Menu Plan Monday: December 12- December 18 {FREE Recipe Book and Giveaway}

This is the last full week of Autumn, although we have already received some wintery weather this past week. This is also the middle of Advent! We have two more weeks (including this one) to prepare for the coming of Christ! Cleaning, cooking and preparing our hearts will be main focuses in this house.

In honor of the Rejoicing that will be done this week, I am offering a FREE Christmas Recipes collected by The Zelie Group for anyone that likes and shares my Pinot Noir and Prayers Facebook Page starting this Wednesday. Make sure to message me your email so I can send you the beautiful PDF file put together by Kerry! I am also going to be hosting a Giveaway soon for a gorgeous printed bracelet made by my incredibly talented friend, Jen, over at Faith and Fabric. I'll be sharing more information on this later!

We will be celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Lucy, Saint John of the Cross, the O Antiphons and the Fourth Sunday of Advent! We also have THREE Christmas parties to attend! It is never too late to revamp your Advent so check out my Advent Bucket Lists and post on the O Antiphons for ideas. Here is our menu for this fun and exciting Third Week of Advent on Menu Plan Monday:

Monday: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Chicken Fajitas with Spanish Rice and Black Beans

Tuesday: Feast of Saint Lucy

Turkey Burgers

Wednesday: Feast of Saint John of the Cross

Leftovers

Thursday:

Chicken Nugget Salad

Friday: Ugly Sweater Football Party

Potluck Style Dinner with our Football Family

Saturday: O Antiphons Begin

Spaghetti

Sunday: Fourth Sunday of Advent, My Birthday and Cookie Exchange

We will be eating at TWO Christmas Parties tonight

Are you participating in any Cookie Exchanges this year? Still looking for the perfect Christmas cookie recipe? I decided to share Starlight Cookies with both Cookie Exchanges I am participating in this year. The Starlight Cookie tells the story of the Nativity and is a beautiful and yummy reminder of the reason for the season. This is the Recipe that was sent to me by a friend. It was originally found at the blog Shower of Roses. They offer a printable and a great way to gift these cookies in a mason jar so make sure to check them out and thank her for such an amazing recipe idea! I will be baking mine this Saturday for our Christmas Parties!

Starlight Cookies:

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

1 1/4 C All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Softened Butter

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Chopped Walnuts: Represents the rocky road the holy family traveled to Bethlehem

White Chocolate Chips: Represents the stars, especially the one that led the Wise Men to Jesus

Dried Cranberries: Represents the tartness of the doors that were closed because they refused to host the holy family that cold night

Brown Sugar: Represents the brown hills of Bethlehem

Sugar: Represents snow

Rolled Oats: Represents the animals that were present in the stable where Jesus was born

Flour: Represent the wholesome goodness of the shepherds in the fields

Baking Soda and Sea Salt: Represents the Joyful tears that were shared on the holy night Jesus was born of the Most Pure Virgin Mary.

Vanilla Extract: Represents the sweet happiness that the Savior was born

One Egg: Represents the baby Jesus

To make the cookies:

Think of the preparation St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother must have made for this journey to Bethlehem:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.

For the light of Heaven:

In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 tsp of vanilla until fluffy.

Add the hardships of the journey to the light of Heaven:

Add all the other ingredients and mix together until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets

Remember the hardships of Jesus' life on earth and His Passion:

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until edges brown.

Anticipate His coming:

Cool on baking sheets or remove to cool on wire racks.

Appreciate the joy and promise of His birth:

Enjoy eating them!

Our Lady of the Rosary

Friday was the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary also known as Our Lady of Victory. These titles in reference to Mary come from her intercession during the Battle of Lepanto. This battle is most famous because it was a great Christian victory. Pope Saint Pius V instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory to honor Mary and her role in this victory. Later popes renamed it the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary because all of Europe prayed the rosary, led by the pope, all day leading up to a victory that seemed impossible. A small portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe was also brought into the battle and is also given credit for this huge victory of the Holy League!

The whole month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary but it gets extra attention on October 7th. If you have access to Instagram I suggest you check out #Rosaryathon and possibly join us in celebrating this great month. #Rosaryathon is being hosted by @books_for_catholic_teens. I have been having a blast sharing my photos and checking out what others are adding to this photo challenge. 

In honor of of Lady of the Rosary I decided it was finally time to revamp our home altar. I bought new frames for our pictures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and relocated them directly above the altar. I also added the beautiful print I received in my Little Catholic Box. I am hoping to collect more printables and finally finish my prayer wall I have been working on for months now. I have been collecting cute printables for a couple months but I don't quite have enough to display the way I have envisioned it.

For our special dinner and dessert we enjoyed stuffed pasta boats to symbolize the naval battle of Lepanto and a delicious Rosary cake! The pasta boats were made with angel hair pasta combined with ground turkey, peppers, mushrooms, marinara and cheese. The cake was made with Halloween Funfetti Cake with Caramel Apple icing and fall colored peanut butter M&Ms to create the Rosary. We were all stuffed and still have tons leftover!

Our Lady of the Rosary Novena Prayer:

*A novena can be said at anytime but is normally started 8 days prior to or after a feast day*

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart, and for this special favor which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God?s holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual ?Bouquet of Roses? because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Amen

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!