Need a good idea for Mardi Gras food? Daniel's family lived in New Orleans for several years when he was growing up and the culinary tradition of that fair city is still strong with him. Tonight we celebrated his sweet mom's birthday with some delicious gumbo and shrimp remoulade. Then I realized how perfect it was for a Mardi Gras meal and wrangled him into typing up his recipe! Seriously, so … [Read more...]
9 Ideas for Observing Lent with Kids: Holy Heroes Review (and free coloring books for you!) {Sponsored Post}
This post is sponsored by Holy Heroes. Is it just me, or is Lent painfully early this year? I feel like I'm still recovering from Christmastide. On the other hand, I'm a big Lent fan. I love that the Christian Year offers us a time set aside to clean house. And no, I'm not talking about my dusty baseboards, although that would be a good thing to tackle during Lent, too. I'm talking about our … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: February 2015
I'm always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope … [Read more...]
Get Your Mantilla On (Guest Post by Tyler Blanski)
Please welcome writer and fellow Catholic convert Tyler Blanski to Carrots today! Tyler's sharing some of the beautiful theology behind veiling. I've never veiled at Mass myself, but learning more about this rich tradition just might have me searching for a chapel veil. - Haley Image source You’ve heard it before: head coverings are not awesome, they are the sexist leftovers of a … [Read more...]
Simple Soul Cake Recipe for All Souls Day (Gluten-Free)
Making Soul Cakes during Hallowtide (All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day) has become a little tradition at our house. I wanted to share my recipe with you in time for All Souls on Sunday! The History of Soul Cakes As a kind of early version of Trick-or-Treating, folks would go door-to-door and ask for Soul Cakes in exchange for saying prayers for the dead. I really love the way … [Read more...]
When It Feels Like You’re Failing at Building Your Cathedral
The Most Important Person on Earth is a Mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral-a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body…The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God’s creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. … [Read more...]
Harry Potter, Dumbledore’s Mercy, and the Triumph of the Holy Cross
It's the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. What does that have to do with Harry Potter? I don’t try to hide the fact that I’m a Harry Potter fangirl. I’m often reflecting on the plot and themes, whether kids should read the series, and how Molly Weasley is fantastic. (SPOILER ALERT: Do not continue if you haven’t completed the series.) One of the most memorable scenes in the … [Read more...]
27 Books for Your Mass Bag (And Tips for Dealing with Little Ones in Mass)
After I posted about how my kids didn't ruin Mass despite their best efforts, I often get emails wondering how we deal with having small children in Mass and what we do to get them to behave. Don't get me wrong. I'm not an expert and oftentimes our two youngest still give us a run for our money on Sunday mornings, but we have learned A LOT over the past five and a half years of parenting in the … [Read more...]
We Are Still the Easter People
The past two weeks have been weighty. Heavy. Hard. And it’s not because tragedy has struck my immediate family. It’s because everywhere I turn, people are hurting and I feel helpless. Iraqi Christians are being murdered. My brothers and sisters in Iraq are being brutally killed because of their faith and what am I doing? I’m drinking a cup of coffee and using my MacBook Air. And that makes me feel … [Read more...]
12 Things I Loved About the Edel Gathering
The requests are flying in for an Edel '14 recap! I feel like I've got 10 posts worth of Edel chat and need a month to process this beautiful whirlwind of a weekend, but here I am starting a post at nap time because Carrots readers shouldn't have to wait a month for me to process all the amazingness that was Edel. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, fear not. Edel is a gathering designed … [Read more...]
