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I love recipes that are about turning unwanted or past-their-prime ingredients into something delicious, and bread pudding is a great example. This recipe is a great way to upcycle extra rolls (if only Thanksgiving came a week earlier!) or stale breads of any kind. I can’t find any indication of why this is called Saint Cecilia sauce or where the recipe comes from, but it does show up in quite a few vintage cookbooks, and is SOOOOO tasty. If you are concerned about raw eggs, you can substitute whipped cream for the Saint Cecilia sauce, and make the bread pudding with three whole eggs instead.

This Vietnamese-style chicken recipe is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy and is popular with all ages. Serve over steamed rice.

Pentecost is the name of the Jewish festival that was being celebrated in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit first descended upon Mary and the disciples. It is also called the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The fruit of the salad . . . is up to you.

In honor of the example given to us by Our Lady in the Visitation, I always try to take this day to prepare a meal or two for friends who are pregnant, have a new baby, or are experiencing hardship of some kind. I make a casserole-type dish in a foil pan and arrange to deliver it hot, or freeze it, then the recipient can heat it up in the oven whenever she would like. It’s not exactly the same as walking a hundred miles and staying for three months to help. But it’s always well-received. This chicken tortellini casserole is simple to throw together, freezes well, includes the major food groups, and is a big hit with kids. It’s also very customizable!

My son Bobby is in charge of crepe-making at our house. This simple recipe (just eggs, milk, and flour) was passed down to him by his great-grandfather, for whom he was named. Crepes are traditionally associated with Candlemas in France, and this recipe also works well for the feast day of any French saint. Sweet or savory, they are appropriate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

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

There is a long history in the Church of fasting before major feast days. In fact, until 1983, the Christmas Eve fast was still binding, which meant that on Christmas Eve Catholics would eat one regular meal, and two small meals (technically called collations), all meat-free. It’s no longer binding, but we’ve found it works for us to have a collation breakfast and lunch and then a festive, memorable, meat-free dinner.

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.

The blessing of herbs is traditionally associated with the feast of the Assumption. This tasty roast can be made with blessed or unblessed herbs and served alongside a fluffy cloud of horseradish whipped cream. I use rosemary, sage, oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and chives.

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

A novena to Saint Anne can be prayed for any intention, but her intercession is frequently invoked by those seeking a spouse or hoping for a child.

Saint Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru in 1579. He served the poor, the sick, and his fellow Dominican brothers, working in the infirmary and the kitchen. He maintained an austere lifestyle, which included fasting and abstaining from meat. Perhaps he would have prepared this traditional Peruvian juice for himself or those in his care. “Jugo Surtido” means “assorted juice” but we would call it a smoothie. The addition of dark beer and a raw egg makes it “Jugo Especial.” But . . . I have yet to try it like that.

A downloadable activity to use for the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle on July 3!

Colorful homemade paper stars like this one are used as party decorations throughout Mexico. Color, cut, and assemble your star, hang it up, and celebrate the sacrifice of the Mexican martyrs!

In Poland, Easter Monday means Śmigus-dyngus, a country-wide water fight. It’s also called Lany Poniedziałek, the Polish for “Wet Monday.” Folks in Polish neighborhoods in the United States call it Dyngus Day. It goes back all the way to the fourteenth century! On Easter Monday in Poland people spend the day chasing each other around with buckets of water. In solidarity with weird Catholic traditions, we like to have backyard water balloon fights and a fun water-themed dessert or afternoon snack. This traditional Italian cake is light, fluffy, and great if you happen to be out of (or avoiding) eggs and dairy. Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, cinnamon, fresh herbs, and/or citrus zest for a punch of flavor, but it’s tasty as is!

These amazing meatballs are one of the kids’ favorite things to cook with Gramma. They’re great with a toothpick in them as an appetizer alongside Pasta Alla Tavola, in soups, with sweet and sour sauce and veggies over rice, with marinara sauce in a meatball sub, or on spaghetti for any of the hundreds (thousands?) of Italian saints, or—for a Swedish saint—with a yummy cream sauce and served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. If you’re going Swedish, don’t forget the lingonberry jam! They can be cooked in the oven or pan-fried on the stove. I always make triple what we’ll need. I freeze them flat on a cookie sheet, then dump them in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. They reheat beautifully in the oven, in a pan on the stove, or right in a sauce or soup.

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

The Chair of Saint Peter is a relic that the faithful can visit in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tradition says that the interior wooden chair belonged to Saint Peter, the first pope. The exterior is a sculpted gilt bronze casing added in the seventeenth-century. Pope Benedict XVI described the chair as “a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity.”

As our treat for the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, I buy a small assortment of cookies and candies, and we use frosting to stick them together into little chairs. We decorate them with whatever sprinkles I have in the cabinet. It’s always fun to see how differently they can turn out, despite each kid starting with all the same materials! Nota bene: If you include round cookies with a hole in the middle, someone might end up using it for the seat, with comedic-looking results. It’s a little thing, but since this feast day usually falls within Lent, the kids are extra excited to get to have treats. Since it’s not a solemnity, we wouldn’t usually break our voluntary Lenten disciplines on this day. However, this was one of our first family liturgical year traditions, and I think it’s the first one I can take credit for inventing, so it’s grandfathered in! But if your family also abstains from treats during Lent, you could always enjoy these together on a Sunday.

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

Also works for pouring and sprinkling. Because the Baptism of the Lord is almost always observed on a Sunday, we like to invite our kids’ godparents to join us for dinner. They are spread out all over the country (and there are a lot of them!) but it’s worth a try. And, whether or not godparents can join you, what better way to celebrate Saint John the Baptist dunking Jesus in a river, than by dunking bread in melted cheese? Right? RIGHT? Baptism of the Lord fondue party! Aldi is a great place to find affordable European cheeses.

Pentecost marks the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and is often referred to as the birthday of the Church. Spread the Good News by throwing a party, and adding this cute topper to your cake. Bonus points if you use red frosting!

Our Lady promised to give a sign that could be seen by others, and boy did she deliver! To a crowd of tens of thousands of onlookers, it’s reported that the sun broke through rain clouds and began to dance across the sky. This creamy smoothie is liquid sunshine, encapsulating the splendor of the amazing “Miracle of the Sun” that happened back in 1917!

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

The impressive strawberry-red of these margaritas make them perfect for the feast of the Mexican Martyrs! They are fruity, tart, sweet, and refreshing. Served on the rocks, they are a delicious summer treat! Replace the tequila with a lemon-lime soda for a virgin option.

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.

November 20 is often colloquially called “Christ the King,” but I prefer the longer, more of an absolute title “The Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.” It’s a name that seems deserving of quite a celebration, right? Right! Because it also marks the end of the liturgical year; Advent starts the new Church calendar. For this feast, a king cake seems appropriate, but Mardi Gras season has dibs on that recipe. So, we like this deliciously tart lemon cake, made in mini bundt molds to look like little crowns. I’d like to add some universe-y decorations some day, like star sprinkles, but I haven’t tried it yet - bonus points if you do!

Zabaglione (a.k.a. zabaione or sabayon) is a marvel of a dessert. With three basic ingredients—and a bit of practice at whisking over a water bath—you are rewarded with a warm, slightly boozy, cloud of deliciousness.

Banbury Tarts are a traditional tea treat named after the town of Banbury, Oxfordshire in England. They have long been associated with late summer fairs held under the patronage of Saint Luke.

My family loves this soup for the feast days of French saints, and it’s always one of the soups I serve at our Lenten Soup and Stations get togethers. To make it more crowd-friendly, I assemble the cheesy crouton topping separately.

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

Celebrate Our Lady Queen of Angels by displaying your holy card and praying the prayer on the back!

Send some snail mail to let your grandparents know that you’re praying for them on the feast of Saints Anne and Joachim!

This dish, originally from Southern Italy, features eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce. The sauce is purgatory and the eggs are the souls hoping to escape, although the metaphor breaks down a bit once we get to the table . . . unless our tummies are heaven. Let’s just go with that!

At the birthday party, I serve blue food, as blue is Mary’s favorite color!

These tasty cream puffs made with Choux pastry dough are traditionally served in Italy on the solemnity of St. Joseph. This Sicilian version is filled with whipped cream. A Neapolitan version is filled with custard cream instead. They are sure to impress, just resist the urge to open the oven while cooking.

You could make a lamb cake . . . but those turn out creepy, like, 90% of the time. That’s kind of their charm. But you can make a slightly-less-weird-looking Rice Krispie Lamb in a fraction of the time. Everyone wins! Let a kid do the sculpting and then you won’t have to take credit for your lamb’s looks. #momhack Note: I use a large canning pot for this recipe. If you don’t have a VERY large pot, but you do have a very large mixing bowl you can pour the hot marshmallow mixture over your cereal in a very large mixing bowl. Or, halve the recipe and make a smaller lamb

Lamb rib chops make for an impressive presentation with their long handle, and kids like to pick them up and eat them like an ice cream on a stick. But this recipe also works with the little triangular lamb loin chops.

Get it? Because St. Michael has a spear? This recipe works with thin or thick asparagus, just adjust the cooking time as necessary.

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.