Easter 2014 Menu

For those of you wondering what to make for your Easter feast, here's what we had today:

Breakfast

• Baked Eggs in Prosciutto-Hash Brown Cups from Eating Well magazine.  I prefer to call them "nests."  And make sure you pack the hash browns tightly, or the eggs will seep through and stick to the pan.  Oops.

• Blueberry French Toast from The One-Armed Cook

Easter Feast

• Crab and Lemon Pepper Stuffed Eggs
• Potato Salad (I have no recipe for this.  It's just potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, dill relish, season salt, sliced olives, sour cream, mayo, and mustard)
• Roasted Tomatoes (No recipe for this, either.  I just toss together grape tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar then bake at 350 for 15 minutes.)
• Paprika-Parmesan Chicken (from piarecipes.com)

Photo from http://www.piarecipes.com/2014/02/baked-paprika-parmesan-chicken.html

Dessert

• The Easter Story Cookies that we made last night

Holy Week Activities with the Kids

After our Palm Sunday feast, our mood turns more prayerful as we prepare for the holiest week of the year.  It's hard for young children to quietly mediate, pray, and fast; so we have adapted our activities to suit their ages and abilities.

Stations of the Cross
I found this neat Stations of the Cross coloring booklet on catholicmom.com.  I have the boys color them in, then we post them on the wall, starting at the bottom of the stairs and ending in our upstairs hallway.  That way, when we pray the Stations (or merely meditate upon the images), we feel like we are climbing up to Calvary with Jesus.

On Good Friday, we head up to our local Abbey to pray at their outdoor Stations of the Cross.  

Corporal Works of Mercy
During the year, the boys collect change for our family's "Poor Box."  During Holy Week, the boys put the money they've saved into our parish's Poor Box.

We also gather clothes, books, and toys to deliver to a local homeless shelter during Holy Week.

Holy Saturday Hike
This year, we're starting the tradition of a hike on Holy Saturday.  Aside from the symbolism of Jesus' trek up to Calvary, we feel that it would be a prayerful experience to unplug and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

Easter Story Cookies
During the evening of Holy Saturday, the boys and I make these Easter Story cookies while my husband reads the corresponding Bible verses.

Watching Movies
If the boys watch TV during Holy Week, we prefer that they watch Catholic shows and movies.  Some of our favorites are The Ten Commandments (animated), The Miracle Maker, and At Jesus' Side.

Palm Sunday Feast - Penne Della Palma

Our family celebrates every Sunday with a special lunch, rosary, dessert, and family movie or game night.  To celebrate Palm Sunday, it has become a tradition for me to make Penne Della Palma for lunch.

Penne Della Palma
(adapted from Father Leo Patalinghug's recipe from his now-defunct Grace Before Meals website)
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 pound penne pasta
1 can hearts of palm
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
¼ cup parsley, minced
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
½ cup brandy (Since we're Spanish, I prefer to use Sherry)
½ cup starchy pasta water
½ cup whipping cream
½ Tbs salt and pepper (or to taste)

1.  Season the chicken breast (I like the 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's) and cook using a grill, grill pan, or saute pan. Once cool, slice into strips.

2.  Boil pasta until al dente. Drain water, but reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water. 

3.  Drain water from palms and cut into ¼-inch pieces. 

4.  In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter, then saute garlic, parsley, tomatoes, and palm. Add cheese and breadcrumbs, and combine. 

5.  Add brandy, water, and cream. (Caution: cooking with liquor is flammable)

6.  Add pasta and chicken and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese for more flavor.

Serve with crusty bread and a salad. 


I'm a huge fan of Fr. Leo.  As a Mestiza whose mother's family immigrated from the Philippines in the 1960s, he almost feels like part of my family.  I was blessed to meet him when he came to Garden Grove, CA in 2013 and I got both of my books autographed that day!

Life Affirming Movies

Our family celebrates Sundays with mass, a special lunch, dessert, and family movie or game night.  Since we have four young children, we only watch movies that we feel are appropriate.  If the movies teach life lessons in addition to being entertaining, that's a win!  

I will add the disclaimer, that we watch all movies through our ClearPlay DVD player, so scenes with inappropriate content (language, sex, violence, etc.) are filtered out.

Here is a list of movies that we have found to be life-affirming and appropriate for families of all ages:

Bella
So much has been written about Bella that I feel that my words will not do it justice.  Please click the links below to learn more about this incredible movie:

Roger Ebert's review of Bella 
Steven Greydanus' review from the National Catholic Register

Plus, Eduardo Verastegui's testimony is incredible!




October Baby
October Baby is the story of a young woman who, after a health crisis, learns that she was adopted after surviving an attempted abortion.  This movie chronicles her emotional journey toward acceptance of her past and forgiveness.  It's an outstanding testament to unconditional love.

When the movie is over, please do not turn off the TV.  The story that follows is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.




Robots
Yes, I said Robots.  The basic plot of the movie is that a slick, flashy robot named Ratchet takes over the largest company in Robot City and changes its slogan from "You can shine, no matter what you're made of" to "Why be you when you can be new?"  He then proceeds to hunt down and destroy all the "outmodes," which are older and/or obsolete robots.  Ratchet orders his company to stop making replacement parts for these "outmodes" and focuses solely on upgrades.  With the help of his new friends, loveable hero Rodney Copperbottom uses his talents as an up-and-coming robot inventor/engineer to help repair the local outmodes.  When his deeds are discovered by Ratchet, a fight to save the lives of the outmodes ensues.

This movie is an interesting study on the value of life and would be a good jumping-off point to teach your kids about the dignity of the old and infirm and the right to life until natural death.  It's also sweet to see how much Rodney's parents wanted a child and the love between the robot family is very sweet.  I'm actually surprised that more people haven't caught on to the pro-life themes of this movie.

My one criticism of this movie is the potty humor.  There are some double-entendres, but they go right over my kids' heads.

Lenten Soup Supper - Potato Cheese Soup

serves 4-6

Ingredients
4 cups cubed potatoes
4 cups vegetable broth (I like to use Better than Bouillion)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped leek (light green part only)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Combine potatoes, broth, celery, and leeks in a large saucepan.  Stir in seasoned salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.

2.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).  Puree mixture in a blender, then return to pan.  (or use an immersion blender inside the saucepan - my preferred technique)

3.  Add milk to potato mixture and mix well.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

4.  Stir in cheese and cook, stirring frequently until the cheese is melted.

5.  Serve immediately.

Please Help Aquinas and More!

Aquinas and More is a store that sells Catholic goods.  When my husband and I were engaged, it meant a lot to me to have a wedding rosary and the only place I could find one at an affordable prices was Aquinas and More.  Because of that and because my husband authored blog posts for them occasionally, their store has a special place in my heart.  

Unfortunately, the tough economic climate forced Aquinas and More to shut down their brick and mortar store late last year.  They had to shut down their online store as well, but are trying to raise enough funds to keep their ministry alive. Their goal is to raise $250,000 and they have issued a challenge to meet this goal before a new Pope is chosen!  If you are able to give, please click the link to Save Aquinas and More .

* A special bonus about Aquinas and More is that they do not sell anything made in China!

Lenten Soup Supper: Creamy Tomato Parmesan Soup

serves 4

Ingredients
2 T. butter
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup flour
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth (I like to use Better than Bouillion)
1/2 T. dried basil
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, finely chop the garlic, carrots, and celery.
3. Sweat the vegetables in the butter until soft, minding to not burn the garlic.
4. Add the flour and stir well to incorporate.
5. Add the entire can of tomatoes, broth, basil, and oregano and stir to combine.
6. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
7. Before serving, add the cream and parmesan and stir to combine.
8. Season to taste.