I cannot believe that we are already approaching October and it is officially fall! Last weekend, we had our first morning approaching freezing, it was 34˚F. This month has gone by so quickly. We are getting ready to start official school work for the year, and to ramp up in our other activities. Next week would have ended our family birthday season, but now that we have added Autumn and she and Alexander are expecting their new little one's arrival at the end of October or beginning of November, we are going to have one more birthday before the year is finished.

Jerome had a little scare with the bananas, but it seems to be settling down, and we think it might have had to do with either the plants or climate near his grandmother's house (he and Elijah and Rich went down there to help her out a bit last week), or the chemicals he was using while sanding, sealing and painting a fence. He seems to be doing well now. Since they were gone for part of last week, I rearranged our meal plan to include things that either Rich didn't care for or that Jerome couldn't have, since it was just us girls and Dominic at home. We had a blast. The girls really wanted to watch a chick flick and do facials and hair and nails, but ballet and life schedules and some exhaustion shut that down, so we are going to try again soon. Rich said he would take the boys somewhere so we could do it.

The blackberry sweetrolls we made for Mariam were fantastic. I should have made the cream cheese a little less sweet, but nobody complained about that. They were super simple to make, too. I just used my cinnamon roll dough with vanilla and loganberry liqueur in place of the almond extract, spread it with a cup of seedless blackberry jam, baked as normal and made the cream cheese frosting with vanilla and a little loganberry liqueur. They were so good!

We had so many leftovers this week, that we still have some that were either put in the fridge or freezer, so we are pulling them out in different ways this week. Harvest was also delayed by our weird spring and summer, like I said before, so we have a ton of fresh produce that needs to be eaten before it becomes either chicken feed or compost. If we manage it well this week, it will be fine, though. We have the feasts of Saint Michael and Jerome this week, so some fun family traditions, as well as Jerome's name day to celebrate.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs and Sausage, Bananas, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Provided by our wonderful church family - Beef and Squash Stew, Salad, and other lovely things
• Monday
  Breakfast: Nacho Breakfast, Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome) Cooked in Choucroute Garnie Sauce, Sautéed Summer Squash with Garlic and Fresh Dill, Peaches
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Peaches and Cream, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Hamburger Stew, Salad, Fruit Plate
  
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Onions, Cucuzza Squash and Garlic, Plums, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Bean Tacos, Cabbage Salad with Cumin Citrus Dressing
• Thursday - Feast of Saints Michael and All Angels
  Breakfast: Shakshouka, Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta Carbonara (Gluten-free pasta for Jerome), Dragon Bread filled with Pears and Dried Cranberries
• Friday - Feast of Saint Jerome
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Bananas, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Caponata, Lion Face Salad, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Potluck after Liturgy
  Dinner: Papas con Chorizo with Sliced Avocados, Salsa and Sour Cream, 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.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. -- Revelation 12:7-9

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in praelio. Contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur. Tuque princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.

Labels: Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Michaelmas, Name Day, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen