Feeding the People {a large family’s 2-week menu, with recipe links}

So, we’re back.

We’re back, and life is here, and all of that routine, normal, expected part of living day to day is just so darn easy for the most part. Seriously– I appreciate the details so, so much more today than I did before eeking it out in Nepal was part of my reality. (Crockpot, anyone?!?)

Now, I am well aware that I never got the chance to make a fair shake of real, full life in Nepal. I wasn’t there long enough to find my rhythm fully, or to even figure out a whole week’s worth of meals with zero repeats. So please know that I am not complaining about the difficulty of life in developing countries. I’m simply sharing that since I never got over the hump of banging my head against the kitchen cabinet as I realized that I couldn’t make that, either, finding myself back in the land of fully-stocked grocery stores and year-round produce options is a little heady.

So menu making is fun again. It’s not just fun, it’s delightful. My Pinterest boards are inspiring. My appliances (for which I thank many generous friends!) are being put to good use. And my people? They are happy.

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Flu the coop

There are really very few drawbacks to life in a large family. I mean, there’s the always-ubiquitous but not-quite-cool super-sized ride (ie, the Big Old Van), and the rush to claim the last corner of the couch on Family Movie Nights. But other than that, it’s really a pretty good deal. Well, except for the flu.

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How the wheels fell off

The total truth is that if we knew exactly how and why, we would have stopped it, right?

Hindsight isn’t anything close to 20/20 yet, and I am pretty sure that many of the questions we have will never be answered this side of heaven. But still, people want to know. Heck, we want to know.

What happened over there?

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Starting over

We knew that when we came back, we’d be starting from scratch. Knew it, accepted it, embraced it. Part of the call, part of the “all in,” is stepping out in faith to shed what you no longer need, leaving your hands open for the new  that will become part of your necessary.

So we sold it all. Beds, dishes, books, towels. We sold it or gave it away and set off thinking, “In two or three years, maybe I’ll need another set of mixing bowls, but not now.”

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