Pinewood Castle

For Tomorrow

Feast of St. Martin de Porres - Peanut Butter Mice!

Tasty Autumn Treats

Have you enjoyed Sarah's fall finds? Here are a few we have enjoyed in the last week:

• Archer Farms Caramel Apple Pancake Mix
• Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Pancake Mix
• Archer Farms Fall Yogurt flavors (don't like the aspartame, though!)
  
• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

Tracy's Favorite Bread Recipe

Multi-Grain Bread
I think this came from the New Basics cookbook

4 ^1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (great price at Costco)
1 C warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 C white flour
1 C wheat flour
1 ^1/2 C granola (no raisins!)
1/2 C seven grain cereal (I like Bob's)
2 tsp. salt (I like Real Salt)

2/3 C warm water
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 C honey
1 ^1/3 C cooked grain (barley, rice, wheat berries)

Measure warm water and stir in yeast and sugar. Let mixture stand until the yeast starts to foam, 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl combine the flours, granola, cereal and salt. Stir well then add the yeast mixture, other water, oil and honey.

Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead 10 minutes.

Lightly oil bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover and let rise 1 hour. (I put it in the oven with only the light on)

While the dough is rising, grease the loaf pans and cook the grain. Let cool.

Punch dough down (my kids' favorite part). Knead once or twice and sprinkle with cooked grain. Knead grain into dough added more flour to prevent stickiness.

Shape into two loaves. Put in pans, cover and let rise one hour.

Remove pans and preheat oven to 375. Bake 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Tracy's Favorite Smoothie Concoction

Basic:

• unsweetened Almond Breeze (or rice or soy)
• some plain kefir if you have it (plain = less sugar)
• some frozen strawberries (great price on a big bag at Costco)
• some frozen blueberries (great price on a big bag at Costco)
• frozen sliced banana, about a half (peel and slice before freezing)

Power:

• 2-3 scoops of GNC Wheybolic protein powder - vanilla (2 scoops = 40 grams of protein)
• scoop of psyllium husk
• generous squirt of flax oil

Use "ice crush" feature first, if you have one. Add more liquid if needed to blend. Pour a tall glass for yourself and give the extra to your husband and children. Enjoy!

Sore Throat Smoothie

Place in blender:

• frozen sliced banana
• frozen blueberries
• frozen strawberries
• slippery elm powder (I empty a few capsules into it)
• juice from half a lemon
• some flax oil if you have it

Pour in rice or almond or soy milk to cover.
Press the "ice crush" button and add more milk if needed.
Press blend and add more milk if needed.
Add honey while the blender is going.

Hopefully this concoction along with Zicam and Oscillococcinum will ward off what I am feeling this morning!

First Communion Celebration Fair

Catholic Cuisine is hosting a First Communion Celebration Fair - stop by for a visit!

1st Holy Communion Breakfast

Have you checked out Catholic Cuisine? This is my entry for their upcoming fair.

It's a quick and easy breakfast for a busy 1st Communion morning:

For the host: save some white frosting from the cake you just decorated, put it in a sandwich bag and clip the corner and pipe a cross onto frozen (toaster) waffles.

For the chalice: fill a goblet with juice. We used OJ, only because I thought of this idea while lying awake at 11pm the night before, but grape juice or raspberry might be a better choice!

Food

So, could you guess what we had for breakfast from the photos?

• Green eggs and ham
• Green almond milk, warmed
• Doughnuts

On the dinner menu:

• This recipe for Irish Stew
• This Irish Brown Bread
• Homemade Shamrock Shakes
• Girl Scout's Thin Mint Cookies

Outing after tomorrow's Palm Sunday Mass:
Day of Irish Dance