I mentioned last week how this whole past year has felt like one long Lent, and it occurred to me that Lent is our spiritual preparation for doing spiritual battle and the hard work of growing His Kingdom. That readjusts my attitude toward it a little. It's not that I look forward to any such battle, but I appreciate that we can be prepared for it. We are officially in the countdown to Lent this week. Technically, we were last week, but with the feast of the Purification and the end of the Christmas season, it was more like a blend of the two. Next week contains Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the Great Fast.

We are glad that Valentine's Day falls both on a Sunday and before the beginning of Lent this year. Rich was able to buy a ticket to an online concert of Shostakovich's music for Saturday, so we will have a Valentine's concert and dinner then.

This week through next Tuesday, we are making and eating a lot of sweets and treats that we will not have for more than six weeks. It's funny, because Rich did not grow up eating with the Church in this way, and I certainly didn't, but now, it seems absolutely foreign not to mark time and remember God in even what we eat. Our kids find themselves surprised that people eat meat on Wednesdays or Fridays, just because it is such a normal part of their lives, and we have to remind them that not everyone marks Christ's betrayal and Crucifixion each week, even other Christians. This pattern of eating and having to think about what we are eating has imbued even mealtime and days of the week with the spiritual. That is a good thing. Even though it is a hard thing. Maybe because it is a hard thing. It is like the Old Testament admonition in Exodus and Joshua to do something specifically so your children will ask why and what it means. Talking about Wednesdays, Fridays, Advent and Lent, and why we eat differently then, brings the conversations up about Jesus, His betrayal, His Crucifixion, His Incarnation, His Resurrection.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Egg and Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin, Scalloped Potatoes, Steam Sautéed Carrots and Peas with Garlic and Dill, Hot Cocoa Cookies
• Monday
  Breakfast: Shakshouka in Muhamarrah, Sah'awiq, Toast, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Thai Ginger Chicken with Eggplant, Jasmine Rice, Orange Butter Cookies with Grand Marnier Glaze
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Salsa, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Bishop Ken's Pork and Cabbage, Rice, Mandarin Oranges, Šape, Raspberry Almond Shortbread
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Scholastica
  Breakfast: Savory Parmesan French Toast with Hollandaise Sauce, Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Eggplant Ricotta Dumplings in Tomato Sauce over Pasta, Garlic Bread, Raspberry Almond Babka
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Leftover Babka, Bacon, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cows in a Blanket, Tater Tots, Veggie Sticks, Brown Sugar Shortbread
• Friday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Brown Sugar and Raisins, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Kusheri*, Middle Eastern Chopped Salad, Halawa*
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Sausage Links, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chef Salad with Grilled Chicken Strips, 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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Sexagesima, Tales from the Kitchen