Be steadfast, brothers, and do the little things.

So, I like to buy good coffee. I get heiromonk roasted coffee from either Father Michael's or the Vashon Monks. It is a little more expensive than coffee is at the store, but it is so much better, and a fresher roast, and we get to support a Christian monastery when we do it. Now that most of the kids drink coffee, it is rarer that I have a lot leftover, but usually there is a little. In order to steward our money and food better, I heat it up the next day and drink it with milk or cream. Normally, I prefer my coffee strong and black, but in the interest of being wise with the expenses we make, I do this, because I don't want to throw it out and because I don't care for the overcooked taste when it is reheated. Now that we are dairy free for Lent, it means that there is a lot more coffee left. So, I have gone back to making coffee cubes to freeze. We pour the dead coffee into the ice cube trays, freeze them, and then pop the cubes into a freezer bag. When we are in Bright Week, I am going to have so much coffee iced chocolate milk.

We found a great deal on shrimp the last time I went grocery shopping, and so we had it this past week, and also are having it a couple times this week. It feels decadent to eat it right now. Everyone had come to a point where we really needed something like that as a boost. The fish tonight will be awesome, too. It is only five more weeks before we can break the fast, and honestly besides the spiritual benefit, I think it really makes us appreciate things like dairy products, eggs, and meat. It is easy to become so used to these things that we forget how wonderful they are and to be grateful for them. Fasting, even this abstinent diet, teaches us how much we need God, and for that reason alone, it would be worth it. That He offers it to us as a tool to grow us and to join our lives to His and to appreciate His creation is just a bonus.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Fish Tacos with Salsa and Sour Cream (Tiger Nut Chips for Jerome), Cabbage Salad, Fruit Plate
• Monday - Saint David of Wales
  Breakfast: Avocado Toast with Shallot Salt (Avocados and Cottage Cheese for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey or Coffee
  Dinner: Pan Fried Garlic Basil Shrimp with Swiss Chard, Creamy Herbed White Beans, Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Garbanzo Beans with Roasted Red Peppers, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey or Coffee
  Dinner: Vegan Harira, Harissa, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Apples (or Sliced Apples spread with Peanut Butter), Tea with Honey or Coffee
  Dinner: Besan Chila, Sah'awiq, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Ful, Sah'awiq, Toast (no toast for Jerome), Kalamata Olives, Sliced Apples, Mint Tea with Honey or Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans with Rice (Cauliflower Rice for Jerome), Salsa, Fruit Salad
• Friday
  Breakfast: Harvest Pancakes (without the egg and using tapioca starch in place of the cornstarch), Sliced Oranges, Tea and Honey or Coffee
  Dinner: Shrimp and Vegetable Thai Red Curry, Rice (Cauliflower Rice for Jerome), Sliced Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Breakfast Burritos (Tiger Nut Chips for Jerome), Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey or Coffee
  Dinner: Falafel, Sah'awiq, Taratoor, Arabic Style Rice Pilaf (made with oil and water - Cauliflower Rice for Jerome), Fruit Plate

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. Linking to Menu Plan Monday

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fasting as a Family, Frugality, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen