Collection: Products

The traditional dinner for Michaelmas is goose. But, nine years after I first blogged about being unable to interest my family in the idea of goose, or even procure one if I could, I still . . . haven’t. We have continued to enjoy the compromise of cornish game hens!

Plantains or “cooking bananas” are a major food staple in Africa. Green plantains are used like potatoes: fried, boiled, or processed into flour to be used in a variety of tasty dishes. Plantains are widely available in the produce section at grocery stores in the U.S. They look like large green bananas. Uglai is a corn porridge similar to smooth grits, made with corn flour. Potatoes can be substituted for the plantains and grits or rice for the ugali if necessary. (But it won’t be quite as much fun!)

On our baptismal days, our souls become as pure as clean, white snow. Of course, Jesus was already perfectly pure, but His baptism was still a momentous event. This fun, white drink is a yummy reminder of the effects of the gift of baptism! Make it to celebrate the Lord’s baptismal day, but keep it in mind for sacrament parties, too!

Enthrone the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts in your home for the month of June with this Diptych! Simply cut out, fold, and place in a spot of honor. The prayer on the back by Saint John Eudes is perfect to pray throughout the month too!

These fun platters can be made to any size, for a few or a crowd. My first exposure to them was when a friend brought a couple to a party we hosted, and they were a bit hit. They can be made with any red/orange/yellow fruits and veggies you prefer.

Decorate for the month of the Sacred Heart with this banner which includes all of the Hearts of the Holy Family!

Saint Blaise is the patron saint against throat ailments. What better way to remember this saint all year long than with this tasty and effective, all-natural throat soothing concoction? It’s time-tested, simple, and convenient. The jars are so pretty, they make great gifts for teachers and co-workers.

Okay, it’s really “eclairs,” we know. But these delicious desserts have the perfect name for the feast of St. Clare!

We are all here on earth training to be saints in heaven! Put your dedication in writing with this certificate, and hang it somewhere it can remind you to strive for sanctity each day!

Saint Isidore would surely appreciate the ease and flexibility of this casserole. Substitute bacon or sausage, try other cheeses, add diced peppers or mushrooms. Make it the night before and store it in the refrigerator to bake in the morning. Great for family brunch, or as breakfast meal delivery to a new mom.

While Saint Jerome’s personality was certainly lion-like in many ways, there is also a legend that tells us that Saint Jerome actually befriended a lion! While he was living in the desert, Saint Jerome helped a lion remove thorn in his paw. The lion was so grateful that he became a companion to Saint Jerome for the rest of his life!

The stories say that the tortures suffered by St. Lucy included having her eyeballs poked out, and she is often depicted in art holding her own eyes. So, we like to make this punch in her honor on her feast day. (It’s also fun for Halloween). The kids love to help! Nota bene: The sorbet eyeballs melt quickly in the punch, so add them just before serving. Makes 24 approximately 8oz servings. To add two eyeballs to each serving, double the amount of sorbet and blueberries used.

In Sweden, Saint Lucy saffron buns (also known as lussekatter) are eaten throughout Advent and especially on the feast of Saint Lucy. The curled S-shape with two raisins, reminds us of St. Lucy’s eyes. This dough comes together easily with a stand mixer, or by hand if you’re willing to work for it! If you don’t have vodka on hand to soak the saffron threads, just add them to the milk instead. All-purpose flour can be substituted. Kids love to help roll the dough, shape the curled-S eyes, and add the raisins.

The name of this rather obscure cocktail comes from a legend in which young maidens would seek to find the name of their true love by sipping on lavender brew while invoking Saint Luke with the words: “Saint Luke, be kind to me. In my dreams, let my true love see.”

To celebrate the feast we like to remember Matthew’s counting table and have silver dollar pancakes for dinner. This recipe makes great pancakes of any size.

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 that the fish was a tilapia and so tilapia are known there as St. Peter’s Fish. A popular dish in the region is St. Peter’s fish served whole and fried, with chips (that’s fries to Americans). This is the dish I serve on the feast of St. Blaise, as we laugh in the face of dangerous fish bones after getting our throats blessed at Mass. But if you’re not feeling that vibe, this recipe can be prepared with fish filets. The cooking time is the same. For the seasoning, combine dried oregano, basil, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, etc. or use a seasoning mix like Old Bay, Tony’s, taco, Mrs. Dash, or Italian. Or omit this and instead top with 2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, and parsley after cooking. Or do both!

Use this coloring page to celebrate St. Louis IX on August 25th!

This soup is a longtime fall family favorite passed along by Gramma Tierney. It’s great for Halloween and All Saints parties, lunch or a first course on Thanksgiving, and any time during pumpkin season.

This delicious caramelized, crustless cheesecake is a traditional recipe from the town in the Basque region of Spain called San Sebastian. . . making it the perfect way to celebrate the saint! Not to mention, it’s decadent and delicious. This dessert is best enjoyed two hours after chilling, but it can be refrigerated until the next day, if needed.

Your calendar medallions for the month of September!

Your original 2" calendar medallions for the month of September!

All the saint of the day images for the month of September!

Use this checklist on your visit to seven churches on Holy Thursday, as recommended by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Accompany Our Lord by visiting seven altars of repose after the Mass of the Last Supper, or try a modified day version great for younger kids.

This devotion goes back to the Middle Ages but has gained new popularity following Our Lady’s apparitions in Kibeho, Rwanda in the 1980s. Our Lady of Kibeho recommended that people pray the Chaplet (or Rosary) of the Seven Sorrows to obtain the favor of repentance.

All you holy men and women, pray for us while we color!

This Marian blue mocktail made with 7UP calls to mind our Mother in heaven as well as our devotion to her sorrowful heart, particularly her seven sorrows. You can also serve this drink for Our Lady’s birthday on September 8th! Add your favorite liquor to taste for an alcoholic version.

Meditate on the Sorrows the Virgin Mary endured in the suffering and death of Jesus with this illustrated Servite rosary.

Our family's favorite activity for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is to read the passages of the Bible that relate to the seven sorrows of Our Lady, while eating sour fruit or candies, and trying NOT to make sour faces!

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 which she and the other holy women planned to embalm Jesus’ body (Matthew 28: 1-10). This simple vegan recipe combines seven spices in a tasty feast day meal that’s also great for meat-free Fridays. If you’re looking to add more protein, ground beef or turkey can be added when cooking the onions (drain the excess fat before adding the spices) or cooked, shredded chicken can be added at the end before serving. Feel free to adapt the spice blend to your family’s preferences or what you’ve got in the pantry. Serve with a salad over rice, noodles, or polenta.

The Seven Sundays of Saint Joseph is a devotion that dates back to the seventeenth century, when tradition holds that Saint Joseph appeared to two shipwrecked monks and advised them to pray seven Our Fathers and Hail Marys in honor of his sorrows. The devotion begins seven Sundays before the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, on March 19. That means the first Sunday falls at the end of January or the beginning of February, and the Sundays continue into March.

This feast was established in 1955 to remind everyone that the dignity of work is a very Christian tradition, rooted in the Garden of Eden, despite what Communists were trying to tell everyone at the time. Today is a great day to tackle a hands-on project, like these time intensive donut holes! As you knead–or “work”–the dough, remember to pray for laborers and for the conversion of communist nations.

Traditional cream cheese and cucumber tea sandwiches get an open-faced Saint Patrick’s Day twist for a feast day tea party. These can also be made as a traditional closed sandwich.

The surprise is that these sugar cookies get their lovely green color from . . . spinach! You really can’t taste it, honest.

In France, lobster is served for the feast of saints Anne and Joachim. But because lobster isn’t always an option we love to serve shrimp scampi. It’s shellfish, it’s delicious, and it’s a little bit more manageable than an entire lobster on your plate.

Paglia e fieno or “straw and hay” is a traditional dish from the Siena region of Italy. It’s a delicious combination of pasta, prosciutto, cream, peas, and Parmesan cheese. To make it look like, well, straw and hay, it’s usually made with an equal combination of spinach fettuccine and egg fettuccine. However, if spinach fettuccine isn’t readily available, you could always do just hay, or substitute a tricolor bowtie or rotini mix. Bacon can be substituted for the prosciutto.

They are heavily spiced, sweetened with currants or raisins, and marked with a cross on top. We bake them each year and take them to the cemetery with us on All Souls’ Day, to exchange with friends who meet us there to pray for the dead.

My mom grew up in Memphis, TN, and her crispy, crunchy, tender, flaky fried catfish is my very favorite thing she cooks. It’s a great meal for any Friday, especially if you’re entertaining. At our annual Good Friday backyard Stations of the Cross, my mom fries up mountains of catfish for family and friends. We keep the spread simple with just coleslaw and cornbread on the side, and water to drink. It’s a mouth-watering full meal for a fasting day. Deep-frying is really a very straightforward process. A deep-frying or candy thermometer helps ensure your oil is at the right temperature, to avoid oil-soaked or under-cooked fish. You can also choose to fake-fry-bake them in the oven.

This rustic soup is a real family favorite. We have it on Christmas Eve and sometimes also for our “all white dinner” on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and it’s perfect for a German saint day. It’s always in the Lenten “soup and stations” rotation, and the kids often choose it for their special days. I have very fond memories of cutting dumplings into bubbling soup with my grandfather, and I love doing it with my kids now. It’s not exactly a quick and easy process, but the results are so worth it. The soup thickens up with time and gets even better. It can be made a day or two ahead if desired. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding water if necessary. Stir very often to keep from scorching the bottom when reheating.

Dutch speculaas cookies are unusually perfect for this feast day, in that they are traditionally made in the shape of St. Nicholas using very beautiful, very intricate hand-carved wooden molds that range in size from a few inches to a couple feet tall. They’re very impressive. They can also be made with regular cookie cutters, or cut out using a St. Nicholas-shaped template. The basic ingredients are simple; what makes them really special is the spices. I like to use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, mace, white pepper, and cloves. It just smells so much like Christmas.

This recipe is pretty ubiquitous in Catholic parish fundraiser cookbooks. I haven’t been able to find an explanation as to why it’s called spinach “Cabrini,” and don’t know if there’s any association intended with the saint, but sometimes it's better not to look a gift recipe in the mouth, right?