My birthday week was fantastic. Rich and the kids really made it sweet, which I appreciated, and they extended it with events on Thursday and Saturday. Nejat even organized a "surprise" birthday party for me with a few friends. I was able to celebrate with the family, and also go out with some girlfriends for some much needed chat, and I am still finishing birthday cake (we have never had this much cake leftover before).

This week the Dormition fast begins. We take it much more simply, and still eat dairy and egg (except on Wednesdays and Fridays), but there are a few fish days in there, too. The feast of the Transfiguration is this coming Sunday, and there are two other days in which we get to enjoy fish, so we will. Our garden and the gleaning club are providing so much beautiful produce right now, and we are enjoying that. This week will involve a lot of canning and drying and freezing, so we will be able to enjoy this bounty in the fall and winter. We are hardly having to buy groceries right now, except for dairy and replacing supplies, which is fantastic. Between the eggs from the poultry and the produce and our rather full freezers for meat, we are doing pretty well, glory to God. Two of our resident kids were away this weekend, and for the first time in I don't know how long, we had leftover falafel and khoubz. And I even made a smaller amount than normal.

It is supposed to warm up a little this week, but not too hot. The summer has been quite pleasant so far. I'm worried that it might mean for a shorter summer, but I will not borrow trouble. We are still grilling and using the oven as little as necessary, and that puts less stress on our air conditioners and the fans. The highest temperatures we are supposed to see in town (and they are between 6˚ and 12˚ cooler here) are only in the low 90s. That is quite bearable. In fact, because of the desert climate, it is actually too cold in the mornings. We woke up at around 44˚ today. It was around 51˚ in town. I think that is what makes the heat harder to bear here, because the nighttime temperatures can be as much as 40˚ lower than the high of the day. I am built for the heat, though, so I'm bearing it better than many.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Strawberries, Blueberries and Plums, Coffee and Milk
  Dinner: Herb Roasted Turkey, Bourbon Gravy, Cranberry Horseradish Relish, Bread Stuffing, Roasted Broccoli with Onion and Bacon, Black Beans, Apple Pie
• Monday - Feast of Saint Joseph of Arimathea
  Breakfast: Cereal and Milk, Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Sausages, Cucumber Salad, Watermelon
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs with Za’atar, Bread, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Margherita Baked Polenta, Watermelon, Sides and Dessert brought by Bible Study Members
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Veggies, Toast, Blueberries, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Croatian Roux Soup with Croutons, Croatian Style Marinated Cucumbers, Sliced Cantaloupe
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tomato Dal, Rice, Cucumber Salad, Watermelon
• Friday - Feast of Saint Dominic
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Peanut Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cabbage and Cashews with Rice Noodles and Peanut Sauce, Marinated Cucumbers, Sliced Canteloupe
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Foccacia to break the fast after Liturgy
  Dinner: Cheese Tortellini with Butter Tomato Sauce, Radish, Celery and Cucumber Salad, 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.

Labels: Birthday, Blessed Virgin, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fasting as a Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos