Can of cherry pie filling                                           Large spoon

Baking spray or butter                                             2 Pot Holder Mitts

1 package of yellow cake mix                                  Can opener if needed

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)                                         Sharp knife

Pecans or Walnuts if you wish                                 Small microwave bowl

Directions: Heat oven to 350 Fahrenheit                Yield: 16 servings

1. Spray the bottom and sides of your baking dish with baking spray or grease it gently with butter. 

2. Cut up the fresh peaches into bite size pieces and sprinkle on the bottom of the baking dish. Be sure they are evenly spread throughout the bottom of the pan. Spread the blueberries in the same way if you use blueberries instead of peaches.

3. Open the cherry pie filling. Be careful of the sharp lid. Dump the pie filling on top of the fruit. Spread evenly.

4. Open the cake mix. Sprinkle it evenly over the cherry layer. Be sure the mix is spread evenly and all the cherries are covered.

5. Melt the butter in a microwaveable dish. Spoon the melted butter over the top of the cake mix being sure it is well-covered. There may be some small spots that are not covered with butter, but there should not be large areas without butter.

6. If you choose, you may chop 2/3 cup of pecans or walnuts and sprinkle them over the butter layer.

7. Place the baking dish in the over and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. Turn the pan around after 35 minutes. When the cherry pie filling is bubbling up through the cake and butter layer, and the top is lightly brown and crusty, the cake is done. Remove from the oven and let cool.

8. Enjoy the cake as it is or add a dollop of ice cream or whip cream.

Here is what the cake looks like when it comes out of the oven.

Here is our dump cake with a cup of tea. Doesn't it look pretty? You could have it with a cool summer drink or a glass a milk. Invite your friends over and celebrate one of the summer saints!