Recipes and Suggestions

1. The Good Shepherd

These Mini Shepherd Pies will make a cute main dish for our Garden Party! They can easily be made using a muffin pan and then the children can add little pieces of vegetables to make faces.

Ingredients:

1 pound Ground Beef
1/2 cup Ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1-1/2 cups Frozen Peas and Carrots Mixture
2 cups of Mashed Potatoes
1 tube Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
Misc. Pieces of Vegetables for making a Shepherd’s Face (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté the ground beef for 6-8 minutes, or until meat is cooked through, stirring frequently to break up the meat. Drain if needed. Add ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and stir well to combine. Add peas and carrots and stir well to combine and defrost. Set aside.

2. Press 1 biscuit dough onto the bottom and up the sides of each of 10 greased muffin cups. Fill with beef mixture. Spread mashed potatoes over beef.

3. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Decorate with vegetables to create a Shepherd’s Face.

2. The Shepherd’s Crook

Shape each section of breadstick dough into Shepherd’s Crooks. Bake as directed on package.

3. The Sheepfold

Popcorn is white and fluffy, like sheep, and when air-popped, sometimes a piece of popcorn comes flying out of the popper and flies across the room, like a lost sheep. Remind the children that, like sheep, we wander astray sometimes. The fence protects the Shepherd’s sheep from straying from him. The bowl is like the fence for the popcorn.

Directions:  Air-pop the popcorn and serve it warm, if possible. Butter, if desired, can be melted in a saucepan on the stove.

4. The Gate of the Sheepfold

5. The Ewe and the Ram

1 box white cake mix + ingredients listed on box
1 can fluffy white frosting
48 mini M&M’s
1 piece of bubblegum cut into little triangles (optional)
12 large marshmallows cut into half lengthwise and then again diagonally
1/2 bag miniature marshmallow cut into half

Bake cupcakes according to directions on package, cool and then frost.

For the Lamb: Arrange the halved mini marshmallows around the perimeter of each cupcake, in two circles. Leave room for ears on the edges, and an empty circle in the center for the face. Place halved full-sized marshmallows in reserved spots for the ears. Place two mini chocolate candies in upper half of each empty circle to make the eyes, and a bubble gum triangle or mini M&M for the nose.

For the Ram: Tint some frosting blue or any color of your choice. Pipe on a Ram horn with white frosting or melted white chocolate chips.

6. The Lamb

This beverage, quite common in England from the high Middle Ages, was enjoyed on various festive occasions including the Christmas season. Unlike the wassail, it was a cold drink and it was simpler in contents, consisting of the juice of roasted apples mixed with spiced ale.

Recipe Source: The Catholic Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 cups apple cider
1 stick cinnamon, 3 inches long
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 can (18 ounces) pineapple juice

Directions:

Heat cider, cinnamon in a deep saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until heated through. Cool. Pour into punch bowl. Yield, 15 servings.

7. The Wolf

1 package Voortman’s Iced Almonette Cookies
Chocolate Almond Bark or Chocolate Chips, melted for dipping
White Chocolate Chips (or white frosting) to use for claws

Dip one side of each cookie into melted chocolate. Add 4 or 5 white chocolate chips for the claws. (Wolfs have 4 claws on the back paws and 5 on the front.) Let cool.

Note: You may want to place the cookies onto wax or parchment paper to cool, so they don’t stick to your serving platter.

Option: Substitute with Pepperidge Farm Tahiti Cookies and White Chocolate Frosting.

Shopping List

Fresh Produce:
Lemon (3 Tbs juice + 1 tsp rind)
Misc. Small Pieces of Vegetables (Such as: Carrots, Cucumbers, Peas, Red Pepper)

Meat Department:
1-pound ground beef

Dairy & Refrigerated Items:
Butter (for popcorn, optional)
1 tube Buttermilk Biscuits
1 tube Breadstick Dough
1 pkg (24 oz) Mashed Potatoes,
or use leftover Mashed Potatoes

Freezer:
Frozen Peas & Carrots Mixture

Canned & Dry Goods:
Peanut Butter

Spices:
Ground Nutmeg
Cinnamon (1 stick, 3” long)

Condiments:
Ketchup (1/3 cup)
Cider vinegar (1 Tbs)
Worcestershire Sauce

Baking Supplies:
1 box white cake mix + ingredients listed on box
1 can fluffy white frosting
1 bag mini M&M’s
12 large marshmallows
1/2 bag miniature marshmallow
1/2 cup honey
Chocolate Almond Bark or Chocolate Chips
White Chocolate Chips (or white frosting) to use for claws

Snacks:
Popcorn
Graham Crackers
Pretzel Sticks

Cookies & Sweets:
1 pkg Iced Almonette Cookies (Voortman’s )
1 piece of bubblegum (optional)
Lindt Chocolate Lambs (optional)

Beverages:
Apple Cider (4 cups)
1 can (18 ounces) Pineapple Juice