Amira's ballet recital is this week, which is very exciting. We will have photos up as soon as we get them. Because of all of the end of the year activities we have going on, we don't have as much cooking to do for our dinners.

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

If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can.
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