Feast Day Food: Kid Friendly Figgy Pudding for St. Edmund Campion

Today is the historical feast of St. Edmund Campion.  While he may no longer be officially celebrated in the U.S., I am a professed Anglophile and couldn’t help adding in his feast day to our celebration rotation.

St. Edmund lived during the protestant reformation in England and served as a priest to the underground Catholic church for many years before we was finally caught and martyred.  I have such respect for a man who risked death to bring sacraments to the faithful and to keep the church going in such times.

I always try to make some sort of snack or dessert for feast days but couldn’t seem to find much for St. Edmund.  Inspiration hit, and I decided to make figgy pudding, a dessert both liturgically and seasonally appropriate.  It originates in 16^th century England, so may have been around at the time of St. Edmund.  I wasn’t too keen to try the “traditional” versions of figgy pudding that can be both time consuming, and a bit repellent to a modern american palette.  I managed to dig up a few modern interpretations that caught my eye.

(Figgy) Pudding Cookies @ The Actor’s Diet

Figgy Pudding Butter Cookies @ Food 52

Figgy Cobbler @ Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Simple Traditional Figgy Pudding @ Food Viva

Figgy Pudding Smoothie @ The Blooming Platter (Vegan but can easily adapt to non-vegan)

Figgy Pudding Baked Oatmeal @ Foodtastic Mom

The version I made is adapted from the Figgy Pudding at Gourmet Mom On-the-Go and is more a muffin or dense cake than a "pudding".

Kid Friendly Figgy Pudding

6T butter, softened, whipped
3/4 c molasses
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk (or 3/4c milk w/ lemon juice mixed in to make 1c)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
zest from 1 lemon
2 c all purpose flour
1 c dried figs, stems removed and chopped finely
1/4 c dates, chopped finely

Add molasses, eggs, and buttermilk to the whipped butter, mixing well in between each addition.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add dried fruit and mix well.  Pour into your baking pan of choice and bake in a 325 degree oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

My 5 ramekins took about 40 minutes.  I'm assuming muffin pans would cut the time by quite a bit.

Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

St. Edmund Campion Coloring Page

Catholic priest during the protestant reign of Queen Elizabeth in a newly protestant England.  He served the secret English Catholic church, refusing to apostatize and eventually being martyred for it.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.

Download Coloring Page

Thanks for reading!

The Nutcracker Music Appreciation Printable

We were lucky to attend an abbreviated child-friendly version of The Nutcracker today for next to nothing and the kids absolutely loved it!  I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to do a bit of music appreciation this week so I compiled a little learning/discussion pack to help.  Click the link below to download!

The Nutcracker Music Appreciation

I LOVE our SQUILT books from Homegrown Learners, and we plan to use the Christmas Carols pack this month as well.  I tried to keep it similar to that format since I know that it works well for my children.  I also plan on printing out the SQUILT notebooking page for each of the various dances.

Thanks for reading!

Edited to add: I just discovered that SQUILT actually has a Nutcracker Unit!  It's $6, but I really think her packs are worth it!

Advent Day 1 - 1st Sunday of Advent

I feel like I am not quite as prepared for Advent as I would like to be this year.  We did manage to do some light cleaning and decorating today although not as much as I had hoped.  Here's what we did!

Our Advent Tree

This is a new tradition for us this year.  We put up our Christmas tree and decorated it with purple ornaments in honor of Advent.  I have a set of wooden Jesse Tree ornaments that I made with my Saint peg doll swap group that we will be adding daily to the tree.  I also will be adding an ornament for each major Advent saint.  The plan is to take down the Advent decorations on Christmas Eve and replace with our normal ornaments, which will stay on until Epiphany (or Baptism of the Lord depending on how motivated we are to clean!).

Advent Wreath

We use a magnetic Advent wreath.  It is easier for us and takes less room to store.  I thought about putting together a more complex wreath this year, but this works well and the children enjoy it.  I also love that it explains the meaning of each candle.  

I also bought some cheap candles from the dollar store for our bookcase.  We are using the reflections from Family Feast and Feria when we “light” each new candle on Sundays.

Advent Reflections

We have and LOVE the booklet Welcome Baby Jesus.  It has neat reflections, prayers, and activity ideas for each day of Advent, as well as the 12 days of Christmas.

Advent Service Chain

I am always torn between the various traditions available out there to spread joy and kindness throughout the Advent season.  This year we decided to take the easy route and print off the Advent prayer chain from Catholic Inspired.  We'll simply remove a link each day and add that day's prayer to our intentions.

Advent Fun Calendar

This is the "secular" part of our Advent celebrations.  Every day I pick something festive for us to do - although I tie it in to the liturgical calendar whenever possible!

Nativities

We also put up our Nativity set with an empty crib!

And of course had to set up the kid's version to play with.

How did you get ready for Advent?

Thanks for reading!

Saints of Advent

General December Links

Saints of Advent Party @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

Printable Advent Saint Ornaments @ Catholic Icing ($)

December 1^st – St. Edmund Campion

Catholic priest during the protestant reign of Queen Elizabeth in a newly protestant England.  He served the secret English Catholic church, refusing to apostatize and eventually being martyred for it.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. Edmund Campion @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is 

Activities

St. Edmund Campion and the 12 Days of Christmas @ O Night Divine

English and Welsh Martyr Painting @ The Journey of a Bishop

Food

English Eggs and Bacon @ Catholic Culture

Tea Scones @ Catholic Culture

Figgy Pudding @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is (Coming Soon!)

Prayers

Campion Prayer @ St. Edmund Campion Secondary School

December 3^rd – St. Francis Xavier

Spanish Jesuit and prolific missionary who traveled all across Asia bringing souls to God.  He is the patron saint of all missionaries.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. Francis Xavier @ Catholic Playground

X is for St. Francis Xavier @ Saints to Color

Activities

St. Francis Origami Ornament @ O Night Divine

Cardboard Box Boat @ The Kennedy Adventures

Food

St. Francis Tempura @ Catholic Cuisine

St. Francis Xavier Fortune Cookies @ Catholic Cuisine

Prayers

Novena Prayer to St. Francis Xavier @ Catholic Culture

Litany of St. Frances Xavier @ Catholic Traditions

December 4^th – St. John Damascene

Greek Father and Doctor of the Church who defended the use of icons and religious imagery.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. John Damascene @ Catholic Playground

Activities

Study Sacred Art @ Catholic Culture

St. Barbara

Roman virgin who became Christian against her father’s wishes and for which she was martyred.  Read more about her at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. Barbara @ Catholic Playground

Activities

Saint Barbara Tower @ Seven Little Australians

Building Ginerbread Houses @ O Night Divine

December 6^th – St. Nicholas

Famous generous bishop on whom the idea of Santa Claus is based.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.  Also make sure to check out the St. Nicholas Center – they have anything you could ever wish to find to celebrate this feast!

Coloring Pages

St. Nicholas @ Catholic Playground

St. Nicholas @ Paper Dali

N is for St. Nicholas @ Saints to Color

St. Nicholas @ Drawn 2B Creative

Activities

Celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas @ Two O’s + More

Candy Cane Holder @ Our Domestic Church

St. Nicholas 24 Piece Puzzle @ Catholic Playground

St. Nicholas Perler Bead Pattern @ Catholic Playground

St. Nicholas Party @ Catholic Playground

Food

St. Nicholas Chocolate Pops @ Through My I’s

St. Nicholas Cocoa Mix @ Catholic Cuisine

Speculatius @ Catholic Cuisine

St. Nicholas Purse Cookies @ Catholic Cuisine

Nutter Butter St. Nicholas Cookies @ St. Nicholas Center

St. Nicholas Strawberries @ St. Nicholas Center

St. Nicholas Chocolates @ Three Sided Wheel

St. Nicholas Apple Miters @ St. Nicholas Center

Prayers

St. Nicholas Blessing of Candy Canes @ The Catholic Toolbox

December 7^th – St. Ambrose

Latin Doctor of the Church known as the “Honey-Tongued Doctor” for his eloquence as a preacher and hymn-maker.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. Ambrose @ Catholic Playground

Activities

Decorating the Christ Candle @ Shower of Roses

Food

Honey Trail Mix @ Catholic Cuisine

Beehive Buns @ Catholic Cuisine

December 8^th – Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Immaculate Conception celebrates Mary, mother of God, and asserts that she was miraculously free from original sin from her very conception in St. Anne’s womb.  Read more at Catholic Cuisine.

Coloring Pages

Immaculate Conception @ Catholic Icing

Immaculate Conception @ Catholic Kingdom (#9)

Immaculate Conception @ Paper Dali

December 9^th – St. Juan Diego

St. Juan Diego was an indian convert living in Mexico shortly after the Spanish conquest.  The Virgin Mary appeared to him several times asking that he petition the bishop for a shrine built to her on the site where she appeared.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. Juan Diego & Tilma @ Paper Dali

Activities

St. Juan Diego Tilma @ Catholic Inspired

Food

St. Martins Day Croissants @ Catholic Cuisine

St. Martins Horseshoes @ Growing with my Girls

Cinnamon Toast St. Martin Snack @ Catholic Cuisine

December 12^th – Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe is patroness of the Americas and a well beloved apparition of Mary for those of those of us living in the SW United States.  Read more about her at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

Our Lady of Guadalupe @ Catholic Playground

Our Lady of Guadalupe @ Paper Dali

Activities

Our Lady of Guadalupe Perler Bead Pattern @ Catholic Playground

Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexican Flower Craft @ Catholic Inspired

Our Lady of Guadalupe Craft @ Catholic Playground

Our Lady of Guadalupe Idea Printable @ Eyes on Heaven

Food

Champurrado @ Catholic Cuisine

Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea @ Shower of Roses

December 13^th – St. Lucy

Early virgin martyr killed for being a Christian.  Read more about her at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. Lucy @ Catholic Inspired

St. Lucy of Syracuse & Santa Lucia and Starboy @ Waltzing Matilda

Saint Lucia @ Paper Dali

St. Lucy @ Catholic Playground

L is for St. Lucy @ Saints to Color

Activities

St. Lucy Wreath @ Catholic Inspired

St. Lucia Paper Dolls @ Betsy McCall Paper Dolls

St. Lucia Bringer of Light Paper Doll @ Lily & Thistle

Lucia, Saint of Light Free Audiobook @ Shower of Roses

Food

Easy St. Lucy bread with Canned Dough @ Catholic Icing

School

Scissors Practice for St. Lucia @ Making Learning Fun

Lower Elementary Morning Work @ Teacher’s Notebook

December 14^th – St. John of the Cross

Spanish Carmelite, mystic, and Doctor of the Church.  Read more about him at Catholic Culture.

Coloring Pages

St. John of the Cross @ Catholic Playground

St. John the Evangelist @ Coloring Book 4 Kids

Activities

Advent Poem by St. John of the Cross @ Raising and Teaching Little Saints

Wine Blessing @ Shower of Roses

Thanks for reading!

Advent Celebrations: Traditions for the Catholic Family

Advent starts on Sunday!  It is one of my very favorite church seasons, and yet one so difficult to celebrate properly.  While the entire secular world is singing Christmas carols and decking the halls in a frenzy, we are called to WAIT.  To slow down.  To breathe.  To hold off on the celebration and to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus.  Not only as a little child who brought salvation to mankind, but as the Prince of Peace for whose second coming we should all be prepared. 

It is a difficult season for families trying to live their faith while also living in the world.  The joy of Christmas is so infectious that it is difficult to ignore the secular trappings in favor of a “little Lent”.  The way our family compromises is by making our Advent as meaningful and liturgically appropriate as possible, while still indulging in small amounts of Christmas fun.  As we have learned more and more about the rich traditions the church has surrounding the feast days and customs of Advent, it has gotten easier and easier.  There are so many wonderful devotions and traditions for Advent!  I’ve tried to share as many of the “major” ones as possible below (other than feast day fun which will be a separate post).  If you are having trouble keeping track of everything, might I suggest using this Advent Checklist from Joy Filled Family.  This printable calendar from Family Feast and Feria is also a great way to keep track of feast days.

If this seems completely overwhelming to you, then by all means, hold off!  Again, the purpose of Advent is to focus on Christ.  For me, these activities help me reach this goal.  For you, they may not!  If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed or stressed, then focus on Jesus in a way that works for you!

Advent Wreath

The Advent Wreath is an old Germanic tradition that pairs an evergreen wreath with a set of 5 candles – one for each Sunday of Advent and the Christ candle, which is lit on Christmas.  Read more about it at Catholic Culture.

Advent Wreath Art with Removable Flames @ Catholic Inspired

Paper Advent Wreath @ Catholic Inspired

Printable Advent Wreath w/ Words on Candles @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

Last Minute Super Cheap Non Drip Daily Use Advent Wreath @ Catholic All Year (Very bottom of post)

Kid Friendly Washi Tape Advent Wreath @ Happy Little Homemaker

Perler Bead Advent Wreath @ Catholic Playground

Salvation History with the Advent Wreath @ Familly Feast and Feria

Suspended Advent Wreath @ Family Feast and Feria

Advent Wreath Ceremony and Prayers Printable @ Family Feast and Feria

Advent Wreath Coloring Page @ The Catholic Toolbox

Pipe Cleaner Advent Wreath @ Catholic Icing

Advent Wreath Mini Book @ The Catholic Toolbox

Advent Wreath Nail Art @ Catholic Playground

Jesse Tree

A Jesse Tree is a traditional devotional that counts down the days of Advent by reading a different story from scripture each day starting chronologically with Creation and ending in the birth of Jesus.  I have only included simple options that allow for fairly quick set-up as opposed to those that require more effort such as felt options.  Read more about the Jesse Tree @ Catholic Culture.

Online Jesse Tree @ Catholic Culture

Printable Jesse Tree Ornaments to Color @ Catholic Inspired

30 Jesse Tree Ornaments to Print and Color @ Do Small Things with Love

Magnetic Jesse Tree @ Homeschool Is Where the Heart Is

Catholic Jesse Tree Coins @ Catholic Cuisine

A Jesse Tea for Advent @ Catholic Cuisine

A Jesse Tree Printable Calendar Tree @ Paper Dali ($)

Jesse Tree Unit Study @ Harrington Harmonies (Note – starts Dec. 1 – not Nov. 29)

Advent Countdowns

There are many ways, outside of a Jesse Tree to countdown the days of Advent.  I did not include any non-Catholic sources such as chocolate or lego Advent calendars.  Those are easy to come by and I wanted to make sure to encourage the use of more meaningful options.

Advent Countdown and Prayer Chains @ Catholic Inspired

Mary and Joseph Countdown @ Catholic Inspired

Advent Prayer Ring @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

Service Advent Chain @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is

Bible Verse Advent Chain @ Catholic Playground

My Little Advent Reflection Cards @ Family Feast and Feria

Advent Calendar Coloring Page @ Audrey Eclectic Folk Art

O Antiphons

The O Antiphons are an old tradition from Dec. 17^th-24^th, which recall the prophecies of Jesus through his many titles.  I’ve also listed activities for the hymn “O Come O Come Emmanuel” since the song ties in perfectly to the O Antiphons.  Read more about it at Catholic Culture.

O Antiphon Snacks @ Catholic Cuisine

O Antiphon Ideas @ Catholic Icing

O Antiphon Coloring Pages @ Michelle Quiqley

O Come Emmanuel Hymn Printout @ Family Feast and Feria

O Antiphons Ornament Printable @ Life, Love, and Sacred Art

O Antiphon House @ Catholic Culture

O Come O Come Emmanuel Coloring Page @ Real Life at Home

Preparing the Manger

This is an Advent custom in which families place pieces of straw in an empty nativity cradle in order to prepare it to hold Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.  The straw is typically placed when the family member performs a good deed.  Read more about it at Catholic Culture.

Good Deeds and Sacrifices for Baby Jesus @ Catholic Icing

Preparing Our Hearts @ Small Things

Straw for the Manger Poem Printable @ Small Fine Print

Popsicle Stick Manger @ Craft Out

Manger Printable @ Sunday School Kids

Baby Jesus in the Manger @ Catholic Inspired

Christkindl

A “secret Santa” style tradition in which instead of buying gifts, you choose a family member for whom to do kind deeds.

Advent Buddies @ Catholic Playground

Christkindl Prayer Chart @ Joy Filled Family

Christkindl Prayer Cards @ Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother

Secret Jesus @ Catholic Inspired

St. Andrew Christmas Novena

This novena begins on the Feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30) and is repeated 15 times each day until Christmas.

St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer Card @ Catholic Playground

St. Andrew Christmas Novena Printable @

Christmas Novena Chaplet @ Joy Filled Family

Misc.

Advent Tree @ Catholic Inspired

Advent Music and Video Playlist @ Look to Him and be Radiant

Magnetic Advent Devotions @ Homeschool is Where the Heart Is

Liturgical New Year’s Eve @ Catholic Cuisine

Advent Learning

These great links provide ways to teach your children (and yourself!) a bit more about the Advent season.

Printable Advent Pack @ Raising and Teaching Little Saints

Pre-K Advent Lesson @ The Catholic Toolbox

Advent Activity Pack @ Life, Love, and Sacred Art

Seeking Our Savior Old Testament Scavenger Hunt @ Look to Him and be Radiant

Advent Jeopardy Game @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

What Advent Looks Like Coloring Page @ Look to Him and Be Radiant

Thanks for reading!

Follow Andrea's board Catholic Kids: Advent on Pinterest.

All Saints Day Party 2015

We had another great All Saints Day party this year using many of the resources from my link list.  I reused several of our games from last year, but came up with a few new ones as well.  As usual, most of the signs were made with the awesome artwork from Happy Saints.  I have purchased several of his e-books and can't recommend them highly enough!

St. Francis Church Building
St. Francis heard Jesus telling him: “Go, build my church”.  Try your hand at building a church!

Saint Peg Dolls

St. Cecilia's Musical Chairs

Pin the Bowtie on St. Dominic Savio
Dominic was a holy and pious child with a great sense of style!  Try to pin his bowtie back on!

St. Michael Defeat the Devil Target and Bowling

St. Patrick Snake Toss
Legend has it that St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland.  Get rid of the snakes by tossing them through the hoop!

Disciple's Fishing Hole
Many of the disciples were fishermen by trade.  Throw your line in and try to catch a bag of fish!

St. Nicholas Coin Toss
This famous bishop once helped a poor family by secretly tossing money down their chimney.  Try your hand at throwing the coins from the line!

Crown Mary Ring Toss

St. Isidore Pumpkin Bowling
St. Isidore was a holy farmer.  Try bowling with this pumpkin, which came from a farm!

St. Therese Shower of Roses Tossing Game

Games Set up in the Parish Hall

I was so bummed last year that I didn't get a picture of my little saints, so I made sure to take one this year.  Unfortunately the only picture I could get was blurry!

St. Juan Diego, St. Gianna Molla, and St. Cecilia

Thanks for reading!