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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.

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.

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

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

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

We love this lemonade for the Assumption and also for the feast of the Holy Cross, which is traditionally associated with basil!

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.

King cake gets eaten for breakfast at our house, so we need a dessert after dinner. And in our family we’re going to be giving up all treats and desserts throughout Lent except for special treats on Sundays and solemnities, so we need to get all that stuff out of the house. To kill both of those Fat Tuesday birds with one stone, we have Boeuf Gras (boof grah), or “fattened ox”, Sundaes.

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.

It's a bit on-the-nose. But we can't resist this salad for the feast of St. Ambrose. Not only is it tangy and delicious, but it's perfect for this feast day. The legend of St. Ambrose says that when he was a baby, a swarm of bees landed on him and left only a drop of honey on his face; his father said that it meant he would grow up to be "honey-tongued." And, it was true! St. Ambrose was known for his eloquence as a bishop, and his legend won him the title of patron of beekeepers! Enjoy this dessert that's sweet as honey today.

On Catholic New Years Eve we choose new patron saints for the liturgical year. Choose your patron saints from the list provided or write in your own to create your family litany of saints to pray this year!

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!

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!

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.

Display this print throughout the month of September to remember this month’s devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. Don’t forget to pray the prayer on the back for Our Lady’s feast day on September 15th! This painting is by the late Gothic artist Absolon Stumme(d. 1499).

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.

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.”

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.

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!

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.

This burrito casserole is a long-time family favorite. Perfect with a MexiCoke for the Mexican Martyrs, it’s easily customizable and makes a great option for a meal delivery. For the chicken, substitute ground beef, pulled pork, or leave the meat out for a tasty meat-free Friday meal. For the refried beans, substitute drained black or pinto beans. Add sauteed corn, onion, peppers, and tomatoes for some veggies. Add pico de gallo, hot sauce, or diced jalapeño peppers for some heat!

This smooth, natural, homemade playdough is fun to make, long lasting, and smells amazing. For the feast day, I let my kids go at it with real tools (on a protected surface, with supervision).

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.

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!

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!

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

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

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

Saint Joseph models the holiness of labor to us. Pope Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “. . . no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by [the spirit] than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work.” This crossword highlights his pursuit of virtue and dedication to work!

Honor Saint Paul Miki and his twenty-five companions by trying the traditional Japanese art of folding paper, or origami! As you fold, feel free to talk about the blessing of religious freedom and the persecution many Christians still face today.

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.

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

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

Banners like this were used by the Mexican Cristero fighters in their war against the anti-Catholic government of President Calles in 1917. This one features Our Lady of Guadalupe and “Long Live Our Lady of Guadalupe”, the Sacred heart of Jesus and “Long Live Christ the King”, and the coat of arms of Mexico, which depicts a Mexican golden eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus devouring a rattlesnake. This coat of arms symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.

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.

This cake, which features many traditional Spanish ingredients, is said to have been offered as a celebratory reward to pilgrims who had just finished the Camino de Santiago, the long, prayerful walk to the grave site of St. James. Many pilgrims walk over 62 miles over several days to complete this journey, so I think a cake like this is a fitting greeting! Use a stencil of the traditional cross of St. James to give this cake its signature flair.

For the feast of St. John the Baptist, our favorite locust-eating saint, we recommend eating at least ONE grasshopper to celebrate! Grasshoppers are actually widely consumed all over the world, and have similar nutritional value to more traditional meats, and these Crispy Cricket Tacos are a fun and more familiar way to enjoy some crickets for today’s feast!