The Lenten Season and the Five Senses

If you read my previous post on Ash Wednesday then you already know that I am feeling behind on my Lenten preparations. Today is the First Sunday of Lent and I have challenged myself to get my home and plans solidified by the end of the day. I am feeling pretty confident that I will have everything accomplished but I am trying not to count my chickens before they hatch too. It is time to dive into the Lenten Season head first and be engulfed by the beautiful simplicity and meaningful moments that can come from fully participating.

First things first. How do you create an atmosphere for Lent? With Decorations? Music? Changing up your Family Meal Plans? I dapple in each of these areas since I like to immerse my family in the season and I have a sensory child that enjoys and understands the concepts more with his environment being overtaken with sights, sounds, touches, scents and tastes. What could be better than finding a way to entice your senses while on your journey to a closer relationship to God. After all, he created us with these senses, he surely wants us to use them!

SIGHT

Let's start with the sense of sight. The breathtaking colors of Violet and Purple and the rustic accents of branches, thorns and wilderness really make Lent come to life. Simplicity is key. So far I have adorned our fireplace mantle with a DIY board I created of the Stations of the Cross and flame-less votive candles. The twinkling flames against our Stations as they each go out one by one as we pray the Stations on Fridays, create a nice prayerful ambiance. I also have plain branches in a vase that is tied with a violet ribbon on our dining room table and a beautiful picture that represents Lent to my family on display. I also tied a grapevine wreath with the same purple ribbon as the vase on our front door. Our home altar has been cleaned and looks very simple with a purple cover, crown of thorns, sacrifice bean jar, our operation rice bowl and a beautiful purple rosary I won in a giveaway hosted by Mrs. Andy Anchored by Faith. This is one of the areas I just completed today and I am feeling quite proud of the Lenten feel that is in my home.

SOUND

Sounds are a little more difficult for me to chose during this season. When I think of a prayerful place, I think of quite, which is not something you will find in our crazy little home. So to embrace both Lent and the crazy that is happening in my home at all times, I thought some nice background music would be good or some nice calm prayers. My children and I are huge fans of Holy Heroes line of audio CDs. They offer the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary and Glory Stories about the Saints! and I was also given a great review about Music for Children's Liturgy of the Word by Christopher Walker that I purchased to add to our collection. I would love to hear what you consider a "sound of the season" for Lent.

TOUCH

The most difficult sense for me to decide on is always Touch. To satisfy the sense of touch, I have collected a nice amount of coloring pages. Once again, I have to mention Holy Heroes. They offer a FREE Lenten Adventure that send you coloring pages, word searches, cross words and much more that is relevant to the season of Lent. I also would like you to check out Life, Love and Sacred Art for some great coloring pages. In addition to coloring, there are some great crafts to have readily available. Burying the "ALLELUIA" is one of my children's absolute favorite crafts. We will also be creating a Resurrection Garden that you start during Lent so it is in bloom for Easter. Making Sacrifice Beads, Rosaries and Lenten Trees are also some fun and simple crafts you could do as a family.

Books are another touch that would be great to dive into during Lent. Devotionals and stories that explain the Lenten season and some of the feast days we celebrate during the 40 days. I was struggling with a Lenten devotional I wanted to focus on since I had already read a Walk in Her Sandals, I knew I would reread that during Holy Week but I was stumped about what to do the rest of the season. I decided I would read Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation and Resisting Happiness both written by Matthew Kelly. I am excited about these National Best-Sellers because there are questions in each section that allow me to ponder what I have read and how it relates to me so I can write in my prayer journal.

TASTE

When I think of tastes, the first thing that comes to mind is food and drink! The whole premise of the Lenten season is simplicity so simple meals, snacks and drinks are what I consider to captivate my family's sense of taste. I love baking pretzels and special meatless meals each Friday. The Crock pot is my lifeline during the incredibly busy season of Lent so it makes my home smell delicious and gets our taste-buds ready for our tasty meals. Here is a short list of Lenten recipe ideas below:

Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp Tacos

Tuna Sandwich

Vegetable Soups

Simple Salads

Spaghetti Squash and Marinara

Fruit Salad

Three Bean Salad

Homemade Pretzels

Macaroni and Cheese

Breakfast Bread

What are some of your go-to recipes? Do you prefer to cook out or go out? Are you active in the Knights of Columbus Spaghetti Dinners and Fish Frys? We are going to a Knights of Columbus Fish Fry this upcoming Friday!

Scents

What other scents do you think of for the Lenten Season? I think there could be an argument for incense and essential oils as an important aspect of your Lenten experience as well. Frankincense is a great option. Maybe purchase some candles made by monks or nun to keep in your home during seasons on extra prayer!

Let's also not forget the smells of Spring Cleaning! We use organic products in my home called Legacy of Clean and they smell amazing!

Still need more ideas to tingle your senses? Check out the CWBN Blog Hop! So many wonderful ideas and suggestions to bring the full season of Lent to your families with sacrifice, prayers and alms-giving.

It is important to remember that Lent is what you make it. You can make it simple or as complicated as you like and just like anything else in life, you will get out of it what you put into it.

Happy Lent and God Bless!

Menu Plan Monday: President's Day Edition

I have been unable to participate in the past few weeks of Menu Plan Mondays due to some medical issues but I am ready to get organized and back into the rhythm of things. I was told by a physician that if I lost the weight I have gained from not working out as much, may alleviate some of the pressure on my back and hopefully help with the shooting pains, tingling and numbness problems from my Spina Bifida. I am excited to get healthier and hopefully register for some upcoming races. We have been having some BEAUTIFUL weather here and abnormally warm. It has been heavenly! Well here is our Menu for Menu Plan Monday: 

Monday: President's Day and Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto

Leftover Pizza

Tuesday: Feast of Saint Peter Damian

Turkey Burgers

Wednesday: Chair of Saint Peter

Dinner at Chick-Fil-A (Cub Scout Outing)

Thursday:

Chicken Fried Rice

Friday:

Soup and Salad

Saturday:

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Sunday:

Chili and Cornbread

Menu Plan Monday: January 30 - February 5

Life has been throwing some serious curve-balls and my family lately: some good and some bad and this month I am getting ready to tackle all of these changes head on. If you were unaware, we received an "unofficial" diagnosis of Aspergers for Goalie and I have been undergoing treatment for complications with my Spina Bifida. I still have Christmas lights adorning our patio and I am sure our neighbors are starting to wonder if they are ever coming down. At least I am within the Liturgical season if I have them down by Candlemas, which happens to be this week.

In happier news, we are heading into spring football and soccer season and we have been having some wonderful family adventures lately. I am trying out new things, such as utilizing a bullet journal as an accompaniment to my planner, starting a new workout regiment and probably what you are most interested in: revamping our menus! I am preparing for our upcoming Lenten season and just really enjoying where we are in life.

Here is our menu for Menu Plan Monday:

Monday:

Spaghetti

Tuesday: Feast of Saint John Bosco

Stuffed Peppers

Wednesday: Feast of Saint Brigid of Ireland

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Thursday: Candlemas

Golden Mushroom Chicken with Quinoa and Salad

Friday: Feast of Saint Blaise

Soup and Salad

Saturday:

Leftover Dinner Buffet or Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Sunday: Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday Party!

Have you ever celebrated Candlemas? It is also called the Presentation of the Lord and is a beautiful celebration. It is considered a Christmas celebration so if you still have your decorations up from the holidays, it is completely acceptable. In honor of Candlemas, my family enjoys a special candlelight dinner. This year we will enjoy Golden Mushroom Chicken, check out the recipe below:

Golden Mushroom Chicken:

2-3 Large Chicken Breasts

1 Large Onion (diced)

2 Cups Mushrooms

1 Can Golden Mushroom Soup

1/4 Cup White Wine

1 Cup Chicken Broth

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken breasts in half and place the chicken into a medium sized baking dish (fit chicken in a single layer). Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Saute onion and mushrooms with olive oil. In small mixing bowl, combine soup, wine, and 1 cup of chicken broth.When the sauce is complete, add the sauteed onions and mushrooms to it. Mix well and pour the sauce over chicken and put the chicken into the oven for an hour. Serve the chicken over mashed potatoes, noodles, quinoa or rice. I also like to serve this with a green vegetable like broccoli or green beans. Enjoy!

My Sunday Best: Epiphany Edition

Three Kings Day! The Epiphany! Theophany! The Twelfth Night! Little Christmas! 

No matter what you call it, it is indeed a feast that needs to be celebrated in style. It is the night that the Three Kings found the Christ Child lying in a manger beneath the star of Bethlehem. We display of entire Nativity scene on our home altar and light our Christ Candle all day to honor this amazing day.

This was our first Mass of the New Year. We have been fighting some nasty stomach bugs, coughs, ear infections and sore throats over our Christmas break so it was an awesome way to start our Epiphany celebration at Mass. As you can see from the picture above, the boys rocked their new outfits they received for Christmas again. They love their ties, new shoes and the whole ensemble so who am I to say no to kids that want to wear their very best? I on the other hand, did not have my Sunday Best on... I am still not feeling so well so I wore more comfortable clothes: A huge sweater and jeans with nice boots. Therefore, I did not honor this outfit with a picture.

After Faith Formation and Mass I headed straight to the grocery store to get some special Epiphany donuts and the ingredients for our special dinner. If you checkout out my Menu Plan Monday Post from earlier in the week, I had something else listed as our dinner for the Epiphany but I came up with a neat idea that incorporated the Three Kings and the Star of Bethlehem. I made Chicken A La King with Star of Bethlehem Biscuits!

We enjoyed an orange juice toast with some yummy donuts before throwing together dinner in the crock pot and enjoying a Family Epiphany nap. When we woke up I got started on those Star of Bethlehem Biscuits! All I did was take a can of Buttermilk biscuits and stretch them out so I could use our Christmas Star cookie cutter to make these festive biscuits for dinner.

Have you ever heard of Chicken a La King? It is similar to a Chicken and Dumplings recipe but instead of dumplings, the Chicken and veggie mixture is served over a puff pastry. I just tweaked the recipe and pour our Chicken and vegetables over biscuits shaped liked stars. Can you see the hiding stars?

After Dinner we did the traditional Chalking of the Door! Have you done it before? If not, it is a great tradition to start with your family! Here is how you do it:

Write the inscription below on your entrance to your home with blessed chalk. The blessings are listed below as well. I wrote the inscription on the doorway while Little Man and Goalie wrote it all over the sidewalk. 

20 + C + M + B + 17

While you write this above your doorway remember to recite:

The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and fifteen years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus Mansionem Benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 17 represents the year. 

To bless the chalk prior to "Chalking the Door" recite the following prayer and sprinkle holy water on the chalk:

Loving God, bless this chalk which you have created, that it may be helpful to your people; and grant that through the invocation of your most Holy Name that we who use it in faith to write upon the door of our home the names of your holy ones Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, may receive health of body and protection of soul for all who dwell in or visit our home; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If you did a Chalking of the Door please find me and the Zelie Group on Instagram and share your pictures! It's not to late to do this fun activity with your family... especially if you still have your Christmas decorations still up! Looking for more fun ways to celebrate the Epiphany checkout Seven Activities to Celebrate the Epiphany.

During dinner and our Epiphany activities, we listened to our Christmas music one last time. It was a sad moment when I told the boys I would be putting away the Christmas decor, music and movies. They begged for one last movie so we decided to watch The Little Drummer Boy and snuggled up with some hot chocolate on the couch before we called it a night and headed to bed. How was your Epiphany celebration? Do you take down your decorations? Or do you leave them up until Candlemas? I am sharing this with My Sunday Best.

God Bless!

Menu Plan Monday: January 9- January 15

Today was a crazy day. We experienced Hurricane strength winds all day and it is still continuing as we speak. I had some plans to make some delicious Stuffed Shells for the Baptism of the Lord tonight but after my experience getting to and from work and the schools being shut down I believed it was safer to stay home. The boys celebrate their Baptism Anniversary on the 29th so we will just save that dinner for that evening. Please say a prayer to everyone affected by the crazy wind storm that hit us here in Colorado. 

On a higher note, we will be attending our first Hockey Game this Saturday! The boys don't even know yet! We have decided to do a family activity, whether it be a game night, watching a movie, going on a hike or something similar to make more family memories together. This is a bigger event than we will get most of the time but I am so excited!

Here is our Menu Plan for this Menu Plan Monday:

Monday: Baptism of the Lord

Leftover Epiphany Chicken A La King with Star of Bethlehem Biscuits

Tuesday:

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Wednesday:

Deli Sandwiches and Garden Salad

Thursday:

Chili

Friday:

Mexican Baked Spaghetti Squash

Saturday:

Eat Out as a Family

Sunday:

Leftover Dinner Buffet

I can't remember if I have shared my Hawaiian BBQ Chicken recipe before but it is loaded with fruits and veggies and a great quick and easy family meal that can be prepared in the crockpot!

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken:

2-3 Large Chicken Breast

1 Can Crushed or Cubed Pineapple.. your texture preference (Drained) 

1 Large Onion Diced

2 Cups Shredded Carrots

1 Bottle of Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into the Crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours. I like to serve this Chicken recipe on Kings Hawaiian Sweet Bread Rolls and top it with a dollop of coleslaw. 

Enjoy!

Sweet potato fries are an amazing side item to pair it with as well. You can also dump all these ingredients into a Gallon Ziplock bag for an easy Freezer to Crockpot meal. 

Seven Activities to Celebrate the Epiphany

Christmas is still not over! Nope! Not yet... Today is the twelfth day of Christmas also known as the Epiphany, Little Christmas or Three Kings Day. The day that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. The traditional date is January 6th but the church will celebrate the Epiphany on the Sunday between January 2th and January 8th. This very special feast has some amazing traditions correlated with it and they certainly can make some lasting memories for your friends and family involved. The Epiphany is celebrated world wide and there are many traditional ways to celebrate and unique ways to celebrate in different countries and cultures. Besides completing your Nativity with the Wise Men, here are seven activities that you can do to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. 

{ONE}

Chalking the Door

Chalking the Door is a great tradition to start with your families! A traditional way of doing this is to use blessed chalk to write above your home’s doorway:

20 + C + M + B + 17

While you write this above your doorway remember to recite:

The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and fifteen years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus Mansionem Benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 17 represents the year. 

To bless the chalk prior to "Chalking the Door" recite the following prayer and sprinkle holy water on the chalk:

Loving God, bless this chalk which you have created, that it may be helpful to your people; and grant that through the invocation of your most Holy Name that we who use it in faith to write upon the door of our home the names of your holy ones Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, may receive health of body and protection of soul for all who dwell in or visit our home; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

{TWO}

Sing Epiphany Songs

Who doesn't love a great karaoke number? There are two songs that are quintessential to celebrate the Epiphany: We Three Kings of Orient Are and the Twelve Days of Christmas. For obvious reasons you can see why these songs are so perfect. It is traditional to sing and celebrate the Epiphany with Christmas music so don't forget to add these songs on your Epiphany play list. Don't know the songs? I have attached the lyrics below so you can sing until your hearts content!

We Three Kings of Orient Are:

We three kings of Orient are,

bearing gifts we traverse afar,

field and fountain, moor and mountain,

following yonder star.

Refrain:

O star of wonder, star of night,

star with royal beauty bright;

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light!

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain,

gold I bring to crown him again,

King for ever, ceasing never

Over us all to reign. (Refrain)

Frankincense to offer have I:

incense owns a Deity nigh;

prayer and praising, gladly raising,

worship him, God Most High. (Refrain)

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume

Breathes a life of gathering gloom;

sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

sealed in the stone-cold tomb. (Refrain)

Glorious now behold him arise,

King and God and Sacrifice;

heaven sings, alleluia; 

alleluia the earth replies. (Refrain)

The Twelve Days of Christmas:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three French hens,

Two turtle doves, and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings,

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese a laying,

Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens,

Two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds,

Three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings,

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying,

Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a leaping nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens,

Two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds,

Three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.

{THREE}

The Three Kings Cake

The Three King Cake is a very special treat that can not be forgotten on the Epiphany! It is eaten in honor of the three kings, also known as the Magi or Wise Men. A custom that I really enjoy is when one slice of the King Cake is set aside for God. There are so many different variations of this delicious treat but all have something hidden inside ranging from a plastic baby that represents baby Jesus to chocolate coins. The traditional custom states that whoever finds the baby Jesus or Chocolate Coin must host the party on Candlemas, which falls on February 2nd. I am doing a similar version of this but with cupcakes placed in a circle and a crown as the centerpiece of the presentation. 

I think it would be completely appropriate for you to allow your children to craft some Crowns to wear during the festivities as well.

{FOUR}

Giving Gifts

In several cultures this night is the evening when they receive gifts! In the Spanish culture, children go to bed waiting with anticipation for a visit from the Three Kings. They place snacks for the Kings' camels under their beds or in their shoes near the fireplace on the night of the Epiphany. The next morning, the children awaken to find that the camel snacks are gone and presents are left for them. Sometimes the camels will leave a trail of the hay to lead the children to where their gifts have been placed.

Have you ever heard of Belfana? I think this custom is so amazing because they leave out wine and an orange for Belfana in hope that she will reward them with gifts for good behavior. She is also known to leave coal for the naughty children. The legend states that the Magi invited Belfana to accompany them to visit the Christ Child but she was too busy sweeping her house at the time. She quickly regretted her decision and went out after the Magi, who were all ready far, far ahead of her. She continues her search to this day, riding her broomstick all over the world in search of Jesus. Want to learn more about this legend? Checkout Old Belfana. There is also a song that accompanies Belfana's legend:

La Befana comes at night

In tattered shoes

Dressed in the Roman style

Long live la Befana!

{FIVE}

Decorate With Flowers

Decorating for events is a great way to set the mood of an event. If you are hosting a Twelfth Night Party or a special Epiphany dinner try including an assortment of "Star of Bethlehem" flowers and/or "Mary's Star" flowers. Both are brilliant white flowers that look similar to a star. They would certainly be a great conversational piece for your friends and family. A little less known fact is that there is a legend involving the Magi and a Mary's Star also known as the Ox-Eye Daisy. Legend says that after the Magi followed the Star of Bethlehem into Bethlehem, they stopped because they didn't know where to go. Saint Melchior looked down and saw an Ox-Eye Daisy blooming. He noticed its resemblance to the Star they had followed to Bethlehem and decided to pluck it from the ground. As he did this, the door to the stable where the Holy Family was staying opened, showing the Magi where the Christ Child lay.

{SIX}

Cheers to the Epiphany

What kind of celebration could you enjoy without a special beverage? There are several drinks that I have come across that are encouraged to share on this night. Hot chocolate variations and Cider drinks are all very popular during the feast day, especially since it is Winter and the air has a bite to it most days. A recipe for a drink called Lamb's Wool is a traditional Epiphany drink. I have shared a recipe below:

6 baking apples, cored

2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup brown sugar, depending on sweetness of cider/ale

2 quarts cider, hard cider, ale, or a mixture of cider and ale

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Roast the apples in a baking pan at 450 degrees for around an hour, until they are very soft and bursting open. In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar a few tablespoons at a time in the liquid of choice, tasting for sweetness. Add the spices. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze all of the pulp from the apples and discard the skins then fluff the puree with a fork and add to the liquid. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve immediately. 

I am sure you could make this for children if you simply substitute the hard cider with a sparkling non alcoholic apple cider served in a mug.

{SEVEN}

Woman's Christmas

So although I am in love with all the previous mentioned activities, the next one is definitely my favorite! The Epiphany also known as 'Nollaig na mBean' or Women's Christmas in Ireland is becoming very popular. On the Epiphany the women get the day off and the men do the cooking and the cleaning! Women gather together to meet up to enjoy tea and cakes while their husbands prepare their homes for the Epiphany. I don't know about you, but I don't think my husband would have the time to pull together a Twelfth Night Party with his crazy schedule but I do think it would be a great new tradition to setup a special time around breakfast or lunch to get together with your close women friends and family for some light refreshments. What do you think? Anyone want to come over for some tea and cakes this Sunday? 

Whether you decide to celebrate the Epiphany tonight, this upcoming Sunday or maybe even both nights, remember to create some family memories and traditions! I would love to hear all about your Epiphany celebrations so please tag me in your Instagram or Facebook pictures or comment below with your activities! I will be sharing details about our Epiphany party this Sunday! Now I have a big question for you:

Do you take down your Christmas decorations after the Epiphany or do you leave them up until Candlemas? 

I am going to start a poll on Facebook so please stop by and give me your vote. I am sharing this with This Ain't the Lyceum for Seven Quick Takes.

Have a Blessed Epiphany and God Bless!

Menu Plan Monday: Christmas Edition

I had to take some time off the past week to really enjoy this beautiful season of Advent with my family. I enjoyed it so much we have been "winging" it all week and so far it's been ok but now I am feeling the need to get reorganized, finish my baking and cleaning and be ready for Christmas! I am starting a bullet journal, revamping our menu plans and so much more for the upcoming year. Do you have a Winter Bucket list? I would love to hear what you have planned. 

Back to the main event.. our menu for Menu Plan Monday: 

Monday:

KFC Family Dinner

Tuesday:

Turkey Meatloaf and Salad

Wednesday: First Day of Winter

Cheddar Broccoli Soup with French Bread

Thursday:

Spaghetti and turkey meatballs

Friday:

Vegetable Stir Fry

Saturday: Christmas Eve

Eating Out or Pizza

Sunday: Christmas Day

Christmas Ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, christmas cookies and much much more!

I won't be sharing a recipe here this week because...as a thank you to all my readers, I offered some amazing Christmas recipes with help from the Zelie Group. If you are interested in receiving these beautiful printables check out A Special Holiday Present For You! There is also 10 hours left in my Christmas Giveaway! Want to win a beautiful metal stamped bracelet?! Checkout Keeping Christ in Christmas and join the raffle.

A Special Holiday Present for You

I am beyond grateful for the friendships that I have made through this journey as a Catholic blogger. I have had the opportunity to grow my faith and the faith of my family because of the amazing people I have had the pleasure to meet over the past year of revamping my online presence. One of those amazing relationships I have had the pleasure of creating is through the Zelie Group. These amazing ladies have truly inspired me and I hope that we have also inspired you. As a thank you for being loyal readers and because we know how amazing you truly are, we are offering some delicious recipe printables. All you have to do is email me at jessica(dot)kong20(at)gmail(dot)com and I will send the beautiful gift to you. Nothing else is required from me and I will not continue to email you after you receive the recipes. If you would like all the other Recipe Printables please checkout the other Zelie Group participants below: 

Anni / Beautiful Camouflage

Kirby / Under Thy Roof

Ginny / Not So Formulaic

Brittany / Everyday Thoughts

Kerry / Fishbowl Fortune

Jessica / Pinot Noir and Prayers

Chiara / Catholic Pearl Coming soon!

In addition to these beautiful Holiday Recipes we are still participating in the Instagram picture a day devotional. We have had a lot of very unique and inspiring photos shared through this devotional and it is not too late to join us! I am personally holding my first GIVEAWAY right now too! Interested in winning a beautiful stamped metal cuff bracelet from Faith and Fabric? Checkout Keeping Christ in Christmas for access to the Raffle! I look forward to another great year and hope to grow the friendships I have made through this blog! Thank you so much for reading and God bless you and your families as we finish this Advent season and head into the Christmas season!

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!

Feast of Saint Ambrose: Celebrate the Light of the World

I can not believe how quick and smoothly this Advent has been! Today is the feast of Saint Ambrose and we kept it quick and simple. Saint Ambrose is one of four Doctors of the Church and has some amazing stories to accompany his great stature as a saint. There is a legend that when Saint Ambrose was just an baby, a swarm of bees landed on his face but instead of stinging him, left behind a drop of honey. To his father, this was a sign that Ambrose would become someone with a special talent for speaking. As an adult, Saint Ambrose became the bishop of Milan. He donated all of his land and money to the poor. These reasons and many more made him extremely popular among the people and even more politically powerful than the emperor at times. He is the patron saint of bee keepers, beggars, learning and Milan.

To start our morning, we were welcomed with another note from Buddy the Elf reminding us of this very special feast day. He brought us some candles and requested that we make our Christ Candle today. Creating the Christ Candle is a very fun and appropriate craft since bees are known for their wonderful wax.

As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, we easily created our Christ Candle with a gold Sharpie and a glass candle from the Dollar Tree. Placing the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is a great way to incorporate it into your Advent celebrations. It is something to anticipate and you light it on Christmas because we have been graced with the Light of the World.

After we finished our Christ Candle, we enjoyed a nice family dinner of Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken. It was modified slightly from the recipe I shared on my Menu Plan Monday post because I forgot to defrost my chicken breasts! So I cooked everything in the crockpot on high in the crockpot for 2 hours and then grilled the chicken until it was cooked fully. It turned out amazing!

I am now enjoying a nice cup of mint tea with honey to end today's festivities! How is your Advent progressing? It's not too late to make it the best Advent ever! Just let me know if you need some suggestions or help... I have tons of resources to share!

Penitential Prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan:

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,

take away from me my sins,

and mercifully kindle in me

the fire of thy Holy Spirit.

Take away from me the heart of stone,

and give me a heart of flesh,

a heart to love and adore Thee,

a heart to delight in Thee,

to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake

Amen

Saint Ambrose, pray for us!

Menu Plan Monday: December 5- December 11

As Advent progresses, each week brings more and more excitement. It's building the anticipation for the Christmas Season. This week will also be freezing cold so we have some nice hot family meals planned for this week. There are exciting feast days to celebrate, traditions to enjoy and amazing food to devour. What do you have planned for this upcoming week? Any special recipes? Here's our menu for this Menu Plan Monday:

Monday:

Leftover Tacos and Salad

Tuesday: Feast of Saint Nicholas

Beer Bratwurst with Onions and Peppers

Wednesday: Feast of Saint Ambrose

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Thursday: Immaculate Conception

Baked Chicken with Rice and Cauliflower

Friday: Feast of Saint Juan Diego

Boys will Eat at Pack Meeting and Taco Salad for me!

Saturday:

Turkey Burgers

Sunday: Third Sunday of Advent

Crockpot Chili

I thought I would share this super aromatic and tasty recipe for Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken! It's a favorite around here!

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken:

2-3 Medium Chicken Breasts
2 Large Russet Potatoes (Diced)
1 lb Bag Baby Carrots
1 lb Bag Frozen Green Beans

Sauce:
1 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Cup Barbecue
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Mix all the Sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and place to the side. Add the Potatoes, Carrots, Green beans and Chicken in the Crockpot. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.