Sunday, December 04, 2011
Menu Plan: Second Week of Advent
We celebrated the feast of St. Barbara today. We were not able to finagle a bonfire, as Rich is feeling poorly and I'm not doing much better. However, I made saffron buns and a boiled wheat dish called qamhiyeh (or sneniyeh - because it is often the first dish served to a child who has cut his first tooth) for tonight. Other traditional dishes include gatayif, which I love, but was not up to making today, maybe next year I can make it for our breakfast, and a kind of syrup soaked doughnut called qawamaat. We thought it would freak our neighbors out too much if we dressed our children up and sent them door to door while we called out "Run Barbara, Run!" last night, and they wouldn't have any sweets for them anyway, so we didn't do that. Traditionally, on the Eve of St. Barbara's feast, Arab Christian children dress up to disguise themselves in rags or scary costumes and go door to door "begging" as they try to escape, like St. Barbara did to try to escape her imprisonment. People give coins and sweets to the children, while their parents egg them on by calling after them "Run, Barbara, Run!" We also have St. Nicholas this week, so we'll be putting out our stockings tomorrow night and awaiting our treats the following morning. The rest of our menus are fairly simple.
- Sunday - Feast of St. Barbara
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Toast, Orange Slices, Spiced Tea with Honey and Milk
Dinner: Qamhiyeh* (a traditional wheat dish served for the Feast of St. Barbara), Saffron Buns for St. Barbara's Day - Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with the Leftover Qamhiyeh, Coffee and Milk
Dinner: Lentil Chorizo Soup - Tuesday - Feast of St. Nicholas
Breakfast: Hazelnut Filled Initial Cookies for St. Nicholas*, Fried Eggs with Toast, Oranges, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Roasted Chicken Legs and Potatoes with Onion and Garlic, Pomegranates - Wednesday
Breakfast: Vegetable and Potato Hash, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Falafel, Khoubz Araby (Pita Bread), Oat Pilaf with Feta and Kalamata Olives, Yogurt, Harissa - Thursday
Breakfast: Creamed Eggs, Toast Fingers, Oranges, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Italian Sausage Skillet, Brown Rice - Friday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Strawberry Jam, Buttered Toast, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Eggs in Purgatory, Garlic Bread, Roasted Squash and Onion Wedges - Saturday
Breakfast: Dirty Eggs, Toast, Oranges, Milk and Tea
Dinner: Tuna Casserole (this didn't get made last week, we had guests and a schedule change and spinach that needed to be used), Veggie Sticks
Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, St. Barbara, St. Nicholas, Tales from the Kitchen
