First-enthroned of the apostles, teachers of the universe: Entreat the Master of all to grant peace to the world, and to our souls great mercy!

Today is the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. They are celebrated together, to show their unity, the unity of the Apostles and the Church. They gave us the Church. Glory to God! With this feast, we now return to ordinary time until the Dormition Fast.

With two kids gone (and, honestly, two who eat more than most of the rest of us), we have had a lot of leftovers this past week. So, a few things were moved to this week. We've also been eating a ton of foods that they either can't or don't like. We have been eating shrimp, bread and other gluten filled foods, and bananas. They return on Thursday, so we still have quite a while to eat like that.

They will be returning in time to join in on our small town Independence day festivities. Our town is too small for the big fireworks companies to come on the actual day, but Thursday night we have two free concerts and a free fireworks show. We will go to the amphitheater for the concerts with our dinner as a picnic, and then we will retreat to a small hill opposite the show to watch it from a less crowded and easier to leave location. We are blessed enough to have Shawn join us for that, but it looks like Dominic can't get enough time off of work to come.

One thing I like about a small town is the little festivals like this. I was inspired by a video on Instagram to organize a Melting Pot-Luck at a local park this coming weekend, too. With all the political stuff going on, it seemed important to me to bring folks together, to share their ethnic heritage through foods and in a non-political environment. No signs, no rhetoric, just neighbors getting to know each other and breaking bread, and remembering that this is a country built on immigrants and the mixing of cultures. We are bringing a traditional Hejazi Saudi lamb and rice dish with duqqus, kerkaday (which is a citrus spiced hibiscus iced tea), a German cucumber salad, a Californian onion dip with chips, and a PNW blackberry crisp. If I can find a good midwestern (Kansas/Oklahoma) recipe to bring for one more from Rich's side. We have asked folks to bring dishes from their cultural background, along with the recipe if they like, and we are providing name tags for folks to share who they are and where their family originates. If you have the ability to do something like this, I encourage you to do it. Fear and suspicion are dispelled through knowledge.

• Sunday - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Mixed Berries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roast Pork, Honeydew Melon, Parishioners bring Side Dishes/Salads/Fruit/Dessert
• Monday
  Breakfast: Sausage, Egg and Vegetable Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Mixed Berries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pepperoni and Mozzarella Stromboli, Green Salad, Hot Chocolate Cookies
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Biscuit Breakfast Bake with Ham, Bananas, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Fried Steak, Cream Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Salad, Lime Cookies
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Lenten Tropical Muffins with Homemade Walnut Butter, Sliced Cantaloupe, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Lentil Chimichangas, Cilantro Lime Rice, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Migas, Sliced Honeydew, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Xinjiang Cumin Lamb Skewers, Red Chile Rice Noodles, Limoncello Crème Brûlée
• Friday
  Breakfast: Ful, Duqqus, Persian Barbari Bread (quick version), Sliced Cantaloupe, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Shredded Potato and Cabbage Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Scallion Pancakes, Sliced Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Bacon Stuffed Savory Griddle Cakes, Oranges, Sahlab, Milk and Coffeee
  Dinner: Leftovers from Picnic

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, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen