Recipes for October ~ Month Dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary

"The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on October 7th. It was instituted to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in gratitude for the protection that she gives the Church in answer to the praying of the Rosary by the faithful." ~ Catholic Net

A great way to celebrate the month is to make a commitment to pray the rosary daily, but here are a few more ideas for celebrating the feast days in October, from the archives!


October 1, Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux (New):

• Easy Mini Éclairs
• Crepes for St. Therese
• Rose Cake and Punch for St. Therese
• Chocolate Roses for St. Therese
• Easy Beef Burgundy for the Feast of St. Therese
• adaptable: Rosy Treats
• Rose Cupcakes
• Penne Rose
• St. Therese's "Shower of Roses" Chocolates
• Fiori Rose

October 2, Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels (New, Trad.):

• Upcoming From Thy Bounty Fair: Angels (includes suggestions!)
• From Thy Bounty Fair: Feasting with the Angels!
• Angels and St. Francis of Assisi
• "Angel Curls" Cookies
• Gluten-Free Feasting for the Angels

October 3, Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux (Trad.):
(See October 1st)


October 4, Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (New, Trad.):

• Angels and St. Francis of Assisi
• A Taste of Umbria with St. Francis of Assisi
• Saint Francis, Italian-American Style
• Saint Francis and the Wolf ~ Wolf Paw Cookies
• Another Variation of Wolf Paw Cookies
• Remembering St. Francis (treats for Dogs and Cats!)
• Tonsure of St. Francis Cake
• St. Francis' Friendly Beasts Crunch
• Poor Man's Cake for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

October 5, Feast of St. Faustina Kowalska (New/some places):

• Divine Mercy Sunday
• Strawberry-Coconut Tres Leche Trifle 
• A Cake for Divine Mercy Sunday
• A Cake in Honor of the Image of Divine Mercy
• Divine Mercy Pancakes
• Divine Mercy Rice Krispie Treat
• Divine Mercy Cheesecake
• Divine Mercy Cupcakes
• Divine Mercy Poundcake
• Rays of Mercy Fruit Platter

October 7, Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (New, Trad.):

• Victory Vessels for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
• Cupcake Rosary
• In Honor of the Most Holy Rosary (Edible Rosary Linky)
• Pray, Eat, Love ~ The Rosary (Rosary Cake)
• Roses for Our Lady...

**We will be hosting a linky here at Catholic Cuisine from Oct 7th-31st for anyone who would like to share pictures of their edible rosaries in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary and the month of October!**

(Note:  I ended up having unexpected company this weekend, and won't be able to post the link up until the 10th or 11th.   Thank you for your patience!)

October 7, Feast of St. Mark (Trad.):

• Risi e Bisi ~ Venetian Rice and Peas
• Cupcakes for St. Mark's Feast Day
• San Marco Pasta and Animal Cakes
• St. Gregory's Cherries (Crisp)

October 11, Feast of Blessed Pope John XXIII (New):

• Papal Polenta

October 12, Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar:

• Our Lady of the Pillar Cake

October 13, The Miracle of the Sun in Fatima:

• October 13 - Miracle of the Sun Cake
• Dancing Sun Cupcakes
• Miracle of the Sun Fruit Platter
• Spinning Sun Cake

October 15, Feast of St. Teresa of Avila (New, Trad.):

• Sopa de Ajo Castellana
• Pan de Santa Teresa ~ St. Teresa's Bread

October 16, Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (New):

• Appetizer for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart
• Sacred Heart Cookies
• Sacred Heart Cheesecake
• O Sacred Heart -- How Sweet are Thee

October 17, Feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch (New):

• St. Ignacio's Nachos

October 20, St. Paul of the Cross (New):

• Passionist Cupcakes for St. Paul of the Cross

October 22, Feast of Blessed John Paul II (New):

• Pope John Paul II Feast
• Kremowka Papieska :: Papal Cream Cake
• Blessed John Paul II Cookies

 

October 24, Feast of St. Raphael the Archangel (Trad.):

• Upcoming From Thy Bounty Fair: Angels (includes suggestions!)
• From Thy Bounty Fair: Feasting with the Angels!

October 25, St. Crispin (Historical):

• St. Crispin's Apple Crisp

Last Sunday of October, Feast of Christ the King (Trad.):

• Simple Cupcake Crowns
• Food fit for THE King
• Cookie Crown Cake

October 31, All Hallows' Eve (New, Trad.):

• Hallowed Days: All Saints & All Souls Fair
• Fasting and Feasting During Hallowtide
• Irish Potato Pancakes
• Soul Cakes
• Gluten-Free Pineapple Soul Cup Cakes
• All Saints' Day Treats ~ St. Lucy Cupcakes
• All Saints' Day Treats ~ Bones of Eliseus
• All Saints Cupcakes
• Saints on the Clouds of Heaven Cake
• "Angel Curls" Cookies
• Edible Eagles

Saint-O-Lanterns:

• Saint-O-Lanterns
• Saint-O-Lantern Link-Up (2010)

**We will be hosting a linky here at Catholic Cuisine later this month, Oct 24-31st, for anyone who would like to share pictures of the "Saint-O-Lanterns" you carve this year!**

Other:

• Fruits of the Harvest Fair

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,

Pray for us!

Fiori Rosé

Last year, on the feast of St. Therese and inspired by Charlotte's post for Penne Rosé, we made Fiori Rosé for dinner!   It was quick and easy, and the perfect dinner after a day spent in town.    

I didn't get as far as trying her actual recipe, and ended up just mixing two jars of sauce - one alfredo and one marinara - and serving it over "Fiori" pasta noodles. They nearly jumped off the shelf at me when I was looking for the sauces! How perfect are they for the feast of St. Therese?!

My children loved it and are requesting the same this year.  Whether you will be celebrating her feast on October 1st (her new feast day) or October 3rd (her traditional feast), I hope you all have a very blessed day!

St. Therese, flower of Carmel, Pray for us! 

Chicken And Vegetable Pho

 

Phở is a Vietnamese noodle soup that usually served with flat long rice noodles, fresh herbs and thin slices of meat(beef or chicken) cook quickly in hot broth. In Vietnam most of their dishes are typically served with lots of greens, herbs, vegetables, and various other accompaniments such as dipping sauces, hot and spicy pastes and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice to enhance the taste.

Last week while watching the Junior Master Chef series, I was attracted to one of their quick and easy demo dish is is "Chicken and Vegetable Pho". So without hesitate I search through my pantry for some necessary ingredients to try out this dish.

For my version, I omitted the Bay Leaf, Thyme and Parsley from the original recipe for the soup broth as I do not have those available in my pantry. But in a while it also make the soup for oriental flavour without those herbs.

Recipe adapted from Australia Master Chef website, HERE.
Ingredients for Quick Chicken Stock: (serves 4)
2 Chicken Breast plus 4 Chicken Wings
2.5 Liters Water
1 Small Brown Onion, cut into half
2 Stalk Celery, cut into 1" chunks
1 Medium Carrot, cut into thick slices
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns, lightly pound

Method:-

1. Trim and blanched the chicken in boiling water, rinse and set aside.

2. For the chicken stock, place all ingredients in a large stock pot, bring to boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, skim the fat from the top as required.

4. Strain stock through a fine sieve and set aside.

Ingredients For Broth Infusion:

1.8 Litres Chicken Stock
1 Cinnamon Quill
2 Star Anise
4cm Ginger, halved
1 Big Red Chili, sliced
3 Pieces Coriander Root, light pound

Seasoning:
2 - 3 Tablespoons of Fish Sauce
3 Tablespoons Light Soya Sauce
Juice of half a Lime, about 1 tablespoon

Method:-

1. Place all the Broth Infusion ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to boil.

2. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Season to taste with fish sauce, light soya sauce and lime juice.

Ingredients For Pho Vegetables: (serves 4)
4 Serving of Fresh Thin Rice Noodles, about 400g
1 Medium Carrot, julienned
1 Packet of Enoki Mushrooms
100g Bean Sprouts, blanched in hot water
4 Fresh Shitake Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Some Spring Onion, thinly sliced
1 Cup of shredded Chicken Meat, optional 

Garnish:
Some Vietnamese Mint and Coriander
1 Big Red Chili, thinly sliced
1/2 Lime, cut into quarter

Tips:-

~ I used the chicken breast meat from the soup stock, shred it and serve together with the noodles.

Method:-

1. To serve, layer pho ingredients into separate serving bowls starting with noodles, carrot and etc from the sequence above.

2. Gently divide the broth infusion into serving bowls top with garnish, lime juice and serve immediately.

Although my version might not be the authentic Vietnamese Pho but we definitely love it's fragrant clear soup base which is loaded without lot of fresh vegetables and herbs. Overall the soup tasty and refreshing with hint of cinnamon fragrant and a bit of spicy and sourish taste from the chili and lime juice.

Gluten-Free Feasting for the Angels

Thursday is Michaelmas Day, the Feast of the Archangels! I like to celebrate feast days in simple ways that our whole family can enjoy, and that means making everything gluten-free.

Last year, our family began the tradition of apple picking on Michaelmas Day. Apples are often associated with Michaelmas, and this year, I wanted an easy way to enjoy the fruits of our labor. This pregnant Mama isn't much up to canning this year!

Gluten-free apple dip is an easy, tasty snack.

Gluten Free Apple Dip

Mix together a block of softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Serve with fresh, sweet sliced apples (we used honeycrisp, and they were perfect!)

Want something more, for dessert perhaps? Nothing tastes quite so heavenly as Angel Food Cake, and just because you're gluten-free doesn't mean you can't indulge! I like Gluten Free Mommy's recipe best. Try topping your cake with fluffy white clouds of whip cream. Blackberries would make the perfect topping (and give you a great opportunity to tell your children the old story of how Satan landed on blackberry brambles when St. Michael kicked him out of Heaven!).

Hmmm... what happened to that other piece of cake? That baby-on-the-way... always getting into the goodies early! Such a naughty little thing! :)

Happy feasting!

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

Orange-Scented Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake has being queuing in my "must-try" lists for at least more than 2 years. Whenever I saw beautiful photos and recipes from fellow bloggers who lay their hand on this delicious looking cake I will be fascinated to give it a try. But the "fate" between me and this cake only begins to spark last week while I was planning to bake something for my neighour and my boy's school teacher.

From the name "Flourless" you can more or less figure out that this recipe does not require any Flour, but somehow or rather it did call for a minimum amount of cocoa powder to enhance the taste. So in order to have better texture and taste for this cake, I would suggest you get some decent brand of cocoa powder which would give it that dark and luxury outlook.

I love this recipe because it is so easy to prepare and you can even let your kid(s) handle most of the beating and folding job with maybe a bit of help from the Adult. Furthermore those of us who tried this cake were surprised of it's taste and texture which is moist, fluffy and tasty even without any use of "BUTTER or MILK".

Ingredients: (make 4, 9cm x 9cm square disposal baking case)
4 Egg Yolks
4 Egg Whites
110g Caster Sugar
12g Valrhona Cocoa Powder
100g Valrhona(Guanaja - 70%)Dark Chocolate, melted
1 Teaspoon Grand Marine/Vanilla Essence
Zest of 1 or 2 Oranges

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree.

2. Separate egg yolks and whites in two different mixing bowl. (i use a bigger bowl for my yolks mixture in order to mix in the whites later on)

3. Whisk egg whites in a bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form. (do not over beat till stiff peak)

4. Next whisk egg yolks and sugar in another mixing bowl until pale and airy before folding in cocoa powder, orange zest and grand marine.

5. Stir in melted chocolate till well combined. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites at a time and mix well. (since chocolate mixture will be heavier than egg whites, try to scrap and stir from the bottom when mixing to get an even texture)

6. Pour mixture into prepared cake pan or disposal baking cases. Bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes(9cm square paper case), 25 minutes(7"/15cm round cake pan) or when skewer insert and comes out clean.

7. Cool the cake completely on baking rack before sprinkle it with icing sugar and decorate with whipped cream, ice-cream or assorted fresh berries of your choice and serve.

Tips:-
1. You can either melt the chocolate over a double-boiler or place them in microwave safe bowl and cook on HIGH heat for about 90 seconds, stirring at an interval of 30 seconds to prevent burnt.

2. Eggs use in the recipe is 60g each in weighs.

As you can see from the photos, the top of the cake has a delicate crispy crust which gives this cake a few layers of texture such as crisp top, moist and fluffy cake with orange-scented flavour on each bites. And since this is my 1st trial, I hope I would be able to achieve a bit slightly fudgy texture perhaps with a 3 minutes under bake on the timing.

For more recipes on different type of Flourless Chocolate Cake, you can refer to the follow site which I bookmark too.
1. Flourless Chocolate Gateau from Happy Home Baking
2. Flourless Chocolate and Almond Cake from Little Teochew

Yang Sheng Le(养生乐) - Cordyceps Concentrated Herbal Soup

 

Last monthly, I have bought a few bottles of these Yang Sheng Le(养生乐), concentrated herbal soup from Fairprice during one of it's promotion. And for your information this concentrated soup is a collaboration by two trusted brand names Eu Yan Sang and MAGGI. Although for most of us this might be just another "instant" soup base which enables you to prepare quick and easy soup within minutes but with some extra bits of ingredients you could also turn this into a once pot dish too.

To enjoy and prepare these delicious herbal soup, what you need to do is to dilute the mixture with water and simmer it for about 20 minutes before serving. Yan Sheng Le Concentrated Herbal Soup is also endorsed as the "Healthier Choice" by the Singapore Health Promotion Board and as well with the following :-.

~ All Natural
~ No Preservatives
~ No Added MSG
~ No Added Artificial Colouring/Flavoring

Retail Price: From S$7.50 per bottle onwards

Ingredients: (serve 3 - 4)
1 Bottle of Cordyceps Concentrated Herbal Soup
1 Black Chicken (乌鸡) or 600g Chicken Pieces
1 Litre Boiling Water
Some Wolfberries and Red Dates

Method:-

1. Trim and cut the black chicken into quarters, rinse and blanched in a pot of boiling water for a about 3 minutes. Remove, rinse and set aside.

2. Empty contents of herbal concentrate from bottle into 1 litre of boiling water and mix well.

3. Add chicken pieces, bring to boil.

4. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes and serve hot.

These concentrated Herbal Soup comes in a few different types of flavour but we loves the American Ginseng Concentrated And Cordyceps Concentrated most. The photo shown above is Black Chicken with Cordyceps Herbal Soup in 20 minutes. The Cordyceps Concentrated Herbal Soup consist of 5 herbs such as :-  Cordyceps, Bei Shan Shen, Bei Qi, Yu Zhu and Chi Pi which provides nourishing goodness for the body.

Our Lady of Sorrows AND The Exaltation of The Holy Cross

I always get so nervous to post something here on Catholic Cuisine,
I'm in the presence of such holy and creative women and
I think things like "Will I get in trouble for posting 2 feast days in 1 post?"
I hope not.
Today for Our Lady of Sorrows, we plan to bake some brownies.

 I got the idea of putting pretzels in the heart shape cake from Barbara.

We also plan to do 7 almonds, which represent 7 tears. (tear shaped nut) Picture 5 kiddos putting these nuts under their eyes to pretend they are tears....The coloring sheet is from Mathilda.



The Blessed Virgin told St Bridget of the seven graces given to all who honor her daily by saying seven Hail Mary's and meditating on her tears and dolors.


Here are the seven graces:

1. I will grant peace to their families.
2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.
3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death, they will see the face of their Mother.
7. I have obtained (This Grace) from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

Seven Sorrows

1. The prophecy of Simeon.
2. The flight into Egypt.
3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple.
4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross.
5. The Crucifixion.
6. The taking down of the Body of Christ from the Cross.
7. The burial of Jesus.

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the  Holy Cross, or the Triumphant Cross

by making a cross cake.  This year, I didn't make a poke cake, (since not everyone likes wet cake) but decided to make a regular white cake and  then I set aside some of the batter and added red food coloring gel, enough to make it a good red, then added it to the top of the cake batter in the pan.  I had no idea how it would turn out, and, well, it didn't turn out as good as I thought it would, I should have poked it down with the end of a wooden spoon or something. (make a mental note of that Jamie, for next year)

 (next year, remember at this point to poke the batter down)

 My kitchen helper...especially when there are bowls to be licked!

 We made the pudding frosting:

1 pkg any flavor pudding (we used chocolate fudge)

1 cup milk

1 small container of cool whip

The heart and glow things are Starburst rolled out and cut into shape.

 I did like the vibrant colors the red batter made, this would work for the 

Feast of Divine Mercy too....or Christmas, add a little green...

(See?  Should have poked that red batter down)

We also enjoyed the Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad.

I used grape tomatoes and added cucumbers and 

cut up the Mozzarella into bite size pieces.

(the cucumbers were from Christine's garden!)
It was delicious!

Sweet and Sour Pork plus Cookbook Giveaway by Rasa Malaysia

 

Today I am so happy to share with you one of our family's favourite recipe from Bee's new cookbook, Easy Chinese Recipes (recipe and photos credited to Rasa Malaysia). If you still remember I did mentioned in facebook(HERE) sometime back regarding the launch of her new cookbook in Singapore. And here my friend Bee kindly offer to share with us this recipe (origin from Easy Chinese Recipes) as well as a complimentary copy of her new cookbook to one of the lucky SINGAPORE readers from this blog.

Sweet-and-Sour Pork, the ubiquitous and arguably one of the most well known Chinese pork dishes, is Cantonese in origin. The secret of an authentic Sweet-and-Sour Pork dish is in the perfect balance of the sweet versus sour flavor of the sauce. Now you can master this flavorsome dish with Bee's (Rasa Malaysia) tested recipe below and more tips on her cookbook.

Serves 4 as part of a multicourse meal 
Ingredients:
8 oz (250 g) pork tenderloin, pork butt, or pork neck
Oil, for deep-frying
2 tablespoons oil, for stir-frying
1 clove garlic, minced
½ small red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into pieces
½ small green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into pieces
½ small onion, quartered
1 slice canned pineapple ring, cut into pieces
2 green onions (scallions), white parts only, cut into 2 in (5 cm) lengths
½ cup (125 ml) Sweet-and-Sour Sauce (page 30)

Marinade:
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon Chinese rice wine or sherry

Frying Batter:
½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
¼ cup (35 g) cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg white
¹/³ cup (80 ml) water
1 tablespoon oil Pinch of salt

Method:- 
1. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and marinate with the Marinade ingredients for 15 minutes.

2. Mix all the ingredients in the Frying Batter until well combined. Add the marinated pork into the Frying Batter, stir to evenly coat with the batter.

3. Heat 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of the oil in a wok or stockpot to 350°F (175°C) for deep-frying.

4. Gently drop the pork into the oil and loosen them up immediately with the spatula to prevent the pork from clumping together.

5. Deep-fry them to a light golden brown or until the batter becomes crispy.

6. Dish out with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess oil by laying the pork on a dish lined with paper towels. Discard or reserve the oil for use in another recipe.

7. To stir-fry, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat.

8. Add the garlic and stir-fry to a light brown before adding the peppers, onion, pineapple, and green onion.

9. Stir the ingredients a few times and then add the Sweet-and-Sour Sauce. As soon as the Sweet-and-Sour Sauce thickens, add the fried pork into the wok or skillet.

10. Stir continuously until all the ingredients are well coated with the sauce. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Cook’s Note:
If you feel that the frying batter is too thick, add a little more water to it. To make the pork extra crispy, increase the temperature of the oil and deep-fry a second time. If you like more sauce, double the portion of the Sweet-and-Sour Sauce.

As mentioned I am so happy that Bee from Rasa Malaysia agreed to offer 1 Lucky reader from SINGAPORE a "Complimentary Copy" of her NEW cookbook Easy Chinese Recipes published by Tuttle Publishing at a retail price of S$32.00 (before GST). If you are keen in learning more about these easy Chinese Recipes, do grab a copy of this cookbook at any of the major bookstores in Singapore or order online HERE.

To enter the draw, leave a comment on why you would like to win this cookbook together with a valid email address on the comment form and the lucky winner will be randomly chosen. And in order to increase your extra chances on winning you can also choose either 1 or ALL of the bonus below:-

~ Like Rasa Malaysia on Facebook. Leave 1 extra comment for this.

~ Share this post on Tweeter. Leave 1 extra comment for this.

~ Share this post on your Facebook. Leave 1 extra comment for this.

~ Like Cuisine Paradise on Facebook. Leave 1 extra comment for this.


Closing Date for the above Giveaway will be on Sunday, 18 September 2011(2359 Hours). Result will be announce on 19 September 2011, Noon. Good luck everyone!!!! Have fun!

Note:- 

For OVERSEAS readers, you can join a similar giveaway of this cookbook at Rasa Malaysia and My Cooking Hut website respectively.

~~~~~~~~~
{Updated on 19th September 2011}

GIVEAWAY RESULT!!!!!

Giveaway Result Updated!!!

The Flowers of Wreath III Cupcakes

"Little Flowers Girls' Club® is a Catholic program for girls ages 5 and up based on learning Catholic virtues through the lives of Catholic saints, Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Developed by a Catholic mom of nine, Rachel Watkins, and based on Fr. Lasance's Catholic Girls' Guide, the Club strives to bring the Catholic faith alive and inspire the girls to become authentic Catholic women..." Read more here.

For the past three years I have been leading a Little Flowers Girls' Club, a  for my girls and some of their friends.  It has been such a rewarding experience and my girls have absolutley loved being Little Flowers.

In addition to the suggestions in the Leader's Manuals, I started creating a series of Notebook Pages to go along with each virtue/saint, and also have really enjoyed coming up with snacks (or "Catholic Cuisine!") that  tied in the Saint and/or Flower for each meeting.

This past year, for Wreath III, I ended up sticking with a flower theme, and was able to come up with a cupcake for each of the 9 meetings.   Sometimes I would have all the supplies ready for the girls to decorate their own cupcakes (which the girls loved) and other times I had the cupcakes pre-decorated.  I've posted about them in my individual posts about each meeting, but I thought I would consolidate them all into one post as well, to share with you all here.  Now to finish up my plans for this coming year, including "Saintly Symbols Cupcakes for Wreath IV" before our first meeting later this month!

Meeting One :: Mary & Martha,  Eutrapelia, Dandelion

Dandelion Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Eutrapelia

Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with Cream Cheese Frosting

 and decorated as Common Dandelions

Served with "Dandelion Yellow" Punch

Meeting Two :: Ruth & Naomi, Friendliness, Morning Glory

Morning Glory Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Friendliness

Cupcakes decorated with white icing, Blue and Yellow Sparkle Decorating Gel, and yellow Skittles

Meeting Three :: St. Margaret of Scotland, Initiative, Black Eyed Susan

Black Eyed Susan Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Initiative

Orange Muffins topped with Cream Cheese Frosting, to be decorated by the Little Flowers with homemade Black Eyed Susan Chocolates (using this candy mold and candy melts) and the options of green mint meltaways, green color mist and/or green glitter gel.

Meeting Four :: St. Zita or Proverbs 31 Woman, Orderliness, Cranberry

Cranberry Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Orderliness

To make these delicious cupcakes, I used a package of Yellow Cake Mix, replacing the water with Orange Juice and added 1 cup of frozen cranberries and 1 cup of white chocolate chips.  We topped them with some Cream Cheese Frosting, homemade Sugared Cranberries (Craisins would be a simple alternative), and served them with Sparkling Cranberry Juice.  

Meeting Five :: St. Felicity and Her Seven Sons, Self-Control, Amaryllis

Pink Amaryllis Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Self-Control

I started with Pink Cupcakes, with the help of a Strawberry Cake Mix, topped with Frosting.  Using this Lily Mold I then topped the cupcakes with Pink (the color for this virtue) Amaryllis Flowers (the flower for this virtue) homemade with Pink and Yellow Candy Melts.  

Meeting Six :: St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Mother, Responsibility, Mum

Mum Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Responsibility

These cupcakes were inspired by a recipe in What's New, Cupcake?: Ingeniously Simple Designs for Every Occasion.   They would be great to make this coming weekend for Mother's Day, anytime this month for our Blessed Mother during her month of May, or in July for the feast of St. Anne.  You can find the directions in the archives!

Meeting Seven :: St. Bathildis, Patience, Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Patience

Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes, decorated with White Chocolate Chips and green frosting or Sparkle Gel.  

Meeting Eight :: Mary Mother of God, Cheerfulness, Blue Phlox

Blue Phlox Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Cheerfulness

I wasn't sure how I was going to decorate the cupcakes this month. . . After looking at various images online of Blue Phlox Flowers I ended up making a little bit of blue frosting.  Using a round frosting tip, I put five drops (my kids said they looked like hershey kisses) on each cupcake, then, using the tip of a knife, I pulled the frosting drops towards the center, creating the flowers.   I am a total amateur at this sort of thing, but I thought they turned out nicely!

The Blue is for Our Blessed Mother and the Five Petals represent the five dimensions of Cheerfulness:  Marian, Courageous, Heroic, Consistent, and Contagious.

Meeting Nine :: St. Julie Billiart, Fortitude, Hyacinth

Pink Hyacinth Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Fortitude

When I was looking for ideas, Charlotte mentioned that Pink Popcorn came to mind.  I thought that was a perfect idea, but since I didn't have all the ingredients I opted to make the pink hyacinths using some pink Smooth & Melty Petite Mints (I had purchased a few bags at 75% off in January from Hickory Farms and had one left) along with a little green frosting for the leaves.  I also sprayed the white base frosting with a little green, before adding the candies.  I thought they turned out cute, and they were very yummy despite the fact that my six year old pointed out that "the chocolate cake even looks like dirt!"

You can view all of my posts for Wreath III here. 

St. Therese, the Little Flower of Jesus, 

Pray for Us!