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Easter Recipes  | Symptoms of Depression | Mother's Prayer | Holiday Turkey Tetrazzni  | Christmas Stories | Holiday Recipes | Advent Deeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Recipes - Bishop DiMarzio's Easter Meal

Lasagna

Ingredients:

Layering:

Spray a little PAM evenly on the bottom of the pan and then start the layering in this order:

• Sauce
• Lasagna
• Ricotta
• Mozzarella
  (Repeat this layering until you get to the top of the pan)

Put in the oven for one hour at 350°
Let cool in room temperature
At serving, sprinkle some grated Parmesan as desired.

 

Marinade Lamp Chops

Put equal parts of the following ingredients in a gallon size plastic bag:

 Add –

Make sure all the ingredients are blended all together with a fork and add the lamb chops to the plastic bag. Marinade for 12-24 hours.  Broil for 8 minutes on each side turning 2x for a total 32 minutes.  Boil the leftover marinade and pour over lamb!  Enjoy!!

 

Yellow Devils Surprise

1 box of Duncan Hines Yellow cake
1 box of Duncan Hines Devils Food cake
(The boxed cake mixes are usually enough to make two desserts.)  
1 box of Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 container of Cool Whip or Rediwhip whipped cream

Make the above cakes in a low straight-sided tin according to the package directions. 
Make pudding according to the package directions as well. 
Allow cakes and pudding to cool.  (Use a straight-sided glass bowl to put the cakes in.  If the cakes don't fit cut the cake to snuggly fit). 
Place yellow cake first. 
Layer pudding on top and then the Cool Whip. 
Place Devils Food over it. 
Put one more layer of cool whip. 
(If the cake had to be cut in order to fit, crumble the cut pieces and sprinkle on top of the cool whip.)
Refrigerate and spoon into individual bowls for your guests and Enjoy!!!  Delicious!!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary, Mother of the Unborn Prayer

O Mary, Mother of the Unborn,
Protect the gift of human life which
Your Divine Son has allowed to be given.

Give strength and joy to all parents as
They await the birth of the precious
Child they have conceived

Give courage to those who are fearful,
Calm those who are anxious and
Guide all of us, with your motherly care,
To treasure and protect the miraculous gift
Of human life.

We ask this through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.             
Amen.

Mary, Mother of the Unborn,
Pray for Us!

Visit Mary’s Chapel at:       
St. Rosalia/Regina Pacis Church
1230 65th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11219

 

 

 

 

 

 

Symptoms of Depression

• Loss of energy, fatigue
• Loss of appetite/weight loss OR increased appetite/weight gain
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Slowed movements or agitation
• Poor concentration/memory
• Loss of interest or enjoyment
• Depressed mood
• Feelings of guilt or self-blame
• Thoughts of hopelessness or suicide

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Turkey Tetrazzini

Compliment of Chef Kate Wayler – The Rotunda at Kingsborough (718) 368-6684 |
(Click Here to download the PDF)

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of thinly sliced mushrooms (about 4 cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup of unsalted butter
• ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cup of milk
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• ¼ cup of dry white wine
• 10 ounces of spaghetti, broken in thirds
• 3 cups of coarsely chopped cooked turkey meat
• ½ cup of cooked peas
• ½ cup of diced carrots
• ½ cup of diced red pepper
• 2/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided in half
• 1/3 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (additional)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preparations:

• Preheat oven to 375° F
• In a large, heavy bottom, saucepan, melt the ¼ cup of butter
• Add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic and sauté on medium heat for about 3 minutes
• Stir in the flour and continue to cook and stir for about 2 minutes
• In a slow steady stream add the milk, chicken stock and wine, stirring to combine
• Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
• While the sauce simmers, in a separate pot, following manufacturers directions, cook the spaghetti.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Reserve
• After the mushroom sauce has simmered for 5 minutes, turn off the heat
• Stir the chilled, drained spaghetti into the mushroom sauce
• Add the chopped turkey and stir
• Add the red pepper, carrots, peas, and gently combine
• Add salt & pepper to taste
• Stir in ½ of the Parmesan cheese, reserve the other half for the topping
• Fill a well buttered 3-quat casserole dish or 9x13 inch baking pan with the Tetrazzini mixture *
• Combine the remaining Parmesan cheese with the bread crumbs
• Sprinkle the bread crumb/cheese mixture evenly over the Tetrazzini
• Dot the top of the crumb mixture with the 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes until it is bubbling and the top is golden **

* The Tetrazzini can also be portioned into individual ovenproof dishes
** The Tetrazzini can be frozen, before baking, for up to one month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS STORIES

A few of you were kind enough to share your Christmas stories with us.  We all LOVED them; unfortunately, we couldn’t read them on air as we mentioned.  Our Christmas!!!Special was very lively and before we knew it, we ran out of time.  We still would like to share those lovely stories with you and also to thank the contributors for sending them in. The following are a couple of such stories:

         My name is Rose Marie Esposito, and started a tradition of my own when I had my 5 children.  My family now has grown to my children, their spouses and 11 grandchildren.  Christmas Eve, when it is time to open all the gifts, we all stand around my very large table and stack up the gifts with each name on it in front of that person.  The youngest opens up his or her gifts and thank the gift givers.  It goes up the line, according to age, until I’m the last to open my gifts.  Everyone gets to see everyone’s gift and the clean up of the wrappings goes much faster.  It takes a little more time, especially if it’s a big family, but spares a lot of confusion and mix up.  I have done this in my home for over 50 years, and consider it the best original idea I ever had.

Sincerely with prayers,
Rose Marie Esposito


Our Comment:

Rose Marie, it sounds that you have Christmas under control J.  We can only imagine how big and full that table of yours must be.  Perhaps the space issue is taken care of with age because as we get older the smaller those presents get!!  In any case, it must be very amusing to watch your grandchildren rip those wrappings.  Thank you for sharing your cherished tradition.  50 years and going strong!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at THE PRAYER CHANNEL!!

In my family, we follow the traditions of our Polish heritage on Christmas Eve, which include the breaking of the Oplatek – the bread of love.  The Oplatek is a wafer made of communion bread with the image of the Nativity in the center.  At the sighting of the first star, the family sits at the table and the eldest starts and breaks a piece of wafer and passes it to the youngest who breaks off a piece.  They exchange Christmas wishes and ask for forgiveness of any injuries during the past year then every member of the family follows suit.  When the table is first set, an extra place is set, and a piece of straw is placed under the dish at that setting.  That place is for the Christ child, for He may come to your door that night in the form of a stranger and share the Wigilia supper.  This belief stems from the ancient Polish adage, “Guest in the home is God in the home.”

Back in 1990, as we sat to eat, the doorbell rang.  There, at the door, stood a stranger.  All the children held their breath.  She was out jogging and had gotten lost and was in need of directions.  We, of course, invited her in and also invited her to join us at the table.  We are a rather large family and she was very taken by our kind and generous offer.  We explained to her our tradition and she was gracious but declined our offer for a meal, although she did break the Oplatek with us.  So, we gave her directions and wished her a happy Christmas and she was gone into the night.  Somehow, we all felt blessed that night.  The children never forgot and talk about it each Christmas eve since.

From:  Helen Kiedaisch
Middle Village, Queens

Our Comment:

         Helen, your story is an example of those little Christmas blessings we so often heard but never really experience.  Now the story of the stranger becomes part of your family Christmas Eve tradition, to be told year after year J.  We suppose that every year, everyone in your family still look at the door with anticipation each time the bell rings.  May your doorbell rings merrily this year!!!  Happy Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at THE PRAYER CHANNEL!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday recipes:

Spiced pumpkin cheesecake

Chef Kathryn L. Wayler got this recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine November 1997 and had enjoyed making this holiday desert since. 

            Serves 10-12

            For crust:

•             1 cup pecans (about 4 ounces)
•             1 cup graham cracker crumbs
•             2 tablespoons sugar
•             5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling:  

•             4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
•             1 ¼ cups sugar
•             ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
•             ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
•             1 15-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
•             3 large eggs
•             1 tablespoon vanilla extract

            Make crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Blend first 3 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely chopped.  Add butter; process until moist crumbs form.  Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 ¾-inch-high sides.  Bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.  Cool.  Wrap outside of pan with double thickness of heavy-duty foil.

            Make filling:

Using electric mixer beat first 4 ingredients in large bowl until smooth.  Add pumpkin; beat until blended.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Transfer to crust.  Set in roasting pan.  Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan.        

Bake cake until top is golden and begins to crack and center is set, bout 1 hour 45 minutes.  Remove from roasting pan.  Cool.  Chill overnight.  (Can be made 2 days ahead.  Cover; keep chilled.)

 *  For the busy ladies, Chef Wayler has a way to make the preparation simpler.  Instead making the crust from scratch, you can purchase prepared graham cracker crusts in stores.  Pour in the filling into the pre-shaped crust pan; bake it for one hour on a cookie sheet with about ½ inch of water.  Cool then refrigerate.  Cut into wedges, sprinkle with some chopped toasted pecans.  Another yummy garnish is to drizzle the wedge with maple pancake syrup.  The above filling is actually good for two of these crusts, so you can make one for home and one for your family & friends.

Leche Flan

One of the traditions in a Filipino family gathering is to serve this sweet dessert. Our very own Glaiza Tuazon, who said that whenever she serves the flan people think she’s a master chef, provides the following recipe.

            Ingredients:

•             12 extra large eggs
•             2 cans of evaporated milk
•             1 can of condensed milk

 

            For denser mix:

•             24 extra large eggs
•             4 cans of evaporated milk
•             2 cans of condensed milk

            * Those with sweet tooth can add more condensed milk for the desired effect.

            Preparation:

            Mix all the ingredients together until they blend enough without getting too smooth, strain through cheese sheet or other fine strainer.  Cover the mixture tightly with foil and steam for about 45 minutes.  Check it regularly to make sure that it’s cooked.  Before pouring the mixture into the pan (size is optional), brown some sugar and let it caramelized.  Pour the caramelized sugar into the pan to cover the whole bottom (this will be the top crust).  After the sugar, then pour the cooked flan mixture.  Cool at room temperature then refrigerate.  Served chilled by flipping it over onto the serving dish.  The caramelized sugar should be on top.  The whole process takes about 3-4 hours, depending on the chilling process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Advent Activities

         * Make an advent wreath (you can buy a set in Christian bookstores) and light the candles per week.  E.g. first candle on advent week 1, first & second candle on advent week 2, etc.

* Place a Bible near the advent wreath and read a passage every Sunday evening.

         * December 6 (Feast of St. Nicholas) - exchange small gifts with family members, not just material gifts but can also be helping out with a chore or give extra smile and compliments.

* December 8 (Feast of Immaculate Conception) - bring out Mary’s picture or statue and read or watch a story about Mary together.

         * Call a distant relative that you have not spoken to in a long time.  Let the whole family talk to him/her and catch up.

* Bake cookies together and donate them to nursing homes, homeless shelter or local post office.

         * Do a baby shower for baby Jesus.  Invite friends and listen to carols, read a Bible passage about the incarnation (Ex: Matthew 1: 18-25, Luke 2: 1-7).

* Decorate a tablecloth, have every member sign it with a special birthday message for Jesus.  Use this tablecloth on Christmas day.

 

         * Group yourself into 2 teams and play a Bible game/quiz.  Ask each other questions about Bible stories, and take scores.  The winning team perhaps can decide what’s for desert on the next meal.

* Have a simple lunch/dinner of soup and bread with friends.  Discuss the meaning of words and phrases related to advent.  For example: Reaching out, helping, sharing, caring, love giving, joy, hope, peace, faith, light,...

         * Get newspaper or magazine clippings about advent and make it into a collage and hang on the wall.

* Make some Christmas tree ornaments.

         * Do a “Kris Kringel” activity, write the names of all your family members in a piece of paper and fold it, let everyone pick a secret angel.  Pray for the person all through advent.  On Christmas Eve, reveal your Kris Kringel and exchange gifts.

* Visit your church or post office and answer a child’s letter to Santa.  Shop & prepare for it as a family.

         * Write letters to our troops.  Log on to www.americasupportsyou.mil for more information.

 

Family Advent Activities

         * Make Christmas cards from scratch with materials from around the house, such as cereal boxes, crayons, glitters, or ribbons that the whole family will sign and send to friends.

* In honor of Jesse tree (Jesus’ genealogy), make your own family Jesse tree.  Trace the family as far back as you can from both parents.

         * Put a nativity scene together, preferably one with individual pieces.  Let baby Jesus sleeps in each room of the house until Christmas Eve, where He will finally be at the manger.  (This will bring home the idea of Christmas as the birth of Jesus).                    

* Visit a shut-in or someone hospitalized, bearing some small gifts.

         * Research the Internet about Advent & Christmas celebration in other countries and discuss it one evening.

* Learn as a family, a new advent or Christmas carol.

         * Do something nice for someone you or your family doesn’t particularly like.

* Cut out angels, magi or other advent or Christmas symbols and paste on the kitchen wall or refrigerator.* Make Christmas cards from scratch with materials from around the house, such as cereal boxes, crayons, glitters, or ribbons that the whole family will sign and send to friends.

* In honor of Jesse tree (Jesus’ genealogy), make your own family Jesse tree.  Trace the family as far back as you can from both parents.

         * Put a nativity scene together, preferably one with individual pieces.  Let baby Jesus sleeps in each room of the house until Christmas Eve, where He will finally be at the manger.  (This will bring home the idea of Christmas as the birth of Jesus).                     

* Visit a shut-in or someone hospitalized, bearing some small gifts.

         * Research the Internet about Advent & Christmas celebration in other countries and discuss it one evening.

* Learn as a family, a new advent or Christmas carol.

         * Do something nice for someone you or your family doesn’t particularly like.

* Cut out angels, magi or other advent or Christmas symbols and paste on the kitchen wall or refrigerator.