Scotchicanese Eggs

So this name requires an explanation. We started by making Scotch eggs in bulk, baked on a sheet pan, to make our lives simpler. Then, we used Mexican chorizo for the sausage, thus Scotchican. Eventually, we used panko in place of plain bread crumbs, bringing us to Scotchicanese, from the Japanese ingredient. Regardless of the silly name, it is delicious. The recipe is more of a guideline than an actual strict recipe. You can adjust as you wish. I will list the ingredients needed for a dozen eggs below, and you can extrapolate up or divide down as you need. This is a recipe that you really need to have a mise en place set up for to make it go quickly and to minimize the mess.

12 eggs, boiled as softly as you possibly can and still handle them and peeled (we steamed ours from cold for exactly 15 minutes from turning on the stove to taking them off the burner and submerging in cold water to chill and peel)
about 2 pounds bulk chorizo, mixed in a bowl
about 6 ounces panko, in a flat pan

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Take small pieces of the aerated chorizo and pat into flat pieces that can be shaped around the boiled egg. Wrap the egg with sausage so none of the egg white is exposed. Roll the sausage wrapped egg in the panko to coat. Place on a jelly roll pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until sausage is cooked and the panko is lightly browned.

Nutella Fudge Brownies

This recipe originally came from the now out of print Fine Cooking. I grieve their demise, because it (and Cuisine) was one of the only cooking magazines out there that hadn't sold out to fake and fast food or the glamour associated with travel magazines that put the food second. There were no perfume inserts in the magazine, no non-food related ads, and they focused on technique, giving recipes as a way to learn and hone that technique. They taught people how to cook, not simply how to make a recipe. I treasure my collection and now that the magazine's articles and recipes are no longer available online, those magazines are among the things I would try to get out in a fire (after family, records, photos, and so on). In any case, like my lasagna and chocolate cheesecake recipes, this originated with them and I have adapted it for our palates and convenience. We usually double this recipe now. The flour in this recipe is simply a binder, and can easily be replaced with almond flour, or an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.

1 cup Nutella
2 eggs
2/3 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease 24 mini-muffin tin very well. Set aside.

Whisk nutella and eggs well until smooth. Whisk in flour.

Scoop into muffin tin and sprinkle evenly with almonds.

Bake until pick comes out with wet, gooey crumbs, about 10 - 11 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Prosciutto and Gruyère Scones

These are a splurge, but I look for both proscuitto and Gruyére at the Grocery Outlet and put them in the freezer so I can use them in dishes like this. They do bake better if you take the time to chill them, but if I am making them for breakfast, rather than a brunch, I often skip that part. These are quite good, and I generally double the recipe.

2 1/2 cups pastry flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup grated gruyère
1/2 cup chopped prosciutto
1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for sprinkling before baking
1/4 cup chopped scallions

You can make this by hand, with a pastry cutter or a couple knives, in a large bowl, but I like to use my food processor to speed the process a bit. Pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well mixed. Add butter into the flour mixture, and pulse until you have course crumbs with some larger pieces throughout the mixture.

Add eggs and buttermilk to the flour mixture and pulse until just moist.

Add in the gruyère, prosciutto, parmesan and green onion and pulse a few more times to combine. The dough will be sticky.

On a lightly floured surface, turn the sticky dough out and knead lightly until all the cheese, prosciutto and green onion are incorporated into the dough. Roll the dough about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out 3 inch squares, then cut diagonally to make triangles. You should have about 10 scones. Place the scones on an ungreased jelly roll pan, if you are very concerned, you may line it with parchment, but I've never had them stick.

Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Once the scones are chilled, sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm (or room temperature, later).

Sloppy Giuseppes

This is a simple and tasty recipe and is vastly superior to any sloppy Joes. I tried making sloppy Joes for Rich, because I was trying to cook for his American heritage, but I just hate them, and it turns out that he does, too. So, when I heard about doing this, I thought it was a perfect alternative, and it really is. Browned Italian sausage (you can substitute ground beef, but season it with oregano, thyme, basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes), marinara sauce, and provolone cheese all over ciabatta rolls. It's delicious.

2 pounds bulk Italian sausage (or removed from the casings), spicy or mild (we like the spicy)
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
3 sweet peppers, seeded and finely diced (or equivalent amount from frozen)
8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 quart marinara sauce (either homemade or jarred)
8 ciabatta rolls, split
about 1/2 - 3/4 pound provolone or mozzarella, thinly sliced (we prefer the provolone)

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage to brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula. You may need to add some olive (or other) oil if there isn't enough fat in the sausage. Add chopped onions to the meat before it is completely browned and cook to soften with the meat. When the meat is browned, add the peppers, to heat and soften. Then add the garlic and cook for 30 - 60 seconds.

Pour in the marinara sauce, swirling the container with a little water to get the last of the sauce out of the pot or jar. Stir to combine meat, vegetables and the sauce, and reduce heat to low. Heat sauce through. Taste for seasoning, and add salt if necessary.

While the sauce is warming, toast the rolls. Place bottom half of each roll on a jelly roll pan, mound the meat and sauce mixture generously over each roll. Cover with slices of cheese. Put under the broiler to melt the cheese. Top with the top half of the roll and serve.

Creamy Buttermilk Cake with Coconut and Pecans

This recipe was initially passed on to me with the name Classic Italian Cream Cake. It is not classic, it certainly isn't Italian, and there is no cream in it. So, I'm giving it a descriptive name. It may not be Italian, but it is delicious. And it is a simple butter cake that really doesn't require fancy technique or pans. You can make it in a 9" X 13" pan and frost the top and it will be delightful and well received.

2 cups pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk, well shaken
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
cream cheese frosting
chopped pecans and flaked coconut to decorate, optional

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Grease three 8-inch cake pans or a 9" X 13" pan well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together pastry flour, baking soda and salt, and set aside (conversely, do this while your stand mixer is creaming the butter and sugar).

Either in a stand mixer, or in a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down sides frequently. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beginning and ending with dry ingredients, mix into egg mixture, alternating with buttermilk. When fully incorporated, add vanilla, pecans and coconut and mix to combine.

Whip egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold into cake batter. Divide into three greased cake pans or into the single rectangular pan.

Bake in upper two thirds of oven for about 30 - 40 minutes for round pans, 55 - 60 minutes for rectangular pan. Test for doneness. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely. If you are using the 9" X 13" pan, you may leave it in the pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting (make while cake is baking):

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
3 cups confectioner's sugar

Whip cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat in to combine. Add confectioner's sugar, little by little to incorporate.

When cake is completely cool, fill and frost tops and sides. If you are super fancy, you can press some more chopped pecans and coconut onto the sides. If you are using the rectangular pan, frost only the top.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

Brazilian Cheese Rolls

My friend shared the recipe she uses for these, and I modified them so they would work with Jerome's diet. Obviously, I doubled the recipe, but I think half of this quantity would be plenty for a smaller family.

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 cups tapioca starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, swiss, low-moisture mozzarella, or similar cheeses)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
extra cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)
chopped herbs to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease 48 mini-muffin cups (our mini-muffin tins range from 12 to 24 cups, and we use about 42-45 of them) and set aside.

Place eggs, milk, oil, tapioca starch, and salt in blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add cheeses and pulse a couple times.

Fill prepared muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full, sprinkle with any toppings you like.

Bake 10 - 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool a few minutes in pan. Remove from pan and serve warm. They are also fine served room temperature, and can be stored in an airtight container.

Mascarpone Berry Cake

I made this cake for our Independence Day picnic potluck, and came up with a few ways I would change the method on the cake and the frosting. You can use any fresh berries you like, so you can customize it to whatever is in season or on sale where you are. Since the cake uses only egg whites, you can use the yolks to make a custard sauce or an ice cream, or save them for scrambled eggs.

Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened for only 15 mins
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
zest from 2 large lemons
6 large egg whites
2 cups pastry flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
1 cup fresh berries
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Frosting:

16 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, well chilled
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
zest from 1 large lemon

Filling:

3 cups fresh berries

Making the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line three, 8-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease the parchment and sides of the pans.

Soften the mascarpone cheese for 10 to 15 minutes only. It can separate if left out too long.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, softened mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the batter, alternating with the milk, then whisk gently but thoroughly, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.

In a small bowl, toss the mixed fruit with the cornstarch until the fruit is well coated. Add the fruit to the batter and fold in gently. Divide the cake batter evenly between the three pans.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the comes out clean. Remove the cake layers from the oven, cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Mascarpone Frosting:

While the cake is baking, prepare the cream frosting. Place the mascarpone or cream cheese, and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for a minute, until the cheese is smooth and creamy. Slowly mix the heavy cream into the cheese mixture, then raise the speed when it is fully incorporated.

Add the confectioner's sugar and the lemon zest and beat well to blend. Keep the frosting refrigerated until you're ready to assemble the cake.

Assembly:

To assemble the cake, first level the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife, if needed. Spread a very generous amount of mascarpone frosting between each layer and add a mixture of berries between the layers.

Apply a crumb coat of frosting on the outside of the cake, then refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Smooth additional frosting over the top and sides, then garnish the cake with berries. The cake can be eaten right away, or refrigerated overnight.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

I'm sure you've noticed the price of food, gas, clothing, shipping, everything, has gone up in the past couple years, and pretty steeply in the past few months. It doesn't look like it is going to stop anytime soon, so I thought it was time to revisit how we approach grocery shopping and menu planning as a way to keep our budgets down. In our area, they are predicting gas prices to double in the next few weeks, which is a huge hardship on people who are struggling the most, and those who don't live in places where there is good transit or stores and services within walking distance. What can we do about it in our own homes?

Some of this I've discussed before here, such as combining trips, meal planning, having a plan for all you buy, gleaning, and so on, but some prices and services are different now than they were when I first wrote about them, and some things just need a refresher. Since most of my readers are wives and mothers, I will address this to you, but that doesn't mean that this doesn't apply to men. Mostly, I will talk about food, clothing, entertainment, electric and gas costs. It isn't because there aren't ways to cut back in other areas, but these tend to be the places where we have the most influence in what our costs are. Your rent or mortgage is largely going to stay the same, likewise your phone bill, internet, insurance, and so on, and while there are ways to shop around or reduce them, most of our big costs are in food, clothing, and extras.

My first bit of advice is to get your husband (or wife) on board. If he is on your team, you will be unbeatable. He will help with morale, with implementation, with being a good example. My husband is a relatively picky eater (he is much better than he used to be), but you would never know it from how he behaves. He eats whatever I serve, or whatever we have, without complaint. He, like all of us, is allowed to have food preferences and dislikes, so please don't misunderstand what I am saying, but if it is something that isn't his favorite, he eats it cheerfully and willingly. Now, notice that I didn't say that I am serving things he hates. I don't try to make everyone's favorite foods each meal, but I do try to take into account people's preferences and dislikes. Obviously, religious and medical dietary requirements are of most importance. While I do not promise that everyone will love every meal I make or serve, I do promise I will not make them eat something they hate. If we were in a life or death situation, we also would drop that, but glory to God we are not in those circumstances. We do have one child who really doesn't like shrimp, so I try to scoop it out of her servings when we have it or give her an alternate (which generally goes against how I like to cook and serve), just because the rest of us don't want to give up shrimp while she is home.

So, one thing that is often recommended to families trying to keep to a budget is to menu plan and then go shopping. This will certainly help if you are haphazardly trying to find food for meals while you are shopping. However, I do the opposite. I shop for what is on special or marked down, what is in season and abundant at a better cost, as well as for filling in the staples like flour, sugar, yeast, oil, etc, and then plan what to cook after assessing what I find and what is already in our pantry, freezers, and fridge. I set a budget and, mostly, stick to it while shopping.

The first thing you need to do to shop and plan like this is to know what you have in your home. Two years ago, Rich and I and the kids went through every shelf, every drawer, every cabinet, every freezer, all of it to inventory what we had of food and drink in our home. We were quite surprised by how much was actually here. This was something that took a significant time, because we are a family of 10 (now nine at home with our tenth, his wife, and their baby, who will be born in October) and there is a lot we have to keep on hand to feed these ravenous people. We also eat more than normal people, live in a rural area and have gotten used to shopping in huge amounts because we sometimes can only get to certain things out of town or through delivery. We are used to thinking ahead. We try to keep our inventory up to date, and that isn't always perfect, but it gives us a better picture of what is available to us.

Planning this way might sound like you are stuck with whatever is there, but I assure you that it isn't. We do stock up on things that are inexpensive when we find them and fill our freezers and pantry, but we don't get it just because it is cheap. If it is something we don't use or don't like, we don't buy it. That seems obvious, but I wanted to say it just the same. So, if bologna is in the used meat bin, I don't get it, but if uncured ham or turkey are, I do. Our inventory is on paper, but we have sometimes used wet erase markers on our fridge and freezer and adjusted as things went in or out of them. I do try to have us make the inventory adjustments as soon as I get home from the store or when we take items out for meals. One day, I will go digital and we won't have to have the stacks of paper to keep track. So, while I can't necessarily decide that I want to make a specific dish the following week, if we don't have the major ingredients or if I didn't find them at a decent price at the store that week, I keep a good stock of items in the freezers that we like and around which we can build meals we enjoy. So, say organic chicken thighs are marked down, I buy only one package, and squirrel that away in our freezer until I have enough to make a meal or more for the family. When we see something that is really rarely marked down that we like, or something we love at an excellent price, we grab as much of it as we can afford on that week's (now every two weeks, actually) food budget and make sure that the next time we serve it, it is for a better price.

In the past, I have mentioned that I don't do a lot of couponing. That is still true, however, a lot of grocery stores now have apps or websites on which you can find coupons and rebates that are loaded directly to your shopper's card. I will use those, and check for freebies that are found there. We still don't cut coupons, really, and I will admit that it isn't so often that we use even the digital ones, simply because most of what we buy is meat and seafood, produce, dairy, and non-branded ingredients. However, for cleaning supplies, and some canned goods and other food products, we still find some that are useful for us. Another thing I utilize is an app called Ibotta (if you sign up using my referral, I do get a bonus) which gives rebates in exchange for spying on your shopping habits. Again, I don't usually get a huge amount from this, and we don't get a branded product, even with the rebate, if it is cheaper to get it without a rebate in a different way or from a different brand. Since June of 2020, though, we have received $245.61 in rebates on products we already buy and use. That is no poke in the eye with a sharp stick. You do have to wait until you have at least $20 in rebates before cashing it out, but they will send it to your PayPal or to a gift card of your choice. In our area, the stores that cooperate with Ibotta are Fred Meyer, Safeway, Winco, WalMart, RiteAid, Walgreens, DollarTree and the local liquor store. There are others, though, like Costco and Albertsons and online stores which work with them, as well. Often there are free offers or BOGO offers that allow you to get the amount of the item or more back, and we have ended up getting paid more than the cost to take home a few items, since we have been using the app.

Anyway, now that I have mentioned that, I will go on to planning and some strategies for building your own inventory of foods your family loves and for stretching the food you have the farthest it will go. Understand that a lot of what we think we need is often just a matter of our preferences. While that is fine, it is good to be aware of that, so we can overlook it a little bit when we need to for our budget. I start planning with what we have at home in mind. I take a look at our freezer and pantry inventory sheets and determine what should be the backbone of our meals, and check which produce we have that needs to be used so it doesn't go to waste. After I do our shopping, I do my planning with those meal backbones and the produce that needs to be used in mind. In our house, at least, breakfasts always need to be either something we can prepare ahead of time or which can be made quickly. I try to automate that a bit, and kind of cycle through about 10 to 15 breakfast ideas. Usually, Rich makes pancakes or waffles for breakfast sometime over the weekend. Whenever I see a recipe or think of a meal that we would like to make, I add it somewhere to our family calendar, and I just move it around to work with what we have and what I get at the store. Speaking of which, we have a shared family calendar on our Apple devices, but it would work with Google or other calendars as well. We put all of our activities and our breakfasts and dinners there. If there is a specific recipe needed, we can link to it on the calendar, and it helps everyone at home to be able to help get things from the freezer, or to start meal preparations.

Our week is shaped by the Church year and patterns of fasting and feasting. It is also shaped by ballet and homeschool co-op, evening meetings and activities, much like your lives are, I am sure. Most weeks of the year, Wednesdays and Fridays are meatless for us. Twice a year, we also eat that way for a roughly 40 day period each. Once a week, we make the evening meal for our small church group and once a week I collaborate with a couple few other women who are part of a Bible study group with me, as well. We accomodate dietary needs for all of these. Since Jerome is still eating many fewer food categories than normal, this is the big, overarching rule that shapes our meals and plans. If you follow our menu plans here, you will know that as our children have gotten older and more able, we have tried to follow the abstinent rules more closely. We still aren't perfect about that, but have found that doing so is better for us both spiritually and financially, and are planning to follow it more closely still, as our markets and highways have more and more instances of emptiness and higher prices. It has been a blessing to us to see how following this rule helps us to make the most of what we buy and have at home. We are so glad to see how God has been training us through this practice, and how it has prepared us for this difficult time through it, which we didn't expect at all. If this is something that you believe in, it may be a way to help your spiritual, physical, as well as your financial health. If you don't believe in it, it might still help.

If you are going to eat meatless for part of your week, make friends with beans and legumes, soups, frittatas, soufflés and quiches. Beans can have a bad reputation, but when prepared well, they are not only nutritious (providing protein, fiber, and calcium, especially), but they are tasty. The broth left from cooking the beans or legumes can also be used as a base for soups or stews, or to cook grains. Soups use up little bits and leftovers and scraps, the tiny bits of rice or pasta left from other meals, small amounts of vegetables. Frittatas, soufflés and quiches elevate eggs and also use small amounts of vegetable, milk or cream, little bits of meat, to become something unctious and delicious, and with a small salad or a little bread, make fantastic meals. I have recommended using your library as much as possible before, and I stand by that. However, if you can afford it, please get ahold of Fasting as a Family or see if your library can purchase it to help you with this effort.

Another thing that shapes our meals is that we belong to a gleaning club and are known for being a large family that cooks everything. We often get a large quantity of produce to use and process for freezer, canning, or drying, and eat fresh or cooked so as not to waste any of it. People offer us their excess produce and we even have gotten the "weird" bits from the friends or the butcher that people don't want to keep like tongue, heart, liver, cheek meat, and, recently, beef lips. We have made an effort to learn how to cook the unusual parts and have enjoyed them, so people know we will eat them. Since we live in a rural area, we buy a lot of our meat on the hoof, and take much more of it from the butcher than many families, even here, and then the butcher will offer us the parts that others discard. We never turn down free food. If we can't use it, we find people who can. If it is truly something that we cannot or won't eat, we have animals we raise for food which can eat it, cats who appreciate the scraps from meat we can give them, and compost for the absolute last bits of produce, that helps us grow our own fruits and vegetables. My recommendation to you is to always say yes to free food. Unless you are allergic or have a religious reason to avoid it, it can help stretch your budget and feed your family.

Another recommendation is to find out when your local grocery store marks down its produce, meat, breads, and other products. We have found excellent deals on the gluten free products Jerome needs and on meat and dairy, treats like orange juice (though juice is one of the things we buy almost none of, preferring water or milk as a less expensive and more healthful option), produce, fish and shrimp and other seafood, sourdough breads and specialty breads. I never go to a store without checking the used foods. If you walk in without a plan in mind, but only a price limit, you can fill your cart with many foods that will be delicious as well as inexpensive. Those mark down stickers are like little gifts from God to us. When I pick them up, though, I still think of all I can make with them. Meat and fish with bones will be the meal and the bones and scraps saved for stock, likewise the shells from shrimp are saved for stock. The very last stop in our house is either to go to the animals or our compost (not meat items). We save bones, skin, shells and scraps for stock, but we also save the stems and hard bits and trimmings from herbs, onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, celery and so on for that purpose. This way, when we make the stock, we are truly only using water, a little salt and some peppercorns to have something delicious and nutritious, and basically free. If you don't know how to make stock, please let me know, and I will write up a lesson. It is so vital, and puts more protein and collagen into your diet which is necessary both for general nutrition and for your immune system.

If you can, dedicate yourself to making most of your foods, you will be rewarded plenteously. Pasta sauces, salad dressings, mayonnaise and things like tartar and cocktail sauce, breads, cookies and cakes, snacks, all of these are easily made at home, for much less money, fewer weird ingredients, and usually better tasting, too. If you already have the skills to can, you are ahead of the game, but it isn't too hard to learn, and you can make jams, jellies, chutneys, fruit preserves, canned tomatoes, pickles and relishes without getting special equipment or worrying about things like botulism. Baking things like bagels, pretzels, and pastries like croissants and puff pastry, which take a little more effort, can be made at home with much less expense. Even candy can be made at home, starting with things like brittles and marshmallows and fudge. Drying food can be done outdoors in the spring and summer in a protected manner, or in the oven, over low heat, even if you do not have a food dryer. Popcorn is also an inexpensive and delicious treat. We cook ours on the stove, in a little oil with salt and it is only about $0.64 a pound in our area. I tend not to include specific prices, because that can vary so much around the country and the world, so take that price with a grain of salt. It is still exponentially cheaper than buying bags of popcorn or microwaveable popcorn, and will use better ingredients and taste better.

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing what foods we focus on for sturdiness, flavor, and frugality, I will talk about how I proportion my shopping budget, what tools I think to be absolutely necessary, and those which are just handy, and how I use the kitchen tools I have to serve me, rather than organizing my cooking around them. Since these past few years have been so hard, I will not neglect things like how to find entertainment on a budget, or how to vacation and enjoy yourself on much less. It has been a while since I was regularly making these posts, and I hope you will enjoy what I share that has worked for us, and find ways to make my experience fit your life, diet and family.

Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest

Labels: Church Year, Family, Fasting as a Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

We have made it! This is the busiest, hardest, most challenging week of the entire year. We are walking the Via Dolorosa with Christ. We are living each of those days with Him. 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.

This is the second year of our family trying to keep closer to the Church's fast. Even our littlest girls are wanting to participate and share in this life of Christ in the Church. So, this year, I will only be preparing food for one person for one meal on Good Friday, and only for two people on the Vigil Saturday. Jerome will have eggs, chocolate, coriander/cilantro, and all dairy back in time for the feast, which makes life quite a bit simpler for him and us. He will be re-introducing sesame, so we will be able to give him small amounts of the hummus and baba ghanooj for our feast, as long as this week goes well. He has been such a good sport about this, and has borne his own fast quite bravely and willingly. Yasmina and Mariam have been in cooking classes at our homeschool co-op, and making all these foods they cannot eat, bringing them home and dutifully putting them in the freezer to save for when the fast is over. Even though, technically, Mariam could have eaten them. They have both said that they want to bring them to the vigil for our breaking of the fast, to share with everyone. Our children truly show us how eager we should be to live out the piety we are taught in church.

Glory to God, we are able to have a vigil liturgy with our small congregation that Rich serves. A retired priest is coming to serve the liturgy and share in breaking the fast with us. Because it will be earlier in the evening than it has been in past years, this means we will be breaking the fast a little earlier, so we will have our bacon and egg-fest before midnight. It is still a point of sorrow for me that East and West are separated at this highest, holiest feast of the Christian year. We think that since each side calculates the date of the Paschal feast on the fixed date of March 21 (Old Calendar versus New Calendar), instead of using the astronomical date, that we should all shift to that astronomical date (first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox is how the date is determined), and let the secularists keep the western date, and their bunnies and so on, while we take advantage of chocolate sales and celebrate it together. One day. In the interim, we will continue to do our bit for unity.

May you have a blessed Holy Week! If you are Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, or Coptic, we pray for a continued Holy Lent!

• Sunday - Palm Sunday
  Breakfast: Vegan Fluffy Pancakes (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Raspberry Syrup, Fruit, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Moroccan Fish Tagine, Rice, Green Salad, Layali Lubnan (Lenten and Gluten-free)
• Monday - Holy Monday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-free tortillas for Jerome), Dried Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Onion Pakoda Sandwiches (Gluten-free bun for Jerome), Pickles, Vinegar Coleslaw, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Holy Tuesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Tomato Rice Soup (using safflower oil), Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Spy Wednesday
  Breakfast: Tomato, Kalamata Olive, Eggplant and Red Pepper Toast, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cilantro Shrimp Burgers, Cabbage Slaw with Cumin Lime Dressing, Fruit
• Thursday - Maundy Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Peppers and Onions, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Crudités, Fruit Plate for the Little Girls
• Friday - Good Friday
  Breakfast: None
  Dinner: Peanut Butter Sandwich with Pretzel Crosses for Nejat
• Saturday - Holy/Vigil Saturday
  Breakfast: Faux Egg Bites for the Little Girls, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Tahina and Date Syrup Sandwiches for the Little Girls

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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Holy Week, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen, Triduum

We are almost through Lent and Holy Week! This is the last week before the ardurous journey through Holy Week. This Sunday is properly called Passion Sunday, which again points to how we in the West have abandoned the early practice of the Church. Passion Sunday was the final Sunday of Lent, while Palm Sunday was the beginning of Holy Week, as a separate and distinct fast and observance. We will mark the Passion of Christ tonight at church, as a remembrance of what Christ did for us and our salvation, and have a recounting of all He walked through in His final week of life on this earth. Palm Sunday ushers in the living with Him those final days and steps, as we walk each day with Him, from Palm Sunday, through His betrayal on Spy Wednesday, His Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist, His arrest and trial, His crucifixion, and His rest in the tomb, as He harrowed Hell to free those captive to death. We live through the events of that week each year. However, in the West, on Palm Sunday, we also throw the Passion in there, and after we commemorate His triumphal entry, but before we actually commemorate the events of His Passion, as though it were too much to ask people to live those days with Him and with the Church. It is jarring and confusing, especially when even our own calendars and prayer books show that vestige. Regardless, the prayer book marks this day as Passion Sunday still, and we are remembering it. 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 Monday.

Our exciting news is that Jerome should have all dairy products back in time for our Paschal feast. His milk test has gone well, and that opens up all sorts of good foods for him for breaking our fast. We have been able to go to the Stations of the Cross at church here, but we are still leaving for home to have dinner, just because it is so much more complicated to figure out dinners there for Jerome. He has quite a lot back, but the things he still can't have are in everything. Please continue to pray for him, especially that this Lenten journey will bring him closer to the health the Lord intends.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Kalamata Olives, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Peppers and Onions, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Baked Potatoes, Faux Cheese Sauce, Steamed Broccoli, Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-free tortillas for Jerome), Dried Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Slow Cooker Root Vegetable Soup, Salad, Bread (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Avocado Toast with Citrus Shallot Seasoning and Sprouts, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Shrimp Fajitas, Salsa Rice, Canned Peaches
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Thai Pumpkin Soup, Crackers (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Sliced Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce (using rice noodles, sunflower oil, and coconut aminos), Mandarin Oranges
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Tahina Breakfast Bites, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Leblebi (Moroccan Chickpea Stew), Tamis (Gluten-free for Jerome), Mediterranean Style Chopped Salad (Dairy-free), Koulourakia

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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Passion Sunday, Special Diet, 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.

It is just past the mid-point of the fast, and Laetare Sunday is here! Milk joy Sunday is the Mother's Day of the Church, remembering the Church as our Mother and the Blessed Mother herself. This is a little bright spot in the work and discipline of Lent. We are enjoying some milk and cheese today.

Jerome's test with milk products seems to be going well. He is almost at the end of this trial and will begin with sesame in a couple weeks. We cannot wait for him to have most, if not all, of these restricted foods back. His skin is not improving as much as we would like, though. It's not getting worse, but it isn't really getting a lot better. He thinks he may need to take another try with eating entirely grain free for a while, but he is not looking forward to it. Please pray for him.

• Sunday - Laetare Sunday
  Breakfast: Croissants (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Brie and Jam, Bananas (Grapefruit for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Shrimp Lettuce Wraps, Wok Fried Greens, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Roasted Red Peppers and Diced Tomatoes, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Popcorn Shrimp (Gluten-free for Jerome), Potato Wedges (Gluten-free), Cabbage Salad, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Zaalouk, Kesra, Chopped Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Avocado Toast with Citrus Shallot Seasoning and Sprouts, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Kung Pao Cauliflower, Garlic Fried Rice, Oranges
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-free tortillas for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Tomato Basil Soup, Italian Bread (Gluten-free Bread for Jerome), Canned Peaches
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Sliced Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Cuban Black Beans, Rice, Fruit
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Kalamata Olives, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Chickpea Shawerma Bowls, Salad, Olives, Gluten-free Lenten Chocolate Orange Cake

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Laetare, Lent, Menu Plans, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

Tahina Breakfast Bites

I found a recipe for tahina breakfast "cookies" online and tried them, and they were fine, but had we thought of them as cookies we would have been sorely disappointed. After modifying them a bit (date syrup with tahina seemed more appropriate than maple syrup, and was less expensive), and fiddling with the proportions and baking times, I think I have a great breakfast bite, that also makes a wonderful snack on the go. You can use a stand mixer to speed up your process, or just use a large bowl and wooden spoon.

1 1/2 cups tahina
1 cup date syrup (or honey, molasses, or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 chopped walnutes (or almonds)
3/4 cup dried cherries, golden raisins (sultanas), dried cranberries or a mix of them (I like the berry medley that Trader Joe's has - see the picture below)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.

Beat tahina, date syrup, and vanilla paste or extract together in a bowl until smooth. Add rolled oats and chopped walnuts and mix evenly. Stir in dried fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Mix until well blended.

Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, make balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Flatten slightly with your scrupulously clean palms. Don't compress it into toughness, though.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes. You do not want to see browning on the edges, these will brown from the bottom. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Place breakfast bites on a rack to cool completely. Yields about six dozen bites.

Đuveč

This vegetable rice dish is common to all of the Balkan states. It is pronounced Dju'-vetch, and it is quick to put together and delicious. It is wonderful with meat, fish, or just on its own. We have tried to make it the way they do in Croatia, or at least as close as we can get here. Because of Jerome's dietary restrictions, we have been making it recently with green chickpeas, rather than garden peas, and it is quite tasty that way, as well. The peas, however, are more authentic. You can cut this recipe in half, if you like, but it is good the next day, so you may wish to make the full amount. This is enough for our family with one or two servings left over.

4 tablespoons sunflower oil (or other light oil)
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups uncooked rice (we use Egyptian or Turkish rice, arborio or carnaroli, or even sushi rice would work)
2 tomatoes, finely diced, or a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juices
4 cups water or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon hot, smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups peas (frozen or fresh)
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

Heat a rice pot over medium-high heat. Add the sunflower oil, then the onion and cook until the onion turns transparent. Add the carrots and peppers, and cook to soften them and evaporate any liquid that precipitates. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute or two.

Pour the rice in and mix well with the vegetables, cooking until the rice is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, and cook until the liquid evaporates a little. Then add the water or vegetable broth, paprika, salt, hot paprika, and black pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered and undisturbed, for 15 minutes.

Remove cover and pour in peas. Replace cover and cook five minutes.

Remove pan from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley and fluff with a fork. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve.

Persian Love Cake

We first made this cake for Valentine's Day. Since the recipe gave an option for making it gluten-free, we took it a step further and made it without milk products. I will give you the recipe, with our modifications, and with options for making it gluten and milk free. It does include eggs, so it is not strictly Lenten, but we saved it to make for our Annunciation and birthday feast. This is a super easy and quick cake to make, and it is delicious. I used our stand mixer to make this go even more quickly, and it comes together in just a few minutes, and can be in the oven in that time. The syrup in made while the cake bakes, and you are set. We actually haven't tried it the regular way, so we may need to do that after Lent, when Jerome has all dairy back.

6 tablespoons ghee, butter (we substituted safflower oil)
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup whole milk yogurt (we used almond milk yogurt)
2 tablespoons rose water
2 tablespoons orange flower water
1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup pastry flour (we substituted a gluten-free all-purpose flour that was safe for Jerome)
1/2 cup semolina flour (we substituted more almond flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds for topping

syrup:
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup freshly squeezed and strained orange juice
2 tablespoons rose water
1/2 teaspoon saffron
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (optional)

3 tablespoons food grade rose petals for garnish
1/4 cup chopped pistachios (optional)

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan with coconut oil or avocado oil spray, line with parchment, and set aside.

In a stand mixer or bowl, whisk together butter, olive oil and sugar, until the mixture is very thick. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the yogurt, rose water, and orange flower water. Whip until very frothy and thick.

In another bowl, whisk together almond flour, pastry flour, semolina flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Add to the liquid mixture and mix in thoroughly.

Pour into prepared springform pan and sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, until the center springs back and a skewer inserted in the center comes back with a few crumbs.

While the cake bakes, prepare the syrup. Bring honey and orange juice to boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve and keep from overflowing or burning. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for five minutes. Stir in rose water and saffron. Remove from heat and stir in pistachios.

When cake is baked, remove from oven, and use a skewer to poke fine holes all over the cake. Pour the warm syrup over the warm cake and allow to sok several hours or overnight.

Decorate with the food grade rose petals, and the optional chopped pistachios. Slice and serve. Serves at least 16 people.

Advieh

This is a Persian spice mixture for which there are many variations. I understand that this particular variation is more often used for rice dishes, but we have used it in a paste with olive oil on chicken and found it quite delicious.

4 tablespoons food grade dried rose petals
2 tablespoons ground Ceylon cinnamon (you can substitute cassia easily, but I think the true cinnamon is better)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all ingredients and put in a labeled jar. That is it!

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

We have another major feast day this week, the Annunciation, and we are grilling fish! I love that the Annunciation comes just a little less than a week after 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.

The Persian love cake we made for Valentine's Day was so good that we are making it again for the feast this week. We made it gluten and dairy-free, and you never would have known, so I am going to share the recipe with you, along with our modifications. It is a super simple cake to make, and so delicious. You will definitely want to make it.

The re-introduction of milk is going well, which will mean that Jerome can enjoy so much more of our Paschal feast next month. He, wisely, chose to introduce sesame next, since we eat so much with tahina in it, which also opens up several dishes and sauces for him then. The only food that his doctor thought might be a true allergy was the banana, and as he doesn't love them, it wouldn't be a great loss. Please pray that the rest of the tests go well for him.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Tahina Breakfast Bites (Gluten-free Toast with Almond Butter and Date Syrup for Jerome), Bananas (Orange for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Hummus, Muhamarrah, Balela (without the cheese), Khoubz Araby (Gluten and Dairy-free Turkish Flatbreads for Jerome), Kalamata Olives, Lenten Chocolate Orange Cake (Frozen Fruit Pops for Jerome)
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Roasted Red Peppers, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean Chili, Tortilla Strips, Avocados, Chopped Red Onions, Chopped Cilantro, Canned Peaches
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Broccoli and Almond Stir Fry, Garlic Fried Rice, Mandarin Oranges
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Avocado Toast with Citrus Shallot Seasoning and Sprouts, Home Canned Pears, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Shrimp and Vegetable Salad with Creamy Garlic Balsamic Dressing (Lenten), Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Brown Sugar and Raisins, Craisins, and Dried Blueberries (Grain-free Granola with Dried Fruit and Coconut Milk for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad, Corn Chips, Pineapple (Mangoes for Jerome)
• Friday - Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Sliced Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Grilled Tuna, Đuveč*, Marinated Cucumbers, Persian Love Cake*
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-free tortillas for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Tomato and Eggplant Sauce, 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: Annunciation, Birthday, Blessed Virgin, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos

The end of this week is the feast of Saint Joseph, who is one of our favorite saints, and patron of our Elijah. Rich loves Saint Joseph, especially, and we have a special devotion to him and the Holy Family in our family. It is also finally starting to look like spring might appear, after all. We are hoping to see the weather clear up a bit. It actually snowed a little last week!

Along with that improvement in the weather, we are hoping to see some improvement in Jerome's skin. This week is when we try again with milk, and see how he will do. If the weather doesn't interfere, we think we can get a better evaluation of how he does with it.

We are excited to have a couple days with fish this week, too! It is a blessing to have a little break in the fast that we will receive gladly. It makes up for the diabolical (and pointless) daylight savings shift which robbed us of our hour today. Saints Patrick, Cyril, and Joseph, pray for us! (Perhaps pray that one day we can abolish this idiotic time change, too)!

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Radishes, Kalamata Olives, Bananas (Orange for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Mediterranean Braised Vegetables, Rice, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Roasted Red Peppers, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Besan Chila, Sah’awiq, Chopped Salad, Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Fried Cauliflower, Vegetarian Rouz Bukhari (made with sunflower oil), Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos with Salsa, Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Thai Coconut Cashew Rice with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce, Oranges
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Patrick
  Breakfast: Avocado Toast with Citrus Shallot Seasoning and Sprouts, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Colcannon Fish Pie (Dairy-free), Steam Sautéed Carrots with Garlic and Dill (Dairy-free), Soda Bread (the recipe is formatted a little oddly, the raisins are optional, not the buttermilk - Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Fruit
• Friday - Feast of Saint Cyril
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Sliced Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Potato and Poblano Stew (without the cheese), Fried Tortilla Strips, Fruit
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Joseph
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-free tortillas for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Falafel, Taratoor, Harissa, Duqqus, Khoubz Araby (Gluten and Dairy-free Turkish Flatbreads for Jerome), Veggies, Kalamata Olives, 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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Special Diet, 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.

Overall, Lent is off to a good start. The kids have done so well, and it seems like this was the most profitable Ash Wednesday and beginning of Lent we have had as a family in a long while. The fast truly is a school of sanctity. We have had a couple rocky moments, but it has overwhelmingly been a time of prayer and holiness. Thank God for that!

Some of my favorite saints are represented this week, who also provide a vast depth of teaching to us. It is so good to get to know these brothers and sisters in the faith!

It is also the beginning of birthday season here. Amira turns 18 this week. She is the first baby I posted about on this blog. It is hard to believe I have four adult children.

Jerome gets coriander back this week, and we are pleased that the reintroduction has gone so well. He will begin trying out milk again, even though it is Lent. We have enough around for him to have his portion, and we are hoping that the weather won't interfere with our assessment of his reaction this time. Please pray. Please pray for peace, as well.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash and Salsa with Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Tuna, Green Salad, Canned Peaches
• Monday - Feast of Saints Perpetua and Felicity
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Orange Flower Syrup (Gluten-free Granola and Coconut Milk for Jerome), Bananas (Canned Peaches for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Garden Vegetable Soup (using green chickpeas in place of the peas), Crackers (Gluten-free for Jerome), Pears
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos, Minneolas, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Samosa Cups with Green Chickpeas, Rice, Cabbage Slaw with Cumin Dressing, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Gregory of Nyssa
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable Korma, Rice, Fruit
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Coconut Bread, Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pan Fried Scallops, Vegan DanDan Noodles, Mandarin Oranges, Koulourakia
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Sliced Pears, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Eggplant and Chickpea Curry, Rice, Green Salad, Sliced Pears
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Gregory the Great
  Breakfast: Tahina Cookies (Gluten-free Granola and Coconut Milk for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Avocado Pasta with Cashews, 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: Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Lent, Menu Plans, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

Chicken Fried Steak

This is so delicious, and you can use the excess coating mixture both to thicken and season your gravy, and the excess buttermilk mixture as part of your gravy for no waste. I like to serve biscuits and a vegetable and fruit with this to make a meal. In the summer, I serve sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, or fresh corn, whatever is fresh from the garden or farmers' market.

3 pounds cube steak
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
8 cloves garlic

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion granules

oil, for frying

cream gravy to serve

Mix egg and buttermilk in a large, shallow pan to combine well. Whisk in crushed garlic. Soak meat in this mixture for at least an hour.

Combine the dry ingredients in another large, shallow pan for coating the steaks.

Prepare a baking sheet with a cooling rack over it to place the meat to drain while the other steaks are frying. If your oven has a warming setting, this is a perfect place to put the pan, so the steaks stay hot while you cook all of them.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat (or to 375˚F in an electric skillet). You will not be deep frying, but shallow frying - about 1/2 an inch or so.

As the oil heats, dip the steaks in the flour mixture, turning to coat well. When the oil is ready (a pinch of the flour mixture dropped in will sizzle immediately), carefully place the steaks, one at a time, into the oil. You don't want to overlap any meat, but you want to crowd them a little. This will keep them from burning, and will allow them to cook fully and brown well. Cook until golden brown on one side, then turn over and do the same for the other side. Work in batches, placing the meat on the rack on the prepared pan as it cooks.

When all the steaks are fried, use the pan you fried them in to make your gravy.

Cream Gravy

You can use the oil that remains from frying to make your gravy, simply remember to skim off any burnt bits that might be in it. If I have more than enough of the leftovers, I scale this recipe up and use it all, because it is good on toast or biscuits another day.

oil from frying plus butter (if necessary) to equal 1/3 cup
flour mixture remaining from steak coating plus enough pastry or all purpose flour to equal 1/3 cup
buttermilk and egg mixture plus milk to equal 6 cups
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
salt to taste

Heat oil over medium heat. Sprinkle flour mixture over oil, stir in and cook for a minute or two. Slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture, stirring well. Add pepper and paprika and cook, stirring frequently until gravy is thickened to your liking. Taste for salt and season if necessary.

Tender Crisp Chicken with Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil

Like many recipes, this started with one I found elsewhere. It has disappeared off the internet, but we still make it. It is delicious and so simple to make. People love it, and it only takes a few minutes of hands on work, which makes it great dinner party fare. This is what we served at Alexander and Autumn's wedding. You can use a couple whole cut up chickens, if you like, but the dark meat really is better. It has more flavor and is juicier. I prefer to make this with all chicken thighs, but if drumsticks are what we can get, I use those. The whole legs are perfect, though, because then everyone gets a drumstick and thigh, both. The original recipe leaves the garlic in the papers, so you can squeeze the soft garlic out onto bread, but this creates more of a mess than I love with kids, so I peel them completely, unless it is a small amount or for only adults.

8 whole chicken legs (drum and thigh together), or 16 drumsticks or thighs
kosher salt and pepper, to taste (I tend to use 1 teaspoon salt per pound of meat on this, because the tomatoes and garlic sweeten it so much, rather than about 3/4 teaspoon salt per pound of meat I normally use)
two big bunches of fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (or use plum tomatoes quartered or a mixture of both - if I use grape tomatoes, I don't bother cutting them at all)
2 whole bulbs of garlic, broken up into cloves
2 fresh red chiles, finely chopped
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place them in two large oven-proof pan in one layer. Throw in all the basil stalks as well as the tomatoes. Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan with the chopped chiles and drizzle over a generous amount of olive oil. Mix around a bit, pushing the tomatoes underneath the chicken.

Place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone. Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the top with the chopped fresh basil leaves to serve.

We serve this with crusty Italian bread, to soak up all the juices, or lemon parsley rice, or pasta with garlic and parmesan.

Three Hearts Salad

We made this salad for the wedding, also, keeping the dressing separate until we were ready to serve. I often make this for our anniversary or Valentine's dinners when we eat at home. This makes enough for 12 people as a small side salad.

4 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 14-ounce cans hearts of palm, drained and sliced into rounds
4 hearts of Romaine
24 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Whisk together lemon juice, mustard and garlic in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add artichoke hearts and hearts of palm and allow to marinate at room temperature at least 20 minutes, up to four hours, giving them a stir every now and then.

At serving time, tear your lettuce into a large salad bowl and toss with the tomato halves. Spoon dressing mixture over the top and gently toss to dress the salad. Serve.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

We in the West are in the last few days before Lent. Quinquagesima is the fiftieth day before the Paschal feast. Sadly, again, we are a week off from our brethren in the East. One of our deepest prayers is for reunion of East and West, and fixing the Paschal feast date so that we celebrate it together always! The next time we will do that is in 2025. We've been cleaning out most of the non-Lenten foods in the house and I have done most of our Lenten preparatory shopping. Tuesday, we will be having our traditional doughnut feast. The fast officially begins for us on Ash Wednesday, and since the dietary rule for that day is nor food or nutritive drink, the only meals that day will be for our youngest two girls. Three years ago, I learned that the fast is properly called a xerophagy, which means dry eating or dry food. Eating without meat and fish and dairy and egg results in "dry" eating. So if you need a Scrabble word, there are two for you!

My posts here about how we fast are not meant to show off, they are meants to show the reality of how we live our faith, and to (I hope) give encouragement and meal ideas to those seeking them. Now that all of our children are old enough to keep most or all of the fast, we are trying to live out the Lenten Rule more closely. This means no meat, fish, dairy, egg, olive oil (except on Saturdays, Sundays, and specific feast days), or wine/alcohol (except on Saturdays, Sundays, and specific feast days). Shellfish is permitted, but since it tends to be more expensive, especially lately, it will appear sparingly. Our meals will be within that rule, for the most part, though we will relax the rule a little for Sundays, when we will eat fish, as well as during some major feast days when that is permitted, anyway. We do have some birthdays within Lent and, not wanting to embitter our children, we have either allowed them to break the fast that day, or celebrated with a Lenten, but festive, meal and dessert. Since those with birthdays in Lent are or were nearly adults, they have chosen to stick with the Lenten and festive, for the past couple years. We want to accustom our children to striving to live in this way, just as we have our youngest fast from one meal or two meals as they are able on strict fast days in which the older family members are not eating at all. This is how we both practice our faith and teach our children to practice their faith. Just as we have grown in this practice, we teach them to do so as well. We struggle within our strength and try to keep our eyes on our own plate (and that of our young children). So, even though Ash Wednesday is a strict fast, our youngest two will be eating one or two light meals still, and if we have any non-Lenten food left by then, they can consume them for us this week or next.

As we prepare for Lent, we must prepare for self-examination, 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: Labneh on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Cucumbers, Olives, Fried Pastrami, Mandarin Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Navy Beans with Ham, Rice, Herb Bread, Salad, Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Egg and Cheese Burritos, Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese, Oranges
• Tuesday - Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs and Sausages, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: French Onion Soup, Chex Mix, Treats brought by our Friends, Louqaimat, Fastnacht Kreppel, Poderane Gaće, Fritule, Pear Fritters (made Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Eggnog (Dairy-free for Jerome)
• Wednesday - Ash Wednesday (Strict Fast - our youngest two will be eating one or two small meals)
  Breakfast: Toast, Banana, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Dates, Walnut Bread, Crudités
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Matthias the Apostle
  Breakfast: Asparagus, Chard and Chickpea "Scramble", Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Bananas (Grapefruit for Jerome), Coffee
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans, Salsa Rice, Chopped Salad, Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Slow Cooker North African Vegetable Tagine, Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Lenten Pancakes, Fluffy Gluten-Free and Vegan Peanut Butter Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup for Jerome, Tea or Coffee
  Dinner: Brazilian Shrimp Soup, Roasted Asparagus, 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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Lent, Mardi Gras, Menu Plans, Quinquagesima, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday! There are also only nine days left until our Mardi Gras doughnut night. We are excited about that, and even about the spritual school of the fast. We are enjoying our pre-fasting time as much as we can right now. Rich wanted us to get some fancy barbecue and pizza from a restaurant here in town before the fast, so we are doing that this week. They are going to work with us to accomodate Jerome's food intolerances, which is fantastic.

Jerome gets cheese back tomorrow, and we are all thrilled for him. We start his test of coriander/cilantro this week, and I really hope he has no trouble with that, because we eat it all the time, normally. It will make Lent much easier for us if he can eat that, too. Then, we try the milk one more time, to see how it goes now that the weather has calmed down a little.

• Sunday - Sexagesima
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup (Fluffy Gluten-Free and Vegan Peanut Butter Pancakes for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftover Turkey, Gravy, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Horseradish Relish, Salad, Cream Cheese Cookie Bites, Apple Pie and Chantilly Cream
• Monday
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting (Gluten-free for Jerome), Breakfast Sausage Patties, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Stacked Turkey, Corn and Chard Enchiladas (Non-dairy Milk for Jerome), Salsa Rice, Sliced Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Baked French Toast (Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Canned Spiced Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Smoked Brisket, Pulled Pork, Smoked Turkey, Barbecue Pizzas, Cowboy Beans, Corn Bread, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd, Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome), Green Salad, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Matthias the Apostle
  Breakfast: Shakshouka, Bread (Gluten-free for Jerome), Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Double Decker Grilled Reubens (Gluten-free for Jerome), Pickles, Green Salad, Sliced Apples
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Honey, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Caribbean Seafood Stew, Rice, Oranges
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Alexander of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancakes (Gluten and dairy-free for Jerome) with Maple Syrup, Bacon, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pepperoni Pizzas (Gluten-free for Jerome), 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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Sexagesima, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

We are in the countdown to Lent again! Lent is both later this year than it has been recently, but also still feels like it is coming faster. While we follow the western calendar for the dates of Lent and the Paschal feast, that image up there does feel accurate. In just over two weeks, we will be having our doughnut party for Mardi Gras. We are already planning some apple or pear fritters Jerome can eat, if we substitute his gluten-free flour, dairy-free butter or oil, and coconut milk.

I have been remiss in posting recipes here. Part of that has been our exhausted catching up on everything at home and with schooling, part of that has been that I haven't had a chance to get good pictures. My goal this week is to get them posted, even without pictures, and then add the pictures at a later date. The latest date I hope to have them posted is the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

Also, there is only week to go and Jerome has cheese back entirely! Just in time to take it off his plate for Lent, but he is excited nonetheless. We don't really do the individual giving something up for Lent, rather choosing to take on the sacrifices and disciplines of the Church and fast and pray with Her. We have been growing into our practice, and still aren't as strict about it as the most strict, monastic, rules, are, but we try to fast within our strength. Now that we have no really young children, and I am not pregnant or nursing every two out of three years, this is simpler for our family. If you do not practice this fast (or the Wednesday and Friday fasts), may I encourage you to do so? It is joining in communion with the Church Universal, praying and observing with Her, in solidarity and unity, but also as a way we can make every bite that enters our mouth part of our worship of and devotion to God.

All of our children know that we abstain from certain foods on Wednesdays and Fridays because of Judas' betrayal of Jesus on Wednesday and Jesus' crucifixion on Friday. Every one of them knows that we fast during Lent and Advent as a way to see our need for God, and as a reminder to pray and give alms. Even the littlest of us who cannot fully fast, still know that this is the practice of the Church for our own growth and seek to grow into it. Once it becomes a habit, it is not usually too hard to do (though during the seasons of fasting and abstinence, it does get to be a slog, but that is good, too, just challenging), and forces us to remember to pray, to seek the Lord in the desert, to fast with Him, to identify with those who do not eat because they cannot, and therefore, to be generous with them, as well. We cannot even imaging going back to a time when only our preferences determine how we eat. This small devotion has grown us in ways we could never have predicted. I adjure you to give it a try, with the spiritual advice of your priest or confessor or another spiritual father or mother in your life, making accomodations for your health and strength, and see what God will do in you.

• Sunday - Septuagesima
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef Rendang, Sticky Coconut Rice, Stir Fried Peppers and Onions, Cara Cara Oranges
• Monday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast (Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Persian Carrot and Beef Meatballs, Potatoes and Chard, Home Canned Pears, Persian Love Cake
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Onesimus
  Breakfast: Baked French Toast (Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Canned Spiced Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Greek Chicken and Rice*, Potluck Vegetables or Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome) with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Tuna, Canned Peaches
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Harvest Pancakes, Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tom Kha Gai with Turkey (Thai Coconut Soup), Sliced Oranges
• Friday - Feast of Saint Pope Leo the Great
  Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Cauliflower Walnut Tacos, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Salsa
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Herb Roasted Turkey, Gravy, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Orange Sauce with Toasted Walnuts, Cranberry Horseradish Relish, Steam Sautéed Carrots, Salad, Apple Pie and Chantilly Cream

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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Septuagesima, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

We had a big winner meal last week and a big loser. The Persian stew was full of things we eat all the time and like, every ingredient in it was something we enjoy, but somehow all together, even though it sounded and smelled good together, it was not good. I'm going to take the blame on that, but I am also not going to make it again, until I have eaten it with pleasure at someone else's hands and learn how she makes it. The Spanish fish and shrimp stew, though, was fantastic, and I will make it again. Normally, I try to keep daily dinners at or below $2.00 a person, and this one was around $4.33 per person, but considering what a single bowl of it would have cost at a restaurant, and how wonderfully it tasted, it will come out more frequently, when we can get fish and shrimp for decent (or as close to that as we get now) prices.

Now that Jerome is starting his third week of testing cheese, our assessment is not just neutral, but positive. His skin has improved quite a bit, which, to be fair, probably has at least as much to do with the weather and relative humidity, but it was during a time that my own ezcema blew up a lot. He is so excited to be able to eat fermented dairy products freely again in two weeks! This gives me a little more hope for our second trial with the milk.

Again, I encourage you to stock your pantries and freezers with foods that are lower priced in your price range and be ready. Be urgent and diligent about it, but be at peace, there is no need for fear.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Titus
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Bacon Sausages, (Gluten and Dairy-free Sausage Gravy on Toast for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Hearty Beef Tacos, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Cumin Lime Dressing, Oranges
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: H'ashweh, Sumac Roasted Cauliflower, Taratoor, Harissa, Home Canned Pears
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Peach Oatmeal (Grain-free Granola for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta with Prosciutto, Cabbage and Onions, Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, Sliced Apples
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam (Coconut Yogurt for Jerome), Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala, Rice, Chopped Salad, Canned Spiced Peaches
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Scholastica
  Breakfast: Potato and Veggie Hash, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chef Salad with Ham and Chopped Egg, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Ful, Shatta, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Oranges, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup, Crackers (Gluten-free for Jerome), Canned Peaches
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Ham and Potato Bake (Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Grapefruit Halves, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, 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, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Presentation, Purification, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

This last week was rather busy, but not with anything that seems to have accomplished much. In any case, I am behind on my blogging and behind in a lot of other things here. Our Christmas party was a little smaller, as two of my knit night friends and their families were sick with colds. However, it was still a success, and it was fun just to hang out and eat and talk and have fun.

Jerome doesn't seem to be doing any better or worse with cheese, so I do suspect that the weather has influenced his skin. We will give it a try after we finish the round with cheese. It is the end of the Christmas season this week and we are three weeks before the first week of Lent and are getting ready for that. This week holds a few feasts, and the end of the infant narratives in our gospel readings. After this it is preparing for Christ's earthly and prophetic ministry. We are also getting ready for the type of supply chain challenges and price increases that seem to be exponentially growing more frequent. I encourage you to stock your pantries and freezers with foods that are lower priced in your price range and be ready. I think the world is going to get much harder for everyone, even than it has been over the past two years, and the foolish policies and decisions of our governors and legislatures are making the situation worse. Pray for all of us, and prepare so you can take care of your families and your neighbors, too. There is an urgent sense in me, but I am at peace, I hope you are also.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftovers from the Party, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Oven Roasted Beef Shawerma, Rice with Parsley and Pine Nuts, Salatat Zeitoun, Sliced Vegetables, Taratoor, Peri Peri Sauce, Fruit Plate
• Monday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam (Coconut Yogurt for Jerome), Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lengua Tacos, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Cumin Lime Dressing, Oranges
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Almond Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Slow Cooker Mediterranean Pork with Cous Cous (Rice for Jerome), Roasted Cauliflower, Sliced Apples
• Wednesday - Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
  Breakfast: Christmas Scones (Gluten and Dairy-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Persian Fava Bean and Egg Stew (Baghali Ghatogh), Rice, Oranges, Kroštule/Hrštule
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Blaise
  Breakfast: Sunnyside Up Onion Ring Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Kofta in Tomato Sauce, Rice, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Cornelius
  Breakfast: Peach Oatmeal (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Spanish Fish and Shrimp Stew, Bread (Gluten-free for Jerome), Home Canned Pears
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Agnes of Rome
  Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Rice, Chopped Scallions, Pepper Vinegar, 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: Christmas, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Nativity, Presentation, Purification, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen