I do St Nicholas day twice

For the cookies below, that is, chocolate chip with dried cherries,

I used a powder egg replacer + 4 tbs of water in place of the egg and 1/4 cup of milk. 

I did not use nuts and used dried cherries instead of the fresh cranberries

 (I have used fresh cranberries before too!)

Soft tacos for dinner! A vegan fast-special :)

Saint Nicholas!!! 

I love St Nicholas so much!

We were at vespers for his feast tonight!

I hope to be at vigil for his feast in 13 days,

on the 19th!  :) 

We are in good hands when we trust St Nicholas for help!

His prayers are mighty and quick to hear!

More than once I would get unexpected monies on his day

when I was a student...

I was chrismated at his church in MI... 

I asked him to go with me to MI when I left BC,

knowing that I would be going to his church...

He has done so! 

***

My Husband loved my cookies! He commented that they

were really good and when I asked how many he had,

I was pleased to hear he ate 3 of them :) 

***

I am hoping to make more cookies, maybe another double batch tomorrow...

I like to give out cookies on St Nicholas' day and

it's going to be my main present for Mr Husband this year... :)

***

I am slowly gathering things for Christmas gifts,

I love baking and raiding the pantry for things.

My Husband printed our Christmas letter/card and soon I will have to start

working on this as well...

***

I was really inspired with the joy of yesterday's feast and with the

anticipation of St Nicholas's days to pray about our

unbloggable situation and ask for a miracle.

I don't know what miracle i am asking for, but asking I am doing.

***

I hope each of you are blessed and finding encouragement 

no matter what struggle you find yourself in today!

Cookies for St. Nicholas Day

I've been baking cookies for St. Nicholas Day for the 

last two weeks or so.

The recipes I use are here and here.

This year I baked some of them listening to this intriguing story:

The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale.

A Beautiful and Wonderful St. Nicholas Day

St. Nicholas Day was wonderful!
The cookies I made for St. Nicholas Day
I bagged the day before...


I was so glad that I baked a lot more
as I would of not been able to fill the bags
nicely without them! 

A bag of sugar cookies for our
venerable {older} church member :)

We had a few clementines to give out as well!
And on St. Nicholas Eve the little
slippers with clementines were given out to
the young boy who they were made for.
He liked them and was most interested in the
chocolate coins and bag of cookies ;)
*
The vigil on St. Nicholas Eve was beautiful.

And St. Nicholas Day was so joyous.
After the liturgy I was able to give out the cookie bags.
This was so much fun!
*
Mr. Husband and I went out to lunch with a few
church friends/family for the feast and then
that night we had a simple meal
and gave each other some St. Nicholas Gifts.

 

I had my beloved icon of St. Nicholas on the buffet
and our smaller one came with us to the hotel we stayed in
on St. Nicholas Eve,
since it would of been hard to do the drive back at night only to return
the next morning (with rush hours etc it can easy be 1 hour 30 minutes or more).
*
It was a wonderful day!
*
Holy Saint Nicholas pray to God for us!

O who loves Nicholas the saintly,

O who serves Nicholas the saintly,

Him will Nicholas receive,

And give help in time of need:

Holy Father Nicholas!*

He who dwells in God's holy mansions,

Is our help on the land and oceans,

He will guard us from all ills,

Keep us pure and free from sins

Holy Father Nicholas!*

Holy Saint, hearken to our prayer,

Let not life drive us to despair,

All our efforts shall not wane,

Singing praises to your name:

Holy Father Nicholas!*

O kto kto Nikolaja l'ubit,

O kto kto Nikolaja sluzit,

Tomu svjatyj Nikolaj,

Na vsjakj cas pomahaj:

Nikolaj, Nikolaj!*

*Repeat the three lines of the refrain.

{source here}

*

It was a blessed St. Nicholas Day!!

St. Barbara's Day, a Snow Day, and Lenten Cookie Recipes

 Last evening

Mr. Husband and I realized that we were in 

for some more snow.

I woke to it's beauty.

I had originally hoped to be out doing errands today

on St. Barbara's Day. 

Instead it is a quiet day, one that found me

getting some much needed rest.

Here's the first bag of cookies that I gave away.

Cute as all get out.

Somehow I have become that woman who wants

everything to be very lovely, somewhat cute and 

as always, good to eat, a delight.

*

So far the forecast seems OK for going to St. Nicholas Day liturgy.

I have hopes of bagging many more cookie bags to give out

that day; St. Nicholas has long been my favourite

and this year God has granted me the energy to

bake for this day.

I am grateful.

*

I've had at least three requests this week for the recipes I used.

I don't have time to type them out but took pictures of them,

see below...

they are from the same cookbook that I used for the

chocolate brownie cookies,

is from this cookbook: 

Food For Paradise: A Meatless Cookbook.  St. John the Russian Church, Ipswich, Mass. 

*

I was given this cookbook as a wedding gift.

FYI, I also know where to get a copy if you need by, 

just email me.

*

So here are the two recipes:

The one above I used as is.

This one, the chocolate chip cookie one,

I used but added my own things too.

The first batch I did I wonder if I accidentally doubled the water needed.

In any case, I used the sugar water for both

the chocolate chip cookie ones I made

and the chocolate chip with roughly chopped cranberries.

I doubled the recipe for the dough, took half or so out after 

adding the chocolate chip bags 

and then mixed the rest with the cranberries.

For the other two, I used a bit more flour and used

orange juice as the liquid.

I took half out again and then added a bag

of cranraisins the original 

and the other with cherry juice infused cranraisins. 

Both are quite good.

It is nearing ever closer;

Western Christmas is next week;

we are nearing our January 7 Christmas,

inching ever closer. 

Tonight for St. Barbara's Day

I hope to make shrimp,

share a soup with Mr. Husband that I made last night

and share a cookie or two.

*

Blessed evening to you all!

And Happy St. Barbara's Day!