Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Christ has Ascended! From Earth to Heaven! Alleluia!

The only good part about East and West celebrating separately is that we can celebrate twice. We were able to join the the Orthodox Mission here and celebrate Pascha with them and it was glorious. As we still follow the Western calendar, we are celebrating the Ascension this week. We will try to fly a kite, and eat on a high spot on our property. There are also Rogation Days this week, and a return to the more normal abstinence in our diet. Friday is also the beginning of the Novena to the Holy Spirit whom we await, as the Apostles and disciples did in that upper room.

Nejat has been wanting to do more cooking, so I've let her take one or two night's a week to make dinner either on her own or with some help from us. She has been doing pretty well, too. She's excited to be making more meals and learning more about cooking and it has been a big help to me.

May is a super busy month for us this year, and we have a ton going on right now. I'm trying to plan in such a way that makes life simpler for us all each day. Sometimes this means that we have to rearrange our meal plans, though, and we move things over to accommodate our shifting schedules or needs. We have some of that this week, and probably next week, as well. Spring is finally really making an appearance, though, and next week should bring the first of the asparagus for the year.

• Sunday - Rogation Day
  Breakfast: Italian Bacon and Romano Pasqua bread, Sirnica, Strawberries, Ham, Hard Boiled Eggs, Orange Juice and Coffee
  Dinner: Agape Feast after Paschal Vespers
• Monday - Rogation Day
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Sliced Oranges, Milk and Tea
  Dinner: Ham and Beans, Cornbread (Corn Tortillas for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Rogation Day
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Sausages, Sliced Apples, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Carnitas, Rice, Corn Tortillas, Salsa and Sour Cream, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Cinnamon Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Soupe au Pistou, Bread, Fruit
• Thursday - Feast of The Ascension of the Lord
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash, Sausages, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pressure Cooker Dakbokkeumtang (Spicy Korean Chicken Stew), Jasmine Rice, Kimchi, Sliced Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries and Coconut, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetable Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Mustard, Gruyère, and Prosciutto Rolls, Hard Boiled Eggs, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ropa Vieja, Cuban Yellow Rice, Coconut Custard

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 (this may be later this time because of our holiday feasting and rest).

Labels: Ascension, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fesh'a, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Pascha, Tales from the Kitchen