Charlotte’s Blog
Cranberry thumbprint cookies
This recipe started as a way to use up leftover cranberry sauce after Christmas. Now, I make a batch of cranberry sauce just so I can make these wonderful cranberry thumbprint cookies! If you need to avoid gluten, dairy, or sugar, you'll need to make some adjustments...
A mercy of meds, a sacrifice of sleep
Guest post by Nic Hartmann "Whenever I see a brother who has fallen asleep during the services, I put his head in my lap and let him rest there.” Pambo, 4th century monk Every day, for most of the last two years, I have had the same ritual in the middle of the night....
“A Friend for Henry” is entirely wonderful
I have fallen in love with A Friend for Henry, an entirely wonderful picture book by Jenn Bailey about Henry, a little boy with autism. The three most wonderful things about A Friend for Henry The first most wonderful thing about A Friend for Henry is that it is from...
When names matter more than money
Bill is a huge fan of Steven King and Dean Koontz and Sue Grafton. He was reading Grafton’s J is for Justice, and at some point in the story, one of the characters makes vanilla and chocolate brownies. So, he told me, he decided to check and see if Grafton was on...
Book activities with The Saint Nicholas Day Snow
Even though I no longer have little ones in the house, I bring out my Christmas picture book collection on the first day of Advent. The books are a visible reminder that God is coming in the form of a little child. They help me prepare my heart for Christmas in ways...
Being Orthodox — with asthma
Guest post by Jeanie Murphy When I developed asthma, thanks to a mold exposure, I suddenly found that liturgy was often unbearable. The incense was thick, the windows tightly shut, and the priest, apologetically, said he could not change this. I said that I...
Book activity: Hot chocolate mug project
In The Saint Nicholas Day Snow, Catherine and Elizabeth play outside in the snow until they’re so cold they have to go in. And Catherine’s mom makes them hot chocolate. You can extend the story by having your children make these hot chocolate mugs from popsicle sticks...
Looking for the real St. Nicholas
The stores are already filled with ornaments and decorations that feature a man with a big white beard, dressed all in red. He might have children with him, or a bag of toys. There might be Christmas trees in the background. There might be elves. Who is this man? How...
Of Such Is the Kingdom by Summer Kinard
If Summer Kinard’s new book, Of Such Is the Kingdom, were a child, I’d be the godmother. The book is not flesh of my flesh; I didn’t suffer the birth pangs. But I walked with Summer while she brought this book to life. I prayed for her fervently, asking God and the...
Elegant crescent cookies in a hurry
These elegant crescent cookies are dairy-free (unless, you know, you decide to use dairy butter instead of the vegan butter substitute the recipe calls for). They're also incredibly fast and easy to make. They're the perfect solution when you want a batch of cookies...
St. Dositheos, recluse of the Kiev Caves
On September 25, 1776, the monk Dositheos, recluse of the Kiev Caves, died at his prayers. That was the end of his life. It was not what anyone would have expected at the beginning. Daria and her grandmother In 1721, in a little town east of Moscow, a child was born...
Just Ask: A picture book by Sonia Sotomayor
You may have seen some of the buzz around Just Ask! And you might be wondering whether author and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor can write a picture book. The answer is, yes, she can. Just Ask! is not a perfect picture book. But it’s a good one. And it’s...
THE MAGIC OF BOOKS
Share the wonder of St. Nicholas through the magic of a book: The Saint Nicholas Day Snow.
AN INVITATION
Sign up for my newsletter to get exclusive content and never miss a post. 