We are so thankful for our gleaning club and the Grocery Outlet We have crates of peaches for canning, peppers, and cucumbers because of our gleaning club, plus some cheaper purchases of nectarines and peaches for fresh eating and a huge watermelon with seeds. We like to salt and roast the watermelon seeds for snacks and the seeded watermelons really taste so much better than the seedless kinds. We have been getting such great deals on our regular groceries at the Grocery Outlet, but especially now that we are sometimes buying specialty items for Jerome, we are paying about a quarter of what it costs at the regular store. This is one of the ways that God truly has blessed and cared for us. I try to keep my eyes open for how He provides for us, and this is a gift to any family, but especially a family of our size.

Fall continues apace. I can only hope that we get a real autumn, and not head straight into winter by the third week of September. My hopes are limited, because of our weird, short, hot and cold, summer. We shall see. I love the autumn, and it makes me sad that it is so short here and just makes me anticipate the cold and misery of winter. On the positive side, we have an abundance of produce from our gleaning group, and we are able both to share with others and stock our pantry and freezer with them. We have so many peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and summer squash, as well as quite a few peaches. There will be a lot of freezing and canning this week. We will also have a lot of salads, just because we have an embarrassment of salad greens.

We are keeping both Jerome's special diet and our abstinent fasts as best we can. Again, we are so thankful for the blessings God has sent us to help feed our family on a budget and care for special diets without too much expense. I need to spend some time this week preparing lesson plans and schedules for our school year. Alexander is just about out of the house, and when Dominic either goes to a university program or begins his film internship, which is still being decided, we will have no need for our big van. It might come in handy if we needed to give someone else a ride, and it does come in handy for having an extra vehicle for Amira, when I need the mini-van, so we may not get rid of it yet, but we could. Part of me wants to sell it really low to a family who needs it, so they can afford to do the repairs that would be necessary to really make it fit again. Our other option is just to drive it into the ground and donate it for parts. We will have to decide soon, I suppose.

• Sunday - Feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Forerunner
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Vegetables (Scrambled Chickpeas for Jerome), Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Curried Chicken and Rice, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Peaches and Cream (Dairy-free and Vegan for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Khoresh Bademjan (using chuck roast), Persian Sabzi Polo (Herbed Rice), Fried Peppers and Onions, Green Salad
• Tuesday- Feast of Saint Aidan
  Breakfast: Vanilla Yogurt with Diced Peaches (Strawberry Coconut Milk Yogurt for Jerome), Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chile Verde, Refried Black Beans, Mexican Rice, Corn Tortillas, Chopped Avocados, Green Salad
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Ful, Moroccan Olives, Chopped Tomatoes and Onions, Toast (gluten-free for Jerome), Nectarines, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala with Pumpkin, Rice, Fried Peppers and Onions
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Pumpkin and Maple Syrup (Grain-free Granola with Coconut Milk for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Herbed Country Sausage and Potato Bake, Bread (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Cucumbers, Sliced Peaches and Nectarines
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Blueberry Peach Jam on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Zaalouk (Moroccan Warm Eggplant Salad) with Khoubz Kesra (Moroccan Semolina Bread) and Gluten-free Pasta for Jerome, Marinated Cucumbers, Peppers and Onions, Canned Peach Halves
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Brunch after Divine Liturgy
  Dinner: Leftovers

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.

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