Sunday, May 29, 2022
Menu Plan: May 29 - June 4
Christ has Ascended! From Earth to Heaven! Alleluia!
We are in the time beween Ascension and Pentecost during which we wait with the Apostles for the descent of the Spirit and the birth of the Church. Some people count this as after the Paschal season, some count it as part of it. I tend to be on the side of those who include it, and consider Pentecost the new season. It seems fitting, as it is the second highest feast of the Church year, and bookends the season beginning with the highest feast of the Church year.
This week is also our week of reprieve. We have relatively few engagements, and Rich has Monday off for Memorial Day, so we are going to go a little easier and rest a bit, if we can. There is still school work to do, and we have a ton to do around the property, but if we don't get some rest, it will end badly. Especially as we have the airshow coming up in three weeks.
The homeschool dance went really well, and though I made half the food I normally do, there was still a ton left, so we ate a lot of it for leftovers Saturday and moved our planned meal to Sunday. The folks at church augmented it with some lovely side dishes, and made my load much lighter. Jerome's re-introduction of foods is going well. He is on lentils now, and seems to have no trouble with it. I am starting to believe that his triggers are environmental rather than food, but we press on and try anyway. He says that his skin felt the best when he was eating no sugar and grain, and has been self limiting his own sugar quite a bit. For our health and our budget's health, we are back to eating loads of beans and legumes and soup at least once a week. We are treating the Church rules on diet much more strictly, though still not perfectly strict, and trying to live within them to the best of our ability. We are seeing health in the spirit, in the body, and hoping this will help us keep up with the economic realities we are all facing.
- Sunday
Breakfast: Irish Eggs Benedict with Corned Beef and Cabbage Hash, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Ham, Roasted Asparagus, Navy Beans, Herb Bread, Mandarin Oranges, Chocolate Velvet Cake with Pomegranate Ganache - Monday
Breakfast: Bacon and Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Grilled Lamb Chops, Grilled Asparagus, Rice, Salad, Chocolate Nutella Gelato - Tuesday
Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk and Leftover Gatayif Filling, Canned Peach Halves, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: French Farmer's Soup, Crackers (Gluten-free for Jerome), Salad, Fruit and Cheese Plate - Wednesday - Saint Justin Martyr
Breakfast: "Scrambled" Chickpeas with Onion and Asparagus, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Asparagus Quiche, Salad, Fruit Plate - Thursday
Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Olives, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Canned Peach Halves, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Chicken with Coconut-Lime Peanut Sauce, Jasmine Rice, Crème Brûlée - Friday
Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos with Salsa, Grapefruit, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Roasted Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus, Salad, Fruit - Saturday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Raspberry Peach Jam on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Rogan Josh Turkey with Cauliflower and Root Vegetables, Roasted Asparagus, Ice Cream
Labels: Ascension, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Pascha, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen
Friday, May 27, 2022
Frugality (Part XX): Extreme Frugality
These may not actually be all that extreme, but sometimes people think that the things we save or do are a little out of the norm. Maybe you will think so, or maybe you will think they are helpful or sensible ways to use what you have to the limit of their use. I don't want to make us out to be people who set out a stack of toilet paper that people are allotted each day, either. We still have luxuries and treats (for instance, after spending time peeling almonds as a child, I will buy skinned and slivered almonds, rather than blanche and peel and chop them - though that means that I know what to do with them, if that becomes too cost prohibitive), but we want to be able to do without them and still eat nourishing meals and enjoy them.
So, here is a list of things we save or use to get every last bit of value out of the ingredients we buy, especially the expensive or specialty items. Some of these are things we have always done, but some are new to us, as the costs of groceries have gone up so much.
- We have always saved butter wrappers with any butter remaining on them in a bag in the refrigerator for use in greasing pans, so we don't have to use a fresh lump of butter or fresh oil.
- Likewise, we have always saved the empty jars of mustard to make up mustard vinaigrette.
- If you have read much on the blog here, you know that I save bones from fish, poultry and meat or shells from shellfish and vegetable ends for stock. In the past, we saved the tough, green ends of leeks, the harder stems of lemongrass, things like that. We have gone a bit further now, and save trimmings from onions and garlic, the ends of celery and carrots, and stems from herbs (like parsley, thyme, mint, rosemary, cilantro, dill, and so on), so as not to waste them or have to use new vegetables in our stock. All of this goes into stock bags in the freezer. I plan to do a little tutorial on how I make stock for the blog soon, as well. Stock is basically free nutrition. And the protein in it is more available to your body than even the meat that was eaten off the bones and cartilage. We use stock as a base for soups and sauces, and to cook grains. You can sip it if you are not well, or need a little boost.
- I never let a can of tomatoes go to the recyling bin without first rinsing out the last bit of sauce or juice from it to add to the sauce or soup.
- We also save bacon grease in jars in the fridge to cook eggs and potatoes or other vegetables. We even save the fat skimmed from the top of the stock we make for cooking.
- Lately, we have begun saving the stems from chard to use like celery in cooked dishes. These are things that otherwise would be discarded, and this allows us to use them instead, and reduces how much celery we purchase.
- Recently, I saw a blogger pour off the oil from natural peanut butter to use as cooking oil. Even with the amount needed for keeping the butter smooth, there is plenty extra, and I have taken to doing the same.
- P.S. One of my favorite things to do for frugality's sake, and I can't believe I forgot to mention it, is that I zest all the citrus that comes in my house. With the exception of grapefruit, that is. I give the skins a good wash, and then zest them and keep the zest in the freezer for later times that I need it, if I don't need it immediately. Oranges, lemons, limes, all of them get that treatment. I usually keep them whole in the refrigerator, for a little while, zesting them as I use them, but if they've been in the fridge for a week or so, I zest them all, put that in the freezer, and if it looks like I'm not going to use the fruit or juice, either, I will juice them and put the juice in ice cube trays in the freezer to save for cooking, baking, or drinks later.
Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest
Revisiting Kitchen Strategies
Labels: Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Tales from the Kitchen
Sunday, May 22, 2022
Menu Plan: Ascension Day Week
Christ has Ascended! From Earth to Heaven! Alleluia!
Ascension Day is Thursday, and we have the Rogation Days at the beginning of this week. We are praying for a special intention and would appreciate you joining in our prayers. This is also a super busy week for our family, we have the homeschool dance at the end of the week and all the preparations that go with that, not to mention the Ascension Day festivities. We will be heading to the closest approximation to a high hill we have here, and having our meal as a family picnic and bringing our kite, too.
If you missed it, take a look at my latest frugality post on the blog. I have restarted the series, now that the economy and inflation are so bad after the policies of the past two years. It seemed like it was time to take a look at those strategies again, and I will try to post something weekly about it, with some advice from what has worked for us. Your family needs and location and so on will determine how you use that advice, but I hope it will help you.
Rogation Days mean some extra abstinence this week, too. We get our first order of local asparagus this week and will be pickling this weekend. There will likely be a lot of asparagus on our menus for the week following, and we will have loads of pickled asparagus this summer and fall. Jerome's skin is doing a little better, and we thank you for your prayers. My skin is blowing up, but that is to be expected with all the hay and grass growing. Please keep us in your prayers still.
- Sunday
Breakfast: Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuits (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea and Coffee
Dinner: Mustard Glazed Corned Beef, Herbed Cabbage, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Carrots, Mandarin Oranges - Monday - Rogation Day
Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Raspberry Peach Jam on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Pasta with Butter Tomato Sauce, Fruit Plate - Tuesday - Rogation Day
Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Olives, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
Dinner: One Pan Creamy Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Gnocchi (Gluten-free for Jerome), Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Fruit Plate - Wednesday - Rogation Day
Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk and Leftover Gatayif Filling, Canned Peach Halves, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Kenyan Black Beans in Coconut Milk, Rice, Fruit Plate - Thursday - Feast of the Ascension
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Bacon, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Chicken with Coconut-Lime Peanut Sauce, Jasmine Rice, Crème Brûlée - Friday - Feast of Saint Bede
Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos with Salsa, Grapefruit, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit - Saturday
Breakfast: Irish Eggs Benedict with Corned Beef and Cabbage Hash, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Chocolate Pudding with Chantilly Cream
Labels: Ascension, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesah', Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Pascha, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Frugality (Part XIX): Revisiting Kitchen Strategies
Some of this I've discussed before here, such as combining trips, meal planning, having a plan for all you buy, gleaning, and so on, but some prices and services are different now than they were when I first wrote about them, and some things just need a refresher. Since most of my readers are wives and mothers, I will address this to you, but that doesn't mean that this doesn't apply to men. Mostly, I will talk about food, clothing, entertainment, electric and gas costs. It isn't because there aren't ways to cut back in other areas, but these tend to be the places where we have the most influence in what our costs are. Your rent or mortgage is largely going to stay the same, likewise your phone bill, internet, insurance, and so on, and while there are ways to shop around or reduce them, most of our big costs are in food, clothing, and extras.
My first bit of advice is to get your husband (or wife) on board. If he is on your team, you will be unbeatable. He will help with morale, with implementation, with being a good example. My husband is a relatively picky eater (he is much better than he used to be), but you would never know it from how he behaves. He eats whatever I serve, or whatever we have, without complaint. He, like all of us, is allowed to have food preferences and dislikes, so please don't misunderstand what I am saying, but if it is something that isn't his favorite, he eats it cheerfully and willingly. Now, notice that I didn't say that I am serving things he hates. I don't try to make everyone's favorite foods each meal, but I do try to take into account people's preferences and dislikes. Obviously, religious and medical dietary requirements are of most importance. While I do not promise that everyone will love every meal I make or serve, I do promise I will not make them eat something they hate. If we were in a life or death situation, we also would drop that, but glory to God we are not in those circumstances. We do have one child who really doesn't like shrimp, so I try to scoop it out of her servings when we have it or give her an alternate (which generally goes against how I like to cook and serve), just because the rest of us don't want to give up shrimp while she is home.
So, one thing that is often recommended to families trying to keep to a budget is to menu plan and then go shopping. This will certainly help if you are haphazardly trying to find food for meals while you are shopping. However, I do the opposite. I shop for what is on special or marked down, what is in season and abundant at a better cost, as well as for filling in the staples like flour, sugar, yeast, oil, etc, and then plan what to cook after assessing what I find and what is already in our pantry, freezers, and fridge. I set a budget and, mostly, stick to it while shopping.
The first thing you need to do to shop and plan like this is to know what you have in your home. Two years ago, Rich and I and the kids went through every shelf, every drawer, every cabinet, every freezer, all of it to inventory what we had of food and drink in our home. We were quite surprised by how much was actually here. This was something that took a significant time, because we are a family of 10 (now nine at home with our tenth, his wife, and their baby, who will be born in October) and there is a lot we have to keep on hand to feed these ravenous people. We also eat more than normal people, live in a rural area and have gotten used to shopping in huge amounts because we sometimes can only get to certain things out of town or through delivery. We are used to thinking ahead. We try to keep our inventory up to date, and that isn't always perfect, but it gives us a better picture of what is available to us.
Planning this way might sound like you are stuck with whatever is there, but I assure you that it isn't. We do stock up on things that are inexpensive when we find them and fill our freezers and pantry, but we don't get it just because it is cheap. If it is something we don't use or don't like, we don't buy it. That seems obvious, but I wanted to say it just the same. So, if bologna is in the used meat bin, I don't get it, but if uncured ham or turkey are, I do. Our inventory is on paper, but we have sometimes used wet erase markers on our fridge and freezer and adjusted as things went in or out of them. I do try to have us make the inventory adjustments as soon as I get home from the store or when we take items out for meals. One day, I will go digital and we won't have to have the stacks of paper to keep track. So, while I can't necessarily decide that I want to make a specific dish the following week, if we don't have the major ingredients or if I didn't find them at a decent price at the store that week, I keep a good stock of items in the freezers that we like and around which we can build meals we enjoy. So, say organic chicken thighs are marked down, I buy only one package, and squirrel that away in our freezer until I have enough to make a meal or more for the family. When we see something that is really rarely marked down that we like, or something we love at an excellent price, we grab as much of it as we can afford on that week's (now every two weeks, actually) food budget and make sure that the next time we serve it, it is for a better price.
In the past, I have mentioned that I don't do a lot of couponing. That is still true, however, a lot of grocery stores now have apps or websites on which you can find coupons and rebates that are loaded directly to your shopper's card. I will use those, and check for freebies that are found there. We still don't cut coupons, really, and I will admit that it isn't so often that we use even the digital ones, simply because most of what we buy is meat and seafood, produce, dairy, and non-branded ingredients. However, for cleaning supplies, and some canned goods and other food products, we still find some that are useful for us. Another thing I utilize is an app called Ibotta (if you sign up using my referral, I do get a bonus) which gives rebates in exchange for spying on your shopping habits. Again, I don't usually get a huge amount from this, and we don't get a branded product, even with the rebate, if it is cheaper to get it without a rebate in a different way or from a different brand. Since June of 2020, though, we have received $245.61 in rebates on products we already buy and use. That is no poke in the eye with a sharp stick. You do have to wait until you have at least $20 in rebates before cashing it out, but they will send it to your PayPal or to a gift card of your choice. In our area, the stores that cooperate with Ibotta are Fred Meyer, Safeway, Winco, WalMart, RiteAid, Walgreens, DollarTree and the local liquor store. There are others, though, like Costco and Albertsons and online stores which work with them, as well. Often there are free offers or BOGO offers that allow you to get the amount of the item or more back, and we have ended up getting paid more than the cost to take home a few items, since we have been using the app.
Anyway, now that I have mentioned that, I will go on to planning and some strategies for building your own inventory of foods your family loves and for stretching the food you have the farthest it will go. Understand that a lot of what we think we need is often just a matter of our preferences. While that is fine, it is good to be aware of that, so we can overlook it a little bit when we need to for our budget. I start planning with what we have at home in mind. I take a look at our freezer and pantry inventory sheets and determine what should be the backbone of our meals, and check which produce we have that needs to be used so it doesn't go to waste. After I do our shopping, I do my planning with those meal backbones and the produce that needs to be used in mind. In our house, at least, breakfasts always need to be either something we can prepare ahead of time or which can be made quickly. I try to automate that a bit, and kind of cycle through about 10 to 15 breakfast ideas. Usually, Rich makes pancakes or waffles for breakfast sometime over the weekend. Whenever I see a recipe or think of a meal that we would like to make, I add it somewhere to our family calendar, and I just move it around to work with what we have and what I get at the store. Speaking of which, we have a shared family calendar on our Apple devices, but it would work with Google or other calendars as well. We put all of our activities and our breakfasts and dinners there. If there is a specific recipe needed, we can link to it on the calendar, and it helps everyone at home to be able to help get things from the freezer, or to start meal preparations.
Our week is shaped by the Church year and patterns of fasting and feasting. It is also shaped by ballet and homeschool co-op, evening meetings and activities, much like your lives are, I am sure. Most weeks of the year, Wednesdays and Fridays are meatless for us. Twice a year, we also eat that way for a roughly 40 day period each. Once a week, we make the evening meal for our small church group and once a week I collaborate with a couple few other women who are part of a Bible study group with me, as well. We accomodate dietary needs for all of these. Since Jerome is still eating many fewer food categories than normal, this is the big, overarching rule that shapes our meals and plans. If you follow our menu plans here, you will know that as our children have gotten older and more able, we have tried to follow the abstinent rules more closely. We still aren't perfect about that, but have found that doing so is better for us both spiritually and financially, and are planning to follow it more closely still, as our markets and highways have more and more instances of emptiness and higher prices. It has been a blessing to us to see how following this rule helps us to make the most of what we buy and have at home. We are so glad to see how God has been training us through this practice, and how it has prepared us for this difficult time through it, which we didn't expect at all. If this is something that you believe in, it may be a way to help your spiritual, physical, as well as your financial health. If you don't believe in it, it might still help.
If you are going to eat meatless for part of your week, make friends with beans and legumes, soups, frittatas, soufflés and quiches. Beans can have a bad reputation, but when prepared well, they are not only nutritious (providing protein, fiber, and calcium, especially), but they are tasty. The broth left from cooking the beans or legumes can also be used as a base for soups or stews, or to cook grains. Soups use up little bits and leftovers and scraps, the tiny bits of rice or pasta left from other meals, small amounts of vegetables. Frittatas, soufflés and quiches elevate eggs and also use small amounts of vegetable, milk or cream, little bits of meat, to become something unctious and delicious, and with a small salad or a little bread, make fantastic meals. I have recommended using your library as much as possible before, and I stand by that. However, if you can afford it, please get ahold of Fasting as a Family or see if your library can purchase it to help you with this effort.
Another thing that shapes our meals is that we belong to a gleaning club and are known for being a large family that cooks everything. We often get a large quantity of produce to use and process for freezer, canning, or drying, and eat fresh or cooked so as not to waste any of it. People offer us their excess produce and we even have gotten the "weird" bits from the friends or the butcher that people don't want to keep like tongue, heart, liver, cheek meat, and, recently, beef lips. We have made an effort to learn how to cook the unusual parts and have enjoyed them, so people know we will eat them. Since we live in a rural area, we buy a lot of our meat on the hoof, and take much more of it from the butcher than many families, even here, and then the butcher will offer us the parts that others discard. We never turn down free food. If we can't use it, we find people who can. If it is truly something that we cannot or won't eat, we have animals we raise for food which can eat it, cats who appreciate the scraps from meat we can give them, and compost for the absolute last bits of produce, that helps us grow our own fruits and vegetables. My recommendation to you is to always say yes to free food. Unless you are allergic or have a religious reason to avoid it, it can help stretch your budget and feed your family.
Another recommendation is to find out when your local grocery store marks down its produce, meat, breads, and other products. We have found excellent deals on the gluten free products Jerome needs and on meat and dairy, treats like orange juice (though juice is one of the things we buy almost none of, preferring water or milk as a less expensive and more healthful option), produce, fish and shrimp and other seafood, sourdough breads and specialty breads. I never go to a store without checking the used foods. If you walk in without a plan in mind, but only a price limit, you can fill your cart with many foods that will be delicious as well as inexpensive. Those mark down stickers are like little gifts from God to us. When I pick them up, though, I still think of all I can make with them. Meat and fish with bones will be the meal and the bones and scraps saved for stock, likewise the shells from shrimp are saved for stock. The very last stop in our house is either to go to the animals or our compost (not meat items). We save bones, skin, shells and scraps for stock, but we also save the stems and hard bits and trimmings from herbs, onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, celery and so on for that purpose. This way, when we make the stock, we are truly only using water, a little salt and some peppercorns to have something delicious and nutritious, and basically free. If you don't know how to make stock, please let me know, and I will write up a lesson. It is so vital, and puts more protein and collagen into your diet which is necessary both for general nutrition and for your immune system.
If you can, dedicate yourself to making most of your foods, you will be rewarded plenteously. Pasta sauces, salad dressings, mayonnaise and things like tartar and cocktail sauce, breads, cookies and cakes, snacks, all of these are easily made at home, for much less money, fewer weird ingredients, and usually better tasting, too. If you already have the skills to can, you are ahead of the game, but it isn't too hard to learn, and you can make jams, jellies, chutneys, fruit preserves, canned tomatoes, pickles and relishes without getting special equipment or worrying about things like botulism. Baking things like bagels, pretzels, and pastries like croissants and puff pastry, which take a little more effort, can be made at home with much less expense. Even candy can be made at home, starting with things like brittles and marshmallows and fudge. Drying food can be done outdoors in the spring and summer in a protected manner, or in the oven, over low heat, even if you do not have a food dryer. Popcorn is also an inexpensive and delicious treat. We cook ours on the stove, in a little oil with salt and it is only about $0.64 a pound in our area. I tend not to include specific prices, because that can vary so much around the country and the world, so take that price with a grain of salt. It is still exponentially cheaper than buying bags of popcorn or microwaveable popcorn, and will use better ingredients and taste better.
In the coming weeks, I will be sharing what foods we focus on for sturdiness, flavor, and frugality, I will talk about how I proportion my shopping budget, what tools I think to be absolutely necessary, and those which are just handy, and how I use the kitchen tools I have to serve me, rather than organizing my cooking around them. Since these past few years have been so hard, I will not neglect things like how to find entertainment on a budget, or how to vacation and enjoy yourself on much less. It has been a while since I was regularly making these posts, and I hope you will enjoy what I share that has worked for us, and find ways to make my experience fit your life, diet and family.
Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest
Labels: Church Year, Family, Fasting as a Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Menu Plan: May 15 - 21
Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
We have had a whirlwind couple weeks. This past week, Rich and I went up to a conference for his work, and got to have some beautiful time outdoors and at a gorgeous lodge. I got to rest, which I sorely needed. A lot of the menu plan was rearranged, as the kids needed to use different things and made different plans, so we have some repeat meals this week.
There doesn't seem to be much of a break in sight for a while, though. Nejat's birthday is this week, and we will have a family party for her. Her party with friends will be in June. The girls have their spring recital this week, as well. I can't believe it will be Amira's last performance as a student here. I'm trying to hold it together through all these lasts. Next week is our homeschool formal dance, so there is a lot to do for that, as well.
Jerome's skin has been clearing up quite a bit, and we are not sure if that has to do with the week on the Oregon coast, or food issues, so we are going to see if we can narrow it down by reintroducing some things he has had a bit of a break from to see if he flares up again. It is this macabre trial and error on this, and I wish we had more answers. We are still cooking mostly from our freezers and pantry, and trying to follow the Church dietary guidelines as closely as we can and seeing the benefits from it. God cares for us, and His ways bring good. I think I am going to get back to making beans and soup or stew at least once each per week, too. I'd love to hear from you if you are also trying to cook more frugally, and especially if you are trying to keep the weekly fasting and abstinent rules.
- Sunday
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Pork Pad Thai, Marinated Peppers and Onions, Fruit Plate - Monday
Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Leftover Gatayif Filling, Home Canned Pears, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese, Applesauce, Ice Cream - Tuesday
Breakfast: Vegetable and Bacon Hash with Fried Eggs, Grapes, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Persian Spiced Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower, Salad, Moroccan Orange Cake - Wednesday
Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Sliced Radishes, Kalamata Olives, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Canned Peach Halves, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Paella Primavera, Green Salad, Fruit Plate - Thursday - Feast of Saint Dunstan of Canterbury
Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Gratin Parmentier, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Fruit Plate - Friday - Feast of Saint Alcuin
Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos with Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Pizza Beans, Garlic Bread (Gluten-free for Jerome), Salad - Saturday
Breakfast: Fried Egg Sandwiches, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Pizza (Gluten-free for Jerome), Green Salad, Fruit Plate
Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesah', Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen
Friday, May 13, 2022
Craft On: I'm a Model, You Know What I Mean
Wee took a week as a family for vacation on the Oregon coast, and it was perfect. We were able to hang out on the beach, go clamming and crabbing, fishing, harvested mussels, rested. It was exactly what we needed. We came back to a busy week here, including a few days of a work related conference that Rich and I went to together. While we were there, we took advantage of the gorgeous setting to take our pattern photos for Imbat. This one isn't really cut out for the pattern page, but I liked it and thought I'd share it here. Would you be interested in beta knitting this pattern? It doesn't take many skeins of yarn. In fact, my size large sample took fewer than four skeins of Malabrigo Rios yarn to make. The largest size should take around six skeins, or less than 1200 yards of yarn, and the smallest size should take only about three skeins, or roughly 560 yards. I really love this cropped sweater - much more than I thought I would. It is perfect for a spring or fall cover up over a dress or a tank top or short sleeved shirt.
The kids and I are getting closer to finishing The Golden Road. I'm still slowly working through Bearing God: The Life and Works of St. Ignatius of Antioch the God-Bearer and hoping to have it finished in time for Pentecost, which seems appropriate.
Linking to Unraveled Wednesday.
If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.
Labels: Books, Design, FOs, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Knitting, Yarn Along
Sunday, May 08, 2022
Menu Plan: May 8 - 14
Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
As we watch the prices of food rise, we find more reasons to be grateful for the discipline of the Church and her fasts. We are endeavoring to bring our weekly fast more closely in line with these guidelines, because of the incredible growth we found from them, but are also noticing that it is saving us money in our grocery budget, as well. I think I am going to try to do another month of shelf cooking, with a minimal budget for produce, milk, and animal and paper supplies. This will also help keep things more manageable. This week, and during the rest of the Paschal season, we will not quite be as strict about it, but will slowly be easing into the practice. Our kids are actually who encouraged us in this, which is a huge blessing to us.
We were able to take a family vacation to the Oregon coast last week. It was kind of interim camping. We stayed in yurts, but there was electricity and a place to shower and indoor bathrooms (not in the yurts). We crabbed and clammed and harvested mussels, and failed to catch any fish. It was delightful. The kids want to go camping for real this summer with another family we are friends with , and this was a good in between, especially during the windy and misty weather we had for some of those days. We weren't allowed to cook in the yurts, but we were allowed to use an extension cord, so we brought an electric griddle and our electric pressure cooker. We also brought a tea kettle and a gas stove burner and we could use all of those outdoors and eat inside. It made for an easier experience. Loads of ice and packing frozen meats made our meals simpler, too. As far as vacations go, especially vacations for eight people, it was pretty inexpensive, and we still got to go buy fancy chocolates from a local company and get the seafood, and even eat out a few times. For the price of two hotel rooms for that amount of time, we were able to get all the licenses, food, the yurts, and the experiences we had.
We drove directly to the kids' homeschool co-op potluck, and the following day was a fiber festival I went to with a couple friends, and that night was a dance put on by our girls' ballet studio that Amira and Yasmina went to with Amira's boyfriend and Yasmina's best friend. Then there is Mother's Day. Because our church service is in the evening only this week, we will be able to have a brunch this year. This week isn't much less full, but it will not be quite as rushed. We are in the run up to ballet recitals, we have the homeschool formal dance, and so much more as we come to the end of the school year in just a month and a half!
- Sunday
Breakfast: Mother's Day Brunch
Dinner: Beans and Sausage, Rice, Rhubarb Crumble - Monday - Feast of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus
Breakfast: Vanilla Yogurt, Apple Sauce, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Chile Verde Burritos, Salsa Rice - Tuesday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Chopped Tomatoes and Cheese, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
Dinner: Tuna Bean Salad, Home Canned Pears - Wednesday
Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Sliced Radishes, Kalamata Olives, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Canned Peach Halves, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Tomato and Olive Pasta (Gluten-free pasta for Jerome), Green Salad, Fruit Plate - Thursday
Breakfast: Vegetable Hash with Fried Eggs, Apple Sauce, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Homemade Hamburger Helper, Faux Pots de Crème - Friday
Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Leftover Gatayif Filling, Home Canned Pears, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Spinach and Tomatoes, Crème Brûlée - Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Grilled Bacon Cheeseburgers, French Fries, Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles, Ice Cream
Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesah', Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen
Sunday, May 01, 2022
Menu Plan: May 1 - 7
Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
We have a rather busy week, but it should be fun. Rich has vacation, and we are practicing camping for a trip we are planning for the summer. Friday is our co-op's potluck and then the following day, I get to go to a fiber festival nearby while Rich holds down the fort with the kids, and makes dinner for my return.
This past week has been rather busy for me, as I have been finishing up a proposal for a rather large, long term, knitting project, that should be ready for publication toward the end of next year. I am super excited about it, both the projects and the possibilities that stem from them. Please pray for success for me.
Jerome's re-introduction of foods continues to go well. He should be eating sesame normally this week, and we begin the introduction of soy. That might be more challenging, so he would appreciate your prayers on that score. We are waiting on the items that were most likely to be true allergies until toward the end of this process, but we are inching closer and are hoping for good results.
- Sunday - Feast of Saints Philip and James
Breakfast: Bluberry Oatmeal with Cream (Gluten-free Granola and Milk for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Leftovers, Ice Cream - Monday - Feast of Saint Athanasius
Breakfast: Cottage Cheese, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Hot Cocoa and Coffee
Dinner: Corned Beef, Baked Potatoes, Salad, Cookies - Tuesday
Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash, Fried Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea and Coffee
Dinner: Grilled Hot Dogs, Chips, Pickles, S'mores - Wednesday
Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Tea with Honey
Dinner: Lemon Garlic Clams, Salt Potatoes, Salad, Fruit - Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk, Fruit, Tea and Coffee
Dinner: Mezze Table, Baq'lawa and Helou - Friday
Breakfast: Leftovers, Fruit, Tea and Honey
Dinner: Pinto Bean Tacos, Salsa, Sour Cream, Cheese, Chopped Tomatoes, Fruit Plate - Saturday
Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Leftover Gatayif Filling, Canned Peach Halves, Milk and Coffee
Dinner: Steamed Crab, Lemon Dill Pasta with Mussels, Turkish Delight
Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesah', Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen
