This is Septuagesima Sunday, the 70th day before the final day of the Paschal Octave. We are now in the countdown to Lent, Holy Week, and the Paschal feast.

Jerome said something this past week which I hadn't thought about before, that perhaps because he had grown up with the pattern of fasting and feasting of the Church year, that he didn't find the Lenten fast as challenging, it was more like a long Wednesday. There is something to that, though it is the spiritual exercise that is the hardest part. The food is a tool, not the point of what we do.

Even though the "rule" is for each of us and not something to advertise or hammer over someone else's head, I share our meal plans and how we eat to help others get ideas and perhaps be encouraged when the struggle is too difficult. If you already keep the fast, I hope you can grow in it even more, and if you don't, I pray that you take advantage of these exercises God grants us through His Church. In the intervening weeks, we are scaling back the celebratory foods, meat and dairy, and getting ready for the fast. We are using what we have in our freezers and pantry, for the most part, too, so we will have room for all the feasting foods at the end of the fast.

Our church family is really taking care of us and they are providing the dinner for Sunday, which is a huge gift to me. Usually, I do not get much rest on a Sunday, and this permits me to do so. This week also has a tiny break in it, and we are taking it. It's been frigid and a bit difficult time here, and I need the respite - I think we all do. We are supposed to warm up to the 40s this week, and I cannot be more grateful for it. Spring cannot come soon enough for me.

• Sunday - Septuagesima
  Breakfast: Leftover Snack Tray, Cupcakes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Salsa Verde Braised Pork with Corn Tortillas, Coleslaw and Queso Fresco, Split Pea Soup
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Sausages, Biscuits (GF for Jerome), Grapefruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Meatloaf, Scalloped Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Cubed Pineapple
• Tuesday - Feast of Pope Saint Leo the Great
  Breakfast: Cottage Cheese with Chopped Vegetables and Olives, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce, Rice, Roasted Broccoli, Salad, Chocolate Cherry Pudding
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Peanut Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: El Bulli Bean Soup, Bread, Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd, Toast, Sliced Cucumbers and Tomatoes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken and Celery Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Gluten Free Persian Love Cake
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Instant Pot Thai Vegetable Curry, Jasmine Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes (GF for Jerome) with Maple Syrup, Sausages, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cheeseburgers, Pickles, Potato Wedges, Sugar Cookies

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, Menu Plans, Septuagesima, Tales from the Kitchen