Welcome to the Third Sunday of Advent. The third Candle is pink, a symbol of joy. It is also called the Shepherd’s Candle, for when the angels announced that the savior was born, the shepherds were filled with great joy. The faithful believers wait in joyful anticipation of the coming of the Lord.
On the third Sunday of Advent we begin to look not on the past and Bethlehem, but with an eye to the future. Those of the Faithful believe that there will be a Second Coming, as it was promised so long ago. Christ will come again, in His own time. It could be tomorrow or a thousand years from tomorrow. No matter, we still believe.
Tonight’s Advent begins with the opening prayer as before, followed by the lighting of the first two candles. On this day the pink candle is lit as the light of Advent grows ever stronger. This is the turning point in the Advent Season, as we look ahead with joyful anticipation of His triumph return.
ADVENT PRAYERS
Opening Prayer: Lord God, Lamb of God
Let Yours blessings come upon us
As we light the candles of this Advent wreath.
May the wreath and its light be a symbol
Of Christ’s promise of eternal salvation.
Response: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
As the first (purple) candle is lit
Prayer: Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
In the darkness and in the light, Holy is Your Name.
We place our hope in you, Oh Lord,
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of the Lord
Response: Now and forever. Amen.
As the second (purple) candle is lit
Prayer: Blessed are you, Lord; God of all creation.
Let your light shine on those who dwell in darkness.
Let the earth receive her King
And fill our hearts with Your everlasting peace
Response: Now and forever. Amen.
As the third (pink) candle is lit
Prayer: Blessed are you, Lord; God of all creation.
Let our heats be glad as we wait in joyful hope
For the coming of our Lord
Give us a heart, O Lord, that seeks You always
Response: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Third Sunday of Advent Supper
Spinach-Stuffed Pork Roast
Apple Pecan Dressing
Broiler-Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Lemon
Southern Bacon-Spinach Salad
Advent Sunday Ombré Rosette Cake
If the cake seems familiar, it’s the same Ombré Rosette Cake I shared for Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, just a different color. You can make this cake any color you like. I chose pink since we lit the pink candle today.
Spinach-Stuffed Pork Roast
5 oz frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed)
5 lb Pork loin roast (boneless, double rolled and tied)
1/4 cup fresh Brown Mushrooms
1/4 cup White Onion
1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper
1 cup soft Breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Thaw the spinach, drain well and squeeze out any liquid. Set aside.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Untie roast and set aside.
For the stuffing: Chop the mushrooms, onion and bell pepper. Set aside. Cut bread into very small pieces, set aside Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, cook mushrooms, onion and red pepper until the onion is tender. Stir in the breadcrumbs and let absorb the liquid from the vegetables.
To Prepare the Roast: Spread stuffing over one loin to within one inch of edges. Top with remaining loin. Tie securely with string. Place roast in shallow roasting pan and place in the heated over to roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove roast from oven; let rest about 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
Optional Garnish:
8 Small Yellow Bell Peppers
8 Maraschino Cherries
Green Leaves as needed to resemble Holly
While the roast rests, split open the bell peppers to create flower petals. Place a cherry in each pepper. Scatter some holy or lemon leaves around the serving platter, arrange the “flowers” on top.
Slice roast, fan out down the center of the platter to show off the colorful stuffing.
Apple Pecan Dressing
2 cups Onions, diced
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 cup Carrots, diced
1 cup Celery, diced
2 Granny Smith Apples, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
8 ounces Butter, melted
10-12 cups Herb Stuffing Bread Cubes
1 1/2 – 2 cups Broth
2 cups Pecans
1/2 cup Parsley
2 teaspoons Beau Monde Seasoning
1 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoons Pepper
Peel and dice the onion. Place in a small bowl, sprinkle with brown sugar. Let the onions sit for about an hour.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and dice the carrots, set aside. Dice the celery, set aside.
Core and dice the apple, set aside. Peel and finely mince the garlic, set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the carrots, celery, apples, and garlic until softened.
Melt the butter while the vegetables are softening.
Strain the sugared onions and add them to the sauté along with the melted butter. Remove from heat.
Empty bread cubes into a large bowl. Add apple mixture to the cubes. Toss to combine. Add chicken broth to the bread mixture about 1/2 a cup at a time until moist without becoming soggy. Roughly chop the pecans, toss into the bread mixture. Finely mince the parsley, sprinkle over the bread mixture. Sprinkle with Beau Monde Seasoning. Gently toss until all the broth has been absorbed. If the mixture appears dry, add a little more broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Butter or grease well a 3-quart casserole dish or 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Spoon stuffing into the prepared baking vessel. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and continue to bake for 5 – 10 minutes or until top is crusty and brown.
Note: Stuffing can be made in advance and warmed before serving. Add more broth to keep moist during the reheat process.
Broiler-Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Lemon
3 lbs Asparagus
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
2 Lemons, divided
2 Garlic Cloves
Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat the broiler.
Trim ends of asparagus. Toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Lay asparagus all in the same direction on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
Slice 1 lemon into thin rounds. Place lemon slices near the asparagus. Place the pan under the broil, shuffling the asparagus from top to bottom every few minutes, until spears and tender, the tips begins to brown, and the lemon caramelizes, about 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, zest remaining lemon into a small bowl. Cut lemon, squeeze the juice over the zest. Peel and grate the garlic over the zest. Whisk to combine.
Once the asparagus and lemon has charred nicely, transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle the zest mixture over asparagus and serve.
Southern Bacon-Spinach Salad
Salad Dressing
1 small White Onion
2/3 cup Sugar
1 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 cup Canola Oil
1/3 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Celery Seeds
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
To Make the Dressing: Prepare the dressing in a blender. Peel and chop the onion, place in the blender with the sugar, salt, oil, vinegar, pepper, celery seed and Dijon mustard.
Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl or other container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Spinach Salad
1/2 lb bacon
8 oz Spinach Leaves
Fresh Cracked Pepper, if desired
To Make the Salad: Dice bacon and place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
Rinse spinach leaved, pat dry. Remove any tough stems, leaving only the most tender parts of the spinach. In a large salad bowl, toss spinach with dressing. Divide among plates, top with crumbled bacon. Season with fresh cracked pepper, if desired.
Advent Sunday Ombré Rosette Cake
Ombré Rosette Cake
2 Boxes French Vanilla White Cake Mix
6 Eggs
½ Cup Vegetable Oil
½ Cup Butter, melted
2 Cups Water
Pink or Rose Food Coloring Gel as needed
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare four 8-inch round cakes with Wilson’s Cake Release or brush with butter, then dust with flour. Set aside until ready to use.
In a mixing bowl, beat vegetable oil, butter and water until blended. Add eggs, one at a time and incorporate into liquid.
Add cake mix, beat 30 seconds on low, then slowly increase speed and beat 2 minutes on medium, until well blended.
Divide the batter evenly into four bowl. Leave one bowl without coloring, set aside.
To the second bowl, add 20 drops of pink food coloring. This is the bottom layer. To the third bowl, add 10 drops of pink food coloring, and to the remaining bowl at 5 drops.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to release any air bubbles that may have gathered in the batter.
Place cakes in oven and bake until just done, about 25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and continue to cook until cake is just cooked, checking often to avoid over-cooking.
Remove the cakes from oven, cool in pan 10 minutes.
Remove cakes from pan one at a time, invert onto a cutting board, then invert again onto a cooling rack is right-side up. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
While the cake cools, make the Vanilla Filling and Buttercream Frosting.
French Vanilla Filling
2 Boxes Instant French Vanilla Pudding
6 cups Cold Milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Empty vanilla pudding mix into a large bowl. Add milk, whisking until the pudding begins to thicken. Add vanilla extract, continue to whisk until pudding is thick, about 3 or 4 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down lightly on the pudding. Refrigerate to chill and allow pudding to fully set.
Buttercream Frosting
1 Cup Solid Vegetable Shortening such as Crisco
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
8 Cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
6 Tablespoons Heavy Cream (approximately)
Pink Food Coloring Gel as needed
Cream vegetable shortening and butter in a mixing bowl. Add Vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, sift powdered sugar. Add sugar to creamed butter mixture 1 cup at a time.
Whip, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, until all the sugar has been added. Frosting will appear dry and stiff.
Add cream, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Reserve 1 cup of frosting and set aside. Divide the remaining frosting into three bowls. To the first bowl add food coloring to achieve a deep pink. To the second, add less for a lighter color. To the third, even less for just a hint of pink.
To Assemble and Decorate the Cake: Beginning with the deepest pink cake, place the cake on a cake board or serving platter. Trim the crown so that the cake is flat. Pipe a small ring of the plain white frosting around the edge. This will prevent the filling from dripping down the side of the cake. Fill the center of the cake with 1/3 of the French Vanilla filling.
Place the next deepest pink cake on top. Trim the crown so that the second layer of cake is flat. Repeat with a ring of frosting around the edge, filling the center with French Vanilla. Repeat with the third pink cake layer.
Top with the cake layer that was left plain. Trim the crown as before. Spread a crumb layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill well for about 1 hour. This will stabilize the cake and make it easier to work with.
Place the cake on a rotating cake stand. Starting at the bottom, pipe a row of roses along the cake using the darkest frosting color. You’re going to pipe three rows of roses, so make sure they cover about 1/3 the height of the cake.
Continue with a second row of roses in the next lighter shade of frosting. Place the roses directly above the bottom layer.
Finish with one last row of roses in the lightest color. Next, decorate the top of the cake by piping a ring of roses at the edge of the cake, and continue in a circular pattern. The roses can be made from any of the colors or a combination, depending upon desired look. Some pearls or candy sprinkled on the top are also a nice touch although not necessary.
If there are any large spaces between roses, you can pipe small stars into them to fill the space.
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