Collection: Shop by Month

Ossi di Morto, or “Bones of the Dead” are traditional Italian cookies, typically baked for Hallowtide.

Cherries jubilee is an old school classic dessert that uses the technique of flambé. The tongues of fire make this dessert perfect for Pentecost or the feast of Saint Jude, as he is traditionally depicted with a tongue of flame over his head, to remind us of his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles.

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

These stained glass cookies are reminiscent of the beautiful stained glass windows at San Chapelle, which is why they’re perfect for the feast of St. Louis IX!

These light and airy cloud-like cookies are crispy on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside. They’re an excellent addition to a Christmas cookie plate, but we also love them for baby showers, wedding showers, tea parties, and cloud-associated feast days like the Ascension and the Assumption.

A breastplate is a heavy piece of armor covering the chest to protect from injury. In this case, it is a symbol for divine protection. This prayer is traditionally sung on Saint Patrick’s Day and is a powerful hymn of hope for God’s help in adversity. Christ be with us!

Another option for a warm spiced beverage on a cool day is mulled cider. Putting it together at home is simple and tastes so much better than pre-made! One spice bag will flavor up to 8 quarts of mulled cider in one batch. Just keep the ratio of one part orange to three parts apple juice.

Saint Martin de Porres is a great example to look to when practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy! Use the clues to fill in the crossword, then think of a few ways that your family can follow the example of Saint Martin de Porres and practice the corporal work of mercy together!

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

It’s probably my favorite dessert, so any excuse for crème brûlée is a good one in my book. The feast day of any French saint will do, but somehow the torching part makes it seem perfect for Saint Joan. Also, the fact that multiple nineteenth-century recipe books refer to crème brûlée as “Trinity Cream” or “Trinity Burnt Cream” means we’d be SILLY not to make this amazing dessert part of our Trinity Sunday celebration. (According to recipe historians—a real job, apparently—the name “Trinity” Cream is a reference to its three main ingredients: cream, sugar, and egg yolks.) This is a slightly fussier recipe than I’m up for on an every-day basis, but that’s the beauty of liturgical living for me. I can get motivated to do a fancy feast day meal for an important solemnity every month or two. THAT I can manage. And Crème Brûlée/Trinity Cream can be made ahead of time, which is always a bonus. But, just in case it’s helpful . . . last time I checked, they sell little individual crème brûlées in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s.

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!

Simple and sweet, these ice cream sundaes are a tasty way to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. We use red and blue fruit and/or sprinkles to represent the rays of love and mercy that emanate from the heart of Jesus. I think vanilla ice cream makes for the prettiest presentation, but my kids prefer more exciting ice cream flavors. Fresh or frozen berries will work.

As the old Irish rhyme goes, “Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan, if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man.” Maybe irrelevant by today’s standards, but what remains important is that it’s a popular dish across Ireland. So what exactly is it? Boxty are fluffy potato cakes that are pan-fried like pancakes and served at breakfast. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day–or any day, really! Just grab some freshly made or leftover mashed potatoes to get started.

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.

Saint Katharine Drexel was born in 1858. She was a wealthy Philadelphia socialite before renouncing the world and dedicating her fortune to the founding an order of nuns devoted to the service of black and Native American people in the American southwest and Haiti. Philadelphians Pat and Harry Olivieri are credited with inventing what’s now known as the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich in the early 1930s. Mother Katharine lived to the ripe old age of 96 and died in 1955, but I don’t have any information about whether she ever enjoyed a Philly Cheesesteak herself.

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Hot mulled wine is also known as Bishop’s wine or Bisschopswijn after Saint Nicholas, third century bishop of Myra. It’s deliciously warming, and perfect for a December evening with family and friends. One spice bag will flavor up to 8 bottles of wine in one batch.

The month of December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception! Display this print all month long and don’t forget to pray the prayer on the back for her feast day!

Pope St. John Paul II’s favorite food, famously, is a puffed pastry and custard cream dessert now known as kremówka papieska or “papal cream cake.” Other than that, he was known for eating whatever was placed before him, and not making his food preferences known. I’d like to think that the Polish nuns who did his cooking might have occasionally made him something like this one-pan kielbasa skillet dinner!

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.

Put your own beautiful touches on the chapel where St. Francis heard Jesus ask him to "rebuild my church". We especially love telling our kids the story of St. Francis and the Portiuncula while their hands are busy coloring!

These pastries are a very impressive (and tasty) way to honor St. Therese. The trick is to slice the apples as thin as you possibly can. The thinner the slices are, the easier they roll into pretty roses. It's a little bit fiddly - but the perfect thing to offer up in the name of St. Therese's "Little Way".

Inspired by St. Teresa’s writing on the interior castle, this historical English dessert, traditionally called “Castle Pudding”, is steamed in the microwave for a quick, tasty dessert, perfect for the fall!

These appetizers can be found in the classic 1888 Victorian cookbook Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. I can’t resist them for this feast day! The “angels” are shucked oysters in Mrs. Beeton’s, but other recipes use scallops. We prefer the latter since they’re more readily available. “Devils” are usually pitted prunes, but can also be dates

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

Fry bread is a staple that stretches back generations. It is part of the cuisine of many different tribes from various regions of the U.S. In the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) nation of which Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was a part, it’s called Ghost Bread, and was associated with the mourning period after a death in the family. It’s great served with Three Sisters Soup. For a sweet treat, it can be topped with cinnamon and sugar, or dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with honey.

I think you guys already know where I stand on whether you should be eating actual locusts/grasshoppers for the nativity of St. John the Baptist. (Spoiler alert: I think you should.) But you might ALSO like to serve this fun ice cream version of a Grasshopper Pie.

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.

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.

Today is traditionally for prayer and abstinence, particularly for a bountiful harvest and protection from natural disasters. We think one of the best ways to celebrate is with a quick, no-bake tart decorated with your own harvest, either homegrown or store-bought. Bonus, this recipe is simple enough that even the tiniest of hands can join in!

Our quick and easy version of this fancy Italian dessert omits the raw eggs traditionally found in tiramisu but, really, you won’t miss them! It requires no baking, comes together in about fifteen minutes, and is sure to impress. (Allow a few hours for it to set in the fridge before serving.) Kids can definitely help. This recipe uses crispy lady finger cookies as the base. These can be found in the cookie aisle of many grocery stores, ordered online, or made from scratch. If you have access to actual espresso, you can use that, or substitute strong coffee or decaf.

Saint Gianna Molla studied for her medical degree in Milan, and later specialized in pediatrics at the University of Milan. This restaurant-quality Chicken Milanese recipe also includes a tasty arugula and citrus salad, sure to get a doctor’s approval, and comes together in only 30 minutes, which any working mom can appreciate.

In the Compendium, I named this recipe as one I’ve always wanted to try . . . so we finally did! It’s not as hard as it looks, and it makes for a visually stunning and delicious Easter brunch addition. You’ll need dyed NON-boiled eggs for this recipe, so make some in advance! The eggs will bake until soft-boiled in the oven with the bread. It’s yummy to break the eggs and dip the bread right in!

In a Jewish Passover seder meal, haroset (an applesauce-like mixture with wine, nuts, apples, etc.) represents the mortar used by the Jews in Egypt. Recipes for haroset are available, of course, but my family prefers to go the straight-up homemade applesauce route. Any apples will work. Golden Delicious apples are traditional. But I like to use a mix of sweet Honeycrisp and tart Granny Smith. It doesn’t even need added sugar. But you can add a bit, depending on the sweetness of your apples and your tooth.