Last week was an interesting one. Rich and the older children were still handling most of the meals. I tried to to a more scaled back Thanksgiving, just so we could still have a holiday for the children, but everything is taking me about five times as long as it normally does and I am very much off my game. Since the turkey was taking longer than I anticipated and we were all full from hors-d'oeuvres anyway, we went straight to pie and dessert and had the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and other fixings the next day. Aside from crying to Rich that I'd ruined Thanksgiving and him making me repeat after him that I did not ruin Thanksgiving, it was fine. The children, it turns out, were thrilled to eat hors-d'oeuvres and pie, and didn't really care all that much about turkey. I'm going to try to keep this menu plan this week, while the children are still helping with breakfasts and lunches, and Rich can help me with dinners as he can.

Since it is the first week of Advent, we will be beginning the Advent fast and our menus will reflect that. It is a little Lent, so it is not as strict a fast for us.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Leftover Enchiladas and Cotija, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini, Mixed Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, Leftover Pies


• Monday
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Bananas, Toast, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Mexican Chorizo & Bean Casserole with Salsa Rice, Avocado and Cotija


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt with Strawberry Jam, Buttered Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Corn Bread with Sausage Gravy, Pomegranates


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Cinnamon Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Torteggas, Sliced Apples


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Grapefruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: French Onion Soup with Croutons


• Friday
  Breakfast: Honey & Oat Flapjacks with Maple Syrup, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Potatoes with Broccoli Cheese Sauce, Pineapple


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Chilaquiles and Eggs, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Tuna Casserole*, Veggie Sticks

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: Advent, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen

It has been a while since I made a record of our doings. Unfortunately, not all of these will be happy updates. We have had a great loss this week. Those of you who know me well or in person already know about our loss. I'm sorry that this will come as such a startling surprise to the rest of you.



Amira and Yasmina helped their dad get the hay in from our tiny crop around the border of our property this summer.



Here is Mariam the morning of her baptism. We stayed at a friend's house on our way to our long trip. We stopped at one of our communion's churches where the priest very generously performed a private mass for our family and did the baptism with the godparents in absentia because of some difficult circumstances in our location.



Alexander served at the mass and lit the Paschal candle. There are two times in a believer's life in which the Paschal candle is lit specifically for him: At baptism and at his funeral.



Mariam, newly baptized into the body of Christ.



Our whole family with Fr. Mark after the baptism and mass.



This is Mariam in our modified camp swing at Yellowstone.



Here we all are at the Continental Divide.



Here is our baby who will never need to be baptized. Rayan was delivered Tuesday, November 15. I miscarried naturally at home, so we were able to keep the body for burial. I do have pictures of the baby for those who truly wish to see, but here is our child in a treasure box that Alexander made for me when he was six. We asked if he would offer it as a casket for Rayan. It was much too big, but seemed more fitting and respectful than a jar or box from something else. This is the first time we have ever been glad for a unisex name, as it was too difficult to determine the sex. Rayan means gentle and heavenly and is an Arabic name given to both boys and girls.

From the words of the burial service:

O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered; Accept our prayers on behalf of the soul of thy servant departed, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.

I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.

We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." I Corinthians 15:20-26

"Jesus said unto them, 'All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.'" St. John 6:37-40

Labels: Baptism, Faith and Morality, Family, Homesteading, Prayer Requests

I know I promised to have some recipes for this week, but we had a rather hard week, so that did not happen. I'm not sure when it will, either. I will post some more about our week in a separate post.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Baked French Toast (filled with sliced plums), Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Leftovers


• Monday
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Sesame Semolina Toast, Apples, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Zucchini, Onion and Feta Frittata, Garlic Bread, Apple Sauce


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal and Brown Sugar, Milk
  Dinner: Scrambled Eggs with Potatoes, Chorizo and Cheese


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tuna Sandwiches, Bread and Butter Pickles, Apple Sauce


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Sausage, Potato and Pepper Bake, Bread, Dried Fruit


• Friday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pizza and Chips


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Toast, Grapefruit, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Italian Sausage Skillet with Brown Rice

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

We have an exciting week ahead of us, and I tried to plan meals that either cooked quickly, or in a crock pot, or were simple to put together. We will be visiting with a lot of friends this week, so we also wanted to make sure we had meals that could serve a lot of people. There are a few repeats this week, as well, since we shifted our schedule around a bit last week.

And, just so you know, we found Annie's organic cereal at the Grocery Outlet and bought a bunch, mostly for Mariam to have as snacks, but were reduced to serving cold cereal on Sunday morning. Since we also had a rather heavy lunch after church, we had a simpler dinner. I don't have any recipes planned for posting this week, but have a few set for next week. Maybe even with pictures!

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Hunny Bunny-Os and Milk, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Sliced Pears, Rice Krispy Treats


• Monday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Pears and Cinnamon Sugar, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Ranchero Beans, Rice, Coconut Bars


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Toad in the Hole, Sliced Pears, Spice Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pastitsio, Fried Apples with Honey


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pumpkin Gratin, Braised Red Cabbage and Pears


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Potato, Scallion, Cheese and Egg Breakfast Casserole, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Saucy Sour Cream Meatballs with Green Beans, Apple Apricot Sauce


• Friday
  Breakfast: Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Creamy Potato Soup with Whole Wheat Rolls


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Baked French Toast (filled with sliced plums), Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef Rogan Josh, Garlic Rice Pilaf with Coriander, Baked Apples

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