Catholic Lenten fasting: Vegan pretzel recipes, pretzels object lessons for Lent

Pretzels date back almost 14 centuries to an Italian monk, who, while baking bread for Lent, twisted a roll of dough to resemble the sign of the cross. To genuflect or make the sign of the cross is a prayer posture of Catholic Christians. Pretzels have become a traditional Lenten fasting food as they are made without sugar, fat, meat or dairy. In traditional Catholic homes, all fat, dairy and sweeteners are used up on Shrove Tuesday (also called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) in anticipation of the "vegan" Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lenten fasting. Shrove Tuesday is also sometimes called Pancake Day because these ingredients were made into pancakes for the pre Lenten Mardi Gras feast. During Lent, Catholic Christians observe meatless Lenten fasting on Fridays. They may refrain from eating fats, oil, butter, sugar, sweets and dairy products as a spiritual Lenten fasting.   Catholic Lenten fasting: Vegan pretzel recipes, pretzels object lessons for Lent | Examiner.com

Teach kids awareness of poverty, curb selfishness, entitlement, develop empathy | Examiner.com

 Ever get tired of seeing entitlement and selfishness in kids? It is annoying, but so are people who complain about insensitive, lazy, unappreciative "kids today." Like entitlement was never a problem before this generation and all who came before were models of selflessness. They weren't--selfishness has been a problem since time began. Where do these self-righteous folks think children learned selfishness? By watching adults! If kids lack sensitivity, it's because adults have fail ed to model it. Parents and all of society must demonstrate compassion or it has no right to complain. Children learn empathy, especially with those in need. Here are ways to break children's selfishness and entitlement attitude and develop empathy, awareness of poverty, sensitivity, compassion and generosity.  Teach kids awareness of poverty, curb selfishness, entitlement, develop empathy | Examiner.com

Free printable Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent activities and printables

 Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. Here are free printable Lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent.Free printable Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent printables

Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras

Happy Pancake Day! Also called Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, it's the day Catholics celebrate in preparation for Ash Wednesday and the sacrificial Lenten season. Catholics give up things for Lent. Traditionally that meant abstaining from meat, dairy, eggs, fat and sugar for 40 days till Easter. So they would use up or "shrive" the house of those foods and make them into pancakes. A house shriven (purged) of temptation symbolizes a soul purged of sin (Catholics also to confession before Lent to ready themselves for the penitential season). Here are delicious pancake and waffle recipes for Pancake Day. You can cheat and use pancake mix--the best is Krusteaz Honey Wheat. Krusteaz uses unbleached and whole grain flour. Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras feast

Catholic Lenten Fasting Ideas for Parents; Teaching Kids About Giving Up for Jesus

Ash Wednesday began the penitential season of Lent for Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Some protestant sects observe Lent too. During this 40-day period, we follow Christ's temptation in the desert, ending with Holy Week and passion, death and resurrection at Easter. During Lent we sacrifice in imitation of Christ. Here are tips to teach kids why we fast and how to give things up for Lent. Catholic Lenten Fasting Ideas for Children 

Lenten Kitchen Cream of Leftover Vegetable Soup

 I'm dieting (95 pounds gone). Husband and daughter are fasting from meat for lent. So the Sachtelebens are exploring vegetarian in a big way. I checked the fridge and found a bunch of veggie scraps. I asked the family how they felt about cream of leftover vegetable soup? It was a hit. Plus, using up leftovers instead of wasting them practices the Lenten virtue of almsgiving, sort of. It means we have more to share. Here's how I made it. Lenten Kitchen Cream of Leftover Vegetable Soup

The Lenten Kitchen Blue Green Algae Superfood Smoothie

I'm not always as health-conscious as I should be, but I've explored nutrition for 35 years (my parents dabbled in Mother Earth News ideas). Now being Catholic I figured lent is a good time to work on healthier vegan and vegetarian eating. One thing I used to hear more of and now don't is blue-green algae (spirulina, cyanobacterium). I've lost 95 pounds and write diet recipes. So I thought I'd reprise spirulina in myBlue Green Smoothie  Diet Recipe Blue Green Algae Superfood Smoothie

The Lenten Kitchen Egg Foo Young and Skinny

 I'm on a mission to lose 100 pounds and I only have seven pounds left. I'm always asked +How-I-lost-weight and I say, it's not a few big things (drugs, surgery) but a lot of little things. One is tweaking recipes with low-calorie food swaps. Here's today's dinner, made at the especial request of my youngest for her after-school power snack. This recipe makes a great meatless Friday lent treat. See my Lenten Kitchen link for more. Egg Foo Young and Skinny--My Diet Recipe that Everyone Likes!

Diet-Friendly, Vegetarian Rice Recipes

As a Catholic mom, I fast during lent and on Fridays by serving and eating meatless meals. I'm also dieting and have had success eating vegetarian. Rice is a great non-meat food source, but gets a bad rap for being high in starch and calories. Here are rice recipes that give you the most nutritional bang with the lowest caloric intake. I've written these recipes to meet other religious dietary restricitions. Recipes of Asia gives a guide. Islamic halal, non-kitniyot Jewish kosher. Kitniyot foods, like rice, are sometimes restricted by Jews, particularly Ashkenazi, during Pesach or passover. To observe kitniyot, quinoa could be substituted for rice. AISH says this is okay. These recipes follow eastern Ahimsa practices (except for the recipe with tuna). They can be made vegan by using soy for dairy or fish or by omitting. For all recipes, use brown or white jasmine rice (white has fewer calories). Diet-Friendly, Vegetarian Rice Recipes

Free Printable Lent Activities, Calendars, Worksheets

 One way that has always helped our family in our Lenten practices is the Catholic Relief Services lenten calendar. Each day is marked with a scripture verse and a prayer intention. Each week is devoted to a different country in great need in our world church. Listed on the calendar is information about the country, culture and people and a simple recipe from that country.  Free Printable Lent Activities

Free Printable 2016 Lenten Calendars

Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. In 2016, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February, 10. Here are free printable Lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent.  Read on for Free Printable Lenten Calendars

Everyone, Catholic or Not, Should Fast for Lent

Mardi Gras is a Catholic festival season that culminates on Fat Tuesday and takes the faithful into Ash Wednesday and the penitential season of Lent, explains the Washington Post. Everyone, Catholic or not, should quit feasting on Fat Tuesday and fast for Lent. Are you thinking, how dare she push her religion on me? Don't worry, I'm not suggesting everyone should have to fast. I'm just sharing from personal experience how beneficial a Lenten fast can be. Read more at Everyone, Catholic or Not, Should Fast for Lent 

Don't Know What to Give Up for Lent? Try Meat or Junk Food

Still haven't decided what to give up this Lent? A group of Anglican bishops in the UK suggest abstaining from meat for the 40-day Lenten period, says the Huffington Post. I agree that meat is the best thing to give up, but I'd also add sweets, junk food and fast food. Here's why. On Fat Tuesday, also called Shrove Tuesday, says the Christian Science Monitor, people traditionally purged their homes of sweets and meats to fast without temptation. Lent fasts are not just about avoiding temptation and "giving up things," however. We fast to be one with those who suffer, but fasting is about health, too. Read more at Don't Know What to Give Up for Lent? Try Meat or Junk Food

The Lenten Kitchen: Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes

During lent, much of the world practices fasting. Whether we choose a physical fast, such as food or drink or a spiritual fast, such as refraining from gossip or internet use, our goal is improved spiritual health and closeness with our Heavenly Father.

Most Catholic individuals and households observe some sort of Lenten food fast. In the old church, Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday was known as Shrove Tuesday. All sweeteners, dairy products, oil and eggs were used up and made into pancakes and during lent, not only was no meat eaten, but also no dairy products. The closest diet to this kind of fasting is a vegan diet, except that the vegan eats no fish. Read more at Vegan, Vegetarian Lent Recipes

Free Printable Lenten Devotion Activities for Operation Rice Bowl

Catholic Relief Services is the single largest non-governmental relief agency in the world. Each year at Lent CRS initiates what is called 'Operation Rice Bowl'. Operation Rice Bowl is a program which focuses our attention on the cardinal aims of the Lenten season: prayer, fasting and alms-giving. Here are activities to use your Lenten Rice Bowl. Read more

Free Printable Ash Wednesday and Lent Activities

Lent begins with the Imposition of the Ashes on Ash Wednesday which falls on February 13, 2013 on the western calendar. Lent begins a 40 day journey of fasting, acts of mercy and spiritual pilgrimage. We try to live, in our poor humble human way, in solidarity with Our Lord as he fasted in the desert for 40 days and made his final pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A Roman cross, torture and crucifixion awaited Him. But so did the glory of Easter, the Resurrection. Lent is a season for intense and deep personal and spiritual reflection. Here are free lessons plans and activities for families, homeschoolers and Catholics. Read more