Another Success story with Figolli Recipe

I was so absolutely pleased and happy to hear from one of my followers who used the Figolli recipe I posted some years back and she even sent me pictures of her lovely Figolli.  Here are the pictures.

Thanks so much Stephanie for sharing your 

success story with me.  

I hope you had a lovely Easter!

I am so honoured to post your pictures.  

Well done!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Treacle Rings Recipe

This is a traditional sweet enjoyed throughout the year in Malta but mostly at Christmas time. This Maltese speciality dates back to the 15th Century and may be enjoyed with wine or as a dessert or even at tea time. Some people also like to call this sweet 'Honey Rings'.  I made this recipe a few years ago and I was very pleased with the result...maybe I'll give it a go again this year : )
                                                                                  

Ingredients

For the filling*:                                                         

900g (2 lb) treacle                                                       

An equal amount of water                                            

Zest of tangerine, orange and lemon                             

A small amount of candied peel (optional)                    

A pinch of cloves

2 tablespoonfuls jam

400g semolina

For the pastry*:

800g flour

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon butter

Water to bind

* You can use half the amount if you only plan to make 3 rings.  Adjust amount of all ingredients accordingly.

Method

Sprinkle the baking trays with semolina. Put aside.

For the filling

Place all the filling ingredients, except for the semolina, into a saucepan.

Bring to boil and thicken with semolina.  Add half the amount at a time and stir, then add the remainder ingredients.  Cook for a few minutes.  Let cool for several hours, preferably overnight.

To make the pastry

Sieve the flour, rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Bind with egg yolks and water.  This pastry will keep well, wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Divide the pastry into six pieces, and roll out one piece at a time into rectangles. Again out of each rectangle cut out rectangles,  10cm(4") wide x  18cm(7") long.  Depending on how thin you roll out the pastry you will have several strips now ready for the filling.

To make the treacle rings

Take a dessertspoonful of the stuffing and place it on the cut rectangle, shaping it into a sausage shape 3-4cm (ab.1 1/2") thick and as long as the pastry rectangle.  Dip your fingers into semolina, sprinkled on the board to help you shape it.  Fold the pastry over - there's no need to dampen the edges.

Bring the two ends of  the folded pastry roll together in order to form a ring.

As each ring is ready place on the prepared baking sheets. Do not let the rings touch each other.  When they have all been prepared, cut five or six slashes on top of each ring with a sharp knife, lifting the pastry gently so as to let the stuffing show through.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is only slightly coloured. Let cool.  You can wrap these in cellophane to give as gifts.  The fresher they are the tastier of course!  Enjoy!

St.Joseph The Worker

Today we celebrate the feast of St.Joseph the Worker. St. Joseph has two feast days on the liturgical calendar. The first is March 19 ~Joseph, the Husband of Mary. The second is May 1~Joseph, the Worker.

We know very little about the life of Joseph and very little is written in Scripture about him but still, we know that he was the chaste husband of Mary, the foster father of Jesus, a carpenter and a man who was not wealthy. We also know that he came from the royal lineage of King David.

From his actions recorded in scripture we see that Joseph was a compassionate man, and obedient to the will of God. He also loved Mary and Jesus and wanted to protect and provide for them.

Being a carpenter he must have been patient, very creative as well as diligent. Can you imagine how St. Joseph must have worked from early morning till late at night in his carpenter shop repairing dinner couches, building tables and shelves for the people of Nazareth? He also taught his trade to Jesus who must have worked alongside him until the time He started His public life.

Because St. Joseph was a humble carpenter, he is regarded as the patron saint of workers everywhere. The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 in order to Christianize the concept of labor and give to all workmen a model and a protector.

Pope Pius XII expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor and would bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions.

Here is an interesting link to a site about the Feast of St. Joseph which includes prayers, recipes and other interesting information.

Pictures used in this post are from the above link.

Here's also a link to my other blog where you can read a prayer/poem to St.Joseph which I wrote in 2011.



The first of May is also May Day which is a traditional spring holiday in many cultures. There are many traditions associated with May Day among them is the dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles it is customary to have Mary crowned as The Queen of The May. I remember this Crowning as a special celebration at my school which is still celebrated to this day. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.

Easter Blessings

This lovely Printable is from One Dog Woof

May the glory
and the promise
of this joyous time of year
Bring peace
and happiness to you
and those you hold most dear.



May the Risen Christ bless you most abundantly.

♥ Happy St.Valentine's Day ♥

Picture from shared files/my Archives

I will not go into the history of how Valentine's Day evolved, I'm sure you can get all the details by doing a search but I will share with you one particular legend which happens to be my favourite.

There was one particular Valentine who was imprisoned and who actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl, possibly the jailor's daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today.

Although the truth behind the 'Valentine' legends is quite confusing, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and, most importantly, romantic figure. And so we have Valentine's Day, a particular day in which we send cards to our beloved and dear ones.

Unfortunately, the day is too commercialised as are other feasts which causes unnecessary pressure. My motto is to show your loved ones that you love them every day by making every day special, by making every day count, by appreciating each other more.

To end I would also like to share some quotes I found today...

We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.
Lucretius

A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.
Ingrid Bergman

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
Charles M. Schulz

Mmmmm, I love the last one ☺

♥♥♥HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!♥♥♥

More Free Tags for your Christmas Gifts

Here is a lovely tag that can be used if you plan to give out a token or a going away gift to your friends/family/guests.

Save to your own files, just print and cut.
I did not make this tag myself but it was shared with me and is from a free site so long as it is not for commercial purposes.

It has a lovely message and will look lovely tagged with your token.

Enjoy!

EPOKA at Valletta Waterfront

Experience the traditional culture of Malta in music,
crafts, food, dance,
games and entertainment.

This is going to be a fun-filled family evening to celebrate
the eve of the Maltese Feast, l-Imnarja.
We will be taking part in this festival with our handmade crafts.

At Valletta Waterfront
on Tuesday, 28th June
from 7:30pm onwards.

For more details visit
the official website
or click on the above poster.

~Entrance is free~

Our Next Fair is at Lejlet Lapsi in St.Julians

Event: Lejlet Lapsi
When: 6th June, 2011
Where: St.Julians Bay and Promenade
Time: 6.30pm ~ 12.30am


A Folk Festival used to be held in the times when the Knights were in Malta, with the Grandmaster organizing a grand feast for the Knights around Lapsi * to encourage them in whatever circumstance or encounters they had to face especially with the Turks.

From early afternoon, free wine and food would be distributed from the Spinola Palace Gardens and surroundings to all present including St.Julians residents as well as those who would come to the bay from B'Kara. This feast was extremely popular with the Maltese.

To bring this feast back to life, the St.Julians Local Council in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretariat for Consumer, Fair Competition, Local Councils and Public Competition as well as with the Tourist Authority will be organizing Lejlet Lapsi. St.Julians Bay and all along the Promenade will be transformed into a Folkloristic Village.


There will be various stands of Maltese crafts and Maltese products. Banners and flags will decorate the area. Animators in the children's area will provide entertainment for the kids and there will also be Arts and Crafts, Bouncing Castles and other fun and games. Musicians playing traditional Maltese instruments as well as singers in costume will mingle with the crowds.

One of the highlights of this activity will be the Re-enactment of the time when the Grandmaster used to visit this location. Around 90 actors as well as horses and a canon salute will bring this episode to life. This colourful spectacle will start from Balluta square around 7.30pm where a regiment of soldiers will march towards Spinola Bay. I'll let the rest be a surprise for you should you be there!

You will be entertained with colour, music and so much more all through the evening which will come to its close with a spectacular show on the main stage set up in the bay where some of our best singers will give a rendition of great Maltese songs.

This is a great occasion for a great evening out with your family and friends.


* Lapsi is the feast of the Ascension, celebrated 50 days after Easter.

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

*** WISHING YOU SPECIAL BLESSINGS

THIS CHRISTMAS AND THOUGHOUT

THE NEW YEAR ***

"A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; It makes no noise at all, But softly gives itself away; While quite unselfish, it grows small."
-- Eva K. Logue

"So remember while December Brings the only Christmas day, In the year let there be Christmas In the things you do and say."
-- Anonymous


"Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most."
-- Ruth Carter Stapleton

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."
-- Roy L. Smith

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.""
-- Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol)

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

A Thanksgiving display in our hallway ~ can you see

the REAL Maple leaves my dear cuz brought us from their yard?

I know I am posting this a little late and our Sunday is over but just wanted to post to wish all my Canadian friends

A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~ well, it is still Sunday in Canada : )

We had a lovely day with my Mum and my dear cousin and

her wonderful husband, on holiday here from Canada

...it was indeed very special

to have them

spend this day with us.

“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.”
Edward Sandford Martin

Blessings to one,
Blessings to all,
Blessings especially during this fall!
Doreen : )

From the bottom of my heart I wish you all

the very best of wishes for a Healthy, Happy and

Prosperous New Year.

May you and your loved ones know Peace and Love and Joy and

may God shower on you all His Wonderful Blessings

throughout the New Year.

~Doreen~

Wordless Wednesday...My Year-round tree in Fall

Especially for Debbie H.~thanks for your reminder : )

Happy 4th of July!

and all my American friends online!

Have a lovely weekend!

Happy Birthday CANADA!

Again I am late in posting but I just had to write about this special day. Yesterday July 1st was Canada Day and the colours red and white were proudly displayed, even worn across the country as Canada Day activities from coast to coast were celebrated to honour its history, culture and diversity.

From news I hear from family and friends, the weather has been anything from sunny skies, thunder, rainy or dry...some plans have had to be postponed but all festivities will continue right through to this weekend.

July 1st is considered Canada Day because on July 1st 1867 was the enactment of the British North America Act of 1867. This established the Canadian Federal Government which made the four Canadian provinces at the time into one country. It is a statutory holiday and a day that all Canadians can feel proud of their country.

When we lived in Canada we used to look forward to and thoroughly enjoy this memorable day and all the Parades with marching bands, picnics in parks, BarBQs and family get-togethers as well as the lovely fireworks displays. What beautiful memories!

For interesting reading check these sites...

http://www.inglewoodcarecentre.com/history/canadabirthday.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Day

http://www.vec.ca/english/2/canada-facts.cfm

http://www.canadadayquiz.com/

For Crafts, Activities and Recipes click here...

http://holidays.kaboose.com/canada-day/

Happy Canada Day

to our relatives and friends in Canada!

Have a safe and happy week ~ enjoy!

Mother's Day Dedication

~HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY BLESSINGS ~

May the Blessed Mother come into your life today

with a special blessing for you.

May you always be grateful for the Blessed Mother.

Without her we would not have Jesus. Our Saviour.

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We were all born to love and care and women were born to be Mothers in an especially loving and caring way. In one way or another we are all Mothers ~ I dedicate this posting to all who are in any way mothers, those that are birth mothers, those who are adoptive or foster mothers, those who as a mother care for the upbringing of little ones especially aunts, grandmas, sisters, carers, teachers, religious persons, even dads who have taken on the role of Mum too. Especially I would like to dedicate this to my own Mum who is very special to me, I ask God to bless her and all the mothers of our family and all mothers out there who are reading this. I must not forget those who are taking care of Mothers (or parents) who can no longer take care of themselves...they are doing such a noble job. One last but very important dedication is to those who were nearly mothers but have lost their child in some way.

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M-O-T-H-E-R

M is for the million things she gave me,

O means only that she's growing old,

T is for the tears she shed to save me,

H is for her heart of purest gold;

E is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

R means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER",

A word that means the world to me.
~Howard Johnson (c. 1915)~

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Have you ever known someone

from before their birth,

Loved that person unconditionally

and known how much they're worth?

Have you ever held your child

close to your heart

And prayed that nothing would,

ever could, make you stay apart?

Have you ever sung them lullabies

Told them stories that were dear,

Dried their tears after a fall,

and taken away their fear?

And have you ever shared moments

to smell the pretty flowers

And admire the sky above

Or played in rain showers?

Have you found time to wonder with them

About the birds and the bees,

Looked at cloud formations,

Talked on how to preserve trees?

Have you ever seen their wonder

reflected in you...

And seen yourself time and again,

in them, through and through?

If you have ever shared these memories

One on one with the other,

Then deep within your heart you know

That you are A MOTHER!

Doreen Scerri © 2009

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Here is a lovely prayer/presentation I have come across and would like to share...

http://www.andiesisle.com/mothersdayprayer.html

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In this dedication, I must not forget my friends and all those who lovingly take care of their pets and all God's creatures in a warm motherly way.

You all know who you are!

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Here is a great site for Kids for Mother's day...
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/mothersday.html

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Mother’s Day Prayer

God our Creator, we pray:

for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility;

for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;

for those who are tired, stressed or depressed;

for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;

for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;

for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;

for those who have children they do not want;

for those who raise children on their own;

for those who have lost a child;

for those who care for the children of others;

for those whose children have left home;

and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.

Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,

and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,

living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.

Amen.

Prayer taken from

http://www.stjosephclayton.org/

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Last but not least let us remember Mothers who have gone before us on faith...
may God grant them peace and everlasting joy in being with their Creator through eternity ~ their reward for their work and life here on earth.

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St.Joseph the Worker, May Day, International Workers Day

Today May 1st is a the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

who is also the patron saint of our Parish Church.

God our Father creator and ruler of the universe,

in every age you call us to develop

and use our gifts for the good of others.

With Saint Joseph as our example and guide,

help us to do the work you have asked

and receive the rewards you have promised.

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

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Picture and prayer from The Franciscan ecard site...

http://holyecards.com/ecards.php?action=build&id=1543

For Maltese speaking patrons of this blog here is a link to our parish website...http://www.sanguzepphaddiem.com/

Today is also May Day, a national holiday in many countries, synonymous with International Workers Day or Labour Day. In pre-Christian times May Day celebrations focussed on the festival of Flora the Roman Goddess of flowers, also the Walpurgis Night (a religious holiday of pre-Christian origin) celebrations of the Germanic countries.





Dancing around the Maypole is another way of observing this feast in America and Europe.


The giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps is a tradition that has unfortunately been slowly fading this past century.




During the process of conversion in Europe many pagan celebrations were abondoned or christenized and today we celebrate this day mostly to commemorate the Worker and his/her rights mostly with peaceful parades or marches. Check here for more on how this day is celebrated in different parts of the world... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day






In the Roman Catholic tradition May is also observed as Mary's Month and throughout the month of May especially in various schools the Crowning of the Queen of the May is a yearly ceremony that is very much looked forward to. I remember how we used to prepare a crown of flowers or a golden tiara and one of the pupils dressed in white would crown the head of a statue of Our Lady in class, this was also a significant celebration when it was done with the entire school.

Here is a special page for children for the month of May

http://www.annieshomepage.com/may.html

May the month of May shower on all of you

many Blessings of strength to work,

good will to persevere

and friendships to uplift you!