Jerome is no longer a little baby. He turned one on Saturday. We celebrated with a birthday breakfast of blackberry cobbler, vanilla ice cream, candles and song. He had a wonderful day, and got to play outside while Rich worked on the fire pit and the boys helped.

Rich's folks were supposed to come around noon, but ended up having trouble leaving town, and didn't get here until dinner time. They were passing through on their way to visiting another set of friends they have a little north of here.

We are still in preparation mode for school beginning in two weeks. Most of our books are ordered and arriving, and we've gotten all the school supplies. I've set a rough schedule, subject to change once we see how it works in daily life, and the children are raring to go.

I mentioned at church a week ago how good homemade bagels are, and was informed that they needed to appear at a coffee hour in the near future. So, I'm thinking that when my in-laws return on Wednesday, I will get to work making bagel dough. I read somewhere about freezing them after boiling them in water, so you can have fresh baked bagels any time you want, and I plan on making three or four batches of the dough so we can bring some to church, have some at home, and store some in the freezer. I'll keep you posted.

• Monday: Pan Fried Breaded Pork Cutlets, Scalloped Potatoes, Buttered Green Beans


• Tuesday: Picadillo, Black Beans, Rice (we didn't have this Saturday night, since my in-laws came and brought pizzas and salad)


• Wednesday: Eggs in Purgatory, Garlic Toast, Salad


• Thursday: Beer & Venison Stew with Peas, Carrots, Onions and Thyme, Egg Noodles


• Friday: Falafel, Pita Bread, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Olives


• Saturday: Baked Pasta with Chicken, Pancetta, Peppers, Onions and Garlic


• Sunday: Gyros and Spanikopita Out

What is on your menu this week?

Labels: Birthday, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen