Today is the feast of St. Francis. He brought us the nativity scene and the tradition of the creche at Christmas. He had an affinity for animals and they were comfortable around him, so today is a day for blessing of animals that they would be healthy and fruitful through the year.

This week is also Alexander's birthday. He will be 11 years old on Thursday! He is nearly my height now. I cannot believe it. People get to pick their birthday dinners in our house, so he has picked his. It just goes to show that if you expose children to varied foods of the same sort you eat, they will learn to like all kinds of foods. He picked venison stew, egg noodles and lemon cake. I may add in another vegetable dish or just slice up some fruit to go with it.

We have another change this week. Amira will be moving into the next level of ballet class. Her teacher came to speak to me before class began last week and told me that she thought Amira ought to move up to the next level beginning this week. Amira was so thrilled. We are very excited for her to have the opportunity to advance and continue to learn.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins, Cheese Toast, Sliced Apples & Milk
  Dinner: Kielbasa & Garden Vegetable Saute, Haogen Melon, Riesling Grapes


• Monday
  Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal, Sliced Peaches & Plums, Milk
  Dinner: Crockpot Indonesian Chicken, Sesame Noodles with Sauteed Cabbage (we moved this last week), Cantaloupe


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Sprouted Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bagels & Cream Cheese, Cantaloupe, Milk
  Dinner: Red Beans & Rice, Watermelon


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Toad in the Hole, Milk, Mint Tea
  Dinner: Vegetables Jalfrezi, Rice, Cantaloupe


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Apple Waffles, Hot Cocoa, Coffee
  Dinner: Venison Stew, Egg Noodles, Lemon Cake


• Friday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins & Cinnamon Sugar, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Salmon Cakes, Herbed Cous Cous, Zucchini Fritters, Green Beans Provencal, Fruit Plate


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup, Sausage, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken & Noodles with Gravy

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

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 Pork (for sausage)
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
Kielbasa
Venison
Ham Hocks
Bacon Ends
Chicken Broth
Sprouted Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Green Beans

Fridge:
Eggs
Butter
Buttermilk
Milk (& Cream from the Top)
Cream Cheese
Cheddar
Mayonnaise
Sri Racha
Cabbage
Celery
Carrots
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Zucchini
Scallions
Parsley
Cilantro
Ginger
Baked Oatmeal
Lemons
Limes
Blackberry Syrup

Pantry:
All Herbs & Spices
Sesame Seeds
Salts
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Cherry & Pear Tomatoes
Shallots
Onions
Garlic
Olive Oil
Sesame Oil
Hard White Wheat Berries
Basmati Rice
Brown Rice
Egg Noodles
Whole Grain Durum Spaghetti
Red Beans
Steel Cut Oats
Pastry Flour
Yeast
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Cocoa Powder
Coffee
Tea
Vanilla Extract
All Sugars
Honey
Raisins
Tomato Sauce
Bread Crumbs
Almond Butter
Red Wine
Soy Sauce
Mint
Peaches
Apples
Plums
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Labels: Church Year, Family, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen