But if at the center of the Church’s life there is this self-giving Eucharistic love, then where are the Church’s boundaries, where is the periphery of this center? Here it is possible to speak of the whole of Christianity as an eternal offering of a Divine Liturgy beyond church walls … It means that we must offer the bloodless sacrifice, the sacrifice of self-surrendering love not only in a specific place, upon the altar of a particular temple; the whole world becomes the single altar of a single temple, and for this universal liturgy we must offer our hearts, like bread and wine, in order that they may be transformed into Christ’s love, that he may be born in them, that they may become “God-manly” hearts, and that He may give these hearts of ours as food for the world…”
Saint Maria Skobtsova: Essential Writings
It is customary in Orthodox Liturgies for parishioners to commemorate their loved ones, friends and even enemies during the Liturgy. This is particularly true if you have prepared the Prosphora. Recipe here.
Each week I find myself scribbling down the names of our commemorations and finally decided to print up a sheet to make it less of a mess. Maybe you could use one too? I’ve made it available here and on my sidebar.
If one can live in the world and yet not mix with it – just as the oil and water do not mix in the oil-lamp – then he can live in God. He is in this world but not of this world.
Mother Gavrilia
Christ is Risen!! Truly He is Risen!!
Each year we bake enough Tsoureki (Greek Easter Bread) for our feast and friends. We also always try to have enough leftover to enjoy in the coming weeks. In my next few posts I will share some of the ways we love to enjoy it! If you have never made Greek Easter Bread you can find the recipe here and a video tutorial here.
Over the years I have found many fun ways to eat our leftover loaves. This week and next I will share them with you! Today we had Tsoureki French Toast for breakfast! It’s super versatile and that citrus flavor stands up to cooking, nicely. I hope you Enjoy!!
O Lord, wishing to see the tomb of Lazarus—for Thou wast soon to dwell by Thine own choice within a tomb—Thou hast asked: ‘Where have ye laid him?’ And, learning that which was already known to Thee, Thou hast cried to him whom Thou hast loved: ‘Lazarus, come forth.’ And he who was without breath obeyed the One who gave him breath, even Thee, the Saviour of our souls
Stichera for Saint Lazarus : vespers of Lazarus Saturday
The tradition of baking these little sweet spice breads hails from Greece and Cyprus and go back such a long way. In Greek they are called Λαζαράκια which means Little Lazaruses. They are prepared and enjoyed to celebrate the miracle of Jesus raising his dear friend Lazarus from the dead and are shaped like a man wrapped in a burial shroud. They are a fast friendly treat in that they have no eggs, or dairy.
Grace is the foundation of forgiveness. We pray for forgiveness to enter our heart. We beg for forgiveness to enter our heart. We importune God for forgiveness to enter our heart.
Father Stephen Freemen : Glory to God for All Things
Preparing for Pascha – there is spiritual preparation, our fasting, almsgiving and prayer and there is physical preparation : cooking for family & friends. Prepping ahead of time saves me from exhaustion and becoming too much of Martha and not enough Mary during Holy Week. Over the years, I’ve learned to plan ahead. Anything that can be made and frozen we make the week before Holy Week.
“Thus on Easter we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection as something that happened and still happens to us. For each one of us received the gift of that new life and the power to accept it and to live by it. It is a gift which radically alters our attitude toward everything in this world, including death. It makes it possible for us joyfully to affirm: “Death is no more!” Oh, death is still there, to be sure and we still face it and someday it will come and take us. But it is our whole faith that by His own death Christ changed the very nature of death, made it a passage—a “passover,” a “Pascha”—into the Kingdom of God, transforming the tragedy of tragedies into the ultimate victory. “Trampling down death by death,” He made us partakes of His Resurrection. This is why at the end of the Paschal Matins we say: “Christ is risen and life reigneth! Christ is risen and not one dead remains in the grave!”
Father Alexander Schmemann
This year the lenten quarantine left our store supermarket with absolutely no flour. Not only ours, but every supermarket in our area for days has had no flour. We were all so disappointed that we might not be able to bake Tsoureki, a traditional sweet bread that we eat only once a year on Pascha. It’s kind of a big deal in my family, especially the french toast it becomes the day after Pascha!
Luckily my sweet friends who own a local farm to table brewery / restaurant heard of my poverty! Every year I have invited them to our Pascha dinner. They are neither Orthodox, nor Christian, just good friends. They brought me 10 pounds of flour early this morning.
I got right to baking. My arms are sore from all the zesting and kneading 8 loaves of bread… but my house smells delicious!
Where love is there is Christ – Love. And where humility exists, the Grace of God takes up permanent residence, God reigns and the earth is ultimately transformed into Paradise.
Saint Paisios the Athonite
I’m just guessing that right about now you may be looking for mew Lenten recipes. This is usually when I am. And if you are, these Black Bean Burgers are for you! Normally I am not a fan of making a vegan version of dinners that should be meat… over the years my kids have always balked, but not with these. They are simple, tasty and got a thumbs up from 3 our of 3 of my kids.
“Thus on Easter we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection as something that happened and still happens to us. For each one of us received the gift of that new life and the power to accept it and to live by it. It is a gift which radically alters our attitude toward everything in this world, including death. It makes it possible for us joyfully to affirm: “Death is no more!” Oh, death is still there, to be sure and we still face it and someday it will come and take us. But it is our whole faith that by His own death Christ changed the very nature of death, made it a passage—a “passover,” a “Pascha”—into the Kingdom of God, transforming the tragedy of tragedies into the ultimate victory. “Trampling down death by death,” He made us partakes of His Resurrection. This is why at the end of the Paschal Matins we say: “Christ is risen and life reigneth! Christ is risen and not one dead remains in the grave!”
Father Alexander Schmemann
This year the lenten quarantine left our store supermarket with absolutely no flour. Not only ours, but every supermarket in our area for days has had no flour. We were all so disappointed that we might not be able to bake Tsoureki, a traditional sweet bread that we eat only once a year on Pascha. It’s kind of a big deal in my family, especially the french toast it becomes the day after Pascha!
Luckily my sweet friends who own a local farm to table brewery / restaurant heard of my poverty! Every year I have invited them to our Pascha dinner. They are neither Orthodox, nor Christian, just good friends. They brought me 10 pounds of flour early this morning.
I got right to baking. My arms are sore from all the zesting and kneading 8 loaves of bread… but my house smells delicious!
I am sharing the original recipe. I’ve changed a couple things to make it more my own. But this is by far one of the best Tsoureki recipes around! I love the citrus sweetness of it. You can find it over at Saveur I’ve been baking since I found it in 2007 and I look forward to it all year long.
As soon as the first batch cooled, I sent my daughter down the street to drop off a loaf for my friends, who made the bread possible. I will miss them and all my extended family and friends sitting around our table and throughout the house and yard tomorrow. Και του χρόνου’ – may we celebrate Pascha next year in our churches!
Greek Easter Bread from Saveur Magazine
Makes 2 loaves
2 7-gram packets active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk
9-10 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp mahlepi (optional but worth it)
8 tbsp butter melted
6 eggs, 1 lightly beaten
Salt
1 tbsp each of grated lemon and orange zest
How to prepare and bake
Dissolve yeast in milk in a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and 1⁄2 cup of the sugar, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour. If using – steep makhlépi, if using, in 1⁄2 cup simmering water for about 5 minutes. Strain, discard makhlépi, and set aside liquid to cool.
If using, stir 1⁄2 cup water or makhlépi-scented liquid into yeast mixture. Add butter and 5 of the eggs and mix thoroughly. Sift 8 cups of the flour, salt, and remaining 1 cup sugar into mixture. Add orange and lemon zest, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Knead (adding more flour if necessary) until smooth, about 10 minutes, then form into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and set aside to rise for 2 hours.
Add flour and knead until the dough just no longer sticks to your hands when kneading.
Return dough to floured surface. Divide into 6 parts, rolling into ropes about 15″ long. For each loaf, tightly braid 3 ropes, then press 1 dyed egg (if using) near the end of each braid. Set bread aside to rise again for 1 hour on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 350˚.
Brush bread with beaten egg, sprinkle with cumin seeds, and bake until golden, 40–50 minutes.
“Today is the day of salvation and we must never put off prayer for another time. Every moment is the moment to turn to the Lord, to thank the Lord for all His innumerable benefits, to beseech aid from on high, to repent and ask forgiveness, and to ask His blessings. The most essential part of prayer is the inner turning of the heart to the Lord.”
Acquiring the Mind of Christ : Embracing the Vision of the Orthodox Church
These vegan almond shortbread cookies are so easy to make and taste delicious. Because there are no eggs the kiddos can eat all the dough they’d like!! These cookies are
“Orthodox Fast friendly”
“Paleo”
“Low carb“
“grain-free“
These are so easy to make – basically fool proof. The recipe doubles or triples very nicely. I let them cook till they are just a slight golden brown and not super soft to the touch. They will crumble a little easier than other cookies so that really ensures that they are set up nicely. Before you start gathering your ingredients go ahead and preheat your oven to 350F.
Vegan Almond Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups Blanched almond flour
2-1/2 tablespoons monkfruit sweetener (preferable), coconut sugar or regular sugar
6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips :: I used Lilly sugar free semi-sweet chocolate chips. They are sweetened with Stevia
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Using a large melon baller scoop cookie dough and form into a ball. Lay each cookie dough ball on parchment lined cookies sheet and flatten with a fork. Bake cookies in preheated oven about 15-17 minutes checking to make sure they do not over brown. Even if they are a little soft when you take them out they will firm up once they cool. Enjoy with a good book and a cup of coffee!
Baking the Vasilopita – or sweet bread of Saint Basil – is a wonderful tradition to usher in the New Year. It is a tradition all Orthodox Christians should weave into living liturgically. Though almost all Greek Orthodox Churches will bless and cut the Vasilopita in the parish after the New Years Liturgy of Saint Basil, it really is a tradition of the Little Church of the home. It is a wonderful way to bless the new year and like all Orthodox little “t” traditions, it orients the heart to Christ, remembrance of God and also reminds us that man shall not live by bread alone.
Especially in modern times – much of our lives involve planning and calendars. And we ask God to bless time and to bless our lives. We invite Father Son and Holy Spirit to live in our hearts as we re-commit ourselves to life in Christ through the Church. As we march through the marking of time of one year to the next, we seek to redeem the time – in this New Year of Grace. “και του χρόνου”
In baking and blessing the sweet bread of Basil, we seek the company of the communion of Saints. As each piece of the Vasilopita is cut and distributed we commemorate Christ, the Theotokos and Saint Basil (or your family or patron Saint) : in this small way we ask them to remember us in their prayers and we invite them to walk beside us in this New Year. And, lastly but not least-ly, the poor are remembered in the cutting of the last piece :: and the irony of a piece of cake on our plates in contrast to the empty plate of the poor is not lost on those gathering for the vasilopita.
It is possible that some Orthodox Christians even bake extra vasilopita with coins to distribute to the growing homeless population asking for change at all the stop lights in their town.
Gluten Free Vasilopita
Many people have a sensitivity to wheat. It is a real symptom of the stress of the times, industrial foods and over use of antibiotics etc. If you have a gluten intolerance, you know how it feels to be left out of a meal situtation and watch while everyone eats something delicious.
It is why I have taken to transform our recipes, especially the cultural and liturgical traditions, to be just as delicious gluten free as the regular. This particular recipe is almost exactly the same as the original one posted last year, just that it replaces all purpose flour with a gluten free blend. Honestly, King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour has become my favorite because it really is a cup for cup substitution.
Do you know the history of Vasilopita?
It dates all the way back to the fourth century. It’s namesake is a humble holy bishop Saint Basil the Great whose heart compelled him during a time of famine to help the poor. It was a time of merciless and unfair taxation. The Bishop confronted the emperor who had levied the tax, calling him to repentance for the harsh burden he placed upon the people.
Amazingly, the emperor did repent and he returned the gold and jewelry that had been taken from the townspeople. Basil and the villagers offered thanksgiving prayers after which the Holy Bishop commissioned women to bake and place the gold coins into a sweet bread which were then distributed. Miraculously each family found in their bread, their own valuables which had been collected as part of the taxation.
Today, the vasilopita is baked in memory of that miracle forged by God and Saint Basil’s faith, love and shepherding of his people. Each year on January 1st– the date on which St. Basil reposed in the Lord , Orthodox Christians observe the tradition of the Vasilopita. The recipient of the coin is considered especially blessed. There are many regional variations to the bread, yet a taster will find that all of the recipes are sweet and authentic!
Gluten Free VASILOPITA
Ingredients
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
12 tablespoons melted butter (1-1/2 sticks)
1-1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup brandy
4 cups King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour Mix
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
grated zest of two oranges and two lemons
whole blanched almonds and /or powdered sugar to decorate
Gluten Free Vasilopita Recipe
Preheat oven to 375F.
Grease a 10 – 12 inch springform pan
In a large bowl beat egg yolks, zest and sugar (this releases the essential oils from the zest) for about three minutes.
Add butter and beat for an additional minute
Add orange juice and brandy, beat until it is incorporated.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a separate bowl. This makes sure that you will not have any clumps of the baking powder and baking soda but that it will be totally distributed.
Add to the liquid mixture and stir until incorporated.
In separate bowl (I actually use a mason jar with a hand held electric stick mixer so that it does not splatter everywhere) whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour batter into the greased springform pan.
Don’t forget to place a clean coin (my daughter found a euro coin for one and a dime for another) in the batter before it’s cooked
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until gold brown.
Decorate with almonds and/ or powdered sugar.
Blessing the New Year with Saint Basil
As with all customs Orthodox Christian : we bless and we pray. The following prayer is often recited when serving the Vasilopita in the home by whomever is going to serve the cake.
“Let us pray unto the Lord, have mercy. O Creator of all things, Lord and King of the ages, plenteous in mercy and bountiful in goodness, who didst accept the Magi’s gifts in Bethlehem, who art the Bread of Life that came down from heaven, who by Thine authority didst establish the seasons and the years and dost hold our life in Thy hands. Hear us who pray to Thee on this holy day upon our entrance into the new year of Thy Goodness and bless (+) this loaf/bread, which has been offered to Thy glory and in honor of our Father among the Saints Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Do Thou who art Benevolent, look down from Thy Holy Heaven and send down upon us, upon those who have offered these gifts and upon them that partake thereof, Thine heavenly gifts, for our hope is in Thee, the Living God, unto the ages. Bless this parish (home, school, foundation, etc.) and our entrances and exits; replenish our life with all good things and direct our footsteps that we may keep Thy Divine Commandments, for man shall not live by bread alone; Though the intercessions of Thy Most Pure Mother, of our Father among the Saints Basil the Great and of all Thy Saints who from all ages have been well pleasing to Thee. Amen.”
The sign of the Cross is then made over the Vasilopita with a knife while saying, “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Then pieces of the Vasilopita are cut in the following order:
The First piece is set aside for Christ,
the Second piece for our Theotokos,
the Third piece for Saint Basil,
and the Fourth piece for the poor.
Then pieces are given to all present, beginning with the eldest and ending with youngest. He or she who receives the piece containing the coin is traditionally considered to be especially blessed for the New Year.
Wishing you a Blessed New Year filled with joy, thanksgiving and Grace!!
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