We have had a bit of a cold going through the house. Nothing too miserable, but just enough to slow everyone down. We've moved some of last week's meals to this week, and simplified a lot of them as well. Since our garden is still providing for us, we've been covering it with plastic when it gets to freezing and below at night and uncovering it for the sun and (very little) rain. We're hoping to inch it along through this weekend, but I have a feeling that the hard freeze is going to come this weekend or shortly thereafter. Because of our garden, though, we have a lot of wonderful produce that we are using in almost all of our meals.

This week has one of Rich and my anniversaries in it, too. We already celebrated 21 years since our first meeting this past summer, and our 19th wedding anniversary will be at the end of this year. This week, it is the anniversary of our first date, also known as the anniversary of what we count as our first date, since otherwise we'd have to wait a week or two into our dating for us to have a first date, also known as the anniversary of the night Rich brought me home from the dance and accepted my offer to come inside and have coffee even though he didn't drink and hated coffee - 21 years this week, which isn't too shabby. I asked Rich if we were going to do anything for it (we have college tuition to pay, because Alexander's program is so intensive and requires so many credits, that though most are paid through Running Start, not all of it is, and we've been remodeling the bathroom and are getting ready to work on the utility room, too, and other things we're having to possibly replace and repair), and he said that he was going to pick grapes with the older boys and then we were going to a fancy pants restaurant in town for our special dinner alone. So, that's what we're doing. He, Alexander and Dominic are going to glean Concord grapes on one of the two days of the week that we don't have anything happening too late in the afternoon, and then he'll drop them off at home, change his clothes and he and I will go to dinner. I look forward to far more than 21 more years with this man of mine.

We are plugging along with school and I'm missing Alexander during the day, but also having to do extra lessons with him at night because Running Start does not provide all of his high school education, nor did we want this to be the end of his high school education since he is still just a junior, but it makes for long homeschool days for me. The good news is that a lot of his work is just assignments I can set for him and have him do, so really it's a long day of education for him. We knew it would be like this, but I think it's a bit harder on everyone than we understood. He's now getting up in the morning at the same time that Rich and I do, between 5:00 and 5:30, and he stays up late like we do, either doing school work or finishing chores here at home or going over his books and notes from the college, and neither of us has as much leisure time as we'd like. Which wasn't that much to begin with, honestly. We told him that by taking on this program, he'd be reducing his life to school, school, and work, and he's doing it. The good news is that he loves what he's learning and studying, and the experience is really growing him up, which is great to see.

Below, I include our daily Bible readings which we use to read through the entire Bible each year. We read through all of the Old Testament and New Testament, reading the Psalms and Proverbs twice. Remember that the Psalms are according to eastern numbering in our daily Bible reading, also I Kings is the original designation, it is I Samuel in western Bibles (II Kings is II Samuel in the west, III Kings is I Kings, and IV Kings is II Kings, I Ezra is also called I Esdras in other translations, II Ezra is often translated as Ezra or II Esdras).

• Sunday Wisdom of Sirach 1-2, Psalms 63, Proverbs 13:1–5, II Corinthians 1:23-2:17
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Craisins and Cream, Hot, Spiced Cider
  Dinner: Cows in a Blanket with Sri Racha Barbecue Sauce (uncured beef hot dogs in bread dough, then baked) and Salad
• Monday Wisdom of Sirach 3-4, Psalms 64, Proverbs 13:6–10, II Corinthians 3
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Bananas, Hot, Spiced Cider
  Dinner: Italian Sausage Skillet with Onions, Garlic, Roasted Peppers, Potatoes, and Peas, Bread, Roasted Corn
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Edward the Confessor Wisdom of Sirach 5-6, Psalms 65, Proverbs 13:11–15, II Corinthians 4
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Bananas, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Roasted Corn, Tomato and Cucumber Salad
• Wednesday Wisdom of Sirach 7-8, Psalms 66, Proverbs 13:16–21, II Corinthians 5
  Breakfast: Ful, Green Hot Sauce, Chopped Tomatoes and Onions, Toast, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Slow Cooker Ratatouille (using eggplant, tomatoes, crookneck squash, onions, garlic, peppers, basil, and parsley from our garden), Garlic Pasta, Marinated Cucumbers and Onions
• Thursday Wisdom of Sirach 9-10, Psalms 67:1–20, Proverbs 13:22–27, II Corinthians 6
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Virus Killing Chicken Soup (following the basic method and adding a touch of fresh ginger and lemongrass), Whole Wheat Rolls, Salad
• Friday Wisdom of Sirach 11-12, Psalms 67:21–36, Proverbs 14:1–5, II Corinthians 7
  Breakfast: Toast with Cream Cheese and Jam, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Potato Kibbeh, Slow Sauteed Green Beans
• Saturday Wisdom of Sirach 13-14, Psalms 68:1–20, Proverbs 14:6–10, II Corinthians 8
  Breakfast: Waffles with Boysenberry Syrup, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Refried Black Beans with Chorizo, Avocado Relish, Green Chile 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.

Labels: Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, House, Menu Plans, Romance and Relationship, Tales from the Kitchen