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I'm really happy to have been asked to put this together and I honestly can't believe that I didn't sooner. I taught upperclassmen Highschool Theology for 8 years and have an abundance of resources that I have collected. Beg, borrow, steal that is what we teachers do to give our students the best experience without having to reinvent the wheel. In the last few years of teaching I tried to integrate some liturgical living (classroom style) type activities and routines into the school day and the students really enjoyed hearing about and experiencing tradition. It was my attempt to plant a seed in hopes that they could carry this home or remember it for later in their lives. Hopefully this gives you some resources to use or inspires you to create your own Catholic culture in the classroom. What I like about these options is that they aren't just for the theology classroom, any school subject can creatively integrate some of them and of course they can be done at home too. Towards the end I have thrown out some more specific things to do at home or to recommend to parents. 1. Create an Art Contest: Pick a symbol of the Immaculate Conception to sketch, paint, mold out of clay, or make a graphic on the computer. The symbols are the crown and monogram; lily; enclosed garden; crown of stars; glass (symbol of purity) lily often placed in a vase of transparent glass; lily of the valley. Immaculate Conception Bartolome Esteban Murillo Oil on Canvas Circa 1670-1680 We might not be Murillo, but he must have started somewhere. I like integrating Sacred Art as a way of elevating our teenagers experience of beauty, showing them the God given gifts of others, and encouraging them to cultivate their own skills to the glory of God. It is also a fruitful way to hand down Catholic culture and inspire a sense of appreciation for tradition. 2. Upperclasmen in Theology can read "Ubi Premum" on the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX or read Pope John Paul II’s General Audience on the Immaculate Conception defined by Pius IX. I have linked both below for convenience. I always assigned Honors Theology these types of reading assignments. If I didn't think I had time to get through the entire thing I would just pull out sections that would highlight the key parts of the message. You can assign small groups varying sections to read and then report to the other groups or have them write about it. Large group reading would work too and I would typically use that time to help teach them to annotate, analyze & synthesize information, and then share connections they are making to other readings or teachings we have discussed. https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius09/p9ubipr2.htm https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/pope-john-paul-ii-12-june-1996-general-audience-8788 3. Take a virtual tour of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In the current circumstances traveling has been minimized so this is a great way to host a virtual field trip. I like this option because it gives them a real experience of seeing the Basilica when they may or may not ever get to see it in person. If I were doing this I would have the students take the tour and then break them into groups and assign them each different aspects of the Basilica to research. The website has easy sections already made so you could do groups by those categories: liturgy, sacred music, history & heritage, and art & architecture. https://www.nationalshrine.org/virtual-tour/ 4. White Out Day! This is an easy one and more of a "spirit day" type activity that you could do every year. Wear something white to represent Mary’s purity. 5. Give a talk, listen to a video, and/or discuss Theology of the Body. Pope Pius IX's solemn definition, made in 1854, "The most holy Virgin Mary was, in the first moment of her conception, by a unique gift of grace and privilege of almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin." This means that since the first moment of her existence, Mary was preserved from the sin which we all inherit through Adam and Eve. Today is the perfect opportunity to talk about purity and/or dating. I integrated these kinds of days into my curriculum all the time simply put, because they need it! Teenagers are being bombarded by the culture and social media to look, act, talk, think, and be a certain way that totally contradicts our faith. They need you, they may not act like it, but they need you. Many students told me that I was the only one talking to them about modesty, purity, and dating. I'm not going to say that this was easy, but I created an environment for open and real conversation so that they could ask questions about what our faith teaches and more importantly, why! I know that teenagers can sometimes be scary to talk to about this, they will look at you like you have a third eye and that is okay, because you are teaching them that they are worth more. Most of them have never actually heard those words spoken out loud to them before. Empower their parents as well, they need resources too! I have linked a video that I think might be helpful. These are just a couple of recommendations, but there are so many options out there so browse around. Video One: Avoiding Impurity, Father Mike Schmitz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2S58hTLqA Video Two: Chastity Advice that Actually Works, Jackie and Bobby Angel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxH6FitDsT0 Video Three (For Parents): Parenting for Purity, Jason Evert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rklmSLI2DY 6. Catholic teen books on purity. If you are using this option in the classroom you could assign it as extra credit like I used to do or you could break open a section and discuss. I know some teachers who were able to break the classes up and a male theology teacher would take the boys and a female teacher would take the girls to discuss topics presented in the books and do a Q&A. I would also recommend you suggest some of these books for parents to have in their homes so that they are easily accessible to teens that are curious for answers. Here are a few books that I would recommend on the topic of purity and dating! (Recommendations will range with regard to where that teen is in their faith.) For Teens 1. The Emotions God Gave You: A Guide for Catholics to Healthy and Holy Living 2. Pure Manhood and Pure Womanhood 3. 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration 4. If You Really Loved Me 5. Not Ready for Marriage, Not Ready for Sex For Parents 1. Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Raising Sexually Whole and Holy Kids 2. Protecting Innocence: Parenting, Your Kids, and the Internet 3. How to Talk to Your Teens About Chastity 4. Parenting with Grace 5. Raising Chaste Catholic Men: Practical Advice Mom to Mom 7. Go to Confession. There is no better way to imitate Mary in her sinlessness than to go to confession. Plenty of time to plan ahead. :) 8. Begin your class or end your evening at home in prayer. Here are some suggestions for for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Prayer for the Immaculate Conception Novena for the Immaculate Conception O Immaculate Virgin 9. Make an ALL WHITE dinner! Mary's purity is represented through the color white so set the table with a white cloth, put some white roses on the table, and make a white dinner. Need ideas? Appetizers: White bean dip, rice crackers and herbed cream cheese, or white cheeses; Soups: white winter vegetable soup, white bean fennel soup, potato soup, cream of celery; Main Course: cauliflower and crab ravioli, chicken breasts with white wine sauce, pasta with alfredo sauce; Side Dishes: buttered cauliflower puree, mashed potatoes, white rice, white bread, white corn, rice noodle salad w/ chicken; Dessert: White cake with white icing, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, coconut pie 10. Begin your school with morning prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours or end your day at home with evening prayer. I use the iBreviary for this but you could always use the physical books too. Pick a few ideas and tell me how they go! We have picked what works for us in our home too and are very excited to celebrate our Heavenly Mother as we prepare for the birth of Jesus. We always do the Liturgy of the Hours for Solemnities, but I am going to try doing some white foods, and a white outfit for the day. I hope that your Advent is a blessed one!

Happy Feast of Sts. Aquila and Priscilla! It’s our family name day so we celebrate Aquilamas with either Italian food or treats. Aquila and Priscilla were from Rome and then were exiled to Corinth but our family’s Italian American culture is also something that we like share in. This saintly couple is mentioned several times in the New Testament as being dear friends and helpers of St. Paul. They were all tent makers and were probably converted by him during his ministry. What I find most inspiring about this couple is that they offered their home to others with love and generosity, especially for Mass when house churches were incredibly common. I hope to be like this as well! Our bigger celebration had to be moved to the weekend but this is one of our favorite go-to dinners. Perfect Italian dinner for celebrating any Italian saint! Marinade Time: 30 minutes or more Total Time: 35 minutes Serving Size 6-8 Ingredients 6-8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs 1 tsp Kosher Salt 1/4 cup Olive Oil 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar 2 tsp Italian Seasoning 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Black Pepper 1 pint Whole Cherry Tomatoes 2 cups Green Beans 1/2 Onion (Red or White) 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Chopped Fresh Parsley - optional garnish Put the chicken into a large ziploc bag to marinade. Begin by sprinkling in 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Squish it around in the bag to cover the chicken with the salt more thoroughly. Set the chicken aside and in a medium bowl pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. Then pour in 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Now for the seasoning! Sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Add in 2 tsp Italian seasoning. Now for the 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, is it just me or does this stuff smell really good? And the last bit, 1/2 tsp black pepper! Whisk it, whisk it good! Sorry, couldn’t resist. 😂 Take your chicken bag and pour in half of the marinade mixture. Gently move the chicken around in the bag so that it is entirely covered. Place in the refrigerator until it‘s ready. While that is resting let’s prep the veggies. You can pick whatever floats your boat, today I did what we had in the fridge. You could also do asparagus, carrots, red onion, mushrooms, or peppers! Cut your choice of veggies into thick pieces. Throw your tomatoes in a separate ziploc bag. Wash and cut the ends off of your green beans. Toss the rest of the vegetables into the ziploc bag and pour in the remaining half of the marinade. Like so! 👇🏻 Move the vegetables around so they are all coated. Place in the refrigerator until it’s time to cook. While we wait for the marinade to prep your oven and sheet pan. Preheat to 425 degrees! Line your baking sheet with cooking spray, parchment paper, or a silicon baking mat. I got this one off of Amazon as you can see. It was suggested at the end of a transaction and I got click happy so here we are, three silicon mats later. Don’t judge! When you’re done with the marinade take out the chicken and lay it out on the sheet pan. Then pour out your veggies and all of the marinade. Note: The vegetables can overlap a bit but don’t let them chicken lay on them. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken has reached 165 degrees in the center. If you’re chicken finishes faster than your vegetables just remove them and pop the sheet pan back in the oven. I like my vegetables to have a little crunch to them but bake them to your own taste. Delicious! Serve with a little bit of the remaining juice, then sprinkle on Parmesan and parsley. Hope you enjoy this tasty dinner, it’s an easy crowd-pleaser. 😊 Sts. Aquila and Priscilla, Pray for Us! Cheers! For more liturgical living recipes you can browse the blog or follow me on FB @HisGirlSunday. 🙏🏻

This week I am making my favorite pizza dough from scratch! We love making this recipe together as a family and it is perfect for the feast day of Italian saints or meatless Fridays. When we took a pilgrimage to Italy we visited A LOT of places but Assisi is on the top of my list. If you ever get the chance to go to Italy, put Assisi on your itinerary. Absolutely breathtaking views, cobblestone roads, adorable little cafes, and all the relics of Sts. Clare and Francis are still engrained in my memory. We also ate a lot of pizza on that trip so this particular meal is in honor of St. Clare. Let's get started, I keep all of these ingredients on hand and I would bet you probably have most, if not all, of these ingredients too! By the way, this recipe is so much fun for little bakers looking to celebrate a feast day. They can easily pour in the ingredients, knead the dough with your help, and sprinkle on their favorite toppings. Not to mention, seeing the dough rise to the top of the bowl can be fun too. Prep Time: 2 hrs 30 min Cook Time: 12-15 Minutes Yields: 2 - 12 inch pizzas The Cast and Crew 1 1/3 Warm water (between 100-100 degrees F) 1 Standard Pack Active Dry Yeast 1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar 2 Tbsp Olive Oil 3/4 Tsp Salt 3 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting your hands and the counter Get your stand mixer ready and take the mixing bowl out, you can combine all of your ingredients there. Warm your water for about 15 seconds to get it to the right temperature, use a thermometer to test it. Note: Warm water will cut down on the rise time but you don't want to go over 130 degrees, that will kill the yeast. Pour in 1 1/3 cup warm water. Add in the entire packet of yeast. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Adding the sugar will activate the yeast so don't forget it! Whisk the ingredients until they are all combined. Cover it with a clean tea towel and let the yeast mixture rest for 5 minutes. Isn't this towel cute? I received it as a Godmother gift from a good friend of mine that owns a Catholic small business called Saint.ionery. Ora et labora means pray and work, great daily reminder! Alright 5 minutes is up, back to the ingredients. Pour in 2 tbsps olive oil... 3/4 tsp salt... and 3 1/2 cups flour! Make sure that your dough hook is attached and mix on low for about 2-3 minutes or until the dough has pulled away from the sides, like this! Sprinkle the counter and your hands with flour and get ready to knead for about 3-4 minutes. Tips for Kneading Dough Use the heel of your palm to press down into the center of the dough. Turn your dough fold it back and press down into the center. Continue doing this workout until your dough is elastic and smooth and your forearms are bulging, just kidding. Give the dough a little poke, it should slowly spring back up! If it doesn't, keep kneading. Mine was ready after about 4 minutes so now you can spray a bowl with oil, I used Canola Oil but you could also rub the bowl with Olive Oil. Roll the dough around so that it is covered on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it set out on the counter for about 90 minutes. The dough should be doubled in size after this amount of time. Take the plastic wrap off and admire what you have done! While delighting in your big bowl of dough, preheat the oven to 475 and let it heat for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare your pizzas. This is an easy part to get the kids involved in, punching the dough down to get all the air out. Take it out of the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half so you can begin to shape your two pizzas. You can do 12 inch circles on a pizza stone but we do ours on cookie sheets. Note: If you are going to do a pizza stone, preheat it with your oven. On the counter using your hands or a flour dusted rolling pin, begin to shape your dough. I don't worry about making it perfect here, I will do that on the cookie sheet. If you want to get professional with it you can do like I did and shape it by tossing it in the air. Actual footage of me below. Give the cookie sheet an even coat of oil. I poured some on and then used my hand to make sure it was on the sides as well to ensure that the pizza doesn't stick. Transfer the dough from the counter to the cookie sheet and shape it to fit. You can even make a little lip around the edge if you want it to have a crust. I typically don't do this because I'm not much of a crust gal. Now comes the fun part, top with your favorites. You can use marinara or pesto on the bottom, veggies, meats, cheeses, basil, or seasoning. Go to town! Want to know a little secret? I don't put the cheese under the toppings, but on top of them! This makes for delicious cheesy goodness. Our masterpiece is finished and it looks oh so goooooood! Note: We made two pizzas but you can always freeze the dough if you only want to make one. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use it let it thaw and rest for about 30 minutes out on the counter before baking. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.

The Feast of the Queenship of Mary is tomorrow and I am going to help you bake a delicious tea party treat! Peter Paul Rubens The Coronation of the Virgin I recently learned that this feast was strategically placed today on the Octave of the Assumption. In the old calendar we would have been partying all week with this as our culminating celebration. These two events, the Assumption and the Coronation of Mary, are intimately related because we believe that once Mary went to Heaven she was crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth. We get this from St. John's vision which he describes in Revelation 12: 1-5! The meaning behind that is better said by Pius XII, "Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power." In other words, we understand Mary's queenship through recognizing her intimate role in God's salvific plan. If you want to read more, check out this article, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI gives a beautiful explanation on how the Queenship of Mary points us closer to Jesus! https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-explains-how-marys-queenship-points-to-jesus In honor of our beautiful, Heavenly Queen it would be the perfect liturgical living opportunity to host a tea party . If you are celebrating at home with kids today you could have them color or decorate crowns for Our Lady and place them next to a statue or image of her in your home. You could also do an etiquette lesson, take out your nice table setting, and of course pray for Mary's intercession. Quick note on the pie crust! I made this pie crust for a quiche weeks before making the tarts. I do not have the recipe up for this particular pie crust yet but I will soon. I am not a big fan of heavy crusts, I like mine light and flaky so I tend to use the same pie crust for everything. However, you can easily make this recipe with store bought crust or your own favorite crust recipe. For this recipe, I am just going to focus on the filling and assembling the tarts. Yields: 10-12 Tarts Bake Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes This is my frozen pie crust, I let it thaw and then kept it in the refrigerator so that it could chill. This will make it easier to work with! :) If you are starting this recipe like I am then go ahead and bake the dough once the shells are formed, the filling will be made separately and will not take long. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees! Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out. Don't forget to put a little bit of flour on your rolling pin to prevent sticking. Since we are doing minis grab a muffin or tart tin, cut out the dough, and fill the molds. I just used a water glass with flour along the edge because I don't have a tart cutter or tamper. Prick the bottom of the each tart and put them in the oven at 400 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cream Filling Ingredients 1. 2 3/4 C. Milk 2. 1/4 C. Corn Starch 3. 2/3 C. Sugar 4. 1/8 tsp Salt 5. 4 Egg Yolks 6. 2 tbsp Butter 7. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Pour 2 3/4 C. milk into a glass bowl. Then add 2/3 C. sugar to the milk. Grab the corn starch and add in 1/4 cup. Add in 4 egg yolks. When I was younger I used to be really bad at cracking eggs without breaking the yolk but look at how far I've come! Then sprinkle in 1/8 tsp salt and whisk everything thoroughly until combined. Pour the ingredients into a microwave safe glass bowl and microwave on HIGH for 7 minutes. I was really surprised when I got this recipe that it was asking me to microwave this! I mean I'm no tart snob but I have never made a dessert like this before. Not only does it turn out tasting really good, it also made this dessert fool proof so that is a win-win in my book! Here's the trick, after microwaving for 3 minutes straight take it out and whisk it every minute thereafter until you've reached your full seven minutes. This helps it smooth and thicken so that reaches the consistency we want. Once microwaved add in 2 tbsp butter. Then measure 1 tsp vanilla and pour that on the mixture. Whisk the butter and vanilla until thoroughly combined and creamy. I was not ready to fill the shells yet because I needed to prep my fruit so the trick to not letting a skin develop across the top of your filling is to place plastic wrap along the top of it. Let it set while you cut the fruit for your tarts. I went with peaches, apples, blueberries, and grapes! Cut up to the sizes that you desire, you can also remove the peach and apple skin according to preference. Spoon the filling into the shells, I didn't worry about smoothing the top as you can see because I covered them in fruit and nobody will see that anyway! Arrange the fruit anyway that you want! You can do a tart with one type of fruit like I did with the grapes or you can make them look fancier by fanning out your apples or peaches. I did a little special something to the apples, I sprinkle cinnamon on top and toss them into the oven so they are warm and soft. Yum, Yum, Yum! Set your table with all the tea fixings: tea pot, sugar bowl, fresh honey, treats, and tea cups with saucers. These tea cups are a family heirloom, I got them from my dad who passed them down to me from my grandmother. I love the delicate floral work on them and they make having tea even more special. I hope you enjoyed making this simple recipe with me, let me know how your tea party goes! Let's close our recipe time together with the perfect prayer for this feast day. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Mary, Queen of Heaven, Pray for Us!

Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. This is a title given to our Blessed Mother to emphasize the immense pain and suffering that she went through during the life and death of her son, Jesus Christ. I have heard it said that, "a mother is only as happy as her saddest child" and one can only imagine what the depths of that must have been like for Our Lady. This does not only refer to the agony of watching Jesus die a gruesome and public death but several other events throughout his life that she endured as His mother. We call them the Seven Sorrows or Seven Dolors, which is why we see the traditional image of her heart with seven swords piercing it. Seven Swords Piercing the Sorrowful Heart of Mary in the Church of the Holy Cross, Salamanca, Spain The Seven Sorrows The Prophesy of Simeon The Flight to Egypt The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple Meeting Jesus on His Way to Calvary The Crucifixion Jesus' Body Being Removed from the Cross The Burial of Jesus While learning more about this feast day I read that it wasn't in the Roman Missal until 1482, that's more than 200 years after it gained popularity. It was added under the title Our Lady of Compassion not Sorrows, or so it sounds. The Latin roots for the word compassion cum and patior means to suffer with, and no one suffered more with Jesus than His own mother. This is a reminder to myself as well when thinking about what it actually means to show compassion for another person. We imitate Mary when we suffer along side of other people and stand by them with trust in God and love. Today I made Lemon Bars which has become a new favorite for me, yes a little self indulgence. I made a liturgical living lemon connection with the sour taste that for some can even bring tears to their eyes. More than that it reminds me of the sour, bitter discomfort of suffering! Along with these we will be praying the sorrowful mysteries as a family, I hope that you will join along. Prep Time: 10 minutes Bake Time: 32 minutes Yields: 9-16 servings depending on cut The Gang For the Crust 10 Tbsp butter 1 1/2 C. flour 1/2 C & 2 Tbsp powdered sugar 1/4 Tsp salt For the Filling 3 large eggs 1 C. granulated sugar 3 Tbsp flour 1 Tbsp lemon zest 1/3 C. lemon juice 1/2 Tsp. baking powder Picture disclaimer: I am just a regular gal trying to make for a happy home with happy bellies. While I'd like for everything to be "blog" worthy, I find more good in just showing you the way things are. I call this real life and this is what it would look like if you were baking lemon bars next to me. I hope you enjoy! 😉 This is going to be easier than you might think, so once you get all of your ingredients out you can go ahead and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take out a bowl and pour in the 1 1/2 cups flour! I like to put the measurements in the descriptions as well because I hate having to scroll up and down while baking. You're Welcome Friends! Then sprinkle in 1/4 Tsp salt to the bowl of flour. Now for the powdered sugar, I highly recommend you don't make this recipe in dark colored clothes! Pour in 1/2 C and 2 Tbsps. Whisk to thoroughly combine all the dry ingredients that you will need for your crust. Next comes my favorite part, the butter, don't use any substitution or you will regret it. This buttery shortbread crust is absolutely delicious and I am not going to let you miss out. Cut 10 Tbsps of butter into smaller squares, this will make it easier to press into the flour mixture. Put the butter into the bowl and cut it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. You can use a pastry cutter or a good ol' fashion fork! Bring on the workout! Whew! Alright do that until the flour looks like this... 👇🏼 Nice crumbly perfection! Good job, now for the next step. Grease a 9x9 inch pan as you can see this one has been loved on a little bit. Dump the flour mixture into the tin pan and press it to the bottom. You don't have to press it down too much, just lightly enough for it to form a good bottom but no need for smashing it. Anyone else hear "good bottom" and think of the Great British Baking Show? Toss that in the oven for about 15-18 minutes depending on the heat of your particular oven and while that is baking we are going to make the filling. Get another glass bowl and crack in the 3 large eggs. Pour in 1 C. granulated sugar. Sprinkle in 3 Tbsps flour. Zest 1 lemon. This and the fresh lemon juice are very important. I get a lot of compliments on these because of how fresh they taste and that is due to this step and the next. Pour in 1/3 C. lemon juice. Lastly, add in 1/2 tsp baking powder and look at this crazy bowl! Delicioussssssss, just pour it on the crust like this... JUST KIDDING! Whisk all of your ingredients together and THEN pour it on the baked crust. See, I told you this was ridiculously easy. Before I pour in the filling I like to get a quick old school read on the crust just to make sure that it isn't under baked at this point. Of course it is going to get thrown back into the oven so it will bake a little more but we don't want to add filling onto wet dough. My dough was ready after about 16 minutes so I poured the filling on top and baked it for about 18 minutes. I would say a good range would be anywhere between 17-20 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely, feel free to just put the whole tin into the refrigerator and let it rest there. Note: Don't dust with powdered sugar until after it has completely cooled. Using a hand sifter I sprinkled the powdered sugar across the top to my liking. I was not happy about the little crack that formed on the top while baking so I cut the lemon bars along that line so that no one but us would ever know the difference. SShhh! Cut into squares or rectangles and serve while cool. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days.

I learned how to cook from my dad and the Pioneer Woman! I spent a lot of time growing up with my dad in the kitchen trying new recipes. Holiday season was particularly special and I have many memories of coming in the house with those feel good food aromas, staying up late while a meat roasted in the oven, or being outside next to the grill. We rarely ate the same thing twice because he could look at any given recipe and find a way to jazz it up and make it his own. I strive to do that too but I also appreciated the picture by picture recipes of the Pioneer Woman that I ventured into while in college. While we didn't do a lot of cooking for Catholic reasons, I was able to look at both of our family recipes and apply them to special feast days as they related. When I decided to blog these feast day recipes I knew that they had to include pictures for all those that cook like me... "does this look right?" I also appreciate that it feels like we are cooking together, but hopefully while sharing in the joy of Catholic celebrations. One of my all time favorite Christmas Eve traditions is the Feast of Seven Fishes which is a gift that stems from my in laws. To give some context, I grew up on the bay and not far from Louisiana so going fishing and cooking fish was a big part of my family too. It's no surprise that sitting down at this buffet of fish makes my heart flutter a little bit. The tradition has its roots in Southern Italy and is more commonly known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), the midnight birth of Christ. On Christmas Eve, Catholics are to abstain from meat so instead they would feast on fish. There doesn't seem to be consensus on why seven fishes are made, but we could of course connect that with the 7 sacraments, 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit, or 7 as it signifies perfection. Let me just tell you... this tradition is perfection and I really hope that you give it a try. Here was the buffet display and wine table that I pulled together for the party I hosted last year. We had to do it a little earlier than Christmas Eve so we ended up with lots of gorgeous flower arrangements from the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe! You're going to have to forgive the non blog worthy, perfectly touched up photos. The truth is that is just something that I hate spending my time doing, I get antsy and I'd rather be out living than making you think that my life looks perfectly retouched all the time on the internet, so welcome to real life cooking with me. Notes for a successful 7 fishes gathering! Make a few of the menu items cold plates, that way you can prep them the night before. You could also host this pot luck style and have people bring a fish dish. I recommend planning what kinds of fish you want beforehand and assigning so you don't get doubles. Here is the menu that I chose and of course added extra things here and there, fruit and cheese platters, a small side of chicken Parmesan for the folks that can't do that much fish, side salads, and bread. Menu 1. Oyster Cheese Log & Crackers 2. Crab Dip & Bread 3. Smoked Salmon 4. Shrimp Platter 5. Tuna Pasta Salad 6. Lemon Butter Scallops 7. Red Clam Sauce I have made the Oyster Cheese Log two years in a row and it is always a hit as an appetizer with white wine or champagne. You wouldn't necessarily think that when you hear oyster and cheese in the same sentence, but I did have people come up to ask me for the recipe so I feel confident in sharing this with you. List of Ingredients 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons steak sauce 1/4 cup Mayonnaise 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cans (3-3/4 ounces each) smoked oysters, well-drained and chopped 3 cups chopped pecans 3 tablespoons chili powder Minced fresh parsley Here we go! Finely chop 1 small onion and 1 clove of garlic, 2 cloves if you like a little more pizzazz like me. In your mixer combine 3 packages of cream cheese, 2 tablespoons steak sauce, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 small onion, and 1-2 cloves garlic. Give it a twirl. Now for the 2 cans smoked oysters! Peel off the lid and drain into the sink and lay them out on a cutting board. Pat them down very well until they are just barely moist. Chop them up finely and put them into the cream cheese mix that should still be hanging out in your mixer. Then chop up 1 cup of pecans and toss that in there too, now blend! Once it's all nicely mixed in together, dump out your mixture and roll them into two even logs. Give them a little pat and send them on their way to chill in the fridge. Back to the cutting board. Chop the other 2 cups of pecans, sprinkle in 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder, and minced parsley to your liking. Smooth the pecans, chili powder, and parsley out over the cutting board and bring out the chilled logs to be dressed. Roll each one in the mixture, set up a plate, and sprinkle a bit more parsley on top for a job well done! So, so simple and this makes a great appetizer while people are standing around chatting and having a glass of wine. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days. Mangia! Mangia! & Merry Christmas Y'all! From His Girl Sunday To you and yours

For the Feast of Seven Fishes this year I was in charge of shrimp and because I love this tradition so much I couldn't help myself and made three different kinds. In the midst of getting a little carried away I went ahead and made one of my family's favorites, bacon wrapped shrimp, which kind of breaks the no meat point of the feast... oops. Mea Culpa x3! I feel that once the bacon hits your lips you will forgive me too. ☺️ The menu this year was absolutely delicious and we teamed up as a family to make it all happen. Sea Bass Asparagus Crab Dip White Clam Sauce Steamed Mussels Seared Scallops Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Cocktail Fried Calamari Here are some picture highlights! Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Cocktail with Marinara Dip Clam Sauce Sea Bass I would highly recommend doing the Feast of Seven Fishes as a potluck style meal, just assign people the fish you want them to bring. You could also do what the Aquila family does and everyone just gather in the kitchen and make a dish. Last year I made the feast for a group at our parish and did it myself! If you are in that situation I would encourage you to choose some cold fish plates to make the night before to help lighten the load. Here is tutorial I did for a cheese log that was a big hit! https://www.hisgirlsunday.com/post/feast-of-seven-fishes-oyster-cheese-log-recipe Prep Time: 15 minutes Bake Time: 12 minutes Broil Time: 3 minutes Yields: 20-25 pieces The Gang 1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined is preferable 1 package of thick-cut bacon 4 tbsp butter 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp chili powder toothpicks Directions Start by peeling and deveining the shrimp, as you can see mine are a little on the small side because we are technically out of shrimp season here in Texas. You could also buy peeled and deveined shrimp but my family usually does that by hand so I always go that route. Note: I made as much of the bacon and shrimp as I could but to use the rest I made a meatless option by sautéing the shrimp in lemon, butter, and garlic then topped it with parsley. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil, don't forget the foil or you will be angrily washing that cookie sheet later! If your shrimp are small like mine you can cut the strips of bacon into fourths, if the shrimp are a little larger cut the bacon into thirds. Wrap each piece of shrimp tightly with the bacon pieces and secure them with a toothpick and place them on the foiled baking sheet. In a small bowl you are going to prepare the maple glaze. Start by melting 4 tablespoons of butter in a glass bowl and make sure it is covered with a paper towel. Let's just say it got a little crazy over here and butter went everywhere. Usually I wouldn't complain because I love butter as much as the next southern woman but it was such a pain to clean up. Have a mentioned that I am just a regular ol' wife that enjoys cooking good food but I'm no star baker and that's why I waaayyyy overheat butter? 😂 Pour in 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Then sprinkle in 1 tablespoon chili powder! Stir together and brush about half the mixture over the shrimp. Bake for about 12 minutes or until shrimp is cooked. Then brush again with the butter mixture and broil for 3 minutes to give it that nice crisp texture! Now put the bacon on a pretty dish and watch the shrimp fly off the plate! This is no joke, within minutes of me setting it down they were all gone. I would say that's a success! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days. Praying for you as we build tradition together!

This recipe was passed down to us and is a family favorite. It's perfect for cut out cookies that are meant to be decorated, we use this for just about every holiday. As most handed down recipes, it came to us with no directions, so it is basically the Great British Baking Show up in here! After several tries I finally came to perfect it and feel good about sharing with you. I have used this recipe for St. Valentine's Day, Easter, All Hallows' Eve, Christmas, and other special feast days so this one is just great to have on hand year round. Why I love this recipe! The cookies hold their shape. If stored properly, they will stay soft for days. They are soft in the center but have a crisp edge. They are flavorful, hence why I use almond and vanilla extract. The mystery ingredient, cream of tartar, is what gives them a soft and chewy texture. Here are some general tips and tricks for baking the perfect sugar cookie. Use salted butter, this will help balance out the sweetness of the cookie. If you have unsalted on hand like I did, just add a little bit of salt into the recipe. Roll out your dough so that it is roughly 1/4 inch thick, this is how you get that soft center. Don't overwork the dough, when it's overworked it will balloon in the oven and then deflate before you can even decorate them. Chill the dough, you can even chill them again after using the cookie cutters, doing this helps them to keep their shape. Bake on parchment paper or a cookie tray mat, this makes it much easier to transfer your cookies and also allows for a quicker clean up. Prep Time: 25 minutes Bake Time: 8-10 minutes Yields: 18-20 cookies The Ingredients 1 1/2 c. 10x sugar 1 c. butter 1 egg at room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. almond 2 1/2 c. flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream tartar 1/2 tsp. salt Begin by putting 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter into the stand mixer. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and cream together. You may have to use a baking spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl and then continue creaming together. This process is a lot easier if the butter is at room temperature. Add in one room temperature egg to the mixture. Pour in 1/2 tsp almond extract. Then add in 1 tsp vanilla extract. If you can spring for pure vanilla try that, you will get a lot more flavor. Beat together until combined, but don't over do it here. Set your wet mixture aside and put 2 1/2 cups flour in a mixing bowl. Walk away for two seconds to grab a towel and come back to find finger prints in the flour. This was done by an adult... I have no other words. Measure out 1 tsp Cream of Tartar and add to the flour. Add in 1 tsp baking soda. Lastly, throw in 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk your dry ingredients together and then slowly pour into the wet ingredients with the mixer on. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and then transfer your ball of dough back into a mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap to chill. Your dough should not be a sticky texture but pliable and even a little bit crumbly. Voila! This little baby is ready to go to the refrigerator. I recommend letting it chill for 2-3 hours or if you're like me and a million little things come up, let it chill overnight and get to them tomorrow. Day two of baking, here we go! Preheat the oven to 375 and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats. Let the dough sit out for about 5 minutes or so to lightly soften. Flour a rolling pin as well as the counter top and roll out the cookie dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. I love using this gingerbread man and woman, they were mine from childhood so I enjoy getting to continue the tradition. Bake at 375 for about 8-10 minutes depending on your oven. While you're letting the cookies cool you can make your own frosting or if you're like me you can dye store bought frosting. I buy lots of little candies and sprinkles to have fun with and they always turn out so cute, perfect for wrapping up and gifting to friends or the neighbors. Enjoy these treats and have yourself a delicious little feast day! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful. Praying for you as we journey to Heaven together, one feast day, and cookie, at a time!

In a valiant attempt to switch up our meatless meals I decided to go with salmon! I am being very bold today because not only am I serving fish that is typically not eaten in this house, but we also never eat Thai food. Bring on the spice! This is an incredibly easy meal; I was able to whip it up in 30 minutes after working all day so that makes me and my feet very happy. There are several variations on this but I went with the less "fishy" route and the easiest clean up. Winning! Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15-18 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Yields: 4-6 servings Assemble the Team! 1/2 cup sweet Chili Sauce 2 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced (do as I say not as I do in the ingredients picture...unless you want a little extra kick) 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tbsp lemon juice 3/4 tsp ground ginger Pinch of salt 2 lbs salmon 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped for garnish 2 tbsps chopped cilantro for garnish 2 tbsps chopped green onion for garnish Let's prepare the sauce together! While we are at it, go ahead and preheat the oven to 375. Then get yourself a bowl and measure out 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce. Pour in 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce. Then sprinkle in that garlicky goodness! The directions say 2, go with that... we just really like garlic around here. Add in 3/4 teaspoon ginger, if you are using freshly grated then you can add up to 1 tablespoon. Pour in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, lime can also be used here but we had lemon on hand. To give it a little kick toss in 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. If you really like your food spicy you can also add 1 teaspoon Sriracha. Not even going to lie, I made a little Sriracha dipping sauce to go with mine on the side. Place tin foil on a baking sheet and lay your salmon on top. Sprinkle a little kosher salt and then get your sauce mixture. Note about the skin! A lot of people think that they need to remove it before cooking, this is a no no! Keep the skin on if you are grilling, baking, or pan searing so that you have that nice protective layer while you're cooking. It helps to prevent against overcooking and if cooked properly to a crisp it can add a little extra flavor. Pour or spoon the sauce over the salmon and make sure it's completely covered! Fold up the edges of your foil and give it a little scrunch or fold at the top to completely cover and seal the salmon. Your oven should be preheated now so place it in and bake until its cooked through. Remember, salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Depending on your oven the cook time can range from 15-18 minutes but to be sure and not overcook, check it after 15 minutes. While that's cooking we can prepare the garnish. I did a really delicious mixture of cilantro, green onions, and peanuts! At this point I had to cook a bit longer than 15 minutes, but I watched closely and with the help of a food thermometer it has reached the perfect temperature. **This is an optional step but to get the top caramelized you can broil it for about 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, brush the top of the fillet with sweet chili sauce and broil for another 5 minutes. Take off the platter and top with the peanuts, green onion, and cilantro! I served this with a side of baked asparagus and rolls, it was so good we went back for seconds. Give it a try and let me know what you think, this one is for sure going into our meatless Friday meal collection. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days.

Happy Marian Feast Day! Our little tradition for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is to make a caramel treat, it's a delicious start to get us thinking. It's also a fun play on words and a real Starbucks ordering debate! I am constantly being corrected by the barista for the way I order anything caramel flavored. How do you say it? Car-mel or Car-a-mel? Either way you say it when you're making this treat will be fine, but there's only one way to say it when referring to the apparition of Our Lady on Mount Carmel! :) A devotion to her is one that is close to my heart, not long after starting college I decided to wear the brown scapular. But, if you would like to learn more about it you will have to scroll down passed the recipe. From personal experience, I don't like too much talking before the recipe because it usually means a lot of scrolling to get what I came for. With that said, let's get going! Prep Time: 5 Minutes Bake Time: 10-12 Minutes Yields: 24 Cookies Assemble the Gang Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (homemade or store bought) Fun Sized Snickers Bag Caramel Drizzle (squirt bottle is easiest) Cooking Spray Muffin Tin (for mini or full size muffins) Grease your tin with any cooking spray of your choice. I may or may not know how to aim... I used a mini muffin tin, which you may not be able to tell from this picture. I prefer this size because the bite size snickers fit perfectly in the center! Take a piece of your cookie dough and press it down with your thumb in the center. Then shape the cookie dough around the sides to form a cup. Try your best to make the cup even around all sides so that it bakes evenly. Repeat that until your entire tin is full, then treat yourself to a little bite of leftover cookie dough. Sneaky sneaky! Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 10 minutes! The cookie dough will rise so when you take it out and you have lost your cup shape, don't fret, they will fall back down. Unwrap the bite size snickers and place them in the center of each cup. When you have placed a chocolate in each cookie you are going to pop those babies back into the oven for another minute or two depending on how melted you want them. This is my little special step! I did one minute, just enough for the chocolate to soften and form to the bottom of the cookie cup. Y'all, my mouth is already watering! Let the cookies cool a bit before trying to take them out of the muffin tin. Then put them on a paper plate or paper towel to drizzle the caramel sauce. This makes for a much easier clean up. After you have drizzled them all, give the cookies a few minutes to set! Serve them warm and gooey, or chill them in the fridge. I love cold candy bars, but either way, your family is going to love this treat! Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Pray for Us! Amen! The "Our Lady of Mt. Carmel" Scoop! Mt. Carmel, a holy mountain in northern Israel, was home to the Carmelite order. The monastics who lived there had a deep devotion to Our Lady with a chapel dedicated to her. In fact, St. Teresa of Avila called Carmel, "the Order of the Virgin," because of their love and celebration of her. After political and religious conflict in the 13th century, the Carmelites left and fled to Europe where they established monasteries in northern England. It was here that the Carmelite, St. Simon Stock, received the Brown Scapular from Our Lady. With it, Mary gave her promises for those that wear the scapular with devotion. The Scapular is a sacramental that symbolizes her protection to those that consecrate themselves to it in a special way. For more information on the Brown Scapular, read these resources! Brown Scapular Information The Powerful Scapular and Its Perennial Promises A Silent Devotion Let's say this prayer together! “O Beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessity. O Star of the Sea, help and protect us. Show us that you are our Mother. Amen.” Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.

It's MICHAELMAS Day, also known as the Feast of the Archangels! The St. Michael's Lent ends today so if you powered through that Novena, you are amazing! I have a little bit about the feast day below the recipe (because raise your hand if you hate having to scroll past a ton of text to get to a recipe). Celebrating St. Michael and the archangels is a must right?! We integrated the St. Michael prayer into our marriage from the very beginning and I cannot recommend doing that with your family enough. He is there fighting our spiritual battles alongside us and I have always felt his presence in challenging times. I encourage you to find a place for him in your home. Alright now for the recipe, which is what you are here for! Why Blackberries? I'm part Irish so this traditional folk tale brings a little bit of my own culture into our home. It is said that when Satan was kicked out of Heaven that he landed in a blackberry patch! He returns every year to curse and spit on the fruit that he landed on, making them sour so they cannot be picked after the feast of Michaelmas. This story has inspired a yearly tradition of a blackberry dessert! This year I went with blackberry cobbler and this easy recipe was taken from The Pioneer Woman. Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: 1:00 hour Yields: 8 servings Ingredients 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) 1 1/4 c. sugar 1 c. self rising flour 1 c. milk 2 c. fresh blackberries (two small containers will suffice) There is no easier blackberry cobbler recipe online, this was perfect for making in the middle of the week. However, it is also pretty non-traditional in the sense that it is more cakey but will still give you the cobbled texture on top which is where this dessert gets its name. Before you get going, take your 1/2 cup of butter and place it in a small glass bowl to melt in the microwave. While that is melting, you can pour 1 cup of sugar into a glass mixing bowl. Measure out 1 cup of self rising flour and add that to your bowl of sugar. Now reach for your milk! Pour in 1 cup of milk like so! I took this own action shot by myself without spilling milk all over the place. Look out world, my left hand is going places. Whisk those three ingredients together until your mixture is nice and smooth. Now grab my favorite ingredient, the butter, and pour it into your well-whisked wet mixture. Careful, the glass might still be hot. Take any left over butter and give your baking dish a very good coating! Go on and get in there! (That's what my dad would say when he wanted me to get something "real good." East Texas girl over here. Pour the batter into your baking dish! Don't forget to rinse your blackberries and pat dry before starting. Once you've checked that off your list you will measure out two cups and evenly distribute them throughout the mixture. I'm going to make a confession, I didn't pour those blackberries out of the measuring cup. I started to and they all ended up in one corner of the baking dish. I picked them up by the hand and plopped them in there myself. Do what you will! Measure out the remainder of the required sugar, 1/4 cup, and sprinkle evenly over the top. Reminds me of that oldie but goodie by the Archies. "Sugar sugar, ah honey honey! You are my candy girl and you've got me wanting you!" Stuck in your head now isn't it? :) Pop in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Per recommendation, I baked this for 50 minutes, took it out, and sprinkled it with another teaspoon of sugar then put it back in to bake for the last 10 minutes. Let me just say... do this! Serve hot with ice cream and a cup of coffee and just try to tell me you aren't having a good feast day! If you would like to know a tad more about this feast day, I invite you to keep on reading. This feast also follows the Fall Ember Days that we just observed. And fun fact, did you know that today was a holy day of obligation until the 18th century? I vote we add it back to the list, I'm all about reestablishing a more fervent and celebratory Catholicism. A little bit about St. Michael, he is the archangel who fought against Lucifer, the fallen angel, and cast him out of Heaven. In Scott Hahn's book "Lamb’s Supper," he touches on angels and the spiritual warfare that goes on with little to no awareness on our part. I was intrigued by this point, that there is a battle for our souls which the angels of God are fighting for us and WITH us. Start asking today for their intercession and celebrate the many supernatural things they do on our behalf. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen. Hope that you are having a blessed feast of St. Michael and the archangels. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.

As some of you know, I have a love for St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. She came into my life through an unexpected devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which my husband and I enthroned our home to just after getting married. As I came to learn more about the Sacred Heart, this saint of course took a special place in my spiritual life as she is the woman we should thank for this increased awareness to the immense love of Jesus. And in addition to that, she just so happens to be the confirmation saint of my mother in law! There are rarely coincidences when it comes to our faith, don't you think? In honor of her feast day I am making a tasty French inspired lunch, Spinach Bacon Quiche. I like this recipe because it's very light and can be served with a little arugula salad, veggies, or even a side soup. Pull out your ingredients and lets get cookin'! Prep Time: 15 minutes Bake Time: 35-45 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes to 1 hour Servings: 8-10 Ingredients 1. 1 - 9 inch pie crust, I had one from scratch that was in my freezer but feel free to grab one pre-made from the grocery story. Also why you don't see mine pictured. 2. 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella 3. 6 large eggs 4. 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 5. 2 cups chopped fresh spinach 6. 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms 7. 6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped 8. Salt and pepper to taste Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lay your pie crust into your pie dish. You can keep the crust from shrinking by putting dry beans or rice on top of parchment paper and keep it there for about 8-10 minutes. While that is resting, let's give our other ingredients some attention! Cook your bacon in a skillet and dice it up so that it will be ready for later. Crack 6 eggs into a bowl! Measure out 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream and pour that into the bowl of eggs. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, no measuring needed. Shakey, shakey! Now whisk that together thoroughly to make sure that your eggs are completely blended into the mixture. If you used the rice or dry beans trick, remove that now so we can dump in the other ingredients. Chop 2 cups of fresh spinach and toss it evenly into the pie crust. Grab the ingredient from Heaven, what might also be popularly known as bacon, and sprinkle that on top of the spinach. Chop 2 cups of fresh mushroom and add that on top of the bacon. You may be thinking, what's up with this arrangement? My husband does not do mushrooms but I love them, so half for me and half for him! Now for the chhheeessseee! Add in 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Some people do this first, but I do it before the wet ingredients so that the cheesy goodness spreads throughout the center. This is beauty. Pour your egg mixture over the top, easy cheesy! If you'd like you can do another sprinkle of salt and pepper, then slide it into the oven for 35-45 minutes. You will know it is ready when the eggs are set. You can test this by doing one of two, very professional, things. You can poke it with a toothpick and pull it out slowly to see if there is any wet egg texture remaining, or you can give it a little shake to see how it moves. If it's finished, it really shouldn't move all that much. There you have it, a beautiful, French lunch to serve for the feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Let it cool before slicing and while you do that you can read to or with your family the 12 promises of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary for those devoted to the Sacred Heart. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life. I will establish peace in their families. I will console them in all their troubles. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy. Tepid souls shall become fervent. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Prayer Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, your life of prayer and devotion to Jesus was that of a prolonged discussion with an intimate friend. Help us to dialogue with Jesus like you, knowing Him and loving Him in the hiddenness of the tabernacle. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful.