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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Menu Plan: Bright Week

Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

We are excited about celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord, even as we are recovering.

We may be traveling this week, so our menu plan will have to be a little flexible, but the beginning of it should hold true. For the first time in four years, though, we will be having our Paschal feast with just our family, and only the third time ever since we've been married.

You might notice that I call Easter Pascha or Fesach. English and German are the only languages that use a Pagan name for this holiday. It is where much of the syncretism comes. We are not fond of that. Just about every other language in the world uses its word for Passover for this holiday. Pascha is the Greek, Fesach is Arabic. You see Pascua, there is Pascal, Pasquale, and many other variations on this. Since we focus on the Lamb and not the bunny, since the only eggs we do are blood red from both the Jewish Passover and Christian doctrine and tradition, rather than the pastel "spring" eggs, we would also rather avoid the only linguistic connection to Paganism in our celebration. I'm not sure why, but it seems like the English had more trouble with this than other cultures.

My one disappointment this year is that I wasn't able to get good chocolate lambs for our Pascha basket. I tried to find them in a radius of about an hour and a half from our house and couldn't. I finally found a chocolatier online that made them with Callebaut chocolate, but by the time I did, it was too late to get them made. So, they were absent in our basket this year. We still have the chocolate eggs, strawberries, oranges, sausages, bacon, our red eggs and Pascha bread, Pascha cheese, ma'amoul and all the other goodies we normally have. The children will get to play a game with their red eggs before they eat them in the Scotchican eggs (our version of Scotch eggs, in which we use Mexican chorizo instead of regular breakfast sausage).What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Crown of Thorns Ma'amoul

I've been meaning to post this step by step recipe for some time. I only make these once a year, so I'm always scrambling to find my scrap of paper with the recipe on it. These are the most complicated shaped cookies I make. I hate making shaped cookies, but these ones are so special that I do it anyway. The cookie itself is very simple, as is the filling, it is the shaping and decorating to make them look like a crown of thorns that takes so much time. I have a clean pair of surgical tweezers that I use to create the "thorns" on mine, though there is a specialized tool you can buy. These are traditional cookies in the Arab world. Among Arab Christians, this particular shape is traditional to the Paschal season. Ma'amoul are made in many different shapes, with molds, which are kind of a code as to what the filling inside consists of, and though I have those molds, I've yet to make them in any shape but these.

Dough:

1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1/4 cup rosewater
1/4 cup orange flower water
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon yeast

Filling:

1 pound pitted dates, or date pieces (the date pieces are coated in sugar, so will be even sweeter)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I use the true cinnamon rather than cassia: Ceylon cinnamon, which has a citrussy flavor to it, but you may use whatever you have)
1/4 cup butter, melted

This recipe must be started the night before you intend to make them. Mix semolina with melted butter. Cover and soak semolina mixture overnight.

The next day, add in the pastry flour, and mix well with the semolina mixture. Add rosewater, orange flower water, honey and yeast and mix to make a cohesive dough. If the dough seems too dry, you can add a little more of any of the liquid (rosewater, orange flower water or honey), as you prefer, a teaspoon at a time. Allow the dough to rest at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grind up the dates with the cinnamon and melted butter. I use my food processor for this.

Butter several cookie sheets and preheat oven to 400 F.

Pinch off small amounts of the dough to make one inch balls that you shape into a long roll. Pinch off a small amount of the date filling, to make a slightly shorter roll than the dough.



Flatten the dough with your fingers and place the date roll inside of it.



Seal up the dough.



Form it into a ring, with the seam side down, sealing the ends and blending them a little to hide the seam.



Place cookie on prepared pan, leaving about an inch of space between cookies.

Using CLEAN tweezers, make "thorns" around the sides of the ring.



Using the same tweezers, make more thorns around the top.



You don't want to pinch the dough too tightly, or you will squeeze out the filling, just try to grab the dough itself with the tweezers. This is how mine look when I have finished fiddling with them.



Bake in preheated oven for 10 - 20 minutes. You don't want these too dark, but they should start to brown a little at the edges.

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Menu Plan: Holy Week

We are still struggling with illness here, though it looks like Rich has just turned the corner, so he sees some hope of recover. He says the question now is whether he'll be well enough to fast for Good Friday. We aren't even planning on participating in any of the Holy Week services, we are hoping to rest and recover enough that we can make it to the Paschal Vigil on Saturday.

Menu planning has been hard lately, as neither Rich nor I feel much like eating at all. So, I finally finished off the plan for the week yesterday, but never had a chance to finish the post here. We do have one repetition, because we moved our meal schedule around a little bit last week.

Because of how sick we were and this being Lent and Holy Week, Elijah's birthday party has been postponed for a couple weeks, but we did get to celebrate a little for his birthday. Since the Annunciation fell in Holy Week this year, it was a little less prominent in our celebration.
What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a recipe round up on Saturday.

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Menu Plan: Fifth Week of Lent

We are emerging from what feels like the black death here. Rich and I were down for the count. The children went through it pretty quickly, but we had responsibilities that had to be taken care of and pushed through, much to our detriment. I could give an accounting on what we ate last week, but that seems pointless. We did eat.

We had a lovely birthday party for Amira, which kicked off the week, then kind of went down hill from there. Because of our deep sickness, there is a lot that has not been done and just does not look like it will be done. There is too much urgent to go back to make up for the lost time at this point. I'm sorry about that. In any case, I am just now emerging from the fog of illness, fever and pain, to rejoin the land of the living.

Alexander and Dominic did an admirable job of holding down the fort and taking care of simple meals and the bare minimum of running the house, including morning prayer and basic chores, so Rich and I could rest. It got so bad that I ended up calling the children with my cell phone, because I couldn't even make my voice loud enough to be heard through our bedroom door, and even if I could, the coughing spasms that would wrack my body when trying to do it wasn't worth it.

So, here is our menu for the week. Sunday was a rough day. We had brunch and dinner. I basically spent every last bit of energy I had on Sunday to make the St. Patrick's day meal, which was appreciated, but took a lot out of me. We didn't do much for the feast days this week. Amira pulled out the St. Joseph's staff they made last year for his feast. We have a great love for St. Joseph here, so I was a little sad we couldn't do more. I'm just glad that this didn't strike while we were in Holy Week.
What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a recipe round up on Saturday.

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Saturday, March 09, 2013

Another FO for the Year

Rich laughed when he saw this, because we are almost to warm weather now. But it is made of a cotton blend and will still fit next winter anyway. Also, if I wear it a lot now, maybe it will warm up sooner.


Finished March 8, 2013

I made this out of Rowan All Seasons Cotton, which I think is discontinued. I have a lot more of this yarn in a different color and planned to use it to make a sweater that uses this cable band, so I made the hat as a swatch to check gauge and st definition. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of the year.

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Wednesday, March 06, 2013

2012 FOs

2012 Finished Objects

I hadn't done my round up of projects for the year yet, and I gave up trying to keep track of the books I read. Here is what I finished knitting in 2012.

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Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Lots of Knitting

I'm kind of excited because I finally feel ready and interested to work on crafts here. I think it is a good sign that I'm starting to feel at least a little at home. Just in the past two months, I have finished almost the same number of knitting projects as I did all of last year. I'm almost finished with another project, and have a few more in progress.

Even though, technically, with all the travel, I had more time to knit last year, everything was so emotionally draining I couldn't even focus on creating something. That was a little too much to ask. The move and change in job and upheaval and chaos of a fixer upper home, the loss of a baby, the loss of my father in law, all have created stresses and hardships that we each are handling in our own ways, which makes things even more challenging. We are finally starting to see some light, I think.

I finished a total of seven things in 2012, two of which I never shared here.

A friend was due with a baby in January, so as part of the shower gift I put together, I made this hat:


Finished December 1, 2012

I was well on target to be finished ahead of time for Christmas for Elijah's socks. I knew it would mean something to him to have something hand made by me, even if it was a plain as socks. Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn and had to hustle to get more. I did, but just in time, so his socks were finished on Christmas day. He wears them all the time, and I have to remind him that they need to be washed.


Finished December 25, 2012

On to this year's FOs:


Finished January 26, 2013

This is actually for me. I like it and enjoy wearing it, but I think it is funny that the pattern called this a shawl. It's hardly a scarf. I've had this yarn in my stash for some time, waiting for the right project and I think this was it. I used the pattern wingspan and made some of the recommended modifications for using worsted weight yarn. I also added four more triangles and did an applied I-cord at the neck rather than the rows of garter st. In the unlikely event that I actually knit this again (I tend not to knit the same pattern multiple times), I would start with using the original CO number and interval between the triangles, rather than the modified one she suggested for the weight yarn I was using. I did make more triangles, for the length, but this would add some depth to it as well.

I love the colors of this yarn:

One of Rich's coworkers and his wife had their first child this January, so I made a coordinating set of baby things for them.


Finished January 27, 2013

I "designed" these. As in, I made up the CO count and length and decreases, etc. It didn't take much design work.


Finished January 29, 2013

I modified a pattern I found online to make it somewhat more pleasing to my eye.



Finished February 4, 2013

I'm not that happy with these, actually. The construction was clever, but fiddly, and I didn't like how they looked off a baby foot. I probably won't make this design ever again.


Finished March 1. 2013

This is part of Amira's birthday present this year. We got her a look alike doll from American Girl Dolls for Christmas, so I made a coordinating set of shrugs for her and her doll, Lucy. I used this pattern for a holiday shrug and made some of the recommended changes to size it for Amira. I also made the ribbing about 1/2 an inch shorter for her size around the neck and edge, and made it a small amount shorter on the cuffs. I did 2 1/2" for the main ribbing and 1 1/2" for the cuffs.


Finished March 3, 2013

I ran out of yarn while making the doll's shrug, so it doesn't have the cuffs, but I thought it was close enough.

I have a hat on needles right now. Mostly so I could work on a cable band that I will be using on a sweater for myself. The hat is about half way finished, and I hope to have it finished within the week. I've been working on a baby coat for a friend of mine, on commission/trade. She sews and is making a spencer for Amira while I make this for her new baby. I also cast on for an entrelac St. Nicholas stocking for Jerome. When I finish that, I hope to make the pattern available.

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Monday, March 04, 2013

Menu Plan: Third Week of Lent

We are actually a little overloaded on the vegetables this week, so we are only getting one box from the co-op this week. We did move some menu items around, so some things will be made over the next few weeks.

We tried the falafel loaf last week. It was a little faster to make, didn't require standing at the stove over a hot pan of oil, and it tasted fine, but there was something missing. We all agreed that we preferred having them fried.

I still have plans to post more knitting and recipes. You'll just have to wait a little longer, it seems. I have already finished six knit items this year, and am beginning a crochet project and in the middle of a sewing project.
What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a recipe round up on Saturday.

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Menu Plan: Second Sunday of Lent 2013

It has been a long time since I posted, I know. Life got a bit crazy, and it was easier to focus on our schooling and home life. Things are still pretty hectic, but I'm trying to get a little more on top of it now. With the older two boys doing dialectical level work, our school schedule is much more intense and their work level is much more demanding. Which means more prep and grading and work for me. So, between that and co-op and trying to keep up with their extra curricular activities and church and just normal family life (not to mention trying to get anything worked on in the house), I haven't had much time for posting.

In January, a friend told us about a produce co-op and we've been getting two boxes of organic produce each week for the family through that. It has come in handy now that we are in Lent, especially. It has also stretched my creativity to make our meals around what we get, rather than what we pick at the store. In a way, I did that already, shopping on sale and in season, but I still made the choices myself. We've tried some things we normally don't or wouldn't this way, and we have gotten to eat more of some things that were relatively rare treats for us, as well. The price is very reasonable for the quantity of organic produce we're getting, in fact, it might even be less than we were paying for conventional in the same quantities. Since we have started getting our weekly boxes, I haven't had to buy much in the way of produce at the store, a few herbs, a little in the way of citrus and onions have basically been it.

I have had a tiny bit more time for knitting, so I will try to post some photos of what I've made and am working on now. I may be able to post some recipes from our Mardi Gras doughnut party as well. I think I have a few other recipes I was supposed to post and will try to get to those during Lent. I forgot to mention that Alexander's name day is this week. We will be doing some fun things for that on Tuesday.
What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Weekly Recipes: September 29

Shredded Scalloped Potatoes

I tried these based on a recipe I found on pinterest. However, I didn't have everything the recipe called for, but did have some alternatives. I used those and added a little more seasoning.

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into shoestrings
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9" X 13" baking pan.

Put shoestring potatoes into prepared pan. Mix the sour cream and milk together along with the garlic, salt, paprika and pepper. Pour over potatoes and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle cheddar over the top.

Cover loosely with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.



Mexican Torta

Really, the only recipe I'm giving you is the Cornish splits. This is a sandwich. You can put it together as you like. The tortas I have eaten are all made on a sweetish bread, so I used Cornish splits for my rolls. Which are not Mexican. I know.

Brush the rolls with mayonnaise, then grill or pan fry them before layering with:

Sliced Grilled Chipotle Rubbed Flank Steak
shredded cabbage
sliced tomatoes
chopped onions
sliced avocado
chopped cilantro
lime juice to sprinkle on everything
red salsa
green salsa



Cornish Splits

2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup scalded & cooled milk
2 large eggs
4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Mix all ingredients by hand, in a stand mixer or on the dough cycle in a bread machine (you can skip the kneading if you use a bread machine).
Knead dough until smooth, then let it rise until doubled. Punch dough
down and turn onto a very lightly floured board.

Roll dough into rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and place on buttered cookie sheets. Let rise until doubled. Bake 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

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Menu Plan: September 30 - October 6

So, a friend from church who has an organic farm supply and product company ended up with tons (literally) of potatoes from a test plot. He gave us something like 50 pounds of them. This was after another friend brought us about 60 pounds that he had gotten from him. So, surprise, surprise, we have a lot of potatoes going into meals this week.

The cabbage man was at the farmers' market. Who is the cabbage man? He is a man I look for each year. He shows up at the middle or end of September and he only sells cabbages. He knows his cabbages. He sells his "small" ones for $1.00. His small ones are rather large. His large ones are $1.50. They are at least 15 pounds each. Last year, I bought two and turned one into sauerkraut. This year, I bought three and I'm turning two into sauerkraut. So, we have some cabbage in our meals this week, as well.

Sunday was the Feast of St. Jerome, Jerome's patron. Because it was Sunday, we diverted our celebration to Monday. We did our lion cupcakes again and talked about this great Doctor of the Church.

Again, things are kind of getting away from me here, so the menu is a bit late. You'll notice that our costs are a little higher this week. Still within our budget, but we're eating more treats. Our average per person, per dinner is $1.37.What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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