I have a few repeats this week. Our schedule last week changed quite a bit. There were nights with lots of leftovers and nights when we just had other things going on, also, Rich's folks came up to support us and to see Rich in action leading his first service at our church. They came up Saturday evening and left Sunday afternoon, so it was a quick visit. Cathy at the restaurant insisted on treating us Saturday night, since she said it had been a long time since we had come up as a family, and she hadn't seen Rich's folks in an even longer time.

Rich did really well at church. Not in a performance kind of way, but he had a presence and a sense of consciousness of the Spirit. One of the men told Rich that he had a real pastoral way about him. Rich was just glad not to have done anything egregiously wrong while serving. We did not forget either the reserved Sacrament or the half and half. Rich asked me to be the last to receive the Eucharist, so I could finish off any extra wine in the chalice, as he doesn't drink anything but the sip of wine at church and the chalice bearer was underage. However, since I was not serving, being a woman and all, that meant that I had to stand there and pretty much guzzle the last portion of wine in front of God and everyone like I was chugging my last drink before the bar closed down instead of discreetly finishing it off while cleaning up the vessels after the Holy Communion.

Sunday was the feast of the Holy Cross, so Rich gave a brief history of the feast as well as talking a little about the significance of it. It is actually a major feast day of our Lord, on the same level as the Transfiguration, Annunciation, Holy Name and a couple other feasts. This week also holds the fourth season of Ember days for the church year. These are days of prayer and fasting (at least a meat fast), with the intention of increase of and preparation for vocations. Rich asked for prayer on his behalf as well as for Deacon Michael, which is sort of self-interested, but also for the health and growth of our church vocations in general. So, this week, we have an extra meatless day. I'm also trying to use up produce from our garden, so a lot of these meals use veggies we grew.

• Monday: Christmas Lima Beans Cooked with Bacon, Onions, Crookneck Squash & Green Beans, Cornbread, Sliced Avocados drizzled with Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, Sliced Pears (we ate the rest at breakfast), Tapioca Pudding that the boys made (This meal represents a lot of the food of the Americas, which was handy for our history study)


• Tuesday: Oven Fried Chicken (using Panko), Barbecue Pinquito Beans, Jalapeno Corn Pudding, Cucumber & Tomato Salad


• Wednesday: Slow Cooker Ratatouille, Pasta, Fruit


• Thursday: Bean and Rice Burritos (I have leftover beans and rice with the little bits of carnitas in them in the freezer), Sauteed Crookneck Squash & Green Beans with Garlic and Oregano, Cantaloupe


• Friday: Eggs in Purgatory, Garlic Bread, Sliced Peppers & Cucumbers


• Saturday: Garden Vegetable and Feta Quiche (from the freezer), Smoky Penne with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes (using chipotle powder, more olive oil and garlic, and no cheese), Cantaloupe


• Sunday: Roast Pork Loin, Scalloped Potatoes (I'm going to try it in the crockpot), Cabbage and Onions Savory Squash Bread Pudding, using Amber Cup Squash, Steamed, Buttered Green Beans

If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can.
What is on your menu this week?

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen