Sunday, March 31, 2013
Menu Plan: Bright Week
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).
- Sunday - Fesach
Breakfast: Blintz Casserole with Sour Cream and Raspberry Jam, Paschal Braided Bread, Pascha Cheese, Scotchican Eggs, Strawberries and Sliced Oranges, Hot Chocolate & Coffee with Chantilly Cream
Dinner: Herb Roasted Lamb, Harissa, Laban bi Chiyar, Tabbouleh, Hummus, Baba Ghanooj, Pita Bread, Waraq 'Ounab, Sambousak, Fatayir bi Sabanich, Green Hot Sauce, Slow Sauteed Green Beans, Kalamata Olives, Tourshi*, Radishes, Gatayif, Baq'lawa, Ma'amoul - Monday
Breakfast: Leftover Gatayif, Leftover Scotchican Eggs, Leftover Blintz with Sour Cream and Raspberry Preserves, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Leftovers, Lamb Shaped Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake with Coconut Frosting - Tuesday
Breakfast: Stuffed French Toast made with Pascha Bread and Cheese, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Thai Peanut Chicken Curry with Rice, Apple Fritters - Wednesday
Breakfast: Cornish Splits, Butter and Jam, Hard Boiled Eggs, Fruit, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Bean and Chorizo Stew, Salad, Leftover Desserts - Thursday
Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Waffles with Butter, Bacon, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Dinner Out - Friday
Breakfast: Bacon and Eggs, Toast, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Dinner Out - Saturday
Breakfast: Breakfast with Friends
Dinner: Mongolian Beef, Stir Fried Vegetables, Steamed Rice, Key Lime Pie

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Crown of Thorns Ma'amoul
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.

Labels: Homemaking, Pascha, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Menu Plan: Holy Week

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.

- Sunday - Palm Sunday
Breakfast: Bagels and Cream Cheese, Blueberry Toast with Jam, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Greek Ribs, Garlic and Dill Cous Cous, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Beets and Onions, Chocolate and Berry Trifle - Monday - Holy Monday and Feast of the Annunciation
Breakfast: Toast and Cream Cheese, Sliced Apples, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Roasted Cod with Lemon, Garlic and Dill, Steam Sauteed Broccoli Raab and Asparagus with Garlic and Dill, Sliced Watermelon and Pineapple - Tuesday - Holy Tuesday
Breakfast: Autumn "Latkes", Sliced Oranges, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Macaroni & Cheese, Green Salad with Mustard Herb Vinaigrette - Wednesday - Spy Wednesday
Breakfast: Vegetable Hash, Sliced Oranges, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Black Bean Ribolittas, Sliced Avocado, Warm Flour Tortillas, Salad with Herb Vinaigrette - Thursday - Maundy Thursday
Breakfast: Yogurt with Blueberry Preserves, Toast, Sliced Fruit, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Tempura Shrimp, Burmese Fried Rice with Asparagus and Shallots - Friday - Good Friday
Breakfast: Almond Butter Toast, Sliced Fruit, Ginger Tea with Honey
Dinner: Curried Sweet Potatoes, Cauliflower and Spinach, Brown Rice - Saturday - Holy Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon Sugar, Bananas, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Garlicky White Bean and Spinach Soup, Whole Wheat Rolls, Fruit Plate
Labels: Church Year, Family, Holy Week, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Menu Plan: Fifth Week of Lent

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.

- Sunday
Breakfast: Asparagus and Boursin Frittata, Sliced Oranges, Cinnamon Pastries, Hot Apple Juice
Dinner: Corned Beef with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze, Colcannon, Oatmeal Bread - Monday
Breakfast: Cream Cheese and Bagels, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Pasta with Tomato and Olive Sauce, Mandarin Oranges - Tuesday - Feast of St. Joseph
Breakfast: Coconut Pancakes, Sliced Mangos, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Fish Sticks, Baked Potato Wedges, Roasted Cauliflower - Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon Sugar, Bananas, Ginger Lemon Tea with Honey
Dinner: Pasta with Garlic, Greens and Toasted Walnuts, Steam Sauteed Broccoli Raab - Thursday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Strawberry Jam, Buttered Toast, Ginger Lemon Tea with Honey
Dinner: Black Bean and Tortillas Casserole, Avocado, Sour Cream, Salsa and Roasted Pineapple - Friday
Breakfast: Almond Butter Toast, Sliced Oranges, Ginger Lemon Tea with Honey
Dinner: Root Vegetable Casserole, Green Salad, Fruit Plate - Saturday
Breakfast: Spinach and Egg Strata, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Garlicky White Bean and Chard Soup, Whole Wheat Rolls
Labels: Church Year, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Another FO for the Year

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.
Labels: FOs, Homemaking, Knitting
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
2012 FOs
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.
- Diagonal Garter Stitch Dishcloth - knit January 16
- Striped Mittens for our great nephew - knit January 29
- Stranded Baby Hat for a friend's baby - knit February 1
- Ponytail Hat for Amira - knit March 8
- Headband for Amira - knit March 9
- Ribbon Hat for Amanda - knit December 1
- Blue Denim Socks for Elijah - knit December 25
Labels: FOs, Homemaking, Knitting
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Lots of Knitting
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.
Labels: Family, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting
Monday, March 04, 2013
Menu Plan: Third Week of Lent

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.

- Sunday
Breakfast: Leftover Pizza, Oranges, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Herb Roasted Pork Loin, Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Red Potato Salad - Monday
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Creamy Vegetable Soup, Whole Wheat Rolls - Tuesday
Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Cranberries and Coconut, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Pasta with Garlic, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower, Sliced Oranges - Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon Sugar, Oranges, Tea and Honey
Dinner: Make Ahead Dal, Rice, Sauteed Broccoli and Kale with Garlic, Salad - Thursday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Granola with Honey, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli - Friday
Breakfast: Almond Butter Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Black Bean and Chile Rice Burritos and Salsa, Sliced Oranges - Saturday
Breakfast: Ful, Green Hot Sauce, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Shrimp Tempura, Coconut Rice, Stir Fried Broccoli and Garlic with Sesame Oil
Labels: Church Year, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Menu Plan: Second Sunday of Lent 2013

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.

- Sunday
Breakfast: Sausage and Potato Hash, Oranges, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Coconut Chicken Adobo, Garlic Rice, Stir Fried Broccoli, Garlic and Onions - Monday
Breakfast: Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothies, Kiwi, Toast, Coffee
Dinner: Layered Bean, Cheese and Rice Tortilla Casserole with Salsa and Guacamole - Tuesday - Feast of Alexander of Alexandria
Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Cranberries and Coconut, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Arugula and Shallot Tart, Roasted Butternut, Fennel, Potatoes and Onions - Wednesday
Breakfast: Vegetable Hash, Oranges, Tea and Honey
Dinner: Falafel Loaf, Hummus, Taratoor, Pita, Salad, Olives - Thursday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cinnamon Sugar, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Grandma Pizza, Red Potato Salad - Friday
Breakfast: Almond Butter Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Make Ahead Dal, Rice, Salad - Saturday
Breakfast: Ful, Green Hot Sauce, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Ricotta Spinach Roll with Marinara Dipping Sauce, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Cauliflower
Labels: Church Year, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Lent, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Weekly Recipes: September 29
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.
Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen
Menu Plan: September 30 - October 6

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.
- Sunday - Feast of St. Jerome
Breakfast: Southwestern Breakfast Scramble, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Pepperoni Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes ($11.59) - Monday
Breakfast: Leftover Pizza, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Chicken Divan, Rice, Lion Cupcakes* to Commemorate St. Jerome's ($12.87) - Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon Sugar, Milk & Coffee, Tea & Honey
Dinner: Zuppa Toscana, Cheesy Breadsticks, Brownies ($17.04) - Wednesday
Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Cranberries, Cafe au Lait
Dinner: Potato, Corn & Chard Gratin, Cucumber & Tomato Salad, Sliced Apples ($6.94) - Thursday
Breakfast: Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs, Milk & Coffee, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Corned Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, Sauteed Cabbage and Onions ($13.18) - Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Macaroni & Cheese (with Gruyere), Buttered Green Beans, Baked Apples ($13.19 for 13 people) - Saturday
Breakfast: German Apple Pancake, Sausage Patties, Fried Eggs, Milk & Coffee
Dinner: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Rice, Creme Brulee ($15.26)
Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen









