We had a remarkably busy weekend. Rich and I were part of a diocesan synod this weekend, after he had a couple important meetings at and for work, Nejat went to a cabin in the mountains with a some family friends, and the oldest kids went to a teen retreat down in Yakima. We were all in different directions and quite exhausted by the end of the weekend and church on Sunday. It was loads of fun, but we need a rest from it still.

So, we are back to our normal schedule this week, and we are hoping to accomplish a lot this week and next week. Thanksgiving is creeping up on us, faster and faster. Our neighborhood has a harvest dinner each year, too, and that is coming up, as well.

To keep things moving as they ought, we are still cooking from our freezers, and making as much as we can that is either slow cooking that can be started in the morning and left to cook all day or quicker cooking so we can make it just before serving, after all the rest of our school and other work is complete. There are still some birds to be butchered next month, turkeys and geese, and we want to have room in the freezer for them, as well as cutting down on our grocery trips. There is also a little preserving left to do, so that needs to be fitted in to our schedules.

We have two feast days this week, but no birthdays and only a few events that are out of the ordinary, none of which push our other events out of the way. The weather is colder, it is darker, and fall is fading now. I'm trying to rally my spirits and gird myself for winter. It was sweet to get some time on Puget Sound with Rich, walking near the salt water, smelling the salt air through the cedars and fir trees, seeing the leaves changing colors, and the flowers that were still in bloom. We savored that, and I hope it will sustain me as we freeze here through April.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Hamburger Soup, Salad, Turkey and Ham Sandwiches, Pickles, Enfrijoladas, Gingerbread with Pears
• Monday - Feast of Saint James of Jerusalem
  Breakfast: Migas, Salsa, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Mustard Glazed Corned Beef, Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Steam Sautéed Carrots with Garlic and Dill, Soda Bread
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Slow Cooked Lamb Curry, Rice, Salad/Fruit Plate/Dessert Brought by Bible study members
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Sauerkraut Bean Soup, Rolls, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Creamed Eggs, Toast Fingers, Sliced Oranges, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Slow Cooked Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce, Jasmine Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Ladenia, Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
  Breakfast: Vanilla Yogurt, Granola Bars, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Souvlaki, Herbed Cous Cous, Greek Salad, Greek Pastries

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, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Shelftember, Tales from the Kitchen