Feast Day Baking Fun

I only have a minute, but wanted to share some baking we did this week.  

We made Angel Wings on Tuesday, for the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.

Aren't they pretty?  I rolled out the dough, used a pizza cutter to cut it into strips, and then pinched the center of each strip to get the wing effect.  The bottom of this one is just the ragged edge that naturally forms along the outside of the dough when rolled out.  It was a total accident to actually use that edge, but I think it makes for a great looking set of wings!

 

Angel Wings

 

3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
3 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour

 

In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well and add egg yolks, eggs and vanilla. Mix well and knead. Roll out dough very thin on a lightly floured surface. Cut into strips and pinch dough to shape like wings. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

We also made a "tonsure cake" yesterday, for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

I've seen this idea many times, but somehow I knew what my boys would say about it.  When I asked them earlier in the week if they'd like to make one, and gave them the description of a chocolate cake baked in a tube pan to form a circle of "hair", or a tonsure, the older boys looked at me skeptically.  "Shouldn't there be a head in the middle of the hair?"  Ahem.  Yes, but surely you get the idea of it by just representing the tonsure, right?  They weren't convinced.  So... we had to find a way to make the whole top of St. Francis' head, not just his hair.

We inverted a little glass bowl in the middle of our cake.  I made some butter cream frosting and frosted the center, right over the bowl.  Then I added cocoa powder to the rest of the frosting to make it brown, and frosted the rest of the cake.  We tried for a hair-like effect by dragging the tines of a fork across the frosting in different directions.

Mr. Smith came home and saw it but didn't say much about it (did he think I was crazy?!).  I asked if he knew what it was... nope, not a clue.  I asked if he knew whose feast was today, yes, he did... still nothing.  I wasn't offended, I didn't expect him to figure it out.  It's kind of an odd representation, right?  Anyway, a few minutes went by, we were getting dinner on the table, and he blurted out, "Is it his HAIR?!"  So I guess it was identifiable after all. :)

St. Patrick's Day S'mores, At Grandma and Grandpa's

"Just let me do my job, woman."

"I wonder if I can get this to catch fire and still make it look like an accident."

The many...

faces...

of Sebastian.

(Mr. Smith told me later that this face was his reaction to being caught in the act.)

"One down..."

"Seven or eight to go."

Holy blue eyes.

Brothers.

Grandpa and Sebastian.

"Why hello there."

"So what?  We have girl cousins who visit Grandma's house too!"

"It's a bird?  A plane?"

Nope, it's Oliver in the tree.

Our St. Joseph Altar - 2012

St. Joseph, Pray for us!

How We're (not) Celebrating

Warning:  The following statements may fall into the category of TMI.

Peyton started heaving his insides out on Tuesday overnight.

He continued most of the day yesterday.

I didn't do much St. Patrick's Day prep.

By this morning he was feeling much better.  I was able to run out and pick up a few things for shamrock shakes and limeade (and popsicles for Peyton), hoping to pull something festive together.

Then, this afternoon, Isaac's insides presented themselves to me on a silver platter.  (actually, on the kitchen floor.)  And about a dozen times over since.

I did start the day wearing green.  But that was at least 4 shirts ago.

More importantly though, our St. Patrick statue made it to our home altar, and we managed to read our St. Patrick books.

And in an effort to be grateful for ALL things God puts in my life (I am reading One Thousand Gifts, after all), I am finding things to thank Him for, even in the midst of unpredictable illness:

• for the ability to care for my children, and do it well
• for so many tummies that are healthy the vast majority of the time
• for humbling me to serve them, and, therefore, You
• for a safe, clean, comfortable home in which to endure illness
• for a husband who comes home and takes the baby so I can eat dinner with two hands
• for the slower pace and low expectations that come along with a sick day
• for my washer and dryer
• for faith...that a new day will come, and it will all be okay

So it isn't what I thought it would be, but it is good just the same.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, and blessings to you!