Christmas: the five best of the best

We try not to focus too heavily on gifts and the material, "I want" side of Christmas. But, some years we just have such an interesting blend of gifts that it just strikes me as a "perfect" Christmas ....

Let me explain:

1. THE perfect Santa gift -- String Bean got the Melissa and Doug doll house and has decorated, redecorated, made it into a hotel, a school and a BIG tent ever since opening it on Christmas morning. Definitely a BIG HIT! It is very good value for the money -- with furnishings and a family of 4 ... and it's plain enough where my daughter can really use her imagination, fabric scraps and other bits and pieces to make a wonderful home for her "family".

2. The most unique gift -- LegoManiac LOVES fish, especially smoked or fresh salmon. Bam-Bam drew LegoManiac's name for "secret sibling" and was having a time thinking of something really wonderful to give his big brother. Going with Dad on Christmas Eve, he finally solved his problem .... and LegoManiac was in heaven as he ate smoked salmon and fresh cooked salmon all week!

3. The best family gifts -- Granmere gave us a family membership to the Denver Art Museum as well as the kids a subscription to National Geographic Kids. Also, another g'ma gave the kids subscriptions to Your Big Backyard and Ranger Rick.

4. Most charitable gift -- dh's lovely sister and bil gave a flock of chickens (did I mention dh has a PhD in chickens?) in our name through the Heifer International program.

5. Best gift for Me -- flying Brikhead home for Christmas!

and adopting Molly, our new 2-month old border-collie mix puppy, from the Denver Dumb Friends League.

My prayer for the rest of Christmastime (through January 13) is that you all have as wonderful a Christmas and into 2008 as we have had here in our little spot on the planet!

Happiness is ...

... a home-from-college big brother playing a "kiddie" game with his younger siblings!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Steph!

We interrupt our self-imposed hiatus to send an extra special greeting to our favorite Aunt Steph!
Aunt Steph!

Happiest of birthdays to a wonderful aunt. For your birthday, we got a puppy! Her name is Molly, she's "border collie mix" and a real sweetheart ....

Hope your birthday was sensational and know that you are in our thoughts and prayers today especially!

Love and miss you VERY much!
The Gang!

Advent: Now it kicks into high gear ...

... and I'll be shutting down my computer (except for emails) for the next few weeks!

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent, also known as "Gaudete Sunday" for the joy we experience today and always, knowing that Jesus will be born on Christmas morning and will save us from our sins.

This is also the one of only two Sundays throughout the year where the Catholic priests (from the lowliest village vicar to the Pope himself) will wear the "rose" colored vestments which signify joy.

Tomorrow, December 17th, we'll start praying/meditating about the O Antiphons (and our use of the new "house" and blocks will start) and then we'll join in the Hispanic celebration of Posada at Church on Friday, Sunday is the 4th Sunday of Advent, Monday is Christmas Eve and then the partying really starts from Christmas, through the 12 days, to Epiphany!

So, dearest readers, this post will be the last of the year ... as a gift to my family I will be shutting down the computer and only checking emails from tomorrow until after the Epiphany, January 6th. This is a gift VERY worth giving to my family who are pretty much supportive of the time I take to write, read and play on the computer ...

My prayer is that all of you will have a healthy, holy and blessed end of Advent 2007 and beautiful start to Christmas season!

CCD: Christmas treat idea

I teach a wonderful class of 16 children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion at our parish. It's always a quandary to come up with a LITTLE treat for them on the class just before Christmas break. I don't want to load them up with candy or spend time preparing something that will just be tossed away in the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

So, thanks to a St. Nicholas Mass/Brunch last weekend, I've got the perfect little treat: candy with the "legend of the candy cane" attached:

The Legend of the Candy Cane

A candy maker wanted to make a candy that would be a witness for the Lord; he created the Candy Cane.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White was to symbolize the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and the firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus. It also represents the staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He brings all faltering sheep back into His fold.

He stained the white candy with red stripes to symbolize the scourging Jesus received during His Passion and for His precious blood that was shed so that we could have eternal
life.

This little story, printed on card stock, tied to a candy cane with a little hand-written note on each and I'm done ... and the kids learn a bit about how candy can be good for you!

Advent: O Antiphons

Last year, I believe it was Katherine J. who had the SENSATIONAL idea to create an O Antiphons house with blocks. Check this post from Jenn GM for her write-up on O Antiphons last year. Anyway, I was too late to do this last year, but remembered early enough this year (surely a minor miracle!) to go ahead and get one ready.

Today we worked on putting it all together for Monday's start.

I wood-burned a wooden "house" I'd gotten at Hobby Lobby. This was my first attempt (ever!) at wood-burning and it really made a cool "rustic" looking house. I then oiled the wood to keep the natural, rustic look while keeping it from drying out in this Colorado desert!

The 1" cubes I'd gotten were too small for the openings, so I put 1-3/4" flat squares on the cubes -- we then did the symbols and name of each antiphon -- Sapientia, Adonia, Radix Jesse, Clavis David, Oriens, Rex Gentium, Emmanuel and I added a final one for the 24th -- Light of the World. Just used Sharpies and a bit of patience.

I think the final result will definitely be a family tradition for years to come!

Happiest of Birthdays, Nanna!

We love you and miss you very, very much!

Feasts: St. Lucy's Day

Those whose hearts are pure are temples of the Holy Spirit.
– St. Lucy

We've become greatly enamored of St. Lucy this year -- including her in our nightly prayers and generally knowing lots about her -- primarily because a little 5 year-old boy we know has macular degeneration and we invoke St. Lucy, the patron of eyes and eye problems, in his name.

Today, for "cooking math" we included St. Lucia Ginger Snaps and St. Lucia Crowns (we made 8 individual ones -- since Brikhead made it home safely!) and generally enjoyed the lovely smells of St. Lucy Day baking.

Here are the recipes we used:

Swedish St. Lucy Ginger Snaps (LuciaPepperkakor)
From A Continual Feast: A Cookbook to Celebrate the Joys of Family and Faith Throughout the Christian Year by Evelyn Birge Vitz

Ingredients for Cookies:

• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tsps ground ginger
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tbls baking soda
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6-7 cups flour

Heat the corn syrup in a saucepan. Stir in the sugar, molasses, ginger, lemon rind, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, whip the cream until almost stiff.
Stir the syrup mixture gradually into the cream. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer for 4 to 5 minutes (about twice as long if you’re doing by a hand using a whisk or spoon). Add 4 cups of the flour, mixing well with a spoon. Then gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, pliable dough.
Knead dough for 2 or 3 minutes.
Wrap the dough well in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with fancy cutters, such as animals and people; or just slice 1/4 inch thick rounds (and call them "eyes"!).
Place the cookies on a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 275 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Ice when cool.

Ingredients for icing:
White of an egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Beat the white until frothy. Add 1 cup sugar and lemon juice. If the icing is too thick, add more lemon juice, if too thin, add more sugar. Can be colored with food coloring.
Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

Santa Lucia Crown
From: Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf

Crown Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 tsp dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp saffron powder (yes, it's VERY expensive, but adds so very much!)
• 4 cups flour
• 2 eggs + 1 egg for brushing on rolls just before baking

Pour half the warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast; stir until dissolved. Add remaining water, warm milk, sugar, butter, salt, saffron and half the flour; blend well. Sit in 2 eggs and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size – about 1 hour.
Punch down down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; reserve 1/3 of dought for top of crown. Divide remaining dough into 3 equal pieces; roll each into a rope. Braid ropes. Place braid on greased baking sheet. Form into a circle, pinching ends together to seal.
Make top braid with reserved dough. Cover braids with cloth. Let both braids rise till double – about an hour.
Lightly beat an egg and brush on braids.
Bake in 375 over for 15 minutes for smaller braid, 25 minutes for larger (cover larger braid with foil for last 10 minutes of baking to avoid darkening).
Let cool on wire racks.

Icing Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Red and green glace/candied cherries (optional)
Make icing by mixing powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Using icing as “glue” place smaller braid atop larger braid. Drizzle icing over all. Decorate with glace cherries if desired.
Serves 12

Books: Another giveaway!

Maureen is the author of some excellent Catholic homeschooling books. She is also a frugal homeschooler and always has lots of great tips about saving money. On top of all that, she loves books and has great recommendations that I've used to make my homeschool just a bit better.

Well, seems Maureen is giving books away -- FREE -- ala Cay's Book Walk, so head on over to Maureen's blog and find out how to get involved. BTW, Cay's doing another book walk this week -- the last before Christmas -- so head on over to her blog and get in on that one too!

Don't you love FREE books? And by the way, the actual cost of these books isn't too bad, so if you don't win, go ahead and buy a copy of Maureen's For the Love of Literature or Cay's Christmas Mosaic -- both destined to be classics in the literature-rich homeschool curriculums!

Review: Noelle .... a different point of view

Review: Noelle, the Movie

My husband and I went and saw this movie tonight [eta: last night, actually], in spite of (and maybe, because of) all the controversy that has recently been stirred up by this movie, particularly based on the Catholic League’s review of this movie. [I have yet to see any other Catholic voice review this movie; the closest was an interview in Catholic Digest, but that was not a review of the movie.]

Before I start this review, please let me say that I respect Bill Donohue and the Catholic League and all that they do to protect Catholics and Catholicism in the current American-secular climate. Based on their review of Noelle, we weren’t going to go see it … but cooler heads prevailed and we went to ensure that my husband would be able to address questions from his Catholic high school theology students.

For this review, I’ll quote directly from the December 3rd Catholic League review.

First, the Catholic League titles their review “CATHOLICISM TARRED BY CHRISTIAN FILM”. The movie we watched didn’t “tar” Catholicism. This title alone sets up an animosity that doesn’t make sense after having viewed the movie. This title sets up the preconception that somehow Gener8xion Entertainment, and the Walls and everyone else who had anything to do with this movie have a malignant intent to “dis” Catholicism. If anything, the writers, directors and actors are culpable of benign ignorance in the mistakes they make in this film – Catholic League paints it as malignant.

The Catholic League review continues:

In the synopsis provided by Gener8Xion, it accurately describes Jonathan
Keene as ‘a young Catholic priest seemingly devoid of genuine human emotion’;
his job is ‘to do what he does best: shut down a failing parish.’ Then there is
‘the child-like Fr. Simeon Joyce, a faithful but disillusioned priest who
blatantly disregards church regulations, uses church monies to pay an old
fisherman’s medical bills and spends most of his time drinking at the local
pub.’ Both priests are portrayed as losers.

Yes, Fr. Keene is a priest devoid of human emotion. He is almost an automaton character who shies from human contact and human conflict. His character is one of individualistic theology – he refuses to pray with Fr. Joyce as he says “prayer is a private thing”. And, yes, I’ve met priests over my Catholic life who appear similar to Fr. Keene. There is no mistake that this priest is a realistic characterization. I don’t think he was portrayed as a loser, but actually as more of a successful priest that confuses vocation with career in an almost corporate-sense. At one point, he tells Fr. Keene that putting on the live Nativity will bring the people back and the parish will be much more “profitable … uh, I mean productive.”

Fr. Joyce, on the other hand, is the antithesis of Fr. Keene – he loves his parish and parishioners and gives freely and completely of himself to help the parishioners. He LOVES being a priest and wants Fr. Keene to “believe” as he does. He most certainly is not portrayed as a “loser” but more as someone who thinks his battle is over and he has ALMOST lost but will give it “one more shot”. Yes, he gives parish money to help a fisherman who is very sick which is clearly against what a pastor should do; but Fr. Joyce is the kind of priest who thinks more of the people than the surroundings or the rules. Fr. Joyce’s mistake is in becoming too chummy with the parishioners and crossing the boundary between the pastor and his parish.

This movie shows two very different priests: the one who is too conscious of the job and not the vocation and the other who is just a bit too chummy with his townspeople, trying to get them to come back to the church. Both have problems, both are human, but neither are “losers”. Further, ALL priests are not one of these two “types”; just like all homeschoolers are different, all Catholics are different and all people are different – that’s the way God wants it.

The Catholic League review continues:

Viewers learn that the only reason Fr. Keene became a priest is because he
felt guilty about getting a girl pregnant when he was in college; to top things
off, he pressured her to have an abortion.

Yes, Fr. Keene probably does not have a true vocation. He mistakenly not only converts to Catholicism but also becomes a priest based on his guilt over encouraging his girlfriend to have an abortion. As Fr. Joyce points out though, “Being a priest is a privilege not a penance,” a statement that gets Fr. Keene thinking. Showing Fr. Keene as having an impediment to his vows opens the door for possible laicization … at least that’s the way I saw it.

The Catholic League:

Fr. Joyce, the alcoholic, has serious reservations about celibacy and his
idea of heaven is a jolly good Christmas party. Fr. Joyce tells Fr. Keene he
wants to marry a woman named Marjorie so he can help raise her illegitimate kid,
saying he ‘made a vow to God not to the Church.’

Fr. Joyce, the self-sacrificing priest, is not portrayed as an alcoholic but one who goes to the people in the pub to pastor his flock. He does drink but not necessarily to excess and I didn’t get the impression that he was an alcoholic but a priest who drinks with his parishioners as Jesus ate with tax collectors. I took Fr. Joyce’s decision to marry Marjorie as yet another act of self-sacrifice to help his parishioners – she was in trouble, he didn’t want her to abort the baby, so he decides that the only way to help her is to marry her. Fr. Joyce is in a very emotional state at this point – feeling let-down by his Church and vocation – and doesn’t realize the grave mortal sin he’d incur on himself should he leave the priesthood to marry Marjorie as he plainly has a priestly vocation. Nowhere does the movie imply that he is in love with Marjorie or WANTS to leave the priesthood. The “jolly good Christmas party” is because he finally sees his parishioners enjoying working on a Christmas play and he’s happy for them.

The Catholic League review continues:

But Fr. Keene, a first-class klutz, is also in love with the same woman: he
is shown bolting in the middle of Midnight Mass to be with her, knocking over a
filled chalice and ripping off his vestments.

Fr. Keene has been through a very emotional scene where his righteous anger for the corrupting of the innocent gets the better of him. Shortly after that, the movie shifts to Fr. Keene preparing for Midnight Mass and beginning to celebrate Mass. But the scene is one where you can’t determine if he is just starting the consecration or if Jesus is truly present in the body and blood. Reading this portion of the Catholic League review leads you to assume a scene where Mass is full of people, Fr. Keene “flips out”, leaves Mass, spilling the precious Body and Blood. This is not how this scene plays out. Fr. Keene is prepping for Midnight Mass that no one attends. Suddenly, as if the Holy Spirit told Fr. Keene that Marjorie was in trouble and needed help, Fr. Keene leaves the altar – but his spilling of the wine before the consecration would not be a trivialization of the consecration or the transubstantiation.

The Catholic League review concludes:

Throughout the film, confession is trivialized, celibacy is ridiculed, the
Virgin Mary is disrespected, nuns are belittled, last rites are mocked, and
priestly vocations are caricatured. In short, that which is uniquely Catholic is
trashed.

At this point, I’m not sure the Catholic League and I were watching the same movie.

· Confession is not trivialized but instead the confessional becomes a place of drama where the parishioners feel real remorse and come to confess that they haven’t been true to Fr. Joyce and have let him down. This humbling act is not “trivial”. When the grandmother confesses her hatred of her granddaughter’s seducer, she clearly wants to be absolved of this hatred. Fr. Keene, who is not “a people priest” as he himself explains, does not act appropriately in the confessional, but that’s his character.
· Celibacy is never ridiculed in the version I saw.
· The Blessed Mother is dealt with in Protestant terms or in terms for an unbeliever, which at this point is what Marjorie is. She doesn’t have the faith formation necessary to clearly understand the Catholic doctrine of virgin birth. She is also in highly emotional situation and not thinking clearly.
· When were nuns belittled? If the Catholic League means the scene where Marjorie says “so you can send the baby to a monastery where the nuns never wanted to be mothers”. I took this as Marjorie lashing out and trying to anger Fr. Keene.
· Last rites were not mocked, but Marjorie does make a joke as she tries to lighten the mood whilst recovering from having passed out and while she is in premature labor. How many women in the midst of labor contractions don’t make flippant remarks?

One of the last phrases in the review really got me:

It means nothing that the movie has a pro-life message.

I have to strongly disagree with this comment. I think it means everything that there is a strong pro-life message in this movie marketed to the secular and religious movie-goer. I think it’s very important that this movie shows the guilt the father feels when he talks his partner into an abortion … a guilt that can have life-long consequences, a guilt that is rarely portrayed (but rather, the illegitimate father is usually shown walking away with no feelings of remorse or guilt). I think it’s very important that Marjorie WANTS to keep her baby but doesn’t know how that is possible and feels pushed to abort but stops whenever she sees the priest. I think it’s very important that Fr. Joyce is willing to give up his own wishes, to lay down his life, to save his parishioner from committing a mortal sin.

I’m saddened that so many of my very good Catholic friends and colleagues want to take the Catholic League’s review and decide not to give this movie a chance. So much of the talk on-line about this movie has been so negative and yet no one had seen it. Judging without full knowledge is such a waste … and could cause movies like this one – that is trying to do the good – to flop whilst movies like The Golden Compass are box office hits.

Please understand that this review is MY opinion/interpretation of Noelle. It is far different from the Catholic League review. Your take on the movie may be somewhere in between the two reviews. But don’t just assume …. go see it yourself! I don't think I'd take younger children to see it, but teens and older could take away alot from this movie and be able to "talk to" some interesting questions.

Feasts: St. Nicholas

Today is the feast of St. Nicholas ... and yes, he's a REAL guy! He was the bishop of Myra, Turkey and many wonderful stories are attributed to his generosity, charity and love of others.

We love St. Nick around here ... the kids (and that would be all of us) put out a shoe the night before, and the next day there are treats (usually a book or two, gold-foil chocolate coins and other treats) which the good St. Nick has left for us -- but only if we've been good.

We do crafts, cooking and reading about this wonderful man.

The best craft site and, actually the best site for anything St. Nicholas-y, is the St. Nicholas Center, whose sole purpose is bringing Santa Claus back to the origins of St. Nicholas ... trying to bring the Saint back into the celebrations. This site is a treasure trove of facts and fun about this man and the legends that have sprung up around him.

Tonight, we'll make Cheddar-Cheese Potato Pancakes (reminiscent of the gold coins St. Nicholas gave to some young women for their dowries) for dinner and read some of the fabulous stories about him from the book, The Real Saint Nicholas: Tales of Generosity and Hope from Around the World by Louise Carus -- a must-have book for anyone interested in learning more about this Saint who is patron of various cities, states, countries throughout the world as well as patron of children, spinsters and others.

Here's the recipe for the Cheddar-Cheese Potato Pancakes (makes 8 pancakes), in case you'd like to make them tonight too:

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed and drained)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• about 1/4 cup canola oil
• sour cream or plain yogurt

Mix potatoes, eggs, cheese, onions, flour, salt, pepper and thyme together. Form into 8 patties. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until golden, turning once (4-5 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels. Serve pancakes with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

BTW, the wooden tree in the background of the St. Nick craft picture is our Jesse Tree with some of the ornaments made by 4real friends.

Swaps: Holiday Traditions

On my knitting blog, I recently mentioned all the swaps for which I've signed up this year. One is particularly appropriate to mention here on this blog.


The Holiday Traditions exchange was organized by Meg McElwee at Montessori-by-Hand -- an excellent blog about doing the Montessori thing without losing your shirt or busting the budget! The "rules" were to:

1.) One handmade holiday decoration. Decorations made from any kind of
medium are acceptable – from fabric to yarn, paper to paint.
2.) Your
favorite holiday recipe.
3.) A “Tradition” Tutorial. This is description of
one of your family’s special holiday traditions. If needed, you should provide
step by step instructions. (For example, if your family makes graham cracker
candy houses each year, you would provide more concrete instructions.) You might
also consider sending along a couple of photos of the tradition in action.

Well, I really got into this swap. And, since I sent my kit off yesterday, I thought I'd unveil it here ....

I created a binder (one of those 5x8 size) and did pages on our Advent, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations, and Christmas-time (or the 12-days of Christmas). The pages are packed with recipes, Saints feast days and other fun things we do to make the whole season come alive. This binder was packed in its own (hand-decorated) canvas bag and I attached a hand-knitted (of course!) ornament to the package.

I'm hoping my swap partner enjoys reading about our traditons -- maybe she'll incorporate some of ours into her own holiday traditons!

Starting tomorrow -- and for the next few days, I'll post some of the info I compiled so that my readers can see what we do.

Feast: Stir-Up Sunday .... er, make that Monday ...

... and you'll have our house yesterday!

This past weekend was a tad hectic -- an ordination to the Priesthood on Saturday of one of our wonderful deacons, over to the high school to help honor students put up a tree (and the answer to the age-old riddle, "just how many NHS members DOES it take to erect a 13-foot tree?"), quick home to get chile-relleno casserole (recipe below) ready for Fr. Mark's first Mass on Sunday; on Sunday, we had CCD, Fr. Mark's first Mass, reception afterward (with me serving the hundreds of parishioners who wanted to welcome Fr. Mark!) and then back to the high school to set up dh's classroom for Advent! By the time we got home on Sunday afternoon, I didn't feel like stirring-up anything, let alone mincemeat and fruitcake!

So, we decided to move Stir-up Sunday to Monday and now all are happy! Stir-up Sunday is traditionally the first Sunday of Advent -- in the prayers (the "Collect") for the day (and each night of the week), we pray:

stir up thy power, O Lord, and come, that by thy protection we may be
rescued from the dangers that beset us through our sins; and be a Redeemer to
deliver us; Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

So, stir-up we did! We boiled, chopped, measured and stirred ingredients to make REAL mincemeat and port-cake ... and in case you'd like to try our recipes, here you go:

Old-Fashioned Mincemeat – makes about 4 quarts (enough for 2 pies)
(from A Continual Feast: A Cookbook to Celebrate the Joys of Family and Faith Throughout the Christian Year by Evelyn Birge Vitz).
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs lean beef brisket or rump
1 tsp salt
1/2 lbs beef suet, very finely chopped or ground
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup currants
4 cups peeled, chopped apples
1/3 cup diced citron
1/3 cup diced orange peel
1/3 cup diced lemon peel
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups apple cider/juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds
1/2 cup brandy, whiskey, or other spirits (or fruit juice) -- we use Irish Whiskey

1. Place meat in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the meat can be easily shredded. Drain and shred.
2. In another saucepan, combine the shredded beef and the suet. Stir in the raisins, currants, apples, citron, diced orange and lemon, lemon juice and grated rind, sugar, molasses and cider.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently – this is a good time to get everyone in the family to stir for “Stir-Up Sunday”. Add the spices and continue simmering until the mixture is nicely thickened. Stir in the nuts.
4. Turn the mixture into a large bowl and pour the spirits/juice over. This mixture should sit – covered in the ‘frig – for a few weeks. Stir occasionally and add more liquor as needed.

PORT CAKE (Source: Better Homes and Gardens 2002)

Ingredients
· 3 cups currants
· 3 cups raisins
· 3 cups pitted prunes
· 1 cup port
· 1 cup butter, chopped
· 1 tbsp vanilla
· 1 cup dark brown sugar
· 4 eggs
· Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange
· 1/3 cup molasses
· 2 cups plain flour
· 1 tbsp allspice
· 1 tbsp nutmeg
· 1 tbsp cinnamon
· 2 cups walnut halves
· Extra 1/4 cup port, for pouring over hot cake

This cake is chock-full of sweet, plump dried fruit that's been soaked in port, and it only improves with age. Make this cake on Stir-Up Sunday (first Sunday of Advent) each year so that it has time to develop its wonderful full flavor. Pour a little port over the cake once a week to give it extra depth and to help it stay moist. It will keep well in a container in a cool dry place or for longer storage, cover the cake well in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.

NOTE: Yes, the tablespoon measurements given for the spices are correct. Extra spices give a wonderful flavour to the cake.

• Put currants and raisins in a large bowl. Cut up prunes with scissors and add to bowl. Add port and mix well. Leave to stand for two hours, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 325F. Line the base and sides cooking pans with two layers of baking paper, bringing it 1/2" above the rim of the pans. (I used three foil loaf pans and sprayed them with Pam).
• Roughly chop butter and put in the small bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until butter is pale yellow. Add vanilla and beat for a minute longer. Pour in sugar and beat until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the creamed mixture to the fruit. Add the rind, juice and molasses and stir to combine. Sift the flours and spices onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. Add the sifted dry ingredients and walnuts to the mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don’t overstir as you’ll get a very dry cake.
• Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pans. Tap pan gently on the table to settle the mixture. Smooth the surface of the cake mixture with a wet hand. Wrap a double thickness of brown paper around the tin and secure with string or a paperclip.
• Bake for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake – check the cakes after 2 hours – when I used the smaller foil loafs, it took just over 2 hours to bake. Remove cake, pour over extra port and cover with foil. Keep wrapped until cake is completely cold - this will take about 24 hours.
• Store covered in a cool, dry place (or wrapped in plastic wrap in the 'frig).

<hr />

Chile Relleno Casserole (this is GREAT! for breakfast or luncheon)

• 27 oz can of mild chiles (or 4 7oz. cans)
• 1 lb Monterey Jack cheese (in block)
• 5 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of black pepper
• 1 lb grated Cheddar Cheese (about 4 cups)

Slit chiles lengthwise on one side. Remove seeds and drain.
Slice Monterey Jack cheese into 1/4 inch slices and place inside chiles. Place stuffed chiles in a 13x9 pyrex pan (sprayed with Pam).
Mix eggs, milk, flour, salt, and pepper and pour over chiles. Sprinkle top with grated Cheddar Cheese.
Bake uncovered in 350 degree over for 45 minutes or until set.
(makes 8 servings)

... and the prodigal returns

On May 30th, Brikhead drove off down the street to begin his college career. Since then, we've had a dozen or so emails and three phone calls from our sports-fanatic son. You see, not only was he going to classes (his to keep his grades at 3.0 or higher to continue to get scholarships) and working .... it seems he was also at EVERY HOME game for LSU! He was there when they were winning ... and there for the rather distressing loss to unranked Arkansas! And he'll be there for the BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans on January 7th.

But in between, he will be HOME! God willing, he'll be here on the 13th (St. Lucy's Feast Day) and then leave on the 6th of January. He'll be working (so he can afford another semester at Harvard-on-the-Bayou), eating and sleeping .... and maybe getting in a few games of football with his younger siblings.

Please keep him in your prayers -- as he finishes his semester, as he travels back home, and that he can get lots of hours of working in while he's home! Oh, and if you can keep it a secret that he's coming home .... we're trying to surprise the littles and granmere!

Feast: St. Andrew's Feastday

El Greco -- 1606

On Friday, Nov 30, the Catholic Church celebrated the feast of the first-called Apostle. This is the one who got Peter to follow Jesus -- and didn't fuss when Jesus chose his brother Peter over himself. St. Andrew truly is a marvel -- tradition says that he was killed by crucifixion and that while he was dying (which took two days!), he preached the good news the whole time!

Well, the protoclete's feast is often at the beginning of Advent and we often overlook celebrating. This year, Advent doesn't start until Dec 2nd, so we were able to really celebrate St. Andrew's feast day ... lots of fun activities for the littles and great food too.

Here's what we made for dinner:
SALMON PATTIES (serves 6) http://southernfood.about.com/od/salmonrecipes/r/bln544.htm
INGREDIENTS:
· 1 can (16 ounces) salmon
· 1 clove garlic, minced
· 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
· ground black pepper, to taste
· 2 large eggs, well beaten
· 1 to 1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
· 3 tablespoons butter
PREPARATION:
Turn salmon and liquid into a medium mixing bowl. Flake with a fork, removing OR mashing any bones (they are edible). Mix in grated onion, parsley and pepper. Mix beaten eggs with salmon. Add enough bread crumbs, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, to make thick enough to shape into 12 small patties.
Roll patties in 1/2 cup bread crumbs. In a large heavy skillet over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter; add patties. Fry patties slowly on one side; add remaining butter, turn patties and fry until brown on the other side. Serves 6.

Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=R766
Scones, formerly known mainly to fanciers of British food, have become very familiar to most of us on this side of the ocean, due to their bakery and coffee-shop popularity over the past 5 years or so. Wedges, squares or circles of a buttery biscuit-type dough, baked quickly at high heat till golden brown, scones usually come plain or dotted with fruit or nuts. Spread with butter and jam or preserves, they've become a staple at breakfast and tea time.But scones needn't be thought of as simply a sweet treat. Offer a savory version in the bread basket at your main meal. They're very similar to baking powder biscuits, and are easily seasoned to go with whatever you're serving.
Ingredients:

• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper*
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) buttermilk or plain yogurtmilk (for glaze)
  *This amount of black pepper will make very spicy scones. For less heat, decrease the amount of pepper.

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Cut in the butter and cheese. Stir in the black pepper. Refrigerate the dough for half an hour.

Gently stir in the buttermilk or yogurt. Gather the mixture into a ball with your hands, and on a well-floured surface roll or pat the dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle or circle approximately 3/4-inch thick.

Grease a baking sheet. Using a large spatula, or a couple of spatulas, transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Use a dough scraper, baker's bench knife or a knife to cut dough into 1 1/2-inch squares or slice the circle like a pie. Separate the squares slightly on the baking sheet. Brush each square with a little milk.Bake the scones in a preheated 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're very lightly browned.

Yield: about 40 small scones or 12 nice size pie-slices.

And for dessert:

Tandra Cakes (http://www.catholicculture.org/liturgicalyear/recipes/view.cfm?id=1517 )

In parts of England Saint Andrew is considered the patron of lacemakers — perhaps coming from the resemblance of intersecting threads in certain types of lace to the cross of Saint Andrew. Seventeenth-century bakers made cakes or buns known as Tandry or Tandra "Wigs," composed of plain dough in wedge shape, ornamented with currants and caraway seeds. This makes a REALLY tasty dessert bread that's not overly sweet (and it makes fantastic toast the next day!).

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/4 tsp yeast (one packet)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 – 1 cup chopped candied lemon peel (crystallized)

DIRECTIONS
Mix the flour and salt, then sift into a mixing bowl. Slightly warm the water in a different bowl and add to it a mixture of yeast and sugar. Blend and put aside until the frothing stops. Mix in a beaten egg and slowly add the mixture to the flour and salt. Next slowly melt the butter and, when cool, add the mixture, stirring until smooth. Knead, cover and leave to rise.

After doubling in size, knead in the currants, sugar and lemon peel, then transfer it to a 2 lb loaf pan. Leave until the dough has risen to the top, then bake in a moderate oven (350ºF) until golden-brown, approximately 1 hour.