Lent is such a long season, that sometimes I find a great idea or recipe to do, or hear about an event we want to attend, but then when the time comes to do them or attend things, I've forgotten all about them! That's where these pages are useful. You can keep everything organized in one convenient place, write things down as you find out about them, and they will be there when you are ready!
The recipe page has space for you to write in the recipe, the ingredient list so that you can easily go shopping, and the date you wish to make the food. If you have more recipes, simply print out extra sheets. I find in my case that, unless it's a new recipe, writing the name, date and ingredients down here is enough for me, as I keep my recipes in a notebook and will just pull that out when I'm ready to cook. Keeping the ingredients and the date I want to make things with the kids is very helpful, because my shopping list is ready made and I have already made space on our calendar.
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| Our pretzels from 2013 ready to go in the oven! |
There are many recipes that are traditional to the Lenten season, and you can find many of them on the wonderful blog, Catholic Cuisine. This blog will give you both recipes and the association that the dish has with our faith. Some quick ideas to start you off.
Pretzels: Pretzels were traditionally only eaten during Lent, at a time when the Lenten fast included abstaining from meat, eggs and dairy for the entire season. Pretzels were a simple food of flour, water, and yeast. Their shape comes from the way in which people used to pray, with their arms crossed and hands brought up to their shoulders.
Hot Cross Buns: These are a traditional Good Friday food, as they are simple and make only a small meal. If you purchase yours (which I often do) they will probably have frosting on them, and the inevitable question is why, especially on Good Friday? The cross on the buns traditionally was imprinted and then baked into the bread, although it's common for frosted crosses to be added today. If we end up with frosted ones, I like to think that the little touch of frosting, especially on Good Friday, remind us that Jesus' suffering and death on the cross gave us the sweetness of Heaven. I tell my children that the frosting reminds us that Good Friday is not the end of the story.
The event pages are also to help you remember when and where you want to do certain things during Lent. Hopefully, there are events in your parish that you will be able to attend for Lent. You have space on the sheet to write down the name of the event and the date, as well as notes for anything you might need to bring.
There is also a sheet for other events, or things that you want to do at home with your family. As with the recipes, you can always print more sheets if there is more that you wish to do! (A word of caution, though, if you've filled out every sheet in the packet, you might want to pare down so that you don't make yourself crazy. Try to incorporate a few simple things that you do every year, and then add one or two new ones the following year. Simple works really well for Lent!)
Some ideas of things to do:
A bean jar: My kids love this one, and now insist on doing it every year. Take a clear jar and bowl and place them in an accessible area of your home. Fill the bowl with beans, big beans. One year we had the tiniest beans and my husband and I were pouring handfuls in it by the end of Lent! Lima beans work well. For every good deed or sacrifice your children do, let them put a bean in the jar. On Easter morning, the beans are replaced with jelly beans.
A sensory tub: For little ones
A Shamrock: In honor of St. Patrick's
A Popsicle Square: In honor of St. Joseph
Have a blessed Lent,
Carolyn
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