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I don’t know about you, but I still am hiding the bag of candy my son got from his classmates on Valentine’s Day.

I love how generous everyone is, but my son can NOT eat all this candy.

I’ve already caught the 11 month old twins with jelly beans in their mouths.

And the children are not the only ones with no off button.  I mean, Reece’s – how do you know my heart and my taste buds so well?

So, I have a suggestion for you beautiful Momma!

The answer is a little Christian fellowship.  Invite your friends over.  If they have kids, tell them to bring them.

Plan a prayer, wine, chocolate soiree.

This idea comes in handy all times of year: Five Reasons to Start a Rosary Group

Here’s how I did it:

I picked a date and invited over a few friends for Rosary, wine and Easter candy pairing.

When guests asked, “What can I bring”,

I took them up on the offer.

Suggest they bring extra Easter candy they want to get rid of, a bottle of wine, water bottles, cheese and crackers, etc).

We had plenty of paper plates, disposable cups and napkins left over.  But the point is – don’t try to do it all!  Let friends bring something.

Have your candy displayed on a table.

Pick about 4 different wines (I had a moscato, sauvignon blanc, chianti and merlot) and place them on the table.  In front of each bottle, have a blank piece of paper with the name of the wine written on top.

Invite friends to try the different candies with each of the wines and write their favorite pairing on the paper provided.

***Or, give each guest a small card or piece of paper and a pen.  Direct them to write their prayer intentions on the card.  Collect the prayer intentions and place them in a container then have each guest pick a card out and pray for those intentions during the Rosary and personally that week.

I suggest using disposable shot glasses for the tastings.  This makes guests more aware of how much they are drinking.  And when I say guests, I mean me – because I may have poured a little more than I should have and made a mental note for next time

Enjoy the adult conversation.

After an hour or so, start giving out the Rosaries.

(Confession: my 5 year old asked “aren’t you supposed to be praying the Rosary?”, that is when I knew it was time)

Pray together.

Send friends home with candy.  I forgot to do this.  This is important – don’t forget to spread out what’s left!

What I discovered:

1. It has been way to long since I had friends over to pray the Rosary.
2. Dark Chocolate M&M’s go great with Chianti.
3. Mini-Cadbury Creme Eggs are AMAZING with Sauvignon Blanc.
4. Peanut Butter eggs are possibly the greatest candy ever and pair well with Pink Moscato.
5. Aldi sells an incredible goat cheese and cranberry spread (and made a great addition to the candy spread).

Having friends to enjoy faith with is so rewarding!  Our friend Jen just opened an Etsy shop – check out her work and show her some love  RoseSewsbyJennifer

So inquiring minds want to know, what is your favorite Easter Candy and Wine Pairing???

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This event did not take place years ago, but weeks ago.  The Sister that was walking through the woods was one of fifty nuns that live at Mount Saint Mary’s Abbey in Massachusetts. When news reporters called the Abbey, the Sister did not reveal her name, and turned down several opportunities to be interviewed.

The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, or more commonly, the Trappistines, maintain a life of silence and solitude.  These religious women dedicate their lives to prayer and contemplation.  The Rule that governs their lives requires them to live by the work of their own hands.  The Sisters offer the work of candy making to God, and it allows them to live in a self-supporting community.

The profit that Trappistine Quality Candy generates allows the Sisters to share with the poor and supports communal life.

The Sisters of Mount Saint Mary’s Abbey are celebrating 60 years of candy making this year.  On February 9, 1956, the Sisters made their first batch of caramels.

Eventually, the Sisters started to experiment with chocolate and created new candies.  In 1957, Butternut crunch was born and very soon became (and continues to be) a bestseller.

Help the Sisters celebrate their 60th year of candy making!  Order some of their amazing sweets for you or someone you love – just because! I mean, you would be helping nuns by buying chocolate – it’s a win/win AND God is happy too, I’m sure! The Dark Chocolate goes great with Red Wine – and the Butternut Crunch goes great with anything and everything!!

If you’re interested in learning more about the Sisters’ Consecrated Life, a DVD was produced this year and can be ordered from their website: Trappistine Quality Candy.

How challenging it must be in this day and age to compete with corporations that rely on anything but humility to sell their products.  This candy sells, not because of a great marketing strategy or a cute mascot, but because it’s simply delicious.  Must be the added prayers ;).

Enjoy!

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