Christ is illumined! Let us shine forth with Him!

It's the last three days of the Epiphany octave, and we are still in the Christmas season. We are still enjoying the Nativity and its celebration, though we are back to the normal pattern of fasting.

Dominic and Shawn left with Winnie yesterday morning, and we already miss them. We are hoping to take a trip to visit them in the spring. Shawn's mother and a couple of her brothers were here this weekend, and left today, so we are a little lonely now. It was wonderful to have all our kids and grandkids under our roof on Saturday. Though we didn't do our normal slate of sweets and treats, we have spread the Christmas joy around in the lovely foods we've been eating.

Part of what I did when I was in Saudi Arabia was ask my family how they made specific dishes, and record it for us and our children. I will be sharing some of those foods with you here, too. It was wonderful to get both the food stories and the family stories, which I have also recorded, for our family. I got to learn more family history, including the specifics of our ethnic background, including to which Saudi tribes our family belongs.

Our week is back to normal, mostly, though we are still easing into schoolwork. Next week, we will be back on schedule with that, and then in a couple weeks, we will start our homeschool co-op for winter. I'm still trying to catch up at home, and get into a normal sleep pattern. Please keep us in your prayers.

• Sunday - First Sunday after the Epiphany and Theophany of Our Lord
  Breakfast: Breakfast Tacos with Avocado, Salsa and Sour Cream, Milk, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Lamb Shawerma, Parish brings Sides/Salads/Fruit/Desserts
• Monday
  Breakfast: Leftovers, Milk, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Ranchero Beans, Sliced Beef, Salsa Rice
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Cottage Cheese, Olives, Mint Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Hobbit Dinner (Sausage, Potato, Carrot, Sauerkraut and Onion Skillet), Roasted Squash, Ice Cream
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Hilary of Poitiers
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash, Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Vegetables (Brussels Sprouts, Onions, Squash), Wild Rice Pilaf, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Sausage, Toast, Fruit Plate, Coffee, Tea and Milk
  Dinner: Saleeq, Fassoliya*, Christmas Cherry Nut Cake
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Honey Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Falafel, Sah'awiq, Taratoor, Khoubz Araby (GF for Jerome), Olives and Veggies, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Antony of Egypt
  Breakfast: Çilbir, Persian Barbari Bread, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Korean Style Ground Beef, Sesame Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables, Jasmine Rice, Brown Sugar Shortbread

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, Epiphany, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Nativity, Tales from the Kitchen, Theophany