Math Lesson of the Day: 03.14.16

"...the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle..."

Spontaneously we decided to bake a Pi Pie to commemorate Pi Day.  What better way to celebrate than with a 'rounded' pie...3.14.16!

St. Lucy's Cookie Dough ~ White Chocolate Truffles

St. Lucy or St. Lucia is the patron saint for the blind & those with eye disorders.  

Her name means "light".  

She was born in Syracuse, Sicily, and was from a wealthy family.
She was persecuted while defending the Faith.  Lucia is often depicted holding her eyes on a golden plate, because her eyes were gouged out before she was executed. She was a young courageous Christian woman, filled with the love of God.  Read more about St. Lucy here.

  

Find the quick and easy recipe for Cookie Dough White Chocolate Truffles here.


St. Lucia, ora pro nobis!

~ Papal Cream Cake ~

After a quick search, I came across the simplest & quickest version of kremowka papieska (pronounced: kreh-MOOV-kah  pah-PYESS-kah) or Papal Cream Cake. 

This Polish dessert was renamed papal cream cake after it was learned that Pope John Paul II ate this as a youth, and apparently, he was quite fond of this delicious pastry.  

It is pretty high-profile dessert, now; and the story of how Karol Wojtyla, enjoyed this creamy pastry delight from his friend's father's bakery, is endearing.

It is the perfect choice of celebratory food, as we celebrate this 1st special occasion.  

On the first anniversary feast day of Pope St. John Paul II - we enjoy the kremowka papieska!

The Pastry Cream recipe I found, turned out to be DELICIOUS.  It was so easy to make.  Six basic ingredients:  milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, cornstarch & egg yolks.  It took about 15 minutes to make this delicious custard cream filling.

I cheated and used a pre-made puff pastry; so, I didn't need the butter after all.  The entire dessert (from start to finish) took less than an hour...that includes clean up.  I did have the frozen pastry dough thawed prior to my baking and prep time.

This was my first time making this dessert.  Perfect for a first time anniversary!

You can find the full step by step recipe for Papal Cream Cake here.

Sharing on the Catholic Bloggers Network Monthly Link Up Blitz

~ Tasty Toms ~

My daughters had so much fun making these tasty toms...

 

 

and Post Turkey Five Mile Hike with the AHG & their families...

~ Thanksgiving Menu: Sweet Potato Crisp ~

Save those marshmallows for your hot chocolate or s'mores.  Once you taste this creamy and sweet potato crisp recipe you will want to make this without the sticky (and messy) "candied" version.

This is what you will need....go ahead an double your shopping list, because this is one dish you are going to want to make again, soon:
2 Sweet Potatoes
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon whipping cream
1/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon pepper (yes, pepper)

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, place in pot and fill with water.  Boil until tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, mix the remainder of ingredients together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. 

Drain and mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher.

With a hand mixer, mix all the ingredients together until light and fluffy.
Place the sweet potato mixture in a baking dish.

~ The Crisp ~

Mix together:
2 Tablespoons cold butter
3/4 cups pecans
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
If you use a food processor, pulse just a few times.

Place the crisp ingredients on top of the sweet potatoes.


Ready for the oven...

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

For the complete Thanksgiving Menu & Recipes, click HERE.

~ Sweet Hearts ~

Earlier today we enjoyed the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus...

We celebrated by attending First Friday Mass and Benediction, along with other home school families and my girls Children's Choir.

Tonight, in the spur of the moment, I decided to try Tiffany's Sacred Heart Fruit Dessert; with just one minor adjustment and one simple  shortcut...

Minor adjustment:  I substituted the suggested sugar cookie dough for (our family favorite) chocolate chip cookie dough.  (Also, I accidentally forgot to use powdered sugar & vanilla - that's what happens when I try to rely on memory). 

Simple shortcut:  I used my 'heart' dish, instead of the suggested paper template.

Boy was it SUPER EASY, and boy was it GOOD!

 

 

~ And That's Not All... ~

Butterfly's Birthday continues...Because Life is worth celebrating!

After Mass, our pastor had everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to our sweet 14 year old!  She took it in stride; she doesn't like to draw attention to herself...but I know she appreciates the sentiments & love.

Then she was treated to a wonderful breakfast feast...including red Easter eggs, as shown here.

Conductor had been asked to serve at a funeral Mass in San Francisco...off we traveled!

We stopped to visit Stella Pastry & Cafe, where the best cannoli's are produced. 


The cannoli was my quest, but I was confident that we would find something here for Butterfly...

This is what we found...

Everyone found a little something...

Cup of Cappeccino and Cannoli...

Happy Birthday cupcake and pastries! 

We really enjoyed our little outing!

But wait...the day was absolutely beautiful, so, we decided to take a walk in the park.

Monument for our Firefighters

Taking a (car) trip up to Coit Tower

And driving down the crookedest street, Lombard Street

We made a couple more excursions...but by far, the grand finale was the private tour, from a friend, through here...

A birthday extravaganza at it's finest!

~ Random Five on Friday ~ April 5th, 2013

Joining Miranda at The Pebble Pond to try and organize FIVE family friendly random moments in my life...Here goes!

1.  We are just beginning to celebrate Easter here...all 50 days of AWESOMENESS!

2.  I make oversized corny love notes and paste them on our walls to let my children know that I'm thinking about them...

3.  I love to photograph my garden...every year, same plants, over and over; I'm always excited and amazed at the new growth and I never tire of the beauty...

4.  See, I told you...

5.  After watching an episode on making cannolis on The Cake Boss, I have been craving one!  Cannoli.  Cannoli.  Where can I get an authentic fresh cannoli?
I'm happy to report that I experienced my first cannoli this week...after months of searching for the perfect one!  It was well worth the wait...If you're ever in San Francisco go have a cannoli and cup of cappeccino here at Stella Pastry and Cafe.  Oh my.

Blurry, but beautiful...
my hands must have been shaking from the excitement.

Visit The Pebble Pond to share in some family friendly random moments on

~ Random 5 on Friday  ~

~ Heavenly Anniversary ~

Six years ago, Butterfly received her First Holy Communion...surrounded by the angels and saints in heaven...in a spiritual sodality here on earth.

So, out I bring the Communion candle, which we light at each meal. 

Over the many years, I've tried to stress this and to teach this simple acknowledgement to my First Communion students - to continue to celebrate the occasion of their First Holy Communion Anniversaries.  It is, at least, as special as a birthday.

First Holy Communion is such a beautiful and sacred event.  It's ONE of the seven sacraments!

celebratory cookies on vintage plate, given to me from my mother
(the plate, not the cookies) :o)

We celebrate our wedding anniversaries...and our ordinations...we should also celebrate (or at least graciously acknowledge in some way) our baptismal anniversaries; when we become a child of God. How special is that!?

As always, we start the celebration with Holy Mass.  Fitting, yes?

celestial occasion calls for a celestial offering...

 

Happy Heavenly Anniversary, Butterfly...

~ Birthday Extravaganza Continued ~

The Birthday Extravaganza Weekend took us from place to place...
After dinner at the Birthday Boy's request - the restaurant shocked surprised us all with a FREE ICE CREAM - oh.my!!

It was embarrassingly huge - (so we ate really, really fast)!  The five of us couldn't finish it off - since we were so full from dinner.  This monstrosity could have served 10 or 20! 

After the traditional Treasure Hunt, and a good nights rest and some tums,
we had lunch at one of our favorite places that serves clam chowder in those economical fun sourdough bowls...mmmmm good.  (The color is a bit off because I like to splash "a little" tabasco sauce in mine).  mmmmmmm good!

And then, the Grand Finale

and much to Conductor's pleasure -

The Giants Won!!!

HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY SON!!! 
WE LOVE YOU AND ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

~ Forty is Good, Fifty is Better ~

In this case...Fifty is better, because...
This Lenten and Easter Season have just been different.  Not a bad different.  But just not as focused.  We have a lot of projects and events that are taking much of our time...I have been making an effort to stop the extras, saying NO to the wonderful charitable works that always tempt me...trying to always put my family first.

I'm so thankful for the Fifty Days of Easter ~ from Easter Sunday until Pentecost Sunday or Whit Sunday.  We can celebrate the Risen Lord.  His Triumph over sin.  A Feast of Faith.  Focusing back to what and how we are living.

Leftovers from Lent and "Easter"...makes perfect 50 days of feast.

Living the Liturgical Year, one feast day at a time!

~ One Year, Today ~

Oh my!  I began this blog one year ago, today...wow, time sure does fly!  LOL!!  Seems like I just began blogging...and by the looks of my scanty entries, one might say that I have just begun! LOL!  I'm averaging less than, well, who's counting anyways!?
I have so many treasures that I want to share here, but no time to do so.  Oh well.  I'm living the moment and enjoying my children.  I'll continue to post when I can...

So a little post on our Rosebuds Girls club...

rosebuds for the Rosebuds

Butterfly gave the Virtue and Catechism Talks.  She did great!  The virtue was Charity and Kindness and the catechism was on Corporal and Spiritual Works.

And then we the girls had a cake decorating class...yummy fun!!

Butterfly's sweet creation

My favorite

Cupcakes, Cupcakes, Cupcakes!!!