St. Matthew's Silver Dollar Pancakes

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September 21st is the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. Since St. Matthew was a tax-collector and often symbolized by a bag of coins or loose coins, I thought Silver Dollar Pancakes would be perfect for celebrating his feast day! 

You can make these using your own favorite pancake recipe, a gluten-free recipe, or my favorite which can be found in the archives.   This time, however, I'm planning on using an extra quick and easy Pancake Mix!   My husband has been out-of-state on a wildfire assignment (today is only day 8 of 16) and I'm on my own with our seven kiddos.  Quick and easy is about all I can manage at the moment! 

Once you have your pancake batter ready to go, heat a griddle or frying pan until it is good and hot.  (Or you can use a Silver Dollar Pancake Pan, if you happen to have one on hand.)  Grease the pan and drop spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle - just enough to spread to an approximately 2 1/2-inch round.  (I used a 1 Tablespoon Scoop for this step.)  

When a few bubbles form on top of the pancakes, flip them over and cook for another minute or so.  


Repeat the process until all of the batter has been used. Transfer pancakes to warm plates and serve with your favorite syrup.
You can find additional ideas for celebrating this feast day over at Shower of Roses.
Happy Feast of St. Matthew! 
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St. Kateri's Edible Indian Corn

To contact us Click HERE

Last fall, as an extra activity for our Colonial Life Unit Study, my girls spent a little time in the kitchen making Edible Indian Corn.   It was a great recipe for them to make (mostly on their own) and they had so much fun!   These would also make a fun treat for the upcoming canonization of St. Kateri Tekakwitha on October 21st!   This week we are planning on making Indian Corn Cookies.  I'll be back with the recipe soon! 
St. Kateri's Edible Indian Corn
Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 4 cups of mini marshmallows
• 5 cups of puffed corn cereal (we used Honey Kix)
• 1 1/3 cups diced dried fruit (we used raisins and cranberries)
• Popsicle sticks
• Fruit leather

Instructions:

In a large pot, melt butter and mini marshmallows over low heat.  This takes about 5 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the stove and use a wooden spoon to stir in puffed corn cereal and diced dried fruit. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.


Using buttered hands, shape each treat by pressing 1/3 cup of the mixture around a Popsicle stick. 

Add fruit leather husks to the bottom of the ear, slightly moistening them to help them stick if needed. 
Makes approximately 15 treats.

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St. Kateri's Indian Corn Cookies

To contact us Click HERE

A couple days ago I shared a recipe for Edible Indian Corn and mentioned that my family was planning on making Indian Corn Cookies for the Canonization of St. Kateri this weekend.   We just finished making them for tomorrow.  Adapted from a Family Fun recipe, these cookies are really easy to make with just a few supplies, and fun for the kids to help decorate!

St. Kateri's Indian Corn Cookies(adapted from Family Fun)

Ingredients:
Sugar Cookie Dough(homemade or store bought)Spread  (frosting, melted chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese, Nutella, etc.)Reese's PiecesGreen & Yellow Fruit Leather or Fruit Roll Ups
Directions:

Roll out prepared cookie dough to a 1/4" thickness. Using a knife, cut out corncob shapes about 4" long.  (I used my small St. Nicholas cookie cutter to get a general idea, adding a rounded end at the bottom, but that isn't necessary.)  Bake according to directions or just until the edges brown. 

Cool completely on a wire rack.

Frost the cooled cookies with spread of your choice such as chocolate or vanilla frosting, melted chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese, or Nutella.  Basically any type of spread that pairs well with peanut butter Reese's Pieces.   Originally I was going to use chocolate frosting (which is pictured above) but then changed my mind and used melted white chocolate.  This held the Reese's Pieces in place wonderfully!

Layer the Reese's pieces in horizontal rows, working from the top to bottom. 

Finish off cookies by cutting corn husks out of the fruit leather/fruit roll up, to fit the sides of each cookie. 
Wrap the husks around the cookies and press in place.


A Child's Prayer to St. Kateri Tekakwitha
St. Kateri, loving child of God and Lily of the Mohawks, I thank God for the many graces He gave you. Help me to be more like you in my love for God and for people.
Give me a great love for the Holy Eucharist and the Mother of Jesus. Make me ready to make sacrifices for Jesus that I may save my soul and be happy with you in heaven.
St. Kateri, I love you. Always be my friend. 
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Pray for us!
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St. Catherine's Pasta Wheels and Cheese

To contact us Click HERE

For the past few years, since seeing Mary's suggestion, I have been serving Wheel Shaped Pasta on November 25th, in honor of the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria and a special little girl in our home who celebrates her name-day.   Here is the recipe I used this year! 

Saint Catherine'sPasta Wheels and Cheeseadapted from Martha Stewart 
Ingredients:

• 1 pound Wagon Wheel Pasta
• Salt
• 3 cups Milk
• 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon, or Yellow Mustard
• 2 1/2 cups grated Cheese

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a large pot; add salt. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl.

Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.

Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat.When butter begins to foam, add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture starts to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes.


Remove skillet from heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, a pinch of black pepper, cayenne, mustard, and cheese; stir until melted.

Pour cheese sauce over the pasta noodles, stir, and serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.


St. Catherine of Alexandria, Pray for Us! 
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Doc' what ya got!

To contact us Click HERE

When it comes time to make something new for your 18th century wardrobe, we strongly encourage you to use primary sources for your inspiration. But what about what you've already have? How do you "doc what ya got"?

First, let's start with what year this garment is appropriate for.  The next frontier for this hobby is to dress for the year - generic 18th century is so yesterday (so to speak).  Take a look at the details, does my gown have robings and a stomacher or is does it close in the center front? Does it have a completely separate bodice and skirt? How large are the cuffs on my coat? What does the collar look like?  How long is my waistcoat?  These details will certainly help date your look. But why do I need to know that?  Well, you wouldn't wear 1812 clothing to Battle Road, so why would you wear 1780's high fashion to a French and Indian event, for example? So start by determining your timeline.  Look at portraiture, genre art, museum collections. But beware of the latter, unless a piece has a specific provenance or is consistent with other accurately dated examples, museum pieces are often misdated or dated to a very wide range or are remodeled pieces that are difficult to date accurately.

So you've found your clothing pictured in genre art or in a museum collection.  Good start. Now you need to look at your fabric.  Can you find a description of that fabric in period ads or inventories? Runaway ads, for example, are full of detailed descriptions, though sometimes things aren't always what they seem. Words like "calico" don't mean the same as they do today.  You can double check the meanings of these terms in the OED or Florence Montgomery's "Textiles in America"

CT Journal 1/11/1781

So far, so good, now don't forget the details. You may want to get your feet wet by documenting your accessories. How am I wearing my handkerchief? How long are my shift sleeves? How is my hat shaped?  What kind of basket am I carrying? Artwork is teeming with details! Find an example and print off the picture. If someone asks you about that market basket you are carrying, you can whip out your documentation to show them -- it sure beats saying, "I don't know,  I saw it in the XYZ sutler catalog."

Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress

Market Basket - notice the one in the Hogarth print (lower right)

So start somewhere, but most importantly - start! Before you know it you'll be an old pro at this.

St. Matthew's Silver Dollar Pancakes

To contact us Click HERE

September 21st is the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. Since St. Matthew was a tax-collector and often symbolized by a bag of coins or loose coins, I thought Silver Dollar Pancakes would be perfect for celebrating his feast day! 

You can make these using your own favorite pancake recipe, a gluten-free recipe, or my favorite which can be found in the archives.   This time, however, I'm planning on using an extra quick and easy Pancake Mix!   My husband has been out-of-state on a wildfire assignment (today is only day 8 of 16) and I'm on my own with our seven kiddos.  Quick and easy is about all I can manage at the moment! 

Once you have your pancake batter ready to go, heat a griddle or frying pan until it is good and hot.  (Or you can use a Silver Dollar Pancake Pan, if you happen to have one on hand.)  Grease the pan and drop spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle - just enough to spread to an approximately 2 1/2-inch round.  (I used a 1 Tablespoon Scoop for this step.)  

When a few bubbles form on top of the pancakes, flip them over and cook for another minute or so.  


Repeat the process until all of the batter has been used. Transfer pancakes to warm plates and serve with your favorite syrup.
You can find additional ideas for celebrating this feast day over at Shower of Roses.
Happy Feast of St. Matthew! 
Pin It

St. Kateri's Edible Indian Corn

To contact us Click HERE

Last fall, as an extra activity for our Colonial Life Unit Study, my girls spent a little time in the kitchen making Edible Indian Corn.   It was a great recipe for them to make (mostly on their own) and they had so much fun!   These would also make a fun treat for the upcoming canonization of St. Kateri Tekakwitha on October 21st!   This week we are planning on making Indian Corn Cookies.  I'll be back with the recipe soon! 
St. Kateri's Edible Indian Corn
Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 4 cups of mini marshmallows
• 5 cups of puffed corn cereal (we used Honey Kix)
• 1 1/3 cups diced dried fruit (we used raisins and cranberries)
• Popsicle sticks
• Fruit leather

Instructions:

In a large pot, melt butter and mini marshmallows over low heat.  This takes about 5 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the stove and use a wooden spoon to stir in puffed corn cereal and diced dried fruit. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.


Using buttered hands, shape each treat by pressing 1/3 cup of the mixture around a Popsicle stick. 

Add fruit leather husks to the bottom of the ear, slightly moistening them to help them stick if needed. 
Makes approximately 15 treats.

Pin It

St. Kateri's Indian Corn Cookies

To contact us Click HERE

A couple days ago I shared a recipe for Edible Indian Corn and mentioned that my family was planning on making Indian Corn Cookies for the Canonization of St. Kateri this weekend.   We just finished making them for tomorrow.  Adapted from a Family Fun recipe, these cookies are really easy to make with just a few supplies, and fun for the kids to help decorate!

St. Kateri's Indian Corn Cookies(adapted from Family Fun)

Ingredients:
Sugar Cookie Dough(homemade or store bought)Spread  (frosting, melted chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese, Nutella, etc.)Reese's PiecesGreen & Yellow Fruit Leather or Fruit Roll Ups
Directions:

Roll out prepared cookie dough to a 1/4" thickness. Using a knife, cut out corncob shapes about 4" long.  (I used my small St. Nicholas cookie cutter to get a general idea, adding a rounded end at the bottom, but that isn't necessary.)  Bake according to directions or just until the edges brown. 

Cool completely on a wire rack.

Frost the cooled cookies with spread of your choice such as chocolate or vanilla frosting, melted chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese, or Nutella.  Basically any type of spread that pairs well with peanut butter Reese's Pieces.   Originally I was going to use chocolate frosting (which is pictured above) but then changed my mind and used melted white chocolate.  This held the Reese's Pieces in place wonderfully!

Layer the Reese's pieces in horizontal rows, working from the top to bottom. 

Finish off cookies by cutting corn husks out of the fruit leather/fruit roll up, to fit the sides of each cookie. 
Wrap the husks around the cookies and press in place.


A Child's Prayer to St. Kateri Tekakwitha
St. Kateri, loving child of God and Lily of the Mohawks, I thank God for the many graces He gave you. Help me to be more like you in my love for God and for people.
Give me a great love for the Holy Eucharist and the Mother of Jesus. Make me ready to make sacrifices for Jesus that I may save my soul and be happy with you in heaven.
St. Kateri, I love you. Always be my friend. 
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Pray for us!
Pin It

St. Catherine's Pasta Wheels and Cheese

To contact us Click HERE

For the past few years, since seeing Mary's suggestion, I have been serving Wheel Shaped Pasta on November 25th, in honor of the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria and a special little girl in our home who celebrates her name-day.   Here is the recipe I used this year! 

Saint Catherine'sPasta Wheels and Cheeseadapted from Martha Stewart 
Ingredients:

• 1 pound Wagon Wheel Pasta
• Salt
• 3 cups Milk
• 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon, or Yellow Mustard
• 2 1/2 cups grated Cheese

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a large pot; add salt. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl.

Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.

Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat.When butter begins to foam, add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture starts to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes.


Remove skillet from heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, a pinch of black pepper, cayenne, mustard, and cheese; stir until melted.

Pour cheese sauce over the pasta noodles, stir, and serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.


St. Catherine of Alexandria, Pray for Us! 
Pin It

Doc' what ya got!

To contact us Click HERE

When it comes time to make something new for your 18th century wardrobe, we strongly encourage you to use primary sources for your inspiration. But what about what you've already have? How do you "doc what ya got"?

First, let's start with what year this garment is appropriate for.  The next frontier for this hobby is to dress for the year - generic 18th century is so yesterday (so to speak).  Take a look at the details, does my gown have robings and a stomacher or is does it close in the center front? Does it have a completely separate bodice and skirt? How large are the cuffs on my coat? What does the collar look like?  How long is my waistcoat?  These details will certainly help date your look. But why do I need to know that?  Well, you wouldn't wear 1812 clothing to Battle Road, so why would you wear 1780's high fashion to a French and Indian event, for example? So start by determining your timeline.  Look at portraiture, genre art, museum collections. But beware of the latter, unless a piece has a specific provenance or is consistent with other accurately dated examples, museum pieces are often misdated or dated to a very wide range or are remodeled pieces that are difficult to date accurately.

So you've found your clothing pictured in genre art or in a museum collection.  Good start. Now you need to look at your fabric.  Can you find a description of that fabric in period ads or inventories? Runaway ads, for example, are full of detailed descriptions, though sometimes things aren't always what they seem. Words like "calico" don't mean the same as they do today.  You can double check the meanings of these terms in the OED or Florence Montgomery's "Textiles in America"

CT Journal 1/11/1781

So far, so good, now don't forget the details. You may want to get your feet wet by documenting your accessories. How am I wearing my handkerchief? How long are my shift sleeves? How is my hat shaped?  What kind of basket am I carrying? Artwork is teeming with details! Find an example and print off the picture. If someone asks you about that market basket you are carrying, you can whip out your documentation to show them -- it sure beats saying, "I don't know,  I saw it in the XYZ sutler catalog."

Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress

Market Basket - notice the one in the Hogarth print (lower right)

So start somewhere, but most importantly - start! Before you know it you'll be an old pro at this.