We are back to more ordinary time. By which I mean, we are still busier than I expect, and I'm not sure why I expect otherwise. Poor Jerome, on top of everything else, gets braces tomorrow. He needs them, so it is a good thing, but it is a hard thing. Likewise, about halfway through the braces, he will have two wisdom teeth surgically extracted, and his lower jaw surgically brought forward. He may also have an expander put into his upper palate. Please pray for our son, and for us.

This week, besides the braces, I will be teaching a couple foxtrot and swing classes, which will be fun. We didn't get to celebrate Croatia's independence yesterday, because we had a volunteer thank you barbecue to attend, so I am making those foods tonight for church. I'm going to make a big pan of popcorn for tonight so Jerome can enjoy it, as he won't be able to after tomorrow morning. Peas are going well for him, and except for gluten/gliadin/wheat and oats, almost everything else we re-introduce after this will be something we don't eat often, so if he has trouble with them, it won't cause a huge hardship for him or us.

We are still cooking through our freezers and pantry, and shopping mostly for fresh produce, staples that need replacing, and markdowns. The farmers' market is open again, and this year, we didn't sign up for any CSAs, even though we do use and appreciate what they offer for such a good price. We are taking the time and effort to shop the market and get the best deals we can find for our budget, and just plan our menus from that. I am so grateful for the beef and a quarter we were able to buy last spring, but we are getting down the mostly ground beef, a few organ pieces and the steaks. That sounds funny, because I know Americans really love steaks, and so do we, but the way we cook, to maximize our budget and to make sure everyone is full and satisfied while keeping our meal costs down means that we actually don't cook steaks that often. We really cook roasts and weird cuts more frequently. Some of the steaks lend themselves to being used as roast pieces do, so I will be able to make some of the dishes we like that way, and some are useful for being cut into strips or chunks for stir fries, which will make them go farther.

My goal is to get that beef to last us until at least this fall, if not next spring, so we can try to buy another steer for the freezer at that point. We are still looking for some pork and lamb, but in the interim are eating what we have in our freezers to make room for several ducks and roosters that need butchering here. People used to offer us piglets left and right for free, goats, you name it, but we didn't have the time and room last year, and it looks like everyone is feeling the food prices, so there weren't any offers this year and the prices have been much higher than normal even for other animals for sale. We are praying for some next spring/late winter, so we can raise those and fill our freezers that way next year. We learned from our actual farmer neighbors that if you raise multiple piglets, they not only benefit from the socializing (pigs are super friendly and playful, and we saw that one alone got rather lonely), but if you sell one or two of them to someone else at butchering time, you can pay for your own butchering that way. We are hoping to put that into practice next year. Honestly, though we don't like raising them through the winter, if someone had a late farrowing, or a kid/lamb born late in the season, we would find a way to keep them warm and fed over the winter to have them for the spring and summer. It would be easier to get a slaughter and butcher date that way, too, though we would have to pay more in feed, rather than letting them mostly graze and root around the yard and pastures.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Raspberry Syrup, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Croatian Braised Lamb with Chard and Rice Dumplings, Croatian Style Marinated Cucumbers, Kroštule/Hrštule
• Monday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Bacon, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Hatch Chile Sausages, Grilled Asparagus, Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons
  Breakfast: Cottage Cheese, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Herby Coconut-Poached Alaska Rockfish, Coconut Rice, Green Salad with Lime Vinaigrette, Roasted Asparagus, Vegetable Side Dish and Fruit/Dessert brought by others
• Wednesday - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Mejeddarah, Cabbage Salad with Cilantro-Citrus Dressing, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Polenta with Maple Syrup, Grapefruit Halves, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Persian Kotlets, Persian Saffron Rice, Persian Chopped Salad, Turkish Stuffed Apricots
• Friday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Harira, Middle Eastern Chopped Salad, Harissa, Tamis (Gluten-free for Jerome)
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Cherries and Chantilly Cream, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy, Biscuits (all Gluten-free for Jerome), Roasted Asparagus, Sautéed Summer Squash, Corn and Spring Onions, Blueberry Cheesecake Gelato

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, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen