Sunday, February 27, 2022

Lent Begins on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022, Plant an Amaryllis Bulb

Iowa Horticulture Amaryllis in bloom
There are many activities we can do with our children and grandchildren during the Lenten season. Wednesday, March 2, 2022, is the beginning of Lent. It is the day when Catholics age14 and up are obliged to abstain from meat, on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent. The faithful between 18 and 59 are called upon to fast, two small meals no larger than the one main meal, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday in addition to abstaining from meat.

The season of Lent is one of penance and renewal. Over the years, I have posted various ways we can grow closer to Jesus during this holy season. You can find those activities here: Lent

This year I am offering the following activity: plant an amaryllis bulb with your children or grandchildren. We associate the amaryllis flower with Christmas, but it is a perfect bulb to buy (on Amazon, Hollandbulbs, Brecks, etc.) and plant during the first week or two of Lent. It takes about six weeks to bloom. Information on planting here:https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/amaryllis-faqs/9377.html

Amaryllis Bulbs

Compare what happens to the bulb with what is happening in each one of us as we increase our good deeds, make sacrifices of a favorite food, or a television show, or digital usage, share our money with the needy, learn a new prayer, visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist more often. There are many ways we can grow in the love of Jesus during Lent. 

Point out to the children that by watering the amaryllis, draining excess water, and placing it in a cool spot with sunlight, they are helping it to grow.  In our souls much is going on during Lent which helps our souls to grow in God's grace. In about six weeks time the bulb is marvelously transformed into a beautiful flower. So, too, in each child's soul the sacrifices, good deeds, prayers, and visits to Jesus that he or she made during Lent are used by Jesus to transform the soul in holiness. A soul full of good deeds is a very beautiful soul.


Amaryllis Bulbs planted





 While the amaryllis bulb is growing, it is the perfect time to learn about saints. Next week I am going to introduce a few young saints and a blessed. The saints are our friends. They are interested in us and want to help us get to heaven. St. Therese of Lisieux in her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, told us that. Next week I will share that story with  you from her autobiography.

Pictured below is a book about Jesus by one of my favorite author/illustrators, Tomie de Paola. In The Miracles of Jesus, twelve miracles each written up on one page with an accompanying illustration on a second page, tell in a simple fashion Gospel miracles performed by Jesus. The book is perfect for introducing children to Jesus as you read to them and point out the illustrations.

 I found a prayer on Pinterest which I hope you will find helpful as you journey throughout Lent with your family. There was no name given to its author.

Please pray for me and my family during Lent. I am praying for you and your family. May you be richly blessed this season of Lent.






Monday, February 21, 2022

Traditional Italian Crostoli for Mardi Gras

 

Crostoli also called Chiacchiere

Chiacchiere or Crostoli:  Carnevale Cookies

Pictured is an Italian Carnevale (Mardi Gras) fried dough pastry called crostoli or chiacchiere.  It is traditionally made and served throughout the Italian carnival season which last two to three weeks.  Carnival ends on Fat Tuesday, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is March 2 this year.

Below you will find the recipe and pictures of Army wives learning how to make this traditional dessert while they live in Italy. I am going to try it myself and either share it with friends or bring some when I visit my Dad. 

There are many foods associated with Mardi Gras, and although the celebration is not on the official Catholic Church calendar, its roots are deep in Catholic culture and customs as we prepare for the season of Lent. 

I have written and posted a number of times on Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, and Pancake Tuesday. Put Mardi Gras in the search bar and you will find a number of recipes. Keep scrolling to see them all.


Chiacchiere or Crostoli:  Carnevale Cookies 

Instructor Francesca

Recipe courtesy of Catherine Findlay

6 eggs

1 stick of butter (melted)

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp salt

1 cup powdered sugar (can substitute granular sugar, but the consistency will be little grainy) plus more for dusting cookies

1 tbsp lemon extract

Juice of 1 ½ lemons

Zest of 1 lemon

1 ½ lbs flour plus more for kneading and rolling the dough (preferably type 00 flour but all purpose will work) This is about 5 1/3 cups of flour

1 tbsp baking powder

 

Directions:

1.     Melt butter in a small bowl

2.     Add 3 tbsp milk to the butter

3.     In a large bowl, crack the 6 eggs; add 1 tsp salt and whisk well

4.     Whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated

5.     Mix in 1 tbsp lemon extract to the egg mixture

6.     In the small bowl of butter and milk, add the juice of 1 ½ lemons

7.     Add the zest of 1 lemon to the egg mixture

8.     Add the butter mixture to the egg mixture and mix well

9.     Add 1/3 of the flour to the egg mixture and mix well

10.  Add 1 tbsp baking powder to the remaining flour then slowly incorporate the flour into the rest of the mixture little by little; the dough should be soft but not sticky

11.  Knead the dough well for 5-8 minutes until it is smooth, adding flour as needed to keep it from being sticky

12.  Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or place in a large Ziploc bag and put in the fridge for 30 minutes

13.  Prep the oil for frying

 

 

For Frying:

1.     In a large heavy sided and deep pot heat 2 liters of peanut oil on high, 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     Line a cookie sheet with paper towels

 

     Rolling the dough (without pasta machine)

1.     Cut the ball into 8-10 sections working with one section at a time and roll the dough out into very thin long rectangular sheets using a rolling pin (tip: keep the other sections wrapped in plastic while rolling to keep the dough from drying out)

2.     Using a fluted pastry cutter or a pizza cutter cut the dough into 2inch by 4inch rectangles with a slit in the middle of each one

3.     Drop 5-7 rectangles of dough into the hot oil and heat for about 1 minute; if the oil gets too hot reduce the temperature slightly to avoid burning

4.     Remove the fried dough and place on the paper towel lined cookie sheet to absorb the excess oil

5.     Dust with powdered sugar; best served while still hot

6.     Repeat with the other sections of dough

 

Rolling the dough with a pasta machine:

1.     Cut the ball into 8-10 sections; (tip: keep the other sections wrapped in plastic while rolling to keep the dough from drying out)

2.     Take one section and feed it through the machine on a “0” setting

3.     Fold the dough in half and send it through the “1” setting; repeat this step 3 more times

4.     Send the dough through on a “2” setting 2 times

5.     Cut the dough in half and send through each half separately 2 times on a “4” setting

6.     Send each half through a “5” setting 1 time

7.     Using a fluted pastry cutter or a pizza cutter cut the dough into 2inch by 4inch rectangles with a slit in the middle of each one

8.     Drop 5-7 rectangles of dough into the hot oil and heat for about 1 minute; if the oil gets too hot reduce the temperature slightly to avoid burning

9.     Remove the fried dough and place on the paper towel lined cookie sheet to absorb the excess oil

10.  Dust with powdered sugar; best served while still hot

11.  Repeat with the other sections of dough




 

 





To get a closer view of cutting the dough with a pizza or fluted cutter, go to this website and scroll down, cutting crostoli dough




Sunday, February 13, 2022

St. Valentine February 14

February 14 is known as Valentine's Day in the United States. It is a popular day for expressing love for family and friends. Cards are bought and flowers and candy are gifts often given. Little is actually known about St. Valentine who the day is named after. He is thought to have lived in the third century, but very little has been documented about his life. In more recent times archaeologists have found a catacomb and a church dedicated to him. Pope Gelasius in 496 A.D. listed February 14 as his feast day. He is listed in the Roman martyrology but not in the General Roman Calendar due to the lack of sufficient documentation. His existence is confirmed but the facts of his life are uncertain. Most books written about his life would be classified as historical fiction or legends. 

Here is prayer and below are heart lollipops which are easily made and can be shared with family and friends.
 

A Prayer for St. Valentine's Day

God Bless you on this special day,

God keep you in His care,

And may His blessing and His love,

go with you everywhere. Amen

Candy Melt Heart Lollipops

These Valentine treats are very easy to make. You can purchase the lollipop molds from Michael's Craft Store, Hobby Lobby, Amazon, and other stores that carry cake and candy supplies. The candy melts are found in these stores, too, along with the lollipop sticks. You can make the lollipops in about fifteen minutes from start to finish. If you are making a large number, it will take longer depending on how many molds you have and the space in your refrigerator freezer for hardening the candy once it is melted and poured into the molds.

If you have never made candy melt lollipops before, I encourage you to try. It is a simple process and there is a great variety of molds to chose from which can be used for baptisms, First Holy Communions, weddings, bridal showers and more.

Wishing you and those you love a Happy Valentine's Day.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, February 11

 February 11 is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. Many of you know the story of the Blessed Mother's appearances to a poor, young French girl named Bernadette in 1858 in Lourdes, France, requesting that a chapel be built. Our Lady called herself the Immaculate Conception and she asked Bernadette to dig in the grotto where she appeared. Water sprang forth from the ground where Bernadette was digging. Those waters have healed many sick and diseased persons over the years. The Knights of Malta have taken on the special work of bringing the sick to Lourdes in pilgrimages to honor the Blessed Mother and to ask for healing from her Son for the sick through the waters at Lourdes.

My Life Is A Miracle by Sister Bernadette Moriau is a beautiful and very spiritually moving story by the woman who God chose to be the 70th officially approved miracle at Lourdes. 

Sister tells the story well. She had a debilitating disease which began when she was about 27 years old. It gradually worsened, until she had to wear a body brace to walk and eventually her left foot was turned completely inward. She was in constant pain which high doses of drugs only partially controlled. Yet, she believed and accepted this was what the Lord wanted from her, to suffer with Him for others. You must read this autobiography to appreciate and marvel at her depth and honesty about first her suffering and then the healing. The process of confirming the healing of an alleged miracle at Lourdes is officially rigorous. What she had to go through for the confirmation of the miracle was an onerous test in itself. It was at her doctor's suggestion that she went to Lourdes and again at his recommendation that she go through the process of attesting to the miraculous healing. I am not going to say anymore about this story other to urge you to read it. Perhaps you will be like me, unable to put it down.

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

Oh ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Look upon me with mercy. When you appeared in the grotto of Lourdes, you made it a privileged sanctuary where you dispense your favors, and where many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. My loving Mother, obtain my request. I will try to imitate your virtues so that I may one day share your company and bless you in eternity. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for Us! 

Saturday, February 5, 2022

St. Agatha, Early Christian Martyr, February 5

 

St. Agatha statue on the altar of St. Babara
in the parish church of St. Anthony the Hermit
Slavetic, Croatia. 
  








Today is the feast of St. Agatha, an early Christian martyr. You can read my description of her life and try a recipe that I posted in 2016 here: St. Agatha

Pope St. John Paul II in his Letter to Children, December 13, 1994, mentions her. You will find that letter here: Letter to Children

As I am preparing to give a talk at a retreat for Moms in Savannah, GA, later this month, my posts will be brief. The talk will be on "Celebrating the Liturgical Year in the Home". I would kindly ask for your prayers as I prepare this talk.

There were in the month of January and there will continue to be in February many saints to inspire us and our children/grandchildren. They are friends who want to help us in our pilgrimage to our Father's house. We have only to reach out to them.

                 St. Agatha, Pray for us!



Prayer to St. Agatha

 O Heavenly Father, who raised Agatha to the dignity of Sainthood, we implore Your Divine Majesty by her intercession to give us health of mind, body and soul. Free us from all those things which hold us bound to this earth, and let our spirit, like hers, rise to your heavenly courts.