Blessed Fast! Happy New Year! Advent is shorter again this year, and later than normal.

Because of our evening church situation, we are a bit more lax on the fast on Sundays than we otherwise might be. You may see dairy on weekends and major feasts. Also, the Advent fast is a little lighter, in general, as there are many fish days, and more wine and oil days. We try to fast within our strength and do the best we can, knowing that the point is the spiritual training and not the fast itself. The fast was given to us as an exercise and blessing. The only reason I share how we fast is so you know what to expect from meals and recipes during this time, if you are looking for ideas, or if you need to avoid some of the things we will be eating.

The West's fast is more lenient and shorter than the East's, anyway. Our family walks the line between those. Our general rule is close to the Orthodox, but we will relax more for Saints Barbara and Nicholas, including egg and dairy those days, and on Sundays, except for the final two weeks of Advent. We will be avoiding meat, fish (most days), eggs and dairy (with the exceptions I mentioned already), wine and olive oil on most weekdays. Shellfish is always permitted, so when we find that at a good price, we definitely eat it. I share this with you as an encouragement. We strive within our strength, and our family situation. We have discussed how to handle this with our priests and our local priests, and are considering also people we feed who don't generally follow the fast as much. Fasting and abstinence are such good tools that God gives us through the Church, and I encourage you to try to fast with the Church. It is not as useful to pick and choose, but rather to strive for your church's rule with such accomodations as necessary for health, age, and situation. Talk to your priest. If you don't have a priest, find one and talk to him.

This week has three major feast days in it, which makes the entrance into Advent a little easier. This is a blessing to us. Another blessing is that our tomatoes that were pulled from the garden and put in our honey room are still ripening and so we are still getting fresh tomatoes. That is a treat in December. Our home is well stocked and we will not have to buy a lot of groceries, except for some produce, dairy products, and cleaning and pet supplies. That will make our life simpler, as well. One of the ways the fast teaches us is by forcing us to pare down our lives a little.

Please pray for a holy Advent for us. I pray that your fast will be fruitful, and that you welcome the Christ Child in your heart and home, and prepare for His coming in glory!

• Sunday - First Sunday of Advent
  Breakfast: Sausage and Egg Burritos, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Vegetable Soup, Rice, Pies, Parishioners bring Sides/Bread/Salad/Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Zaalouk, Olive Bread, Tomato Salad, Mandarin Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Cashew and Vegetable Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Feast of Saints Barbara and Clement of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Mesfouf with Cream, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Acorn Squash, Potatoes and Onions, Mount Athos Tomato Rice, Saffron Buns for St. Barbara's Day
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Potato, Pepper and Onion Hash, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Pico de Gallo, Corn and Flour Tortillas, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra
  Breakfast: Initial Cookies for St. Nicholas' Day, Chocolate, Fruit and Nuts, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Samak fil Furun (Arabic Baked Fish), Fried Cauliflower with Parlsey and Pine Nuts, Taratoor, Basmati Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Ambrose of Milan
  Breakfast: Hoe Cakes with Maple Syrup, Pomegranates, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Spanish "Foolish Eggs," Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Honey Cake

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: Advent, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen