This is a fun week because Rich gets Memorial Day off, so we had more time together as a family. However, it is also a sad week, because we are again missing our former town's celebration. We decided last year that we wouldn't miss it again, but have had some other things come up, along with gas prices, that kept us home again. It is very depressing to miss it. We will try again next year.

We have one repeat meal this week. Saturday was a busy day for us and we ended up coming home rather late, so we had snack tray for dinner.

I forgot to mention that this Thursday is Ascension Day. We try to take a picnic meal on a high place, though we now live in a place that doesn't have so many of those.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Sliced Oranges, Mixed Berry Kefir
  Dinner: Herb Rubbed Chuck Roast, Steam Sauteed Carrots, Asparagus and Yellow Squash, Butterhorn Rolls, Pine Nut, Chocolate and Caramel Bars


• Monday
  Breakfast: Caramel Apple Baked French Toast, Fried Eggs, Hot Chocolate and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Pizzas, Tropical Fruit Salad, Raspberry Custard Pie with Chantilly Cream


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Fettuccine with The Best Meat Sauce Ever, Sauteed Yellow Squash and Asparagus with Garlic


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Halloumi with Za'atar and Olive Oil, Toast, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Grilled Tuna Sandwiches, Carrot and Celery Sticks, Sliced Oranges


• Thursday Ascension Day
  Breakfast: Toad in a Hole, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Bean and Venison Burritos, Salsa Rice, Tropical Fruit Salad


• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato, Asparagus and Onion Hash with Eggs Poached on Top, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Black Bean Soup, Kamut Rolls, Fruit Plate


• Saturday
  Breakfast: French Breakfast Puffs, Hard Boiled Eggs, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Roasted Fresh Ham, Horseradish-Dill Potato Pancakes, Buttered Peas, Roasted Asparagus

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Bought:

Mozzarella
Halloumi
Papaya
Pineapple ($0.99 each!)

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

Steam Sauteed Vegetables

This is more of a method than a strict recipe. Use the vegetables you have and like, whatever herbs you like and enjoy.

4 pounds vegetable of choice, prepared to cook (I peeled carrots and cut them and the yellow squash on the diagonal)
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped herbs like parsley or cilantro or mint or dill

Put the vegetables, water and salt in a saute pan with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil, covered, for 5 - 6 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the butter and garlic. Saute to evaporate the remaining water and coat with butter.

Remove from heat and stir in herbs. Serve hot or warm.


Butterhorn Rolls

These rolls are simple and amazing. I mix the dough in my bread machine or kitchen aid. You might want to make a double batch.

Put ingredients in bowl in this order:

1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to warm
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
6 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

Set on dough cycle or mix until a soft dough is formed in the kitchen aid. If using the stand mixer, knead lightly on a lightly floured surface, then return to bowl and cover, allowing to rise for about 1 - 2 hours.

Divide dough into three balls, roll out each into a 10 - 12" round. Brush with melted butter. Cut into 12 pie wedge pieces. Roll up beginning with the wide end and place on a buttered baking pan, pressing the point down. Brush tops with more butter. Repeat with two other rounds.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover rolls and let rise about 45 minutes. Bake for 12 minutes and serve warm (they are delicious cold, too).

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

Well, it looks like I'll have to cook dinner this week after all, since the world did not end.

Last week I realized I was out of ground beef so I made lamburger helper instead of my homemade hamburger helper. It was quite tasty. I also changed up the vegetables for our Friday dinner and made some steam sauteed carrots which were wonderful. I will be making them again and posting the recipe this week.

I included the things we bought this week at the bottom of the page. However, because of my Fred Meyer Rewards Rebates and a few coupons, the only thing we paid for out of pocket was the oranges.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Whole Wheat Rolls with Cream Cheese and Hard Boiled Eggs, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Steaks, Grilled Asparagus, Salad, Apple Cake
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Summer Sausage, Toast, Apple Sauce, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Mensaf (Arabic Lamb and Yogurt Stew), Cracked Wheat Pilaf, Slow Sauteed Green Beans
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Apples and Cranberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Sausage and Pepper Calzones with Marinara Dipping Sauce
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt, Granola and Honey, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Asparagus and Potato Frittata with Parmesan Cheese, Salad, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Corn Relish
• Friday
  Breakfast: Ful with Khoubz Araby, Sliced Oranges, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Layered Tortilla Casserole with Black Beans, Corn, Sour Cream and Salsa Verde, Sliced Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Breakfast Sausage Patties, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Herb Rubbed Chuck Roast, Steam Sauteed Carrots and Yellow Squash*, Butterhorn Rolls*

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Bought:

Potatoes
Yellow Squash
Apples
Oranges

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

Green Chile Rice

This is such a quick and easy side dish. It's full of flavor and it is pretty on the plate.

3 tablespoons oil, bacon grease or rendered lard
3 cups white rice
1 small onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro, finely minced (about a cup and a half)
3 jalapenos, stemmed and diced, seeded if you want them a little milder
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, jack, etc. or a blend)

In a medium pot, heat the fat over medium heat, add the rice and onion and stir until onions are transparent. Add the garlic and stir a minute more. Stir in the cilantro and jalapeno, then pour in the water and the salt. Bring to a rolling boil on high. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in grated cheese and taste for seasoning.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

I finished this bookmark in March, but finally have taken a picture of it. It's part of my year of handmade gifts. I signed up to participate in a year of handmade gifts in which I make and send five handmade items to people while I receive handmade gifts from others. There is still doubt as to whether I'll finish within the year or not.

In any case, this bookmark used up the last of the sock yarn I had leftover from making Mariam's hat and jacket. I'd used a little of it on the toes of Yasmina's socks, but still had this bit left. Now, it is finished.

Labels: FOs, Homemaking, Knitting

Whew! We have had a whirl wind week!

Last Saturday, we drove down to Rich's parents, in time to be at the Borders for their book party for The Throne of Fire so Alexander and Dominic could get free Lego sets and do some Egyptian mythology games and such. We bought the new book and a t-shirt. The next day, we went down to see Rich's grandparents and then further down the freeway to go to lunch with them and his parents. We had three generations of mothers from his family, but we forgot to get a picture. That night, we kept driving, and went down to my home town and crashed. The next morning, Rich had an appointment to meet with some folks at the airport there and I took the children to see my mom. We drove back to his folks that night, crashed all the next day, then Rich and I went to a conference for his work with Mariam. On Friday, we split up, he went back to his parents to get the children, Mariam and I headed to a women's retreat for church. Mariam was a little too keyed up from all the travel to really let me rest much at night, even there, but I did get a break from responsibility and was able to have others care for me and teach me and pray for me. It was a much needed break. We got home last night. To a skunk in our trap.

Fortunately for us, Rich's parents had sent all sorts of sandwiches and leftovers with us, so we didn't have to make dinner. Mariam and I had gone to lunch with some of the women from the retreat on the way home, so I was able to eat at Visconti's again. I was nice and brought Rich some of my lunch, too, because I am the best wife ever.

I'm just now getting to menu planning, so things are going to be easy this week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Granola and Yogurt, Coffee
  Dinner: Sandwiches, Cheese and Crackers, Cookies
• Monday
  Breakfast: Cold Cereal and Milk
  Dinner: Hot Dogs, Carrot and Celery Sticks, Cookies
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Ful, Khoubz Araby, Sliced Apples, Coconut Water
  Dinner: Homemade Hamburger Helper, Butterhorn Rolls, Pineapple
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Potatoes with Cheese Sauce and Steamed Veggies
  Macaroni & Cheese, Sliced Apples
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetable Beef Soup with Whole Wheat Rolls
• Friday
  Breakfast: Yogurt, Granola and Honey, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Salmon with Onions, Roasted Vegetables, Rice Pilaf
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Cornish Splits with Nutella, Hard Boiled Eggs, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Quesadillas with Chicken, Peppers and Onions, Green Chile Rice*, Black Bean and Corn Salad, Raspberry Custard Pie

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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

Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Hallelujah! It is the last day of the Paschal Octave, though the season goes until Pentecost.

We had some friends' children over last week, some schedule shifts and loads of activities in preparation for Amira's ballet recital, so we moved several of the meals around. Some of them will appear here this week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Cold Cereal with Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roast Turkey with Potatoes and Asparagus, Butterhorn Rolls, Raspberry and Mango Sorbet


• Monday
  Breakfast: 'Ijja, Toast, Leftover Coconut Smoothies
  Dinner: Thai Chicken over Shredded Lettuce, Thai Basil Pasta, Coconut-Pineapple Ice Cream and Coconut Brownies


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yeasted Pancakes with Walnuts, Brie and Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Hot Turkey Salad, Provencal Green Beans, Crisp Parmesan Biscuits, Raspberry Custard Pie


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Spanikopita Bread Pudding, Salad, Sliced Apples


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Hot Breakfast Sandwich, Key Lime Pie with Whipped Cream


• Friday
  Breakfast: Yogurt, Granola and Honey, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Creamy Potato Soup with Rolls


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Cornish Splits with Leftover Strawberry Sauce and Sweetened Whipped Cream Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Dinner Out

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Bright Week, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen