Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Yasmina Bean-a
is 1 year old today!
Unfortunately, her life is turned upside down for it, as we are in the last throes of packing. We are having a barbecue with our neighbors and eating lots of cake to celebrate one year of her life with our family.
Yasmina truly was the brightest spot of this past year, we are so grateful that we were allowed to welcome her into our home. We are just starting to catch glimpses of her little girl face that peek through her baby face. She can stand for a little while now and has been making tentative steps, one at a time. She chatters all the time, but it's pretty much only we who understand her. Of all our children, she has been the latest to get her teeth. She didn't get her first until she was seven months, which is three months later than our previous latest child.
One Wonderful Way Yasmina Brightens Our Lives
1. She never fails to bring a smile to our faces.
Happy birthday Yasmina! May you grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord and become a beautiful woman of God. We are blessed to know you and to have shared in your creation.
Unfortunately, her life is turned upside down for it, as we are in the last throes of packing. We are having a barbecue with our neighbors and eating lots of cake to celebrate one year of her life with our family.
Yasmina truly was the brightest spot of this past year, we are so grateful that we were allowed to welcome her into our home. We are just starting to catch glimpses of her little girl face that peek through her baby face. She can stand for a little while now and has been making tentative steps, one at a time. She chatters all the time, but it's pretty much only we who understand her. Of all our children, she has been the latest to get her teeth. She didn't get her first until she was seven months, which is three months later than our previous latest child.
One Wonderful Way Yasmina Brightens Our Lives
1. She never fails to bring a smile to our faces.
Happy birthday Yasmina! May you grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord and become a beautiful woman of God. We are blessed to know you and to have shared in your creation.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Hard to Say Goodbye
Not to the blog, but to the friends we have had here for almost 10 years. I know it isn't a forever goodbye, but it is still hard having to say goodbye every time I see someone. We have three more days in our house. It looks like they are going to leave it derelict and eventually tear it down. It may only be a house, but it was our home for six years and eight months. It has been a place where we could welcome many others, it has been a haven, a blessing. This house welcomed three of our children, has been the only home in memory to four of them and has shaped how we have grown and see the world.
How many other children have grown up with nearly 19 acres to run around in, watching planes take off and land, all while raising some portion of their own food? I'd wager that the number is small, perhaps only six. It makes me sad to watch it empty out, to see all that we have put into it be taken down.
Rich's replacement at the airport is someone who has no experience in aviation or with airports. We would have understood a little more had they replaced him with someone of equal ability, but from their staff, or if they had found someone who was much more qualified. Instead, they are ruining this place already, and it hasn't even been in their charge yet. It is sad for Rich to watch all that he and the management company that had responsibility here worked for be destroyed by petty politicians who are more worried about their control than what is good for the facility.
Please continue to pray for us. Especially for Rich, who is watching nearly 10 years of his effort and work be undone by people who are ignorant, foolish and just don't care.
How many other children have grown up with nearly 19 acres to run around in, watching planes take off and land, all while raising some portion of their own food? I'd wager that the number is small, perhaps only six. It makes me sad to watch it empty out, to see all that we have put into it be taken down.
Rich's replacement at the airport is someone who has no experience in aviation or with airports. We would have understood a little more had they replaced him with someone of equal ability, but from their staff, or if they had found someone who was much more qualified. Instead, they are ruining this place already, and it hasn't even been in their charge yet. It is sad for Rich to watch all that he and the management company that had responsibility here worked for be destroyed by petty politicians who are more worried about their control than what is good for the facility.
Please continue to pray for us. Especially for Rich, who is watching nearly 10 years of his effort and work be undone by people who are ignorant, foolish and just don't care.
Labels: Family, Prayer Requests
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
A Couple Funny Things
I still can't remember what Jerome said that day that was so funny, but I have a couple other stories for you.
The first is recent. The airport restaurant held a party for Rich and our family as a going away/send off type thing. It was wonderful, and I only almost cried once. As it was winding down, Jerome, who had spent as much time as he could behind the bar probably playing with the spray nozzles, was crawling under the table where he had been eating with his brothers and sisters. I looked over and saw him pick up what looked like a grape and put it in his mouth. You remember how we have gone over this before? Well, he evidently did not.
I told him it was yucky and to take it out of his mouth being careful to remind him that we don't just eat things off the floor, especially in public places. So, what did he do? He chewed really fast, then opened his mouth and pretended to try to look for what might be in his mouth.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to our friends with whom we had been talking, who asked what he had done. I said, "Oh, he picked up a grape from the floor and ate it."
Jerome looked up and in his little almost three year old voice said "It was an olive."
He is shaping up to be our funniest child so far. Rich and I think it is because he is so verbal and yet still has the mind of a two to three year old. People are always shocked at how young he is because of how clearly he enunciates and his vocabulary. He can articulate more than most children his age, but he still just says whatever is on his mind. Amira was close in how verbal she was, though it almost always ended up getting her in trouble (like announcing proudly to her brother at the lunch table at age two that she was disobeying).
Anyway, this other story is from a couple weeks ago. I needed to get good photos to illustrate it, though.
We were all in the house in the morning during a break from school. We heard a crack and crash. We all figured it was a tree down. It happens. However, after I called Rich to tell him about it, Alexander told me that a tree fell on a phone line. Well, this made it slightly more urgent. So, I'm calling Rich and telling him it fell on a telephone line, but I can't find it. He tells me he'll be down as soon as he can and I continue looking for this line down.
I asked the children where it fell and they tell me to look at the tree in front of me with the ivy on it.
You know. The one tree with ivy on it. So, they tell me that it is behind that tree with ivy on it. The madrona tree.
THE madrona. We're short of them around here.
Much like we are short on trees with ivy on them.
This is the view down the hill right next to where they were telling me the tree had fallen.
As we move around the house toward the front.
And here, from the front southeast corner of the house.
So, you can see how easy it was to find the newly fallen tree. Then, since I could see the phone line and it didn't seem to be down anywhere I asked when and where Alexander saw it. He didn't. He heard me telling his dad that the connection on the phone was bad, so he assumed it was because of a phone line, since it seemed to coincide with the tree falling. Both Rich and I were on our cell phones.
The first is recent. The airport restaurant held a party for Rich and our family as a going away/send off type thing. It was wonderful, and I only almost cried once. As it was winding down, Jerome, who had spent as much time as he could behind the bar probably playing with the spray nozzles, was crawling under the table where he had been eating with his brothers and sisters. I looked over and saw him pick up what looked like a grape and put it in his mouth. You remember how we have gone over this before? Well, he evidently did not.
I told him it was yucky and to take it out of his mouth being careful to remind him that we don't just eat things off the floor, especially in public places. So, what did he do? He chewed really fast, then opened his mouth and pretended to try to look for what might be in his mouth.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to our friends with whom we had been talking, who asked what he had done. I said, "Oh, he picked up a grape from the floor and ate it."
Jerome looked up and in his little almost three year old voice said "It was an olive."
He is shaping up to be our funniest child so far. Rich and I think it is because he is so verbal and yet still has the mind of a two to three year old. People are always shocked at how young he is because of how clearly he enunciates and his vocabulary. He can articulate more than most children his age, but he still just says whatever is on his mind. Amira was close in how verbal she was, though it almost always ended up getting her in trouble (like announcing proudly to her brother at the lunch table at age two that she was disobeying).
Anyway, this other story is from a couple weeks ago. I needed to get good photos to illustrate it, though.
We were all in the house in the morning during a break from school. We heard a crack and crash. We all figured it was a tree down. It happens. However, after I called Rich to tell him about it, Alexander told me that a tree fell on a phone line. Well, this made it slightly more urgent. So, I'm calling Rich and telling him it fell on a telephone line, but I can't find it. He tells me he'll be down as soon as he can and I continue looking for this line down.
I asked the children where it fell and they tell me to look at the tree in front of me with the ivy on it.
You know. The one tree with ivy on it. So, they tell me that it is behind that tree with ivy on it. The madrona tree.
THE madrona. We're short of them around here.
Much like we are short on trees with ivy on them.
This is the view down the hill right next to where they were telling me the tree had fallen.
As we move around the house toward the front.
And here, from the front southeast corner of the house.
So, you can see how easy it was to find the newly fallen tree. Then, since I could see the phone line and it didn't seem to be down anywhere I asked when and where Alexander saw it. He didn't. He heard me telling his dad that the connection on the phone was bad, so he assumed it was because of a phone line, since it seemed to coincide with the tree falling. Both Rich and I were on our cell phones.
Monday, June 29, 2009
No Menu Plan This Week
You my have noticed that I posted even less than usual this week. Well, Monday afternoon, Rich received the call about our first choice of a job. So, we went in to high gear on packing, house searching and getting ready to go. We spent this weekend in our new town visiting houses and trying to find a place to live.
Between the moving and the fixing up the new house, it will be a while before I can post a whole lot. I'll try to check in at least a little bit.
It looks like we've found a house. The size of the property is a bit smaller than we were interested in at first, but it is surrounded by a farm field that is owned by the same person selling and the family is willing to sell more acreage to us in a few years.
The house needs a lot of work, but the structure is good. It will take a lot of time and effort on our part, though, to make the insides what we want and need. There is room for our chickens already a small pasture that is fenced, but needs to have weeds cut down and burned and soil turned over and reseeded before we could put sheep or anything else out on it. The owners are farmers who have owned the property in their family for years, they are nice people, they are Christian, they are willing to work with our family. So much so, that they are willing to let us move in before the sale is through on a month to month lease until all the paperwork and money is taken care of for the purchase. We still need to do a building/property inspection and do all the back and forth that goes with this before we can own it, but barring any really bad news about the property or problems in timing with the loan, we should own it within four months.
Both Rich and I feel good about this, even though we were both skeptical about the property when the realtor told us about it. We both have a little bit of trepidation about the whole process of buying and the responsibility that comes with that, as we've either rented or had a house connected with Rich's job (which was kind of the best of both worlds, we didn't get equity, but we didn't have to pay for repairs or pay the mortgage/rent either). Fortunately, we have a little nest egg of money to put into a house and Rich has a VA loan available to him for his service.
Please be praying for the whole situation that it would go smoothly and well for all parties. We are excited and nervous to be moving into this house. Pray for us as we are still sorting, tossing, packing and cleaning. Pray also for the family that has been living in this home we are considering. There are some serious spiritual and familial problems in their home. The couple has three children, the younger two who are still very sweet, the oldest who is in a lot of trouble. All of them are being affected by the problems in the parents. It was heartbreaking to see the children, we left with much concern for their children as well as them.
Between the moving and the fixing up the new house, it will be a while before I can post a whole lot. I'll try to check in at least a little bit.
It looks like we've found a house. The size of the property is a bit smaller than we were interested in at first, but it is surrounded by a farm field that is owned by the same person selling and the family is willing to sell more acreage to us in a few years.
The house needs a lot of work, but the structure is good. It will take a lot of time and effort on our part, though, to make the insides what we want and need. There is room for our chickens already a small pasture that is fenced, but needs to have weeds cut down and burned and soil turned over and reseeded before we could put sheep or anything else out on it. The owners are farmers who have owned the property in their family for years, they are nice people, they are Christian, they are willing to work with our family. So much so, that they are willing to let us move in before the sale is through on a month to month lease until all the paperwork and money is taken care of for the purchase. We still need to do a building/property inspection and do all the back and forth that goes with this before we can own it, but barring any really bad news about the property or problems in timing with the loan, we should own it within four months.
Both Rich and I feel good about this, even though we were both skeptical about the property when the realtor told us about it. We both have a little bit of trepidation about the whole process of buying and the responsibility that comes with that, as we've either rented or had a house connected with Rich's job (which was kind of the best of both worlds, we didn't get equity, but we didn't have to pay for repairs or pay the mortgage/rent either). Fortunately, we have a little nest egg of money to put into a house and Rich has a VA loan available to him for his service.
Please be praying for the whole situation that it would go smoothly and well for all parties. We are excited and nervous to be moving into this house. Pray for us as we are still sorting, tossing, packing and cleaning. Pray also for the family that has been living in this home we are considering. There are some serious spiritual and familial problems in their home. The couple has three children, the younger two who are still very sweet, the oldest who is in a lot of trouble. All of them are being affected by the problems in the parents. It was heartbreaking to see the children, we left with much concern for their children as well as them.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: June 22
We are still trying to use up our freezer stores and cook as much as possible out of the pantry. We did receive the ground beef we had ordered from the pasture raised, grass finished beef. That and our half pig are almost the only meat we have bought in the last couple months. I am going to make one more stop at our butcher shop, so we can say good bye to them. They have been friends to us over the years. I'll probably pick up some bacon ends and some beef jerky for the road.
In the meantime, I have a big box of homeschool materials that I would love to sell and get rid of, as they are not what we are using and I really don't want to pack them. If you are interested in a list, please leave a comment or e-mail me with your contact information.
- Monday: Leftovers
- Tuesday: Fake Chicken Marsala with Pasta, Salad
- Wednesday: Torteggas
- Thursday: Grilled Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, Bulgur Pilaf, Salad
- Friday: Migas
- Saturday: Rolled Chicken Washington, Broccoli in Cheese Sauce, Salad
- Sunday: Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup, Salad
What is on your menu this week?
Labels: Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen
Friday, June 19, 2009
Finished Object Friday: June 19
Mr. Linky has a new server, which I am trying out today. I will try to reload my old linkies to the new server and hope that they all show up.
We have finished packing several boxes and will be continuing over the next few weeks. If anyone who is local is interested in bringing boxes, helping pack or cleaning up, we definitely would appreciate it.
We have finished packing several boxes and will be continuing over the next few weeks. If anyone who is local is interested in bringing boxes, helping pack or cleaning up, we definitely would appreciate it.
Labels: Finished Object Friday
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Dominic's Day
Here he is at birth:
You can still see the resemblance. He was our only child who was remotely pudgy at all at birth. All of our other children were sticks. He was born on Rich's birthday, Father's Day that year, looking exactly like Rich. Except with red hair. I was basically the host.
However, as he has gotten older, he has started to look a little more like me. He was also our biggest mama's boy for the longest time, which made up for the whole host thing.
Nine Neat Things About Dominic
1. He is a voracious reader.
2. He is a friend to everyone he meets.
3. He is generous.
4. He is a cheerful worker.
5. He looks for ways to help others.
6. He is gentle with small children.
7. He always has a smile on his face.
8. He is content with small joys.
9. He still loves to hug us.
Happy birthday to my sweet boy!
Birthday Boys
My husband has the most integrity of any single person I know, man or woman. He is a good man, husband, father, worker. He is incapable of doing any job or task half way, much to my frustration sometimes (ask me about the three hour salad sometime). Rich is gentle and sensitive and kind - strong, determined and unwavering. He would tell you that he isn't all that generous, but everyone who has received from the largesse of his heart would tell you differently. He is generous with his time, talent and treasure.
Which is why it is so hard for me to come up with my birthday lists for him. It isn't that there is so little to celebrate about him, it is that there is so much, most of it difficult to put into pithy one liners. Rich told me that I should just cull one of my older lists and just add one or two things to that. I try to come up with a new list each year. There are often some repeats, because there are things that I appreciate about him all the time. Not least of which are his rugged good looks. Each year, though I get to see some part of him that stands out as particularly endearing.
For the last nine years, Rich has given up his birthday for the most part. It is primarily a celebration for children and it matters more to a child than to an adult. So, he has gladly given way to Dominic. I thought I'd give them separate birthday posts, at least, this year.
I didn't want to take a picture of Rich in bed this morning and, of course, he had to get to work so I didn't have much time to take a shot of him before he left. I didn't think it would be wise to post a photo of him in his towel after the shower. After all, this is a family blog. So, I'll post this photo of him bringing in the food from the grill Sunday and try to get one up of him today.
39 Things that Thrill Me About Rich
1. He is dependable.
2. He is adorable.
3. He is honest.
4. He makes me laugh.
5. He is resourceful.
6. He can make just about anything with just about anything.
7. Did I mention his good looks?
8. He knows exactly how to run his fingers through my hair.
9. He is my best friend.
10. He is quick to apologize when he is wrong.
11. He always speaks highly of me to other people.
12. His eyes light up when he sees me.
13. He holds my hand in public.
14. He is enthusiastic about life.
15. He is an amazing father.
16. He laughs at my jokes.
17. He has introduced so much beauty to me.
18. He has an artistic eye.
19. He is willing to endure.
20. He still gets up at night with our children.
21. He loves to dance with me.
22. He will dance with me in public places that aren't dances.
23. He is modeling strong manhood to our boys.
24. He is teaching our daughters what kind of man to marry.
25. He is faithful to God.
26. He is faithful to the Church.
27. He is faithful to me.
28. He treats me like I am the most important person in his life.
29. He listens to the children's stories.
30. He is always willing to play with our children.
31. He romances me every day.
32. He is the first to say that I need a break.
33. He does his duties around the house without complaint.
34. He asks how he can help when I am frazzled.
35. He then does it.
36. He talks to me about everything.
37. He seeks my counsel.
38. He always tries to do what is best for me and our children, even if it costs him something.
39. He can tell me something just by looking at me.
Happy birthday Rich!
Alright. Here is a picture of Rich I was finally able to take. He looks exhausted, as he is and happy, as he is. I love you Rich!
Which is why it is so hard for me to come up with my birthday lists for him. It isn't that there is so little to celebrate about him, it is that there is so much, most of it difficult to put into pithy one liners. Rich told me that I should just cull one of my older lists and just add one or two things to that. I try to come up with a new list each year. There are often some repeats, because there are things that I appreciate about him all the time. Not least of which are his rugged good looks. Each year, though I get to see some part of him that stands out as particularly endearing.
For the last nine years, Rich has given up his birthday for the most part. It is primarily a celebration for children and it matters more to a child than to an adult. So, he has gladly given way to Dominic. I thought I'd give them separate birthday posts, at least, this year.
I didn't want to take a picture of Rich in bed this morning and, of course, he had to get to work so I didn't have much time to take a shot of him before he left. I didn't think it would be wise to post a photo of him in his towel after the shower. After all, this is a family blog. So, I'll post this photo of him bringing in the food from the grill Sunday and try to get one up of him today.
39 Things that Thrill Me About Rich
1. He is dependable.
2. He is adorable.
3. He is honest.
4. He makes me laugh.
5. He is resourceful.
6. He can make just about anything with just about anything.
7. Did I mention his good looks?
8. He knows exactly how to run his fingers through my hair.
9. He is my best friend.
10. He is quick to apologize when he is wrong.
11. He always speaks highly of me to other people.
12. His eyes light up when he sees me.
13. He holds my hand in public.
14. He is enthusiastic about life.
15. He is an amazing father.
16. He laughs at my jokes.
17. He has introduced so much beauty to me.
18. He has an artistic eye.
19. He is willing to endure.
20. He still gets up at night with our children.
21. He loves to dance with me.
22. He will dance with me in public places that aren't dances.
23. He is modeling strong manhood to our boys.
24. He is teaching our daughters what kind of man to marry.
25. He is faithful to God.
26. He is faithful to the Church.
27. He is faithful to me.
28. He treats me like I am the most important person in his life.
29. He listens to the children's stories.
30. He is always willing to play with our children.
31. He romances me every day.
32. He is the first to say that I need a break.
33. He does his duties around the house without complaint.
34. He asks how he can help when I am frazzled.
35. He then does it.
36. He talks to me about everything.
37. He seeks my counsel.
38. He always tries to do what is best for me and our children, even if it costs him something.
39. He can tell me something just by looking at me.
Happy birthday Rich!
Alright. Here is a picture of Rich I was finally able to take. He looks exhausted, as he is and happy, as he is. I love you Rich!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: June 15
Since Rich and Dominic's birthday is this week and the Cub Scout picnic is the same day, I'm bringing a cake and calling it a birthday party. Dominic is all over having his birthday with his Cub Scout friends and we can have a quiet family party at home. Which we definitely appreciate right now.
This is a kind of bittersweet time for us in the Arabian Knits household. We have been preparing ourselves for a very possible move which is now a definite move. We've lived in our place for six and a half years, in our town for nearly ten years, and we will be moving on within the next month and a half. Please pray for us as we seek guidance on which job we will take, as our time at this airport is at an end. Part of my cooking out of our freezer so much has been an effort to whittle down what we have so we can pack our deep freeze chest freezer and only have to move that packed, while the other freezers can be empty or act as coolers for our refrigerated items. It's been hard to write here while we have been going through all of this and we have been hit by a few other difficulties lately, which have added to the burden.
It is good to remember that most people do not get to live on their own terms, and though we have been given nearly a decade of exactly what we want, we will join those who are making the best of their circumstances. Please continue to pray for us. We were not able to put a garden in this year, after all of our preparation, because of the shenanigans here. That has been hard for the family, but especially for Rich, for whom the plants in pots and the sprouting potatoes have served as a painful and maddening reminder of what wasn't being done. We feel like the Ingalls family who had to leave behind their farm and garden in Kansas. We are trying not to be too bitter about the reasons behind the move. While we are relieved not to be under the stress of a bad situation, we are saddened that we are being forced from a place and friends and a church that we love. In the meantime, it is hard not to be glad when we see the trouble these people are having, even if that is not the right attitude to have toward them.
- Monday: Dinner with friends, children will be eating leftover souvlaki, skewers & pasta.
- Tuesday: Chili Cheese Potato Casserole, Steamed Broccoli
- Wednesday: Spinach Artichoke Salad with Cous Cous Cakes (I am making the cakes with bulgur and cooked chickpeas, using artichoke hearts and olive oil, as well as adding the cucumber to the salad), Whole Wheat Bread
- Thursday: Dinner at Cub Scout Picnic, we are bringing Doritos, Salad & Birthday Cake
- Friday: Pepper & Onion Quesadillas & Salad
- Saturday: Not sure, Dinner might be at a ballet reception
- Sunday: Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup, Salad
What is on your menu this week?
Here is the list of foods from the freezer, fridge and pantry that I'm using this week. Anything from the freezer, pantry or fridge that was not bought specifically for this meal or this past week will be included in my lists.
Freezer:
Ground Beef
Bacon
Mixed Peppers
Fridge:
Souvlaki
Veggie Kabobs
Baked Lemon Pasta
Butter
Feta Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Milk
Lettuce
Carrots
Celery
Lemons
Pantry:
All Herbs & Spices
Salt
Onions
Garlic
Potatoes
Olive Oil
Bread Flour
Whole Wheat Flour (freshly milled!)
Basmati Rice
Bulgur
Chickpeas
Yeast
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Sugars
Canned Artichoke Hearts
Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce
Tortillas
Labels: Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen
Friday, June 12, 2009
Finished Object Friday: June 12
Sorry this is late! Mr. Linky seems to be having some long term problems, so we still have the link at the bottom.
If you have one or more finished items this week, please sign Mr. Linky below and share all you have made. Your Finished Object(s) can be knit, crocheted, sewn, quilted, tatted, beaded, papercraft, woodwork or any other kind of craft. Show off what you have made! Please make sure you link to the exact post that shows your finished item(s) rather than just to your blog.
If you have one or more finished items this week, please sign Mr. Linky below and share all you have made. Your Finished Object(s) can be knit, crocheted, sewn, quilted, tatted, beaded, papercraft, woodwork or any other kind of craft. Show off what you have made! Please make sure you link to the exact post that shows your finished item(s) rather than just to your blog.
Labels: Finished Object Friday
Monday, June 08, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: June 8
This is also now a time of end of year activities and parties. We have one play off finished, team party to attend, rehearsals for a recital and the recital to see still ahead of us. We have a little bit to go in school still, as we have adopted a modified English school schedule for our family, which gives us a little more freedom to take time off during the school year, but extends the school year a little on the end.
Our half a heritage hog was delivered on Friday, to much rejoicing. We are excited to eat this guy up. The folks who raised this guy also raise Dexter cattle, so I'm hoping if they butcher a steer or two, we can buy part or a whole from them. The pork ended up costing us about $3.25 a pound for heritage, pasture raised meat, including the kill fee, cut & wrap and the curing and smoking on some of the hams (we split the ham into smaller roasts), the hocks and the bacon. We also received all the belly fat for rendering, not only from our half, but also from two other pigs they slaughtered, as the people who ordered them did not want it. Had they also not wanted the hocks, we could have gotten more of those, but it seems the other customers were wise to that. I wish I had asked for any of the tails, so we could roast them over the fire like in Little House on the Prairie. That would have been a fun thing to do with the children.
We still haven't gotten word that the butchering and grinding of our beef is finished, but we are looking forward to that as well. Since we've been eating so much out of our freezers, we have more than enough room for all these treasures.
We also have had an answer to prayer, for which we are thankful. This has been a hard year for us, with a beautiful gift of a daughter given in the midst of some trials. We are ever grateful for the mercies that we see.
- Monday: Pork Chops (from our heritage pig!) Smothered with Apples, Sauerkraut & Onions, Baked Potatoes, Steamed Green Beans
- Tuesday: Sausage & Lentil Soup, Crusty Wheat Bread
- Wednesday: Mussels Cooked in White Wine and Butter with Garlic & Parsley, Parmesan, Herb & Garlic Bread (her recipe uses asiago), Salad
- Thursday: Barbecue Beans (from freezer), Cornbread, Orange Slices
- Friday: Cheese & Spinach Omelets & Salad
- Saturday: Team Party
- Sunday: Souvlaki (we had them cut much of the shoulder into kabob cubes just for this very purpose), Vegetable Skewers, Baked Lemon Pasta
What is on your menu this week?
Here is the list of foods from the freezer, fridge and pantry that I'm using this week. Anything from the freezer, pantry or fridge that was not bought specifically for this meal or this past week will be included in my lists.
Freezer:
Smoked Polish Sausage
Green Beans
Spinach
Barbecue Beans
Chicken Stock
Fridge:
Eggs
Butter
Cheddar Cheese
Pepper Jack Cheese
Parmesan
Milk
Sour Cream
Lettuce
Carrots
Celery
Lemons
Sauerkraut
Pantry:
All Herbs & Spices
Salt
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Olive Oil
Bread Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Corn Meal
Basmati Rice
Whole Durum Wheat Spaghetti
Yeast
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Sugars
Honey
French Green Lentils
White Wine
Oranges
Parsley from the Herb Garden
Labels: Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen
