Instead of an easy going week, it's actually been much busier than we planned, so we are still recovering, but it is better than last week. We have a month until school officially starts, but we are slowly gearing up for it now.

Ballet started this month, but with our schedule, it will only be starting for us this week. Also, our co-op begins in about a month. And I'm teaching a history of the Bible class. And September is busy for us. Super busy, actually, so we desire your prayers.

A few meals were rearranged this past week, so there are some reprisals this week. We are trying to preserve what we can in all this busyness, too. Pears are coming ripe, we have corn and tomatoes to turn into relish and salsa. We haven't seen many peaches this year, so I'm hoping those will be forthcoming, because we can a ton of them for the winter.

Also, I am not really a beer drinker. That is an understatement. I really don't like beer. However, I do cook with it. I went to find cheap beer at the Grocery Outlet and found something Sumerian something or other when I made the onion rings. When I poured it to measure it, I smelled old apple cider, but still sweet, and I thought I didn't want sweet, fruity onion rings, so I took a sip, and it was bitter and miserable. It is one of the worst beers I've ever tried, and this is someone who already doesn't like beer. But, it was fine in the onion rings, though a little strong, and we've been using it in bread. I will be using it again this week in a dinner, and that should be the end of it. Thank goodness!

I had another reminder of God's goodness towards when I was looking for rice paper wrappers and the Chefstore folks told us they haven't been able to get them in more than four months. The one place I have consistently found them here in town had them for a higher price, but I looked at the Grocery Outlet, and there were both spring roll and fried spring roll wrappers for $1.59 a package. Glory to God! I bought two packages of each so we'd have them later, too. Again, we've been blessed with home grown produce, and we are using tomatoes, cucumbers, tomatillos, peppers (sweet and hot), and all sorts of good things in our meals this week, as well as preserving what we can for later. God looks after large families, and we see His blessings each day.

Besides preparing for school again, I want to get as much organizing (we are re-doing some of our inventory, because of last year's inventory list loss - only the freezers and pantry shelves had been inventoried again, so we are doing the root cellar and other places that are still the wild west) and decluttering and preserving done in the next couple weeks that I can. This is ambitious, because I also have some hard deadlines with knitting design, and regular family life and household tasks that need my attention. I could use your prayers on this, in particular. I need to have two design samples knit and written and to my tech editor by the end of September at the latest and another really should have been to her already. So, I have three patterns that need editing (one needs all the writing), two samples that are in progress, and all five designs need to be completely ready by the end of October. Only two are written and edited, only one has photography completed, and three patterns are in various stages of completion. And school and co-op and dance and everything starts up soon. Please send help.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftover Cake and Pizza, Grapes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Macarona bi Béchamel, Cabbage, Cucumber and Radish Salad with Cumin Dressing, Chocolate Raspberry Torte
• Monday - Feast of Saints Augustine of Hippo and Moses the Black
  Breakfast: Toast with Labneh, Herbs and Olive Oil, Sliced Cucumbers, Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Rigatoni, Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, Raspberries and Leftover Cake
• Tuesday - Commemoration of the Beheading of Saint John the Forerunner
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Cheese, Toast, Grapes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chile Verde, Salsa Rice, Salad/Vegetables/Sides/Fruit/Dessert brought by Bible study members
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins, Brown Sugar and Coconut Cream, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Aidan
  Breakfast: Ham, Potato and Vegetable Hash, Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Oyster Loaves, Sautéed Summer Squash, Corn and Spring Onions, Berries and Cream
• Friday
  Breakfast: Almond Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Falafel, Toum, Harissa, Taratoor, Veggies, Olives, Khoubz Araby, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Czech Cherry Cake to break the fast after Liturgy
  Dinner: Italian Sausage Skillet, Rice, 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: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Fasting as a Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen