St. Hilary of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church, January 13

St. Hilary of Poitiers was a married man, convert to the faith, priest, bishop, and a Doctor of the Church. He came from a wealthy, well-educated, pagan family. He had studied Greek and Latin. It was while he was reading the Scriptures that he found the One, True, God, Three Persons in One, and became a great defender of the Holy Trinity. 

Hilary was born in 315 A.D. and died in 368. It was a challenging time for a convert with heresies abounding including Arianism. Arianism was the heretical teaching of Arius, a priest of Alexandria, Egypt. It held that Jesus Christ was not divine, not the Son of God, but merely a good man.

The Ecumenical Council of Nicaea was called to address this heresy. Over two hundred and twenty bishops who attended the council signed the Nicene Creed which affirmed the divinity of Jesus Christ," ...true God from true God, begotten not made...." Bishop Hilary attended the council and went on to write the first theological book on the Holy Trinity. His writings were well-received and explained faithfully and in depth this mystery of God. 

Hilary was a defender of the dogma of the Holy Trinity and like St. Athanasius who zealously defended it, he was driven from his diocese for his defense of this teaching. He spent four years exiled in Phrygia, although he was able to rule the diocese of Poitiers from there. During this time he continued to write. After four years he returned to Poitiers. Bishop Hilary has been called "Hammer of the Arians" He was made a Doctor of the Church after his death. This honor affirms that the writings and/or preachings are outstanding for the faithful in all ages of the Church. Besides theological writings, Bishop Hilary also wrote hymns. Let us ask St. Hilary to pray for us as we seek to write and compose well.

                                                                       St. Hilary, Pray for Us!

I have made this recipe many times. I love beignets! I hope when you have a chance you will try them and let me know what you think.

BEIGNETS: A French Treat in Honor of a French Bishop and Doctor of the Church

YIELDS: 20

INGREDIENTS                                                                                               EQUIPMENT

¾ cup lukewarm water (105 – 115 degrees)                                        Large bowl or Kitchen Aid Mixer

1 pkg.  active dry yeast or 2 ¼ tsp.                                                         Microwave container or small pot

1/3 cup of sugar                                                                                          Measuring cups

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour                                                                        Measuring spoons

Pinch of salt (about 1/16 tsp.)                                                                 Whisk and small bowl

1 large egg                                                                                                    Floured board or pastry sheet

½ cup evaporated milk                                                                              Frying or candy thermometer

3 tbsp. melted butter                                                                                 Biscuit cutter – 1 ½ or 2 inches round

1 tsp. vanilla extract                                                                                   4-quart pan or Dutch oven

Oil for frying – Canola or Vegetable                                                       Paper Towels

Confectionary Sugar                                                                                   Paper Bags, a couple

DIRECTIONS:

1.      In a large bowl or Kitchen Aid Mixer combine lukewarm water and yeast. Let stand for five minutes until dissolved.

2.      In a small bowl, lightly whisk egg, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, salt, and sugar. Add to yeast mixture.

3.      Measure out two cups of flour and mix by hand or in standard mixer until incorporated. About 2 minutes for standard mixer.

4.      Melt butter in microwave container or in pan on stove. Add to dough and mix until dough is sticky but smooth. Add additional flour to make a soft dough.  May save some for flouring board.

5.      Turn dough onto lightly floured board or pastry sheet and knead, 1 – 2 minutes. Lightly grease bowl. Return dough to greased bowl, turning once to coat it.

6.      Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm, draft free place for two hours or until double in size.

7.      Punch the dough down and remove from bowl.

8.      Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Then cut dough in round 2-inch shape. Let dough rest for 10 minutes before frying.

9.      Add oil to pan about 2-inches in depth. Heat to 350 degrees F.  Working in batches of four and five depending on the size of your pan. Fry the beignets two to three minutes until they are golden brown on both sides. Remove carefully and place on paper towels.

10.   Place two cups of confectionary sugar in a paper bag and add warm beignets. Shake gently to coat beignets completely. Remove from bag and enjoy with a cup of your favorite hot drink!

 

This book was published in November 2021. It is for young people ages 8 - 12. It looks very good. You can review it yourself on Amazon. I am going to buy it for my own children's library and it looks like the kind of book I will be giving for a gift for First Holy Communion and other occasions.

Prayer to St. Hilary of Poitiers

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You that he showed in his life, from the time of his conversion to Christianity. 

St. Hilary, you were raised and educated in the pagan religion. Despite this, you opened yourself up to Christianity and chose to serve God.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!

As you studied the writings of the Old and New Testaments, you came to see that Christianity was the truth. You and your family were baptized, and you devoted yourself to God for the rest of your life.

Pray for me, that I may choose to serve God in my life each day. Pray that I may remain devoted to God for the rest of my life.

                      St. Hilary, pray for us!

Celebrating the Good Things of Life - Mardi Gras, Pancake Tuesday, Carnival, February 21

Mardi Gras King Cake with the Baby Jesus 
ready to be hidden, a French Tradition

Are you ready for your favorite Mardi Gras, Pancake Tuesday, Carnival Treats? There are so many of them.

 Mardi Gras in New Orleans features King Cake, Gumbo, Hush Puppies, Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole, Red Beans and Rice and more. Bob and I are going to a Mardi Gras fundraiser for St. Benedict's Church on Tuesday evening. There are sure to be some of these New Orleans dishes.

Pancake Tuesday in England, Ireland, and other countries features, of course, pancakes! But one of my favorite activities of Pancake Tuesday in England is the pancake races. This year on Tuesday, February 21, the Better Bankside Pancake Race takes place in London near the London Bridge. If you are interested in viewing it the information is here: Pancake Race for Charity 

My very favorite pancake race is this one between the ladies of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England. It began in 1950 and will take place again on Pancake Tuesday!

Here is a link for you to read all about it, Liberal, KS, Olney, England, Pancake Race

A dream of mine is to see businesses 

Pancake Tuesday, Better Bankside Race for Charity 
London, England

embrace the pancake race for charity on

Pancake Tuesday here in the United 

States. I think there are a number of 
young men and women college students and workers of all professions that would   have great fun

tossing pancakes in a race for a

worthwhile charity. Many businesses require their employees to volunteer a few hours in the community to give back. This is a perfect way to have fun on Pancake Tuesday and give back to the community. 

2018 Competitors of the Liberal, Kansas, vs. Olney, England 
Pancake Tuesday Race

This picture appeared in a  2018 Catholic News Agency article by Perry West. It is a number of women who competed in the Liberal, KS, pancake race. For the full article, read here Liberal, KS, Pancake Race  I would love to see the pancake race simplified for Catholic school children and home schoolers. They could receive pledges from Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle Tim and Aunt Sue to sponsor an individual or team on or near the Pancake Tuesday date. Again the funds would g to a favorite charity. Small prizes would be given to the winner(s) of the race. Let's not let this pancake race tradition die out; rather let's expand it!

Venice, Italy, is known for its Carnival celebrations which include men, women, and children dressing up in very elaborate costumes with masks. Some of the masks cover only their eyes; while others cover their entire face. The city of Venice's schedule of events takes place from February 3 until February 21. The Square of San Marco is a popular place to watch the many Venetians and visitors in full costumes with masks parade their regalia. Many shops are dotted on side streets with large displays of masks to purchase. You can read about the history of Carnival in Venice here, Venice and Its Masks

Chiacchiere or Crostoli is a cookie very popular in Italy during the Carnival season (Italians call it Carnavale.). I include the recipe in last year's blog on Mardi Gras. Crostoli

My personal favorite treat for Mardi Gras, Carnival, Pancake Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, or whatever you wish to call the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is beignets. Beignets are a lovely French pastry found not only in France but in New Orleans and many fine restaurants. They are simply fried dough dusted with confectionary sugar, but it is the ingredients in the dough whichC makes them so scrumptous. Here is a recipe I have made a number of times. Beignets

While we are enjoying our Mardi Gras, Pancake Tuesday, and Carnival Traditions, it is good to thank the Giver of all the wonderful foods, materials, and money that go into the various customs and traditions that are meant to be enjoyed before the Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. 

God has created this beautiful world with all that creation has to offer us. We enjoy its bounty in the celebrations of Mardi Gras, Pancake Tuesday, and Carnival, but at the end of Tuesday evening, it is time to set aside some of the good things of the festival in imitation of Our Lord. 

We can spend Lent imitating His generosity in various small ways. For some of us it will be setting aside favorite foods and alcoholic drinks. For others we will be more generous with our time, helping family, friends, and others in our community. Some of us will attend an extra Mass on a weekday, or pray the rosary, or read Scripture or listen to a podcast. There are many ways to observe Lent with love and reverence, so while you are celebrating Mardi Gras reflect a little on what good thing you can set aside or do in imitation of the Giver of all good gifts.

For the rules on fast and abstinence for Lent, Lenten Regulations in the Catholic Church

Previous Mardi Gras posts in this blog with recipes can be found here Mardi Gras Scroll through the posts.

Mardi Gras masks, beads, feathers, etc. can be found at Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, General Dollar, and Party Stores. 

Wishing  you an enjoyable Mardi Gras Celebration!

and a Holy and Blessed Lent!

Mardi Gras - Hush Puppies

Mardi Gras Hush Puppies

These Hush Puppies are delicious. They are from another recipe Doris Dean gave me. The Cajun Chicken and Andouille Gumbo recipe on my last post was hers. The Hush Puppies pictured here were my second batch and definitely an improvement over my first. I am not in the habit of deep-frying foods.It takes me awhile to master getting the temperature and the frying time right when I do deep fry. These puppies came out quite nicely, crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. Below is the recipe. They go very well with gumbo. I am planning on making them again on the Monday before Mardi Gras to serve with a gumbo I just made. We will have a King's Cake from a local bakery for dessert or beignets. I have made the beignets dough but am waiting to fry them with my son-in-law's deep fryer. I will give you the beignets recipe in my next post with photos.

                                                              HUSH PUPPIES

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk (buttermilk is best but anything will do)

Cajun seasoning (or red pepper - 1/2 tsp)

Chopped green onion tops (one bunch)

2 Tbsp grated onion

Mix dry ingredients in bowl.  In another bowl beat eggs, add milk, and add this to the cornmeal mixture.  Add onion and red pepper.  Drop by spoonful in hot deep fat (375 degrees) and fry until brown.