More delicious Lenten recipes. The first was taught to me by my auntie in Saudi Arabia, and the second is one I make all the time and is super flexible. The third is a super simple and delicious side dish.

Vegetarian Waraq 'Ounab

My dear auntie cuts the grape leaves in half and makes them super small and tight. One day, I will reach her ability and talent, but for now, it's almost always a matter of trying to get them made as quickly as possible. This is a little work intensive, but now that I know that you can freeze the rolls in a single layer and bag them up to keep for when you want them in your freezer, and that you can cook them in an electric pressure cooker for much less time, I have been freed. We already do that to make our meat version for Pascha and other times, so now I will start making a couple batches of these, too. Maybe each quarter I will just designate a waraq 'ounab day and have us fill and roll two to three batches of each version for the freezers, and then have them at the ready for any time we want them that season. Rich wants to start preserving our grape leaves, too, so we no longer have to buy any from the store. I think we can blanch the fresh ones to use right away, like we do for cabbage rolls (malfoof), but I will try that next spring and let you know. As for the lemon salt, my aunt sent me home with a small package of the best quality she had, which looks like crystal meth by the way, and went along with the calcium carbonate my father's wife sent home with me looking like cocaine. I carried them in my carry on and wasn't hassled at all, but I was kind of waiting for customs to be weird about it.

1 quart jar prepared grape leaves, or equivalent amount fresh or home preserved, drained
2 - 3 potatoes (Yukon Gold or German Butterball if at all possible), peeled and thickly sliced

2 cups basmati rice (or other medium to long grain rice), rinsed and drained
3 large bunches parsley, trimmed and finely minced
3 large bunches mint, leaves finely minced
3 bunches scallions, trimmed and finely minced
1 medium white onion, peeled and finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon flake salt (and more to season the potatoes)

4 - 5 large tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon (substitute cassia if you don't have true cinnamon)
juice of one lemon, strained to remove seeds
1 teaspoon lemon salt (crystallized citric acid - optional)

Mix rice, parsley, mint, scallions, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. In the bottom of a medium to large pot, lay the potato slices on the bottom. Start with one potato, and use the second, if necessary to cover the bottom of the pot. Season lightly with salt. Set aside.

Make a fresh purée of tomato, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, cinnamon, and lemon salt.

Trim stems off of grape leaves, place with veins up, and to fit the grape leaf, and fold in the sides, then roll up to form a tightly wrapped package, tucking in sides and edges as you roll. Layer in the pot over the potatoes, circularly, until you finish filling all the grape leaves. If there is extra filling, you can freeze it, or add it to a pot of rice later. If there are a few extra grape leaves, freeze them or lay them flat over the rolls. Pour tomato purée over the top of the filled grape leaves, and rinse the container with water to get the last of the sauce out and add to the pot. Invert a small plate over the top of the food and cover with a lid. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked and soft.

To make this in a pressure cooker, layer the potato sliced, waraq 'ounab and any extra leaves as above. Pour in the sauce and water, then cover with the lid. Set to high pressure, and cook for 5 minutes. Allow to release pressure naturally for another 5 minutes, then manually depressurize.

Serve with rice, spooning sauce over, and duqqus, if you like it, and a salad.

My auntie covers in public, so I cropped this to preserve her modesty. She made every dish she could think of to laud and honor me while I was there. I am so grateful to have received her generosity. I m not worthy even to touch her wooden spoon. Her cooking is the pinnacle of cookery.

Thai Style Coconut Rice and Vegetable Salad

I love this because it is so quick to put together and is really delicious. It is easy to use short cuts, or use what is in your fridge, without any real extra work. I like to serve it with fruit, which makes it more than filling enough for a family. Make the coconut rice earlier in the day, if you can, and you can make the dressing a day or two early and keep it, sealed, in the refrigerator. These vegetables are suggestions, use what you have in a commensurate amount. You can top this with grilled or poached shrimp, if you like, and still keep it Lenten, or add some leftover slices of steak or grilled chicken as a meat dish.

Coconut Rice:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cans water

Ginger Peanut Dressing:
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Salad:
3/4 pound red cabbage, cored and shredded finely
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 bunch cilantro, trimmed and minced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups roasted and lightly salted cashews, finely chopped

lime wedges, to serve

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add rice and garlic and stir until translucent and fragrant. Pour in coconut milk and water, stir in salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, without lifting the lid, for 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 - 10 minutes with the heat off and lid still on before serving.

Make dressing by whisking together all ingredients. Set aside.

Toss coconut rice with red cabbage, shredded carrots, bell peppers, and red onion, until evenly combined. Drizzle with 2/3 of the dressing, and toss to coat. If that seems sufficient, save the remaining dressing to pass at the table. If the salad seems too dry, add more of the dressing. When ready to serve, top with cilantro, scallions, and cashews. Toss and immediately serve with lime wedges and passing any remaining dressing at the table.

Blitzva (Potatoes with Swiss Chard)

This recipe comes from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. There are myriad versions of this simple dish, but this is how we had it served to us in Split. This is one of the simplest of the truly delicious side dishes we ate all over Croatia. It is most often served with seafood, but we like it with vegetarian main dishes, chicken, or other meats, as well. It has the benefit of being made of ingredients we can easily grow here and that are available just about year round for us. Like so many recipes from Croatia, it is really based on good ingredients treated respectfully. Many recipes I found for this didn't include the drizzle of balsamic vinegar, but that is how it was served to us most of the time in Split.

3 pounds Yukon gold or similar potatoes, washed, peeled and cut in large cubes
1 large bunch Swiss chard, stems sliced thinly, and leaves chopped
3 - 4 shallots, peeled and finely minced
2/3 cup good olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes (we usually use Aleppo pepper flakes)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
balsamic vinegar, to serve

Place potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and cook about 10 - 20 minutes, until just tender. Drain and place pot back on stove. Immediately add chard stems and minced shallots to the pot and toss to heat.

Add chard leaves to pot, along with olive oil, red chile flakes, salt and pepper. Toss together. Cover to wilt chard. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

We have made it. This week is the penultimate week of the year. We are walking the Via Dolorosa with Christ. We live each of those days with Him. It is the busiest, hardest, most challenging week of our year. Meals this week are lighter and simpler, and follow the strictest fasting rules. Traditionally, a full, strict, fast begins on the evening of Maundy (Mandatum - from the new mandate/commandment Jesus gives, as He established the priesthood, the sacraments of the Eucharist and confession), and goes through the end of the Vigil on Saturday, as we await Jesus by the tomb. The events of this week are what give shape to every other week of our year. We have the priesthood, the Eucharist, confession, because of this week. We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays because of Judas' selling Jesus on Wednesday and Christ's crucifixion on Friday. We celebrate a little Paschal feast every Sunday. This week is the most important week in the year. It is such a significant week that it is eight days long. The Sunday of the Resurrection is the eighth day of creation.

The final three days of Holy Week are counted as a single unit, the Triduum, or three days, which are a continuous liturgy. It begins with the liturgy on Maundy Thursday, then with the Good Friday liturgies, venerating the cross and the mourning at the tomb, finishing with the Vigil on Saturday evening, which flows into the Paschal liturgy at midnight.

This week is our first week of spring break, but it is our work week. I am making ready the sheera and leaving it in the fridge, and assembling the baq'lawa to put it in the freezer to bake on the day of the feast, and making the red dye for the eggs. Bright Week is our actual week of "rest" for spring break, by which I mean, our kids sleep in and rest, and I will be making loads of the foods we could not have during the fast. Unfortunately, our Bright Week will have an early morning set of classes for the girls.

Palm Sunday is a slight feast, so we are enjoying fish today! Since our schedule last week was a bit rough, we have a few repeats this week. As this week progresses, our meals get more and more minimal and simple. Nejat is awfully young to fast the strictest fast over the Triduum, so we are encouraging her to try, but to break the fast if necessary. Mariam already knows that, so will make that choice as she must. I pray for a blessed Holy Week and Triduum for you all!

• Sunday - Palm Sunday
  Breakfast: Toast with Za'atar and Olive Oil, Tomatoes and Cucumbers, Blood Oranges, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Salmon, Smoked Sablefish and Crackers, Parish brings Side Dishes/Salads/Fruit
• Monday - Holy Monday
  Breakfast: Vegetable, Black Bean and Potato Breakfast Burritos with Prize Winning Roasted Tomato Salsa, Blood Oranges, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Burnt Garlic Vegetable Fried Rice, Blood Oranges
• Tuesday - Holy Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Chopped Apples and Sheera, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Vegetable Laffa, Toum and Taratoor, Sliced Oranges
• Wednesday - Spy Wednesday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Blood Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Sheet Pan Vegetable Chow Mein*, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Good Friday
  Breakfast: Granola Bars, Sliced Apples, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Šalša and Gnocchi, Salad, Sliced Oranges
• Friday - Good Friday
  Strict Fast
• Saturday - Vigil/Holy Saturday
  Breakfast: Bread with Tahina and Date Syrup, Dipped in Sesame Seeds, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey (for those who break the fast)
  Dinner: Veggie Sticks, Fruit (for those who break the fast)

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, Fasting as a Family, Holy Week, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Palm Sunday, Tales from the Kitchen, Triduum

We are nearing the end of the fast. Properly, this Sunday is called Passion Sunday, was the beginning of the final week of Lent, with Holy Week being its own separate and distinct observance. Passion Sunday gave the general overview of the last days of Christ's life on earth, while with Palm Sunday, we enter into each day of that final week with Him quite specifically. Unfortunately, in the West, this has largely been relegated to a footnote to Palm Sunday, rather than its own observance. So, right on the heels of celebrating the Hosannas of Christ's triumphal entry, we often slide into the Good Friday narrative. This is a shame; it is jarring, and robs parishioners of the real walk of that final week of His life with Him during Holy week, from Palm Sunday, the first, celebratory, day, the instructive events of Holy Monday and Tuesday, with the fig tree and the annointing with perfume and oil, through His betrayal on Spy Wednesday, His Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist, His arrest and trial, on Thursday, His crucifixion on Friday, and His rest in the tomb, as He harrowed Hell to free those captive to death on Saturday. We live through the events of that week each year. It seems to me that the modern church seems to think it is too much to ask of her people to take that walk with Him for one week each year. Meanwhile, our calendars and prayer books still show that this is the historic practice and we preserve it in this way only. We will keep His final days in mind this week, meditating on His words and actions, as we prepare for the hard Via Dolorosa we will embark on next Monday.

Passion Sunday marks the last week of Lent, as a summary of what Christ did to rescue us from sin and death, as we ready ourselves to walk each day of the way of sorrow with Him and, in the East, ends with Lazarus Saturday, the first resurrection which points to the greater one. We have begun observing it ourselves, as one of the commemorations that is significant to the life of the Church. Jesus raised Lazarus in anticipation of His own resurrection - and ours. One tradition for Lazarus Saturday is to make sweet, little breads shaped like a man wrapped in linens (Lazarakia). Another is to permit the eating of caviar (fish eggs) as little eggs, before we get to have eggs again on the Paschal feast.

This is the last week of Lent before Holy Week for the West. We end this week with Lazarus Sunday, the small resurrection, before we begin the great journey of Holy Week. Saint Lazarus lived for 30 years more after being raised by Jesus and became the first bishop of Cyprus - he had more work to do. We especially love how Jesus shows us that death is still our enemy with Lazarus. Even though He was about to raise him from the dead, He still wept at Lazarus' death. There was no nonsense about how he had gone to a better place or how he was somehow free of this mortal coil (which is gnostic heresy). He wept. This is because death is the enemy of all and Christ never wanted anyone to die. Raising Lazarus was His last major act before walking the Via Dolorosa of Holy Week, which is why Lazarus is remembered on the Saturday before Palm Sunday.

This week also holds the last major feast before the end of Lent, the Annunciation. I love that the Annunciation closes the week begun by the feast of Saint Joseph, that the heads of the Holy Family are celebrated so closely together. It is Elijah's birthday, and we were always so glad to have everyone celebrating with him on his day. We have always thought about Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin taking special care of him.

We have reached the point in Lent that fake cheese seems like a good idea. It isn't, but it seems like it. Until this week, we hadn't bought any fake food, but we caved and got fake mozzarella for some pizzas. They were not great. Besides that, we have only bought some oat milk, which should run out just in time for us to have real dairy. Two more weeks of fasting to go! All joking aside, God has really been growing us this year. We are held in His hands and know that we are not alone. It is teaching us to lean on Him more and pray. It is revealing our own weaknesses and where we need to grow in faith and discipline.

We truly appreciate all the support and prayers from people. We cannot express how much we are being upheld by them. Our church family has been helping with Sunday meals, and doing so much more for us. We are grateful to God for placing so many wonderful people in our lives.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Ful, Kalamata Olives, Sliced Cucumbers and Radishes, Harissa, Sah'awiq, Naan, Blood Oranges, Coffee and Mint Tea
  Dinner: Persian Style Eggplant and Chickpea Stew, Rice, Salad, Garlic Bread
• Monday
  Breakfast: Granola Bars, Mandarin Oranges, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Southwestern Vegetable and Bean Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Blood Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Lenten Apple Oatmeal Muffins with Cashew Butter, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Burnt Garlic Vegetable Fried Rice, Blood Oranges
• Wednesday - Feast of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Leftover Gatayif Filling and Sheera, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Croatian Fish Stew, Bread, and Lenten Chocolate Marmalade Cake*
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Potato Hash Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean, Corn, Pepper and Avocado Salad, Corn Chips, Sliced Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Puerto Rican Beans and Rice, Salsa Verde, Frozen Fruit Salad
• Saturday - Lazarus Saturday
  Breakfast: Lazarakia, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Šalša and Linguine, Salad, Sliced Oranges

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: Annunciation, Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Passion Sunday, Tales from the Kitchen

Laetare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae.

Be joyful, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.

Laetare is milk-joy Sunday. It is the Mother's Day of the Church, remembering the Church as our Mother and the Blessed Mother herself, who is both the mother of God and of all believers. It is the fourth full week of Lent in the West, and just past the half way point. The austerity of the altar is relieved a little with the adornment of roses, the flower of the Theotokos, and the rose vestments. This is one of the Western Traditions that I would love to see in a unified Church. Much like Forgiveness Vespers from the East and the Imposition of Ashes in the West are both such powerful practices, I think this set of readings and prayers and the reinforcement of the earliest Church teachings on the Church as Mother and devotion to our Blessed Mother are powerfully presented in this little lightening of the fast by permitting dairy.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

Tuesday is the feast of Saint Patrick. We actually have several feasts this week, and then next week have the feast of the Annunciation, a few of which permit us to enjoy fish. There is so much to read about Saint Patrick's life and his confession is available online, as well. We have so much to learn from the lives of our elder brothers and sisters in the faith and we should model our faith on theirs. I encourage you to read about their lives and read their words.

The feast of Saint Joseph is also this week, who is a particular patron of our family. We love the Holy Family, and Rich especially loves Saint Joseph. I love that the feast of Saint Joseph is the first day of the "week" which ends with the feast of the Annunciation. It is fitting that the bethrothed share this week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Apple Bourbon French Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Church bringing Grilled Black Bean Chimichangas, Parish brings Sides/Salads/Fruit, Ice Cream
• Monday
  Breakfast: Granola Bars, Mandarin Oranges, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Soup with Cous Cous, Sliced Oranges
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Patrick
  Breakfast: Lenten Apple Oatmeal Muffins with Cashew Butter, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Colcannon Fish Pie, Steam Sautéed Carrots and Peas with Garlic and Dill, Lemon and Strawberry Italian Ice
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
  Breakfast: Hashbrowns, Sliced Avocado and Salsa, Strawberries, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Fried Cauliflower with Parsley and Pine Nuts, Taratoor, Rice Pilaf, Sliced Mangos
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Joseph
  Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos with Salsa, Mandarin Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Samaak bi Taratoor, Sayadiyeh, Cumin Roasted Carrots, Arugula and Cucumber Salad with Pomegranate Pips
• Friday - Feast of Saint Cuthbert
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Instant Pot Aloo Gobi, Rice, Strawberry Mango Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Šalša and Linguine, Salad, Sliced Oranges

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, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Laetare, Lent, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

We are well into Lent and it is a hard one this year. Sometimes our sacrifices are not what we choose. God is with us, and we see His grace and light in so many ways.

Lent is going so much more quickly than normally for us, too. This year, we are going to have to make our Paschal feast more of a pot luck than we normally do, but I am looking forward to that celebration right now.

The vegan mousaka'a we made last week was fantastic, and I think I will write up how we made it and share it for you one of these days. I don't know when I will be able to share recipes. We are doing all we can to keep life going and normal right now, and still covet your prayers.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Hashbrowns and Salsa, Leftover Tiganites, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Parish Providing - Beans and Rice, Three Salads, Tortilla Chips and Salsa, Chocolate Wacky Cake
• Monday - Feast of Saint Gregory of Nyssa
  Breakfast: Olive and Vegetable Leffas, Fruit Cups, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas, Toast, Cantaloupe, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, Potluck Side Dishes
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Hashbrowns, Sliced Avocado and Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Eggplant Dal, Rice, Pineapple, Kiwi, and Apple Slices
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Gregory the Great
  Breakfast: Lenten Tropical Muffins with Cashew Butter, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Roasted Vegetables (Brussels Sprouts, Onions, Squash), Mount Athos Tomato Rice, Strawberries
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable Stir Fry with Cashews, Jasmine Rice, Kimchi Dumplings, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Ful, Kalamata Olives, Sliced Cucumbers and Radishes, Harissa, Sah'awiq, Naan, Strawberries, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Vegetable Pot Pie, Green Salad, Fruit Plate

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, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

Be steadfast, brothers, and do the little things.

We have made it through the first week and a half of Lent, and are on the Second Sunday now. We are hoping for a much less eventful Lent than the way it began!

Rich and I had a chance to take a quick trip to the west side last week, where things have been growing all winter and are in bloom now. It was even sunny while we were there. Rich had to work, but I was able to rest and knit and catch up on some things I have wanted and needed to do. It was a sweet blessing in the middle of a cold and difficult time. We went out to eat at an Indian place, because Indian food is pretty reliable for having vegan or shrimp options without egg and dairy, but then the owners brought us some complimentary gulab jamun, so we ended up breaking the fast, anyway. We went to a local gelato place which had strawberry sorbet, because we were really craving something sweet that was still Lenten. We tried to meet up with a friend from that area, but we called her too late, so she was already busy. That's alright, because we went back to the hotel, watched a few episodes of Grocery Games on Food TV, and fell asleep. We hadn't slept much the night before and had to drive over the pass at 6:00 am.

This week, we have a repeat of last Saturday's meals because I forgot that was the day I was going to be gone most of the day to Purlside Fiber Festival. We had a rather difficult week, and especiallly the last 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday. It isn't something I can share a lot about here, but we covet your prayers. Our life is getting quite a bit more complex right now.

Because of our incident with the water heater last week, I am especially glad for a full pantry and full freezers. We are cooking mostly from those, and only picking up fresh herbs and produce. I tried a new to us recipe for a Thai vegetable stir fry last week that was spectacular, and was also really flexible on the vegetables used, so it was perfect for using what was in our house, instead of seeking new ingredients. My budget for Purlside was significantly reduced because of that, too, but that is alright, for much the same reason. I have a rather full stash, and only one of the three projects I was interested in buying for is likely to be knit this year.

With everything that has been going on, I didn't get the recipes posted. With how this week looks like it will be going, I will be trying to get them posted this week, but I make no promises. Also, because of the situation we have, we may be breaking the fast a little more for some of Lent.

Our parish family is helping us with meals this week, just to make our lives a little easier, and they will be helping more with meals at church, as well. Our family and extended family are really coming together to help us make the best of the difficult situation we find ourselves in right now. We are grateful for their support. Please pray for us and we will continue to pray for you.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint David of Wales
  Breakfast: Potato Hash Burritos, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Black Beans and Rice, Parish brings Side Dishes/Salads/Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Black Bean Breakfast Burritos, Strawberries, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Minestrone, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Lenten Tropical Muffins with Cashew Butter, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Puerto Rican Rice and Beans, Tortillas, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Mousaka'a, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Conon the Gardener
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Cashew Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Šalša and Linguine, Salad, Fruit
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pizza and Salad from Parish Family
• Saturday - Feast of Saints Felicity and Perpetua
  Breakfast: Tiganites with Honey, Sliced Apples, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Waraq ‘Ounab*, Rice, Harissa, Strawberry Sorbet

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, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

There are many beautiful icons of the Temptation of Jesus, but this painting by Duccio captures the essense of our Lenten journey with Christ in the desert. After being driven to the desert to fast for 40 days and be tested (not as a trick or pop quiz, but to model for us and to teach the way we make our spiritual battle), He commands Satan away, with the angels waiting to attend Him.

Our first full week of Lent is upon us. The bright sadness has begun. It is a time of growth, and that is matching our world outside. I'm so proud of Nejat, who kept the entire fast on Ash Wednesday, even though we were planning for her to break it in the evening.

Yesterday, we woke up to our water heater leaking and flooding four rooms in our basement. We got to pay for emergency weekend plumbing and a replacement that was nearly twice the cost it would have been because the state of Washington has outlawed high capacity water heaters for homes, so we had to buy a commercial model. Please pray for us. (Also, if you are a knitter, or know a knitter, I am offering a discount on all my individually sold patterns as a flood sale with the coupon code FLOOD on both Ravelry and PayHip, if you are so inclined to help replenish our emergency fund). The good news is there was a dependable, honest, helpful plumber who was able to bring us the water heater and replace ours in just a few hours. We have water, and it is even hot. Glory to God!

It is Forgiveness Sunday for the Orthodox, so they will join in the fast this week, as well. With most Christians fasting and praying, and even Muslims fasting and praying right now, I am hoping that the world will start to show the effects of praying people. We certainly need it.

We tried two meals this past week which are fabulous for Lent (and other times) and I have shared one of the recipes on the blog already, if you are interested. The paneer musallam recipe I found was a bit sparse, so I shared how I made it, and the sauce itself is completely Lenten, so you could substitute legumes, seared tofu, or vegetables and nuts for the paneer quite easily. It was also super quick to make. The sheet pan chow mein was delicious, too, and took 25 minutes from start to finish. Rich said it sounded like an internet scam recipe, but it was actually tasty and easy to make. It is really flexible about which vegetables you use, so just use what you have. When we made it, I used Chinese egg noodles, more garlic, and added our garlic ginger paste, using only carrots, cabbage, and spring onions (to match the quantity of the recipe) as my vegetables, using the bulb and tougher parts of the spring onion in the baked vegetables and the tender, green parts tossed together with everything at the end, as well as putting the sesame seeds on top when I put the noodles and sauce in the pan in the oven.

Like in previous years, I am cycling through about ten to twelve breakfast meals, just to make my life easier during Lent, and I will be featuring at least one meal using beans, one that is a pasta dish, and one that is a soup or stew each week, both to accomodate our schedule and make Lenten food preparations easier, so it isn't all about the food, allowing me to focus more on prayer and almsgiving. Also, as is our habit, we tend to head to East Asian, Arab, Indian, and other cuisines which already feature vegetarian and vegan dishes, done well, rather than trying to make meat meals appropriate for Lent. Since we don't like to do a lot of meat or dairy substutes (with the exception of coconut milk and cream, which we already use extensively in our cooking), you won't see a lot of that here. Though, by the fifth week of Lent, fake meat starts to sound pretty good!

This week, I am making a recipe my auntie served me and showed me how to make when I was with her in Saudi Arabia, and will share the recipe with you on Saturday. Our church family is taking care of our Sunday dinner tonight, and all I have to bring is a side dish. I am so grateful for that, after our busy week and rough Saturday. Please pray for us, and we will pray for you. May you have a holy and blessed Lent. Good strength and blessed fast!

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Vegetable and Potato Hash Burritos with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Chickpea Tajin, Rice, Cornbread (+ GF), Fassoliya, Parish brings Side Dishes/Salads/Fruit
• Monday - Feast of Saint Polycarp
  Breakfast: Vegan Oatmeal and Apple Muffins, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Thai Style Coconut Rice Salad with Vegetables, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Matthias
  Breakfast: Polenta with Maple Syrup, Sliced Pears, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Potato and Poblano Stew (without the cheese), Fried Tortilla Strips, Sliced Oranges
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Potato Pancakes with Salsa, Sliced Avocados, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Thai Stir Fried Vegetables, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saints Alexander of Alexandria and Porphyrius, Bishop of Gaza
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Florida Style Black Beans, Rice, Frozen Fruit Salad
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Vegetables, Mount Athos Tomato Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Tiganites with Honey, Sliced Apples, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Waraq ‘Ounab*, Rice, Harissa, Strawberry Sorbet

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, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen

Here is a sampling of two Lenten recipes and one that can be made Lenten.

Radish Pico de Gallo

This is so delicious and refreshing, and it is really good with fish and chicken, but it makes a tasty relish on beans, vegetables, on tortilla chips, or added to salads. It lasts forever in the fridge, so you can make a lot and just eat it as you wish.

2 cups (about 12) finely diced radishes
1 red onion, finely diced
4 spring onions (not scallions, but they will do in a pinch), finely diced
2 jalapeños, finely diced
1 bunch cilantro, finely minced
juice of three limes
1 teaspoon salt,or to taste

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients well, taste and adjust for salt and lime juice (you may wish to add more). Serve with anything you like.

Mana'eesh

Again, because I don't have a saj oven at home, this is an approximation of the real thing. This is how I can make it at home. There is a way to make it on the stove top, but it is faster for me to do it in the oven. However, I think one of the things I will bring back from my next trip to Saudi Arabia is a stove top rounded pan to make these Arabic breads more easily. These are delightful breakfast breads, and if you make them smaller than I direct here, you can eat them open faced, fairly easily. With this size, I recommend folding them so the topping is on the inside. If you don't have a stone pan, you can put the mana'eesh on a baking sheet, which does not need to be in the oven while it is pre-heating. I'm sharing how to make za'atar mana'eesh, which are tied as my favorite with joubneh (using either Nabulsi or another fresh, white Arabic cheese), but as cheese isn't Lenten, this is the one I will be making more for the family right now. You can also make a labneh one, or mix the labneh and za'atar or the joubneh and za'atar, but I like to have two, one za'atar and one joubneh. This morning, I will have two za'atar, with olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and maybe some toum and harissa. This is such a treat for us on Saturday mornings with all the delicious olive oil and crusty bread. We serve it as I described, and with a strong cup of tea with mint and rose petals or a cup of coffee.

Dough:
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

Topping:
3/4 cup Za'atar Spice Blend
3/4 cup olive oil

For the dough, either place all ingredients into a bread machine and run on a dough cycle, or work in a stand mixer or by hand in a large bowl. Knead well, until you have a soft, and slightly sticky, dough. Cover and let rise for an hour to an hour and a half.

Mix together the za'atar and olive oil in a small bowl and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, divide into 12 equal pieces, form into balls and cover with a towel. Place a flat stone pan in the highest spot in your oven, and preheat the oven to 475˚F. Stone should be heated at least half an hour before placing the mana'eesh on it.

Roll each of the balls out to a round or oval shape, rolling them quite thin, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the topping over each flatbread, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the outside uncovered. Place as many as you can fit on your stone pan without them overlapping, and bake 6 - 7 minutes. Remove from the oven to a dish or pan, and repeat with the remaining breads. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature. They can be reheated in a toaster oven or in the oven at 350˚F, after sprinkling them with a little water first, for just a few minutes.

Paneer Musallam

Rich actually made paneer for us last week, which was fantastic. This recipe uses paneer, which isn't Lenten, but you could use the same sauce with chickpeas or lentils, vegetables, or seared tofu. It was super quick to put together and really delicious. The recipe I found was a little nebulous, so this is how I made it for our family, and we absolutely will be making it again. During Lent, I will probably make it with chickpeas, but the paneer is really lovely in this sauce, and I will likely use it in the future. For the water, I just rinse down the sides of the food processor in which I have puréed the tomatoes, and use that water in the recipe.

2 eight ounce blocks of paneer
salt, to taste
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or other red pepper flakes)
3 medium to large tomatoes, cored and puréed
1/3 cup olive oil (or fast friendly oil, like sunflower oil)
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds 2 large onions, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon garlic ginger paste
1 tablespoon garam masala (or substitute another curry blend, if you like)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons roasted chile powder
water for the gravy
finely chopped cilantro, to serve

In a dish or small pan, sprinkle the paneer all over with a little salt and the teaspoon of Aleppo pepper. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a skillet with sides over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until they start to pop. Add the onions, and cook, stirring, until they start to turn golden. Add the garlic ginger paste and cook a minute or two more, then add the remaining spices, cook for a minute, then stir in the tomato purée along with a enough water to make a gravy. Cook until the oil starts to separate from the sauce. Taste, and season with salt.

Slice the paneer, crosswise, then lay the slices in the gravy, to simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro at the end and serve with rice or bread.

Roasted Chile Powder

1/2 cup dried red chiles like arbol or japones, stems removed

Heat a medium frying pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chiles, and toast until they are roasted, but not even a tiny bit burnt. This can take just a few minutes, or up to ten minutes. Do not leave them. Do not look away. As soon as they are roasted, turn off the heat and remove from the burner. Cool, then grind into a powder.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

We are not aligned with the East in our fast this year. We begin about five days before them this year, because we begin on Ash Wednesday, midweek. Quinquagesima is the 50th day before the Paschal feast for us in the West. We continue to pray, that both East and West will unite to celebrate together every year. The practices of Ash Wednesday are so profound, as are those of Forgiveness Sunday, and I hope that eventually the Church will get her act together and find a way to bring them together in all ways.

I've explained before that xerophagy is the accurate term for Lenten fasting. It means dry eating. We restrict meat, fish, dairy, eggs, oil and wine, which means our food is not as lubricated as normal. There are two strict fast days (no food or nutritive drink) in the West, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. There is an optional strict fast from the evening after the Maundy Thursday service through the end of the Paschal Vigil. In the East, the first week of Lent, from Clean Monday through their vespers service on Wednesday is supposed to be as strict a fast as possible, with the guidance of a spiritual father or mother, and they share the same Triduum fasting, I believe. Aside from that, the earliest rule of the Church is to eat no meat, no fish (with the exception of shellfish - and because of the expense, we eat them sparingly), no dairy or eggs, no olive oil (all oil in a few jurisdictions), no wine (or alcohol). On Saturdays and Sundays, the rule is relaxed to include olive oil and wine, and on a few significant feast days we are able to eat fish, and one day caviar is permitted (Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday, with fish eggs acting as a shadow of the eggs associated with the Resurrection). In the West, we celebrate Laetare Sunday about midway through the fast, and on that day we also eat dairy and egg. None of this is to imply that eating or that any of these foods are bad. They are good things from which we abstain as a discipline to train ourselves, following the example and teaching of our Lord.

This is worship. Worship throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New, always means sacrifice. It is not prayer, though that usually accompanies it. It is not singing hymns and songs, though they may also accompany it. It is not homilies or sermons, though they are edifying. It is sacrifice. The sacrifice that Christ offered for us once for all that we join into in the Eucharist. The sacrifice of something good for our own good in fasting. In the West, penance is emphasized, and while this is absolutely a part of our Lenten journey, fasting, praying, and almsgiving are seen more as a discipline Christ gives us through the Church to grow us spiritually. Young children, the elderly, those who have serious medical conditions, those who are hospitalized, pregnant and nursing women, are all exempt. There is no make-up required for these people. Their fast is considered complete. In all cases, fasting or not, we are to keep our eyes on our own plate. We are not to concern ourselves with how someone else is keeping the fast, unless that person is asking us for assistance or support.

This year, we have drawn down our diet a little more like the East does, so last week was our final week with meat, and this week holds our final few days with fish, eggs and dairy. Because our Sunday evenings are shared with an Anglican parish where we assist, there will be some Sundays with non-Lenten foods, and we will simply thank God for those breaks and enjoy them. I share our meals to encourage and help you to keep this worship. It is a training for ourselves, and an offering we give to God. Like all of these gifts, it is something He gives us first, which we then offer back to Him.

As we prepare for Lent, we must prepare for self-examination. So, in that frame of mind, if I have offended you or wronged you in any way, please forgive me and pray for me, a sinner. As for you readers, I pray that this will be a profitable and Holy Lent for you, however you observe it. Please pray for us, as well. Have a blessed fast.

• Sunday - Quinquagesima
  Breakfast: Apple Bourbon French Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Church Family bringing Pork Shoulder, Parish bringing Side Dishes/Salads/Fruit/Desserts
• Monday
  Breakfast: Arabic Cheeses and Bread, Sliced Cucumbers and Olives, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Fish Tacos, Radish Salsa, Coleslaw, Strawberry Mango Salad with Lime Dressing
• Tuesday - Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Paneer Mussallam, Rice, Fassoliya, Louqaimat, Fastnacht Kreppel Filled with Cherry Jelly, Fritule
• Wednesday - Ash Wednesday
  Dinner: Tahina and Date Syrup Sandwich with Sliced Oranges for Nejat
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: El Bulli Bean Soup, Bread, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Sheet Pan Chow Mein, Green Salad with Sesame Citrus Dressing, Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Mana'eesh*, Sliced Cucumbers and Tomatoes, Sliced Pears, Coffee, and Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Moroccan Spiced Vegeable Soup with Cous Cous, Lenten Bougatsa me Krema

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: Ash Wednesday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Lent, Mardi Gras, Menu Plans, Quinquagesima, Tales from the Kitchen

Lent is around the corner and this refreshing salad is fantastic either in or out of Lent. I had a version of it served to me at Al-Basali in Jeddah, and it was delightful, so I recreated it for the family. Even the non-arugula fans loved this salad. It is super quick and simple and really delicious. As you might expect, it is often served with fish, but it is good with anything, really. I added some pomegranate pips as a garnish, which we thought was a lovely foil to the sour, salty, and bitter, but some of the family ate it without them, and it is wonderful either way.

1 1/2 pounds Arab/Persian cucumbers, finely diced
1/2 pound baby arugula or chopped arugula
juice of three small or two large lemons
1/3 cup olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond)
pips from a pomegranate (optional)

Toss the arugula and cucumbers in a large salad bowl.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Drizzle over the salad and toss to combine. Serve with or without pomegrate pips.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

So, I actually didn't get a chance to make this. The fresh green beans at the grocery store were limp and sad, and we were out of the good kind of frozen ones that we buy at Trader Joe's. However, here is the method my auntie used when she made them for me. It is most often served as a side dish, but can be a vegetarian main dish, if you like, especially with salads or other vegetable or legume dishes served with it.

good olive oil
2 pounds green beans, fresh or frozen, trimmed and stringed
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
2 chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (whole, drained, and crushed by hand - save the liquid for other dishes or soup)
juice of 1 lemon, strained
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, minced (save stems for soup or stock or another cooked dish)

Heat a large skilled over medium high heat until hot. Add a generous amount of olive oil, and cook onions until softened. Add green beans and cook until al dente, just a couple minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes. Stir in and heat; season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle lemon juice over the top. Serve the dish from the pan or in a shallow serving dish.

In another frying pan or small skillet, quickly fry garlic and cilantro in more olive oil and pour over the serving vessel while it is still sizzling. Eat as a side dish with a meat dish, or bulk up with other vegetarian dishes as a meatless meal, and rice, scooping up the fassoliya with hot bread (like Khoubz Araby, Turkish Flatbreads, Persian Barbari Bread, or 'Aish Baladi) if you can.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

This is a trio of dishes that can be made for a Lenten meal (some with modifications). The first one actually takes longer than the other two, but still doesn't take a whole lot of time and is easily made on a weekday. Abstinent meals are not required to taste bad! And, while focusing too much on the food is missing the point of the fasts, having simple to make recipes that will please your family does make those fasting times easier. I hope these help you on a Wednesday or Friday, or during the Nativity fast coming up sooner than you know. These are good meals. We like to say that sometimes foods "taste Lenten." These taste good, not just like they have been made fast friendly.

Zaalouk

This is a Moroccan eggplant salad. I know it doesn't seem like it is to the Western eye, perhaps, but as salad (like salsa, sausage, and so many other words we get from the Latin sal), simply means salted, that is what this is. In the Arab world, a salad can simply be something eaten with a meal. So, my laban bi chiyar is a salad, though it is quite wet from the yogurt. This dish is a warm salad or side dish, and it is delicious that way, but we often make a larger quantity of it, and serve with bread and rice and salad (they way you might think of a salad) and fruit for an amazing, and Lenten, meal.

2 1/4 pounds of eggplant
Olive oil for frying the eggplant and for finishing the salad
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger (or replace both garlic and ginger with 3 tablespoons garlic ginger paste)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher flake salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
juice of half a lemon
1 bunch cilantro, finely minced

Peel the eggplant and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Place in a strainer over a dish and toss with salt to drain excess liquid and remove bitterness. Heat a heavy based pot over medium high heat. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into the pot when it is hot and stir in the eggplant cubes, browning, in batches, if necessary. Remove all eggplant from pot.

Add a little more olive oil, the garlic and ginger, and cook for around 30 seconds. Add the paprika, cumin, and pepper flakes and bloom the spices in the hot oil for 10 seconds before quickly adding the chopped tomatoes, water, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.

Return eggplant to the pot, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. The eggplant should now be fully cooked and tender but should not have disintegrated. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon.

Spanish Style Fish Stew

This is so lovely and simple to make. It is truly delicious, and it is wonderful for a weeknight dinner, or a fish meal during Lent. We rarely have any left over, but it can be gently heated on the stove for lunch the next day. You can adjust the fish and shellfish to what you like or have on hand, we often shift around the ratios based on what we have, as long as you end up with the same volume as the recipe states. This soup tastes remarkably fresh, even when you use previously frozen fish or shellfish (which we do on a regular basis). This recipe serves eight, but is good the next day. It can easily be cut in half, however, if necessary.

4 tablespoons olive oil
6 onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
28 ounces canned, diced tomatoes
4 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
2 pounds cod (or any other firm, white, sea fish) fillets, fresh (or frozen and defrosted)
2 pounds shrimp or scallops
2 bay leaves
juice and zest of 2 lemons plus another lemon or two cut into wedges, to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
large bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

In a large, heavy bottomed soup pot with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, paprika, and smoked paprika. Cook stirring until onions are softened, and spices are fragrant about 5 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, with their liquid to the pan along with the potatoes, and bay leaves. Turn heat to medium-high, cover pan and allow to cook until potatoes are tender about 15 minutes.

Add cod, cover and cook for 3 minutes more. Scatter shrimp or scallops over top, cook another 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and cod flakes with a fork.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice and zest, and parsley. Serve hot with lemon wedges and crusty bread for sopping up the delicious broth.

Pasta with Clam Sauce

This is another quick meal. It uses canned clams, though fresh would be delightful. I make it either with butter (not during Lent/Advent) or with olive oil on weekends during the Lenten fasts. It is another easy to throw together meal that tastes wonderful, and is good enough for company. Add a salad, some bread, and fruit or dessert, and you are set.

16 ounces spaghetti (can use up to 1 1/2 pounds of pasta if needed)
Salt for pasta water
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or red pepper flakes)
4 (6-ounce)cans minced clams, including the liquid
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more, to serve
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a full, rolling boil. While the water is heating, prepare the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley.

Add the spaghetti to the boiling water, stir to avoid pasta sticking, and set your timer for 1 minute less than the recommended time. Cook the spaghetti uncovered in vigorously boiling water. While the spaghetti cooks, prepare the clam sauce.

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the Aleppo pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic just is on the edge of browning. Add the white wine to the pan. Open the cans of clams and squeeze out the clam juice from the cans into the pan as well. Raise the temperature to high and let boil sauce the sauce reduces as the spaghetti cooks. (Put pan on largest burner on high heat to help the sauce reduce more quickly).

As the spaghetti is finishing its cooking, the sauce should be reduced by about two-thirds. Add the chopped clams, and return to a simmer. Then stir in the minced parsley and the lemon zest.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and place it in a serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and toss to combine. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with a little more fresh parsley sprinkled over the top. Serve immediately.

Shawerma Spice Blend

This is a basic spice blend for shawerma. In general, I use a different one for lamb, but this is excellent for poultry. It works well on red meat, as well, and I use it to season ground meat as a sausage, or on vegetables for a little extra kick.

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot, depending on your tastes)
1 1/2 teaspoons onion granules
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic granules
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I prefer Ceylon)
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground clove

Mix all spices together and store in a tightly sealed jar.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering our souls from death by your intercessions.

Shudder, O ye heavens! and, O earth, give ear unto these words:
God descended once before for our sake; He descends again today for His Mother.

Technically the feast isn't until Friday. However, the Dormition (or Assumption, in the West - this is the same feast, but the title emphasizes a different aspect) is the fourth highest feast in the Church year, following the Paschal feast, Pentecost, and the feast of the Nativity. Church teaching is that all the apostles but Thomas were gathered mystically around the Blessed Mother as she died, and were there for her burial. Thomas, arriving three days later, was taken to her tomb, only to find that it was empty. This Church teaching of the assumption of her body into heaven is not just a pious tradition, but holds some deep spiritual and physical truths for us. It is a sign and reminder to us that not only Christ resurrected bodily, but that we all will rise. Also, we know now, as they didn't then, that all women bear the DNA of each and every child borne to them in their bodies forever. So, by raising His mother, our Lord made sure that His resurrection was complete on this earth. If this had not happened, then He would not be completely risen. What a wonder and miracle! Science, archaelogy, history, always vindicate the Church and her teachings.

So many times, when people deny honor to the Theotokos, it is really a dishonor to the Lord. Even denying her the title Theotokos ends up declaring that Christ was either not God in her womb, or that He is not God incarnate. It is often not intentional, but I think a good question to ask oneself when putting her "in her place" is what does this mean about Christ and His divinity? If it ends up dishonoring Him, calling His divinity into question, or lessening Him, it isn't a good thing. Likewise, so many people say that there is too much honor given her, without actually considering whether or not they honor her enough or even at all. What is just the right amount of honor? Surely it isn't debasing the woman who bore and raised our Lord? Jesus was born a Jew and fulfilled the law. He loved and honored His mother, and as we could not have had Him without her, why would we want that, instead of following His example?

The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke hails her and says that God calls her blessed. Her cousin Elizabeth's unborn son, Saint John the Forerunner, leaps at the sound of Mary's voice, and by this does Elizabeth know and proclaim that Mary is the Mother of her Lord. Mary replies by saying that ALL generations will call her blessed. It is in the Scriptures that we are to bless her, that God Himself magnifies her, so why should we not do the same? How can we do less?

We are still swimming in produce and leftovers. We have boxes of produce all over our house right now, as we preserve and use it for the family. This will be a little more difficult this week, because we have fair, and because we have a complicated medical procedure coming up, too. Please pray for all of us this week.

The fast ends this week, and we are fasting within our strength, but poor Jerome will really be fasting at the end of this week, and especially needs your prayers. Our family diet is going to change substantially for a little while, as he will be on a soft food diet for nearly two months.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Laurence
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Black Bean and Corn Salad with Avocado, Corn Chips, Watermelon, Pizza, Green Salad, Caprese Salad, Mandarin Oranges, all from Parishioners
• Monday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Portugeuse Spicy Rice, Green Salad, Yellow Watermelon, Leftover Baked Goods from Fair
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Sweet Potato and Hatch Chile Pepper Scramble, Peaches and Nectarines, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Curried Paneer, Basmati Rice, Watermelon Salad
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Plums, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Moroccan Spiced Vegetables and Chickpeas, Cous Cous (GF for Jerome), Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Apricots
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding, Sliced Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Sliced Watermelon
• Friday - Feast of The Dormition of the Theotokos
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Pears, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Cod in Cream, Mashed Potatoes, Sliced Watermelon, Applesauce for Jerome
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Çilbir, Tamis, Nectarines, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles (GF for Jerome), Steam Sautéed Carrots and Peas with Garlic and Dill, Limoncello Crème Brûlée

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: Blessed Virgin, Church Year, Family, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos

During the Dormition fast, I join with others to dedicate our prayers toward the end of abortion - not only in law, but also in practice - that nobody would ever feel the need to resort to this. This week holds the feast of the Transfiguration, also. I love the Transfiguration! We have the Trinity demonstrated in the voice of the Father and the uncreated light of the Spirit which overshadows the mountain, we have the communion of saints demonstrated and modeled (Jesus calls on not only Elijah, who never died, but Moses, in the presence of the Apostles - who know exactly who they are - and shows them that they can be called on in this world) to us, and we have a Theophany, a demonstration of the divinity of Christ. Saint Peter's statement about building tablernacles is not only an impetuous statement of someone not knowing what to say. It shows that Saint Peter connects what he witnesses with the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the feast of the coming Kingdom. He sees this as a sign of the Kingdom appearing on earth. On this feast, the Jewish people build booths to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom. Moses represents the law and all who have died, and Elijah, the prophets and all who are alive in Christ, as Elijah never experienced death. Both of these men are immediately recognizeable by Saints Peter, James and John. They know them, because the saints are available to us on earth. They can hear Jesus talking to them, and Jesus gives them an example of communicating with the saints. This is one of the major feasts of the Church year, and it is a poverty to neglect or ignore it.

We are swimming in fresh produce, tons of fruit and vegetables, and it is a blessing. Loads of preservation going on here, and loads of delicious food. We are blessed to live in a growing area. There will be more canning and drying and freezing through October. God is truly caring for us, and we are trying to steward that gift.

Again, don't be surprised by the eggs and dairy in our menus this week. We do take the Dormition fast a little bit more lightly, as we are growing into it. We also may break it on Sundays, as we serve a parish that doesn't necessarily keep the fast. We are blessed with a fish day this week, and I am happy for that. We rejoice in our fast and are so grateful for the wonderful things we can have and the focus it gives us for prayer and for study. It is not too late to start the fast, and it is never something you need to do all the way if you are unable. Start to climb the mountain; God will meet you there. The fast is a gift He gives us, not something we give Him.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese (plus a Gluten Free option), Parishioners bring Sides/Salads/Desserts
• Monday - Feast of Saint Dominic
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Avocado, Tomato and Jalapeño, Toast, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Araka (Greek Pea and Potato Stew), Rice, Red Pears
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Tunisian Shakshouka (using sweet potatoes), Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Balela, Tamis, Yellow Plums
• Wednesday - Feast of The Transfiguration of Our Lord
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Creamy Feta Sauce, Garlic Pasta, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Peaches
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Diced Apples and Cranberries, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Galayet Banadora, Rice, Chopped Salad, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast, Pears, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Mejeddarah, Crisp Onions, Sliced Tomatoes, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Creamed Eggs, Toast, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Black Bean and Corn Salad with Avocado, Corn Chips, Fruit Plate

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, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen

Strawberry Shortcake

We like our strawberry shortcake fairly simple. Though, last year for Yasmina's birthday, we made a chocolate cake strawberry shortcake with ganache that was lovely. This is a super quick cake to make. This whole thing can be made in about 30 minutes. It's a great summer dessert. We sometimes use other berries in the mix or instead of strawberries, and that is wonderful, also. On a really hot day, you can substitute vanilla ice cream for the Chantilly cream. If you want to be fancy, you can add a little lemon or orange zest to the batter and the strawberries.

4 pints strawberries (or mixed berries), picked over, hulled, and sliced
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup softened, unsalted butter (two sticks)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
2 cups pastry flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 cups chilled heavy cream, for Chantilly cream
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, for Chantilly cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste, for Chantilly cream

Grease two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and set aside. Toss berries with 2/3 cup sugar and let stand for about 1/2 an hour.

Preheat oven to 350˚. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 2/3 cup sugar until very light. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well to combine. Mix in the vanilla extract or paste.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternatively with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Gently spread the batter into the pans. The batter will be thick.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then invert the cakes onto serving platters. Top with the berries and their juices. Whip cream with confectioner's sugar and vanilla extract or paste for Chantilly cream. Cut into wedges and serve warm, topping with Chantilly cream.

Persian Barbari (two ways)

Barbari bread is like a Persian cross between a pretzel or bagel and foccacia. It is delicious. There is a quickie way to make this, and the right way. Both are good, but if you have time, I advise you to make the long version. It is a little chewier, though still fluffy, and the quick version doesn't have the chewiness.

Traditional (long version)

My loaf here isn't quite as well shaped as it could have been, but it is tasty, nonetheless.

Starter:
1 cup water
1 cup bread flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast

2 cups water
3 cups pastry flour
2 cups bread flour
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup wheat bran or additional flour for work surface
oil for dough surface

Glaze:
1/3 cup cool water
2 teaspoons pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teasopon oil (any kind)

Topping:
4 teaspoons sesame seeds
4 teaspoons nigella seeds

Mix starter ingredients together and cover. Allow to rest and rise for 16 to 24 hours.

Stir the starter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl) and add 2 cups lukewarm water, 2 cups pastry flour, 2 cups bread flour, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons yeast. Mix using dough hook (or a sturdy wooden spoon). A smooth batter will form, then add remaining cup pastry flour and knead for 10 minutes in stand mixer (skip this and go to the next step if mixing by hand). This is a sticky dough and will stick to the bottom of the bowl.

Use a scraper to transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and use floured hands to knead dough, adding more bread flour, as needed, to prevent sticking until dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. If you did not knead in the machine first, this will take another 10 - 12 minutes more.

Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

On a work surface sprinkled with flour, turn the dough out - remember this is a wet, sticky dough. Fold the dough over a couple of times, using enough flour to keep hands dry and form dough into a round. Cut the dough in half, then each half into quarters.

Grease two large baking sheets and set aside. Shape each piece of dough into a ball, by rolling on surface under your palm, or using both hands. Transfer dough balls to one of the greased baking sheets, rub with a little oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rest 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500˚. Prepare the glaze by combining the 1/3 cup cool water, pastry flour, baking soda, sugar, and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Let cool.

Sprinkle wheat bran over your work surface, or use more pastry flour. Working with one piece at a time, gently press and stretch each dough ball into an oblong oval-ish shape, about 8 X 4 inces. Press and pull, using your fingers. Repeat for all pieces. Place on prepared pans, stretching a little all around, with at least 2 inches space all around each loaf. Let flatbreads rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Brush glaze on top of the dough. Dip your fingers into a small bowl of water. Using fingers, press continuous, lengthwise grooves into the dough. Press firmly without breaking through the bottom of the dough. Repeat making several parallel indentations on the top. Repeat for all loaves. Sprinkle evenly with the sesame and nigella seeds.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 - 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or room temperature. We like to eat this with all sorts of foods, but it can be eaten as a simple meal with olive, tomatoes, cucumbers, with or without salty, white Arabic cheese, or with a light drizzle of honey as a foil to the salty bread. However you like it, serve with a hot cup of mint or strong black tea, a good cup of coffee, or some other restorative drink.

Quick Version

Dough:
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil (or other oil)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Glaze:
2 tablespoons cool water
1 1/2 teaspoons pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Topping:
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons nigella seeds

Mix dough ingredients until thoroughly combined. It will be a shaggy, wet dough. Cover and allow to rest for at least an hour, until doubled in volume.

Knead lightly on a floured surface. Divide in two equal portions, cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400˚ and grease a baking sheet.

Roll out one portion of dough into a long, oblong flat loaf. Place on the prepared pan. Using the side of your hand, make ridges, lengthwise, over the loaf as in the photographs. Repeat with second portion of dough. Mix glaze mixture, and brush generously over each loaf. Sprinkle each loaf evenly with the seeds. Place in the preheated oven and bake 25 minutes, or until golden and puffed.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

We have made it. This week is the penultimate week of the year. We are walking the Via Dolorosa with Christ. We live each of those days with Him. It is the busiest, hardest, most challenging week of our year. Meals this week are lighter and simpler, and follow the strictest fasting rules. Traditionally, a full fast begins on the evening of Maundy (Mandatum - from the new mandate/commandment Jesus gives, as He established the priesthood, the sacraments of the Eucharist and confession), and goes through the end of the Vigil on Saturday, as we await Jesus by the tomb. The events of this week are what give shape to every other week of our year. We have the priesthood, the Eucharist, confession, because of this week. We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays because of Judas' selling Jesus on Wednesday and Christ's crucifixion on Friday. We celebrate a little Paschal feast every Sunday. This week is the most important week in the year. It is such a significant week that it is eight days long. The Sunday of the Resurrection is the eighth day of creation.

The final three days of Holy Week are counted as a single unit, the Triduum, or three days, which are a continuous liturgy. It begins with the liturgy on Maundy Thursday, then with the Good Friday liturgies, venerating the cross and the mourning at the tomb, finishing with the Vigil on Saturday evening, which flows into the Paschal liturgy at midnight.

This week is our first week of spring break (though two of the kids are in a biology and geometry class with a hired teacher, and they have class this week), but it is our work week. I have already made the sheera and assembled the baq'lawa and put it in the freezer to bake on the day of the feast, and made the red dye for the eggs, the girls helped me put together the waraq 'ounab, and we have frozen them so we can just cook them on that day, as well. Bright Week is our actual week of "rest" for spring break, by which I mean, our kids sleep in and rest, and I will be making loads of the foods I normally make for the day of the feast.

I pray for a blessed Holy Week and Triduum for you all!

• Sunday - Palm Sunday
  Breakfast: Mana'eesh, Blackberries, Mint Tea with Honey, and Coffee
  Dinner: Herby Coconut-Poached Rockfish, Jasmine Rice, Fruit/Salads/Vegetable Side Dishes/Breads brought by Parishioners, Strawberries
• Monday - Holy Monday
  Breakfast: Lenten and Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey, and Coffee
  Dinner: Instant Pot Thai Vegetable Curry, Jasmine Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Tuesday - Holy Tuesday
  Breakfast: Lenten French Toast (page 101 in Fasting as a Family), Baked Sweet Potato with Brown Sugar, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Clove for Jerome, Tea with Honey, and Coffee
  Dinner: East African Pilau, Portuguese Marinated Carrots, Sliced Cantaloupe
• Wednesday - Spy Wednesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Lentil Chimichangas (also from Fasting as a Family) with Prize Winning Roasted Tomato Salsa, Cilantro Lime Rice, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday - Maundy Thursday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Crab and Avocado Salad, Crackers (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Friday - Good Friday
  Breakfast: Fasting
  Dinner: Crudités, Crackers, and Fruit for Nejat
• Saturday - Vigil/Bright Saturday
  Breakfast: Potato Hash, Fruit, Tea with Honey for Younger Girls
  Dinner: Sirnica, Italian Bacon and Romano Pasqua Bread, Ham, Charcuterie Trio, Fancy Cheeses, Strawberries, Red Eggs, Ma'amoul, Chocolate Lambs, H'alawa, Sesame Candies, Chocolate Eggs, Jelly Bellies, all from our Pascha basket, to break the fast after the Vigil and Paschal Liturgy

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, Fasting as a Family, Holy Week, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Palm Sunday, Tales from the Kitchen, Triduum

We are nearing the end of the fast. Properly, this Sunday is called Passion Sunday, was the beginning of the final week of Lent, with Holy Week being its own separate and distinct observance. Passion Sunday gave the general overview of the last days of Christ's life on earth, while with Palm Sunday, we enter into each day of that final week with Him quite specifically. Unfortunately, in the West, this has largely been relegated to a footnote to Palm Sunday, rather than its own observance. So, right on the heels of celebrating the Hosannas of Christ's triumphal entry, we often slide into the Good Friday narrative. This is a shame; it is jarring, and robs parishioners of the real walk of that final week of His life with Him during Holy week, from Palm Sunday, the first, celebratory, day, the instructive events of Holy Monday and Tuesday, with the fig tree and the annointing with perfume and oil, through His betrayal on Spy Wednesday, His Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist, His arrest and trial, on Thursday, His crucifixion on Friday, and His rest in the tomb, as He harrowed Hell to free those captive to death on Saturday. We live through the events of that week each year. It seems to me that the modern church seems to think it is too much to ask of her people to take that walk with Him for one week each year. Meanwhile, our calendars and prayer books still show that this is the historic practice and we preserve it in this way only. We will keep His final days in mind this week, meditating on His words and actions, as we prepare for the hard Via Dolorosa we will embark on next Monday.

Passion Sunday marks the last week of Lent, as a summary of what Christ did to rescue us from sin and death, as we ready ourselves to walk each day of the way of sorrow with Him and, in the East, ends with Lazarus Saturday, the first resurrection which points to the greater one. We have begun observing it ourselves, as one of the commemorations that is significant to the life of the Church. Jesus raised Lazarus in anticipation of His own resurrection - and ours. One tradition for Lazarus Saturday is to make sweet, little breads shaped like a man wrapped in linens (Lazarakia). Another is to permit the eating of caviar (fish eggs) as little eggs, before we get to have eggs again on the Paschal feast.

Saint Lazarus lived for 30 years more after being raised by Jesus and became the first bishop of Cyprus - he had more work to do. We especially love how Jesus shows us that death is still our enemy with Lazarus. Even though He was about to raise him from the dead, He still wept at Lazarus' death. There was no nonsense about how he had gone to a better place or how he was somehow free of this mortal coil (which is gnostic heresy). He wept. This is because death is the enemy of all and Christ never wanted anyone to die. Raising Lazarus was His last major act before walking the Via Dolorosa of Holy Week, which is why Lazarus is remembered on the Saturday before Palm Sunday.

As for our Lent, I am pleased that, with the exception of a few half gallons of almond or oat milk, we have not used any fake dairy or meat or egg the entire time. I don't really count coconut milk, because it is a real ingredient in real historic cuisines and that oat/almond milk is a concession to my husband who adulterates his coffee shamelessly. We have done a better job of eating the many good things that are naturally Lenten. This led to the kids insisting that we skip the tabbouleh this year, since it is composed of vegetables and grains, and they say that is what they eat during Lent and can eat at any other time that isn't a feasting time. I don't know how I feel about that.

In all seriousness, this season has been an incredible time of growth for all of us, as well, though I don't know if all the kids are recognizing it in themselves. I pray that this Lent has been holy and blessed for you and that you have grown in spiritual strength and in love of Christ and His Church. Blessed Fast!

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Ful, Sah'awiq, Bread, Chopped Chopped Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers, Radishes, and Olives, Tea with Honey and Coffee
  Dinner: Eggplant Gyros, Marinated Sumac Red Onions, Sliced Veggies, Kalamata Olives, Tamis, Taratoor, Toum, Fruit/Sides/Salads brought by Parishioners
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Veggies, Toast, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Lemon and Herb Rice Pilaf, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Chopped Apples, Raisins, Brown Sugar and Spices, Tea with Honey and Coffee
  Dinner: Spanish Poor Man's Potatoes, Portugeuse Spicy Rice, Green Salad, Sliced Oranges
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Potato Breakfast Burritos, Salsa, Grapefruit Cups, Tea with Honey and Coffee
  Dinner: Rice Stuffed Tomatoes, Sautéed Peppers and Onions with Garlic, Bread, Sliced Apples
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Curried Chickpea Salad (Sandwiches or Stuffed in Tomatoes), Sliced Oranges
• Friday - Feast of Pope Saint Leo the Great
  Breakfast: Sweet Potato Hash, Sliced Oranges, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Lenten Borscht, Dark Rye Bread (GF for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Lazarus Saturday
  Breakfast: Tomato Toast (GF for Jerome), Grapefruit Cups, Tea with Honey and Coffee
  Dinner: French Vegetable Soup, Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, French Bread, Blackberry Sorbet Bars

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, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Passion Sunday, Tales from the Kitchen

Laetare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae.

Be joyful, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.

Laetare is milk-joy Sunday. It is the Mother's Day of the Church, remembering the Church as our Mother and the Blessed Mother herself, who is both the mother of God and of all believers. The Gospel reading is often that of the feeding of the 5000, the only miracle of Jesus that is presented in each of the Gospels. This year, it is the Prodigal Son. It is the fourth full week of Lent in the West, and just past the half way point. The austerity of the altar is relieved a little with the adornment of roses, the flower of the Theotokos, and the rose vestments. This is one of the Western Traditions that I would love to see in a unified Church. Much like Forgiveness Vespers from the East and the Imposition of Ashes in the West are both such powerful practices, I think this set of readings and prayers and the reinforcement of the earliest Church teachings on the Church as Mother and devotion to our Blessed Mother are powerfully presented in this little lightening of the fast by permitting dairy.

It is looking like rather than preparing the large meal I normally do for the Paschal feast, we might be participating in a potluck instead, which is a little weird after so many years of making everything. The kids are trying to convince me to make everything, anyway, and just serve it during Bright Week. I don't know about making everything, but will try to figure out how to include as much as possible. We would bring the waraq 'ounab (in fact, I will be preparing and freezing them for us to cook on the day of the potluck, probably this weekend) and some laban bi khiyar for sure to the potluck, and perhaps baq'lawa - I'd need to assemble and freeze it ahead of time, and bring a jar of the sheera for the day of baking - and a gluten-free Persian love cake. For breaking the fast after the vigil, I might make sirnica and Italian bacon and romano Pasqua bread to bring with some ham and strawberries and red eggs.

Please pray for us, and we will pray for you. May your Lent strengthen you.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Sliced Tomatoes, Toast, Coffee, Tea, and Milk
  Dinner: Vegetarian Pastitsio, Sides/Salads/Fruit brought by Parish, Ice Cream
• Monday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Cinnamon, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Asian Style Chickpea Salad, Mandarin Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Instant Pot Aloo Gobi, Basmati Rice, Green Salad, Sliced Oranges
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Veggies, Toast, Grapefruit, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Potato and Poblano Stew (without the cheese) with Crisp Tortilla Strips (no cheese), Cabbage and Carrot Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing, Sliced Apples
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Avocado Toast (GF for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Aya Yorgi Fasulye Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs), Sliced Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato Pancakes, Applesauce, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Ethiopian Cabbage, Garlic Turmeric Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Ful, Harissa, Bread, Chopped Chopped Tomatoes, Onions, Radishes, and Olives, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta with Clam Sauce*, Green Salad, Strawberry Sorbet

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, Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Laetare, Lent, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen