Week 5
“The Gardener Plants Paradise”
This Week’s Good Shepherd’s Garden Party Menu
Maple Leaf Cookies
Lemon Crème Flower Cookies
Fresh Fruit
Owl Cupcakes
Olives and/or Rosemary Olive Oil Crackers
Palm Tree Picks in Cheese Cubes
Lily Sandwiches
Decorating Ideas
Roses, Lilies and/or other Flowers
Palm Tree Decorations (Picks, Napkins, etc.)
*Please feel free to modify and be creative with these plans to suit your family!
Recipes and Suggestions
29. Tree of Life’s Leaves
To keep things simple, we choose to include leaf and flower shaped cookies made by Dare.
Maple Leaf Cookies
1 package of Maple Leaf Cookies by Dare
“Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22: 1-5
30. The Tree of Life’s Flowers
Flower Shaped Cookies
1 package of Lemon Crème Cookies by Dare
“For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off.” Isaiah 55: 12-13
31. The Tree of Life’s Fruit
Serve a platter of fresh fruit of your choice.
Photo Credit: Waltzing Matilda
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.”
Galatians 5: 22-2
32. The Owl
These Owl cupcakes are too cute NOT to include in our party!
Owl Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes
Chocolate Frosting
2 Oreos per cupcakes, split open
1 Reese Pieces per cupcake
2 Junior Mints per cupcake
Carefully separate two Oreo cookies. Use the halves with the cream as eyes. Break one of the other halves (without cream) in half and cover with chocolate frosting to use as the tufts of feathers over the eyes. Use Junior Mints for the pupils.
Photo Credit: Waltzing Matilda
“I am like a vulture of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; I lie awake, I am like a lonely bird on the housetop. All the day my enemies taunt me, those who deride me use my name for a curse. For I eat ashes like bread, and mingle tears with my drink, because of thy indignation and anger; for thou hast taken me up and thrown me away. My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But thou, O LORD, art enthroned for ever; thy name endures to all generations.” Psalm 102: 6-12
33. The Olive Tree
Serve a dish of Olives and/or Rosemary Olive Oil Crackers
“At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made, and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put forth his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.” Genesis 8: 6-11
34. The Palm Tree
Initially we were going to suggest Coconut Milkshakes served in palm tree glasses, but to keep it simple we opted for Palm Tree Picks in Cheese Cubes. These should be easy to find at your local Party Store, however we have also created a printable version as another option.
Palm Tree Picks in Cheese Cubes
Photo Credit: Palm Tree Parasol Party Picks from Party City
“The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on an ass’s colt!” His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Laz’arus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness.” John 12: 12-17
35. Roses and Lilies
An easy alternative to the following menu item would be a bouquet of roses and lilies for the table!
Lily Sandwiches
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese
2-3 TBSP milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
20 slices fresh white bread
green pepper or green onions
carrot
Directions:
Combine cream cheese, milk, salt, and paprika. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until good and creamy. Remove crusts from bread. Roll into cornucopia shape by bringing two straight edges together and letting them overlap slightly. Hold the edges together with a little bit of the cheese mixture, pressing gently. Roll and chill the bread “lilies” before filling. After sandwiches are filled with the cream cheese mixture, insert a thin strip of carrot for a stamen. Cut bell pepper into leaf shapes and attach a leaf to each sandwich with additional cheese or stick a green onion, in the pinched end, as a stem.
Photo Credit: Shower of Roses & Waltzing Matilda (these were made with Peanut Butter and Bananas)
“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. As a lily among brambles, so is my love among maidens. As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples; for I am sick with love. O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me! I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the hinds of the field, that you stir not up nor awaken love until it please.” Song of Songs 2: 1-7
Shopping List
Fresh Produce:
Fresh Fruit of Choice
Carrots
Green Pepper or Green Onion
Dairy:
Cheese Cubes
8 oz – Cream Cheese
Milk
Breads:
White Sandwich Bread
Canned & Dry Goods:
Olives
Spices:
Salt
Paprika
Baking Supplies:
Cake Mix + ingredients for Cupcakes
Chocolate Frosting
Snacks:
Rosemary and Olive Oil Crackers
Cookies & Sweets:
Maple Leaf Cookies by Dare
Lemon Crème Cookies by Dare
Oreo Cookies
Junior Mints
Reese’s Pieces
Other:
Palm Tree Picks or Toothpicks
Fresh Flowers
You can download this post in a printable form here.
A Mr. Linky will be posted at Catholic Cuisine on May 10th, for anyone who would like to share the pictures from your own Good Shepherd’s Garden Party!
These look so yummy, especially those cute lilies.
Love the main page. Do you think it will always be this way?