Christ has Ascended! From Earth to Heaven! Alleluia!

We are within the Octave of Ascension for most of this week, and are praying the Novena to the Holy Spirit through this Saturday. We are near the end of the entire Paschal season. There is a sadness that comes with that, but we get to celebrate the second highest feast of the Church year, as well. Pentecost is the commissioning of the Church; it is her birthday, and without that authority and power, we could not live. Glory to God!

The weather is cooling down into the 70s and low 80s this week, which is great. We weren't quite ready for the 90s yet. It's easier when it is a slower build up to those temperatures. I didn't mind it so much, but it's hard on a lot of people. It's still warm enough for salads and lighter meals, but not so hot that cooking seems oppressive. The hottest day so far this year was yesterday, and it was such a busy day for us, with big errands, a memorial and reception for a neighbor, our monthly dance, and that was all after the homeschool formal and a birthday sleepover. We were kind of exhausted today.

We have nearly a month of school and extracurricular activities, plus an airshow right in the middle of it all and a ballet recital at the end. The homeschool formal dance went well, and it is another of our last of the school year events that we have checked off the list. We will be glad to have some more rest this summer.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs and Leftovers, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Greek and Italian Cold Cut Flat Breads with Vegetables and Olives, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Toast, Arabic Cheese with Za’atar and Olive Oil, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Spicy Garlic Ginger Pork, Sesame Green Beans*, Jasmine Rice, Fruit
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Egg and Cheese Burritos, Salsa and Sour Cream, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Green Chicken Enchilada Soup, Fried Tortilla Strips, Cuban Lime Shortbread
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oatmeal with Chopped Apples, Raisins and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Balkan Ratatouille, Rice, Croatian Style Marinated Cucumbers, Fruit
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Migas, Salsa, Sliced Avocados, Sliced Oranges, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Cheese Zombies, Crudités, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Monk's Salad, Olive Tapenade, Tamis, Koulourakia
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Bede the Venerable
  Breakfast: Prosciutto and Gruyère Scones, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkish Lamb Wraps, Grilled Asparagus, Pistachio Cream Cake

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: Ascension, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesah', Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen