Divine Mercy Sunday Brunch

Homemade Waffles with Whipped Topping and Sliced Strawberries

Strawberry and Pear Mixed Fruit

We were Triple Blessed on Sunday, as it was Divine Mercy Sunday, our beloved John Paul the Great was beatified, and it was the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.  Such a joyous day called for a fabulous beginning!  (We only make these waffles for special occasions.)

I'm sharing with you my mom's recipe, which makes a light and tasty waffle. 

Homemade Waffles

Beat well:       4 egg yolks

Blend in:         4 cups milk

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening

Beat til stiff:    4 egg whites

Fold the whites into the batter.

Yield: approximately 8 cups of batter

Cook waffles according to your waffle iron directions.

Stop in at Catholic Cuisine to see how others are celebrating with food!

On the Feast of St. Blaise

“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Blessing of St. Blaise).

I'm Ba--ack....

Did you miss me, by any chance?

I abandoned this little speck of the blogosphere before Christmas....  So many preparations during Advent, readying our home and ourselves for Christ's birth, I just couldn't find make time to blog.

 

 Our little Noelle left the hospital late in November, and is doing very well.  Big brother Harvey is totally fine with having her around.  They're planning to spend the upcoming weekend with us, along with their mommy and daddy.  Noelle was baptized on  Gaudete Sunday.  How appropriate.

Parents and Godparents promising this child to God!

We had a lovely Christmas Season, with a house full of family, and it was a very joyous holiday.   This little house was nearly bursting at the seams on Christmas Day, and everyone here said that they had a wonderful day.  That is all that truly matters to me, that everyone here enjoys being here.  We celebrated our Lord Jesus' birthday with love and joy. 

Extended families...  his,

and mine.

I wonder though, how is it that every time I get a really great set of plans/schedule worked out near any big holiday, they usually manage to get derailed one way or another?  I did get pretty much everything done that I really needed to get done,  so it all worked out in the end, but it wasn't without some tense moments and a bit of stress that Christmas arrived. 

Gah!  Here is a picture of my kitchen island at one point near Christmas.  Do you notice the diaper in the bowl that is normally full of apples?  Who put that there!?

Crash's addition to my decorated front porch

Our middle boy and his fiancee spent ten days from Christmas Eve through New Year's with us, and they brought their snowmobiles with them.  So much fun! The week went so quickly...

Upon settling back into the regular schedule, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th.  We tried to go with what we had on hand, and the girls had great fun finding suitable foods to symbolize the Twelve Days of Christmas on the dinner table.  We decided on sliced pears, Dove chocolates, French fries, onion rings, hard boiled eggs, milk shakes (which we actually forgot to make!) chicken drumsticks, and a wonderful cake that all us gals worked on for dessert.  We had scattered star-shaped cut-out cookies and Brach's chocolate stars on the table, too, symbolizing the Christmas Star that led the Wisemen to Bethlehem.

All the Christmas decorations have been carefully put away, and we are back on track with our school work.  As much as I love the Christmas Season, I really have come to adore the return to 'normal' when we reach the weekend following the Epiphany.  Crash was pretty upset when we took the tree out.  He wanted it to stay inside for a while longer.

Now we're ready for the cold snap that is forecasted for the upcoming weekend.  I've got my menu planned, the shopping was already done last week, and the regular foods will be prepared as we enjoy the winter from the comfort of our home.  Stay warm, and may God bless us all this New Year.

Happy Feast Day, St. John of the Cross

"What more do you want, o soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfaction and kingdom -- your beloved whom you desire and seek? Desire him there, adore him there. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself. You will only become distracted and you won't find him, or enjoy him more than by seeking him within you." – Saint John of the Cross

Learn more about him here.

Happy Feast Day, Saint Andrew

Today is St. Andrew's Feast Day. 

He is commonly known as the first Disciple of Jesus. 

I really like this guy.  Our family is what it is because of his intercession.  

Our last three children are here because I asked, no! begged, for his help.  And he came through, in ways I never could have imagined.  (That's a long story, and I'll save it for another time.)

Naturally, we'll have fish for dinner tonight.  Not only because he was a fisherman with his father and brother (Simon Peter), but also because Jesus told Andrew and Simon Peter that He would make them "fishers of men."  So fish is just an obvious choice. 

Edited to add our dinner photo:

A bowl of Potato Soup, tossed salad, corn and a fillet of baked pollack

Notice our statue of St. Andrew and the Advent wreath on the table, too.  Delish.

I am posting the following prayer, it is known as the Christmas Prayer,  The St. Andrew Prayer or The Prayer to Obtain Favors.  Be forewarned, though.  Make certain you really want what you ask for....

St. Andrew's Prayer
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment 
in which the son of God was born of the 
most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, 
in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.  
In that hour vouchsafe, O my God! 
to hear my prayer and grant my desires, 
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, 
and of His blessed Mother.  Amen.

It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayers fifteen times a day from the Feast of St. Andrew until Christmas will obtain what is asked.

It is our family's Feast Day today, and we will thank St. Andrew, and thank God, for his unfailing intercession.

On the Feast of All Souls Day

Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them O Lord, And May Your Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them.   May the Souls of the Faithful Departed, Through the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace.  Amen.

Happy Feast Day, St. Pio

“Pray, hope, and don’t worry! Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact, on certain occasions, you should speak to Him only with your heart.”--St. Pio

Read all about him here.