After a whirlwind trip down to Oregon to visit family and friends, we are back home and recovering from our vacation. This was our second trip with one of our kids at home while the rest were with us, but the first that the oldest two and Amira were home while we had only the other five. We realized we have to get used to that. Much of this week is down time and catching up at home and work. However, my birthday is this week, too, and while the Jazz in the Valley folks got the date wrong this year (we can forgive them because of the confusion of last year), so we can't go to that this weekend, it will be on next weekend and they have made it free, I think, so we might take some more kids with us.

We have a large amount of cucumbers and summer squash, plus two boxes of pie cherries that we are going to make into pies and pie filling for the freezer. Rich's aunt sent us home with a few bags of marionberries from her yard, so I have a pie and some marionberry lemonade planned. I am so excited because we were able to get some coconut aminos, so I can start to make a semblance of Asian foods for Jerome now. Also, we are so happy with Banza pasta. It is a bit pricey, but it feels like real pasta and holds up, even in a pasta salad for four days in a cooler/fridge, without turning to mush. It has allowed Jerome to have something approaching normal pasta. If you can get it, I highly recommend it.

We are almost in the fourth of six months of Jerome's allergy diet, and the blessing in our trip was how well and how much the restaurant staff were willing not only to accommodate his needs. Often, they went far above and beyond the necessary, as well, making sure he not only had food he could eat, but delicious food, as well. We so appreciated that. It made our trip much easier than it could have been, though we did bring foods with us that he could eat, for those occasions when he couldn't be accommodated, or for times we were not eating out at restaurants.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Fried Egg and Steak Bagel Sandwiches (Scrambled Chickpeas with Ham on Gluten-free Bread for Jerome), Potato Pancakes, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef and Chicken Loaded Taco Salad
• Monday - Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chipotle Beef, Mexican Rice, Sautéed Peppers, Summer Squash, Onions and Corn
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Elijah the Prophet
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Scrambled Chickpeas for Jerome), Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Not Texas Chili with Chopped Avocados and Sour Cream (a dairy free herbed cream "cheese" for Jerome), Gluten-free Vegan Cornbread
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Feta and Red Pepper Spread on Toast (Dairy-free Cream "Cheese" on Gluten-free Toast for Jerome), Sliced Cucumbers, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Arepas and Pinto Beans, Sautéed Summer Squash, Peppers and Spring Onions, Marionberry Pie with Cinnamon-Pecan Crust
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer and Equal to the Apostles
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam (Coconut Yogurt for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Grilled Chipotle Rubbed Flank Steak, Sautéed Summer Squash and Spring Onions, Chopped Salad, Fresh Cherry Pie with Almond Crust
• Friday
  Breakfast: Ful with Chopped Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Onions, Harissa (Boss Sauce for Jerome), Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Olive Oil, Garlic, Aleppo Flakes and Toasted Pine Nuts, Chopped Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Waffles (Gluten and dairy-free for Jerome) with Maple Syrup, Bacon, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Ribeye Steaks, Seared Scallops with Cauliflower and Basil, Chopped Salad, Black Forest Cake (Maybe. I feel weird making a cake Jerome can't have at all, and I also feel weird getting just a cake for me.)

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: Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Menu Plans, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen