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On Easter Morning

Apr 27, 2011 | , | 1 Comment


Don’t you just love Easter morning?  Despite forcing myself to go to bed at midnight (leaving a number of things unfinished) and setting my oven timer for six hours, so I would be forced to get up in the morning to defrost the dinner rolls and start the ham for our Easter Dinner before getting ready to attend the 9AM Easter Sunday Mass, everything came together beautifully!

Filled Easter Baskets and our completed Last Supper Puzzle.  The children loved all the treats and goodies that they found in their baskets, as well as the Easter Symbol Candies! 

I also ended up finding a darling Spring/Lamb Themed Fabric Book to add to Rose’s basket called Sunny Day Come and Play!

We had such a hard time getting Rose to smile, I think it was still too early for our little night owl, and she kept making the funniest little faces!

The toy that we ended up choosing for Snuggles was Bullseye.  We had been promising him one for once he was completely potty-trained day and night, and then we couldn’t find one locally when I took him shopping a couple weeks ago.   He was so excited!  (And I am excited to only have one in diapers at the moment!)

There wasn’t anything Catholic or Symbolic about the ring pops and new sunglasses either, but they definitely were a fun addition to the girls baskets!   They also loved their new watercolors – I found these great Schylling Watercolor sets for the girls and Melissa and Doug Take-along Watercolor Sets for the boys!

The boys loved everything in their baskets too.   Captain’s favorite item was the stick of beef jerky and he wondered why it would have been placed hiding in the back!  As for a toy, I ended up just picking out a couple small Lego sets and two grab bag minifigures, which both ended up being Samurais – perfect for my new little fencers! 

We were also all surprised with lovely gifts from Catholic Embroidery including embroidered bookmarks, handkerchiefs, and even a beautiful AMDG Key Fob for me!  Thank you Mary!!


The past couple years, in addition to our children’s Easter Baskets, there was a basket for the whole family!  Last year that basket included items for the Garden Parties that we were planning on having, and this year (though unplanned) it ended up focusing on the various Easter Symbols! 

Since we have been enjoying puzzles so much this past year, I had ordered a Good Shepherd Puzzle for the Easter Season!   I also included a Ukrainian Egg Decorating Kit, Egg Shaped Flower Truffles, Lindt Chocolate Lambs, an adorable Peacock (sent from a dear friend), a Butterfly clip, a beautiful small statue of the Good Shepherd and a Good Shepherd Holy Card (both from our local Catholic Book Store) – placing the basket next to this year’s Easter Lilies!     (I had ordered a couple other things months ago, including a beautiful cross, from House of Fontanini, but they have yet to arrive. . .) 

I was also so excited about the great little Easter Symbols Booklet that Charlotte made to go with the Easter Symbol Chocolates.   I originally thought I would put one booklet in each of the children’s baskets, but I ended up running out of time to stitch them all together, so I just made one.  I think I will save the other 9 copies I printed out for next year! 😉

Happy Easter!

Making Chocolate Nests for Easter

Apr 27, 2011 | , | 1 Comment

On Holy Saturday the girls really enjoyed making Chocolate Nests, like they had done last year. 
Easter was SO close, and the excitement was building quickly! 

Uh oh!  “Don’t touch!! It’s not Easter yet!”

Oooh! Snuggles snuck a stray Chow Mein noodle. . . 

… and was a little too happy to “Hold the Spoon” for a minute!

Just look at him licking his little lips, while looking at that spoon covered in chocolate!  Way too tempting… The torture! 

The girls had so much fun working in the kitchen…

… and they didn’t mind having a “helper!”

After we finished making the Chocolate Nests, we went on to make a new variation of Bird’s Nest Cookies.   I posted the recipe, and even more pictures, over at Catholic Cuisine! 

Our Easter Dinner ~ Easter Sunday, 2011

Apr 26, 2011 | , | 12 Comments

After Mass on Easter Sunday, we had the pleasure of hosting Easter dinner!  My parents joined us and, of their 12 children, 7 (including myself) were able to spend Easter together at our home – the rest are all living out of state at the moment.  Of my six brothers, Paul, Brian and his family, Scott, Kevin and David were all able to make it, and, of my five sisters, only Jennifer was in town.  

My Mom, sister-in-law Meagan and Jennifer all helped prepare the food.  I posted links to the recipes we served here:  Our Easter Menu. Everything turned out so delicious!

Apricot Glazed Ham
Honey Roasted Carrots • Roasted Asparagus
Scalloped Potatoes and Onions • Green Salad

Dinner Rolls • Lamb Butter Mold
Lamb of God Rolls

Golden Easter Punch

Lamb Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream
(made with our Lamb Cake Mold)
Easter Egg Cakes
Cross Cake
(Applesauce Cake, made with Gluten free Spice Cake mix, baked in a Cross Shaped pan and decorated with Cream Cheese Frosting, Coconut and Strawberries)

Chocolate Nests • Bird’s Nest Cookies 

My brother Scott with our precious little niece
Brian and Meagan • Snuggles in heaven with a big basket of rolls!
The boys playing Wii with Uncle David (after giving it up for Lent)
My parents (I wish the picture wasn’t blurry!)

My sister Jennifer and I • My brother Paul •  Mom and I
The boys getting ice cream for with their cake! Yum!!

If you’d like to see pictures from other Easter Celebrations, or share pictures of your own, head on over to Catholic Cuisine! 

Celebrating the Easter Season and The Garden of the Good Shepherd Sticker Calendar Giveaway!

Apr 25, 2011 | , | 85 Comments

I’ll be back sometime soon with pictures from our Easter Sunday Celebration, but first I wanted to post a few links and a giveaway!

Since 2008 our family has been celebrating the Easter Season with The Garden of the Good Shepherd.  The first few years we did daily activities corresponding to the symbols and bible readings for each of the 50 days.   You can find all of our old planning posts on this page.

Last year Charlotte and I worked together once again, this time creating a set of plans we named “The Good Shepherd’s Garden Party!”   My children really loved this and are looking forward to having our Garden Parties once again this year.

I purchased our copy of The Garden of the Good Shepherd: A Sticker Calendar to Count the Fifty Days of Easter from Amazon (and laminated the stickers, to make it more re-useable), but it looks like it is currently sold out.   It has been selling out frequently over the past couple months, so keep checking and you might be able to find a copy.   It is also available at Liturgy Training Publications and Aquinas and More.

For those that would rather not purchase the calendar, Charlotte illustrated a wonderful printable version to color!

 

Last year a couple of my children asked if they could create their own posters using the printables in addition to our calendar.   I never did get around to posting any pictures last year, but they really loved this addition as well.

by Rascal (2010)

by Twinkle Toes (2010)

We did make a couple additions to the last two Garden Party Plans for this year (adding the Edible Thrones and the Peacock Cupcakes we came up with at the last minute), and you can download the revised documents, in addition to all the other documents, at Scribd:

(Note:  These plans are just our suggestions.  You can customize the plans for your family.  We loved seeing all the variations that were shared last year in the link-ups!)

Also, I DO have an extra calendar set that I would like to giveaway!   Please mention in the comments below if you’d like to be entered into the drawing.  I’ll draw a name on Thursday night, so I can get the calendar in the mail on Friday morning when I am in town.   At least the Easter season lasts for 50 days, and you can “catch up” the stickers for the first week or two if you win the calendar!

The First week of Easter’s Garden Party Link-up will be posted at Catholic Cuisine on Monday, May 2nd!  Is anyone planning on joining us this year?

UPDATE: Comments are now closed for the giveaway! Thank you everyone for participating!! I will announce the winner soon. 🙂

Congratulations, Grace!
   
Please email me your address as soon as possible, so I can get it on it’s way to you and your family!!
Thank you all for participating.  I had no idea there would be so much interest!  Additional copies of the Sticker Calendar are still available at Amazon.  
Happy Easter!! 

Our Easter Menu

Apr 23, 2011 | | 2 Comments

This past Monday it was decided that we would host Easter Dinner this year!   It was such a busy week around here, with a birthday on Wednesday, followed by our regular church and home activities during Holy Week, so I decided to keep the menu fairly simple and ask for help.  I’ll be baking a couple hams with an Apricot Glaze, as well as the rolls with butter, desserts, and drinks. My mom will be making the Scalloped Potatoes (I made these on Christmas Eve and they were a hit!) and Honey Glazed Carrots.  My sister Jennifer will be bringing Roasted Asparagus., and my sister-in-law Meagan will be bringing a Mixed Green Salad.  Hopefully it will all come together nicely!  🙂

Easter Menu

Artichoke and Jalapeno Dip 
with French Bread and Crackers

Ham with Apricot Glaze
Scalloped Potatoes and Onions (recipe below)
Roasted Asparagus
Honey Glazed Carrots (recipe below)
Mixed Green Salad
Dinner Rolls with Lamb Shaped Butter

Lamb Cake
served with Fresh Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Golden Easter Punch (recipe below)
White Grape Sparkling Cider
Wine, Tea and Coffee
Recipes

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions
Source: All Recipes
Ingredients:
5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Paprika
Directions:
In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer potatoes and onion.
In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until tender.

*I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 baking dish. 

Honey Glazed Carrots
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and then carrots and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the carrots and add back to pan with butter, honey and lemon juice. Cook until a glaze coats the carrots, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.


Golden Easter Punch
Source: Food.com

Ingredients:
6 cups water
4 cups sugar
1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice
1 (12 ounce) can orange juice concentrate
1 (6 ounce) can lemonade concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (2 liter) bottle carbonated lemon-lime beverage
1 quart pineapple sherbet

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour sugar water into a large punchbowl. Add juices and vanilla. Add soda. Stir well. Add sherbet just before serving.

*We ended up skipping the additional sugar and just assembled all the remaining ingredients.   It turned out wonderfully!

You can see what others will be serving for Easter, or share your own plans, over at Catholic Cuisine!

A Lenten Dinner on Good Friday

Apr 23, 2011 | , , , | 8 Comments

Once again, for the 3rd year in a row, I served a Second Lenten Tea  inspired by Cottage Blessings on Good Friday for our one main meal.   You can find the pictures from our 2009 and 2010 Good Friday Teas in the archives for Good Friday.   Here are the pictures from this year:

~ The Water Bowl ~

Alice suggests having a punch bowl of water to drink, but each year my children have prefer washing their hands instead.  They look forward to this every year!



 
“Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood.” Matthew 27: 24

~ The King’s Crown ~

This year we tried “Multi-Grain Scoops” made by Tostitos, to go along with a Crown Shaped Bean Dip.
“And Pilate asked Him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And He answered him, ‘You have said so.'” Mark 15: 2

~ Out of Envy ~

The Green Guacamole goes perfect with with the King’s Crown. 
“[H]e perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up.” Mark 15: 10

~ The Purple Cloak ~

Grape Fruit Leather was served for the Purple Cloak.
“And they clothed Him in a purple cloak . . . .” Mark 15: 17
~ The Crown of Thorns ~

These Crown of  Thorns were made by my boys – with Ritz Crackers, Peanut Butter, and Pretzels.
“. . . and, plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him.” Mark 15: 17
~ Golgotha Eggs ~

I decided to let each of the kids draw the skull on their Golgotha Egg this year, using Easy Writers.
“And they brought Him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of the skull)” Mark 15: 22

~ The Seamless Garment ~

Using a knife, I quickly cut the tortillas to look like a seamless garment and some blocks of cheese for the dice used to cast lots. 
“But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.'” John 19: 23-24

~ The Two Robbers ~


I have the hardest time remembering to buy fresh basil each year.  Once again we used Spinach Leaves instead. . .
And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.” Mark 15: 27

~ Vinegar to Drink ~

“And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.'” Mark 15: 36


~ The Temple Curtain ~
My children, especially Snuggles, loved tearing the curtain in two…




 and three… and four!  😉

“And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” Mark 15: 38

 ~ The Roman Centurion ~


I opted to cut 50 tomatoes in half, since I only bought one pint, to represent the 100 Roman Centurion.

“And when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that He thus breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.'” Mark 15: 39



~ Laid in the Tomb ~

I’ve made Cinnamon Muffins the past couple years, and decided to do the same this year, inserting a bit of fruit jam in the middle. As always, they almost tasted too delicious after a day of Fasting.
“And he brought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.”

The Bible readings, recipes and shopping list can be found at Cottage Blessings.  I reused the small card stock signs I created last year and my document can be found at Scribd, if anyone would like a copy.

I hope you all had a very blessed Good Friday! 

A Lenten Dinner on Holy Thursday ~ 2011

Apr 22, 2011 | , | 8 Comments

Our Crown of Thorns  (inspiration found here)

For the past few years we have been enjoying special family meals inspired by the “Liturgical Teas” at Cottage Blessings.  (Thank you again, Alice!!)   Tonight we had our 3rd annual Lenten Tea Dinner on Holy Thursday!   I’ve posted pictures from our first and second Holy Thursday Lenten Teas, but I am going to go ahead and add a post for this year as well,  even though it is somewhat repetitive.  I always love looking back and noticing the little variations from year to year. . .  Anyhow, here is what was included in the menu this year:

~ Palm on the Road ~

I was so happy to be able to find Hearts of Palm this year at Costco!  Like the first year, most of the children didn’t like the Palm, though most were willing to at least try some this time.  
I also tried out a new idea I ran across, a Tomato, Avocado and Hearts of Palm Salad!  It was awesome!!
 
“And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.” Mk. 11: 8
~ Costly Oil ~

Do you have a favorite Olive Oil?  Mine is the Basil Flavored Olive Oil from Annie’s Naturals! 

“And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Mk. 14: 9
~ Thirty Pieces of Silver ~

I served rice crackers once again, this time opting for “Artisan Cheese.”
“Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.” Mt. 25: 14-15
~ Unleavened Bread ~

In the past I have used Pita Bread cut into wedges, but this year I opted for some Multi-grain Sandwich Thins.   Next year I hope to have the time to try Lisa’s Unleavened Bread Recipe! 
“And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to Him, ‘Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?'” Mk. 14: 12
~ The Mount of Olives ~

This year, in addition to the Black Olives, I added some of my favorites – Green Olives double stuffed with Garlic and Jalapenos!
“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Mk. 14: 26
~ The Cock Crows Twice ~

Once again this year, instead of sandwiches, I made mini Chicken Wraps with Chicken Breast, Cream Cheese, Lettuce and Tomatoes, wrapped in a green Spinach Wrap.  (I tried to incorporate the color green when possible since Holy Thursday is also known as Green Thursday.) 
I also served Roasted Chicken with White and Wild Rice Soup.  It was delicious!
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.'” Mk. 14: 30

~ Gethsemane Figs ~

Fig Newtons are such an easy and yummy addition to the menu! 
“And they went to a place which was called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I pray.'” Mk. 14: 32

~ Judas’ Kiss ~

The first year I served Strawberries, but they just don’t last long in my fridge, so I pulled out 1 green Mint Hershey Kiss (leftover from St. Patrick’s Day) for each person. 
“And when he came, he went up to him at once, and said, ‘Master!’ And he kissed him.” Mk. 14: 45

~ The Clouds of Heaven ~

A little cloud of whip cream for on top of the Fig Cookies.
“And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.'” Mk. 14: 62

~ Peter’s Tears ~

I bought a pack of Tic-Tacs AND Altoids, but I wasn’t able to remember where I hid either this afternoon.  :/  Thankfully I was able to find a little tin of breath mints that my little sister gave me at Christmas with my name on it.  (No, I didn’t take it too personally, since she gave all my siblings personalized breath mint tins too… 😉  
“And immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.” Mk. 14: 72


I happened to remember where I had put the small card stick signs that I made last year, which include the name for each dish and the short Bible quotes Alice provided.  If any one would like a copy of my document, it can still be download/printed at Scribd. 

While I was taking pictures, I snapped a couple of our dining room, so you could see where we placed our Hutch.   Someday I would like to replace our table and chairs (or at least just the chairs) since we only have six and are using the bench from the school room so we have enough seats.  

Also, my mom stopped by and helped me decide on some of my dishes, vases, etc, to put in the Hutch for now.   I’m sure I will change it over time, but at least it isn’t empty anymore!  Thanks, Mom! 

I hope you all had a very blessed Holy Thursday!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Apr 21, 2011 | , , , | 4 Comments

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life 

I am not going to have much time for posting over the next few days, so I will save the Nesting Doll Birthday post for sometime after Easter.   In the meantime here are four more pictures from yesterday!


{pretty}

My “little” six year old, and her new Matryoshka Nesting Doll! 

{happy}

... to have a few sweet little friends join us for the party! 
{funny}

Too much sugar, despite the smaller can size?!? 
{real}

The love my children have for each other!
Captain was very proud of the beautiful nesting doll 
banner/card that he made for his little sister. 


I’m off to start preparing this year’s Holy Thursday Lenten Tea… 
Wishing you all a very blessed Holy Thursday! 

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment!

Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-25, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-18, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

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Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-25, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-18, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Giveaways
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

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All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!