A Little Late for Lent...

... Okay, it's a lot late but, I am going to post anyways. (Olvia is laughing at me. I can take it.)
I'm chaulking up all my lack of enthusiasm for getting anything done, anywhere, at anytime on my first trimester fatigue. Baby #8 should arrive in the Autumn and the dear wee bairn is wearing me out. One of these days I'll call the doctor and schedule an appointment to find out an actual due date, but even that is a little daunting right now. (Oh, I did finally get around to that appoinment- October 17th!) In the meantime, here is Lent 2013 to remember:

Holy Thursday

We used our GF Holy Thursday menu. While I knew how most of the dishes would turn out, the homemade tortillas were a first. I was a little worried, especially since we had so many hands helping in the kitchen. Would they be finicky to roll or tough to chew? They were neither! While nothing GF can compare to a soft buttered flour tortilla, these were very tasty and easy with all the help. :-)

The fig butter from Trader Joe's tasted just like the inside of a fig newton. Yum!

The biggest hit was the enormous bowl of strawberries. I think Xavier could happily exist for years on a deserted island so long as it had a strawberry patch!

Stephen loves these special dinners just as much as the children. There is a spirit of anticipation that sweeps everyone up and holds them tight through the whole day. Holy Thursday is definitely a day that should be anticipated. The story of the triumphant arrival in Jerusalem, the Lord's Supper, the institution of the Mass, the Agony in the Garden, and Judas' betrayal have so much power to hold even the little ones spellbound.

Good Friday

Good Friday definitely felt more rushed. There was not time to meander through the day as we headed down to noon services at the Basilica. Their choir is amazing and the entire Good Friday reading is sung. Lovely if a little long for the young ones. Afterwards, we headed home to bake and prepare. Again, the dishes were a hit with everyone. The one exception being the TJ's Rice Flour Tortillas- just pass on those. Bleh! 

 Marie Claire loved the Tomb Biscuits. Stephen says that he can watch a baby eat all day and be captivated by all their funny expressions and mannerisms. I couldn't agree more. You don't even want to know how photos I snapped of Marie and those biscuits. Too funny!

GF Lenten Teas

When we discovered that our seventh baby had gluten sensitivites, one of my first thoughts was, "What about our liturgical feasts?" I know, a little crazy, but my family loves to celebrate with a special saint day treat here and there. So, when Lent rolled around this year, I was determined to adapt Jessica's Lenten Teas for Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Here are our plans:

Holy Thursday
Palm on the Road- read Little Colt's Palm Sunday book, always gf!
Costly Oil- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
30 Pieces of Silver- banana pennies for a little extra fruit
Unleavened Bread- thick gf flour tortillas
(We are going to use this recipe from Spark Recipes. We haven't tried it yet, but it has excellent reviews.)

The Mount of Olives- black olives
The Cock Crows Twice- chicken pot pie
An excellent pie crust recipe from King Arthur Flour
My favorite chicken pot pie recipe, yum!: Allrecipes (just be sure to substitute sweet rice flour for wheat flour)

Gethsemane Figs- fig butter to spread on the tortillas
Sleepy Apostles- Celestial Seasoning Sleepytime Tea
Judas' Kiss- fresh strawberries
Clouds of Heaven- home whipped cream
Peter's Tears- sunflower seeds

Good Friday
Water Bowl- water, easy!
The King's Crown- refried beans with cheese sprinkled on top and organic tortilla chips
Out of Envy- guacamole
The Purple Cloak- boysenberry fruit leathers (the TJ's version has no added sugar)
The Crown of Thorns- Glutino crackers with cream cheese and tortilla chip thorn bits
Golgotha Eggs- boiled eggs
The Seamless Garment- rice flour or corn tortillas with cheese cubes
The Two Robbers- spinach leaves
Vinegar to Drink- balsamic vinegar
The Temple Curtain- tear a napkin
The Roman Centurion- red grapes (my children do not like fresh tomatoes)
Laid in a Tomb- drop biscuits with jelly in the middle
(We love biscuits and have them every Saturday morning for our big breakfast with daddy. However, a tasty gf recipe is tough to find. Trust me, I have made a lot of hockey pucks! This recipe from Hodgson Mill is the best by far.)

GF Drop Biscuits Recipe
Preheat oven to 375
Grease standard 12 muffin pan

3 cups all purpose GF baking flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. xantham gum
1 tsp. baking soda
Blend  above ingredients well

1/2 cup cold butter
Use a pastry blender or two forks to blend into a coarse meal with dry ingredients
(I always cheat and use my butter warm)

1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 lg egg, beaten
In a large measuring cup, mix wet ingredients together. Pour into dry ingredients. Batter will be moist and very thick. Evenly spoon batter into muffin tin. Lightly flatten the tops of biscuits using fingers dipped in milk.

Bake for 22 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cool.

Holy Saturday...
Will be spent baking our traditional Lamb Cake, just with GF Betty Crocker helping out.

Our Lady of Lourdes GF Treat

I woke up Monday morning to the news that Pope Benedict had resigned from the papacy. After I cried, remembered to pray, and gathered up my little ones to tell them the news, I had to ready everyone for a party. As it was the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes and I needed a gluten free treat to help keep my kids away from the other tasty pastries, I made the grotto. This time, however, I used popcorn because that is what was in the cupboard. Elizabeth Foss inspired me with her popcorn snowballs. Let me tell you, big and little ones demolished this treat. The three-year-olds just stood around taking little bits like Hansel and Gretal. It's truly delicious and easier to mold that rice crispies! We will definitely make this version in the future.

RECIPE

3/4 Cup of Popcorn

2 TBS of Coconut Oil

1 Stick of Butter

1 Bag of Marshmallows

1/4 t of Salt

I pop the corn on the stove in the pot. If you let the pot heat first, without the oil, there will be far less smoking and time spent shaking the thing. Also, coconut oil can take much higher temperatures and is delicious. Throw a couple of corn kernels in to see if they pop right away, if so, toss the rest in, put the lid on, and shake until the popping sounds slow way down. Transfer to another bowl.

In the same pot (I don't like to do dishes) melt the butter, toss in the salt, then melt the marshmallows. You know how to do this, right? Stir all that popcorn back in until it is well coated. Using well greased hands, mold warm yummy goodness into your grotto. Really press everything together. Try not to eat too much during this step! I used a jar to prop up the roof until it cooled. 

Add a little statue of Mary and a decoration or two. Easy!