We had a great, but tiring weekend. Rich had a short business trip to Lake Chelan, and I got to go with him. It was short enough that I really didn't get a lot finished while he worked, but I did get to rest, which is worth quite a bit. Also, I got to hang out at the pool and on the lake and soak in the last of the summer sun. Then, after we got home, we had a day of volunteering at the Kebab Fest in Wenatchee. The kids, Rich and I all helped and had a fantastic time. We ate our fill of gyros, kebabs, feta garlic fries, honey nut cookies and came home with a tray of baklava (I'll call it that, because it was the Greek kind made by Greek Yiayias).

Since it is an Antiochian church that puts this on, we asked why there was Greek music playing, rather than debke and traditional Arabic music. They said that if we can get the music to them a month before next year's, they will play it. We are on it!

Sunday mornings are really our time to rest, and since we have services in the evening, we have a leisurely breakfast and ease into the morning. That will give us a chance to rest from our busy-ness of the end of this past week. Our dinner after church is a turkey soup, which is easy to make, and Mariam is making my chocolate chip cookie recipe to share.

Our gleaning group has been fantastic lately, with the end of season produce, and we have something like 150 - 200 pounds of honeycrisp apples and 100 pounds of sweet peppers. We will be eating and cooking those, as well as drying, freezing, storing as many for winter and spring and next summer. A few years ago, we froze about 20 or 30 bags of apple pie filling, and I'm trying to decide if I want to do that again, or maybe can them, so we don't fill the freezers.

In the spirit of using what is in season and fresh, there are a lot of peppers and apples on the menu this week. An apple pie has been intimated, so I will do that Saturday and find a way to make it without a crust for Jerome.

Sadly, on our way to Lake Chelan, we saw three or four flocks of sandhill cranes. They are beautiful, and we love seeing them, but they herald the shift to winter, and we know it is coming soon.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Vegetable and Sausage Hash and Eggs, Baklava, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: After Thanksgiving Soup, Oyster Crackers/Gluten-free Crackers for Jerome, Sides/Salads/Fruit/Dessert brought by Church Family, Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Monday - Feast of The Conception of Saint John the Baptist
  Breakfast: Shakshouka, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milky Tea
  Dinner: Beef and Cheddar Potato Stove Top Gratin, Tomato Salad, Baked Apples
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers in Sauce, Bread, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Chopped Apples, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Ful, Sah'awiq, Bread, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of The Falling Asleep of Saint John the Evangelist and Theologian
  Breakfast: Leftover Oatmeal Muffins with Almond Butter, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cashew Chicken and Peppers, Jasmine Rice, Frozen Fruit Salad
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta Trapanese (gluten-free pasta for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Cream Cheese Drizzle, Chorizo Patties, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Salad with Bacon and Gorgonzola Sandwiches (or in Tomatoes for Jerome), Pickled Asparagus, Apple Pies

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, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Preserving the Harvest, Tales from the Kitchen