Meal Plan: November 26 - December 2

Monday:
Carrot Ginger Soup

Tuesday:  Broiled Fish Fillet with Potatoes and Sides

Wednesday:  Pasta with Pesto

Thursday:  Ravioli Lasagna

Friday:  Leftover Buffet

Saturday:  Pizza (after Martha Speaks!)

Sunday:  Pork Roast with Sides

Meal Plan: November 19 - 25

Monday:
Black Bean Soup with Hardboiled Eggs

Tuesday:
Leftover Buffet

Wednesday:
TBD

Thursday:
Thanksgiving!

Friday:
TBD

Saturday:
in NYC!

Sunday:
Pancakes for dinner

Meal Plan: November 12 - 18

Monday:
Onion Soup

Tuesday:
Slow cooker Beef and Tomato Stew (use venison in freezer!)

Wednesday:
Pasta with red sauce or pesto

Thursday:
Thanksgiving Sandwiches or Cheese Sandwiches with leftover soup

Friday:
Leftover Buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Broiled Fish Fillet, Rosemary Carrots in Freezer, Roasted Potatoes

Meal Plan: November 5 - 11

Monday:  Baked Potato Soup

Tuesday:  Risotto with Cranberry Orange Sausage and Peas

Wednesday:  Pasta with red sauce or pesto

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Acorn Squash Mac and Cheese

Friday:  Light Leftover Buffet/Snacks when Andrades arrive

Saturday:  Pizza

Sunday:  Broiled Fish Fillet, roasted potatoes, vegetable sides

Meal Plan: October 29 - November 4

Monday:
Chicken noodle soup

Tuesday:
Sweet and Sour Pork Chops, with grain and vegetable side

Wednesday:  Halloween!
Pasta with red sauce and meatballs

Thursday:
Hummus with Pitas and Lentils and Carrot Salad

Friday:
Leftover Buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Squash Ravioli with won-ton wrappers

Meal Plan: October 22 - 28

Monday:

Cauliflower Soup with warm bread

Tuesday:

Chicken Pot Pie

Wednesday

Pasta with Red Sauce or Pesto

Thursday:

Chicken Tacos

Friday:

Leftover Buffet

Saturday;

Pizza

Sunday:

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, vegetable sides

Meal Plan: October 15 - 21

Monday:
Everyday Food Roasted Beet and Potato Borsht

Tuesday:
Steak Roll ups

Wednesday:
Pasta with red sauce or pesto

Thursday:
Tuna Sandwiches and Tomato Soup

Friday:
Leftover buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Roast Chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables

Meal Plan: October 8 - 14

Monday:
Everyday Food Minestrone with Collard Greens and White Beans

Tuesday:
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken with Black Beans

Wednesday:
Pasta with Red Sauce or Pesto

Thursday:
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

Friday:
Leftover Buffet

Saturday:
Sandwiches after apple picking

Sunday:
Steak and sides

Meal Plan: October 1 - 7

Monday:
Butternut Squash Soup with warm bread

Tuesday:
Slow Cooker Asian Peanut Butter Pork with garlicky kale and rice or cous cous

Wednesday:
Pasta Pesto

Thursday:
Cod with Tomatoes from freezer with quinoa and swiss chard

Friday:
Leftover Buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Acorn Squash with wild rice stuffing

Meal Plan: September 24 - 30

Monday:
Tortilla Soup

Tuesday:
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Wednesday:
Pasta with Red Sauce

Thursday:
Slow Cooker BBQ Cornbread Casserole

Friday:
Leftover Buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Roasted squash stuffed with cranberries and wild rice

Meal Plan: September 17 - 23

Monday:
Split Pea Soup with bread

Tuesday:
Meatloaf in the Slowcooker

Wednesday:
Pasta with Red Sauce

Thursday:
"John Harvard's Aztec Salad" :  Lettuce, lentils, hummus and pita

Friday:
Leftover buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Roast chicken with sweet potatoes and sides

Meal Plan: September 10 - 16

Monday:
Acorn Squash Soup

Tuesday:
Slow Cooker Honey Lentils

Wednesday:
Pasta with Red Sauce

Thursday:
Slow Cooker Quinoa Casserole

Friday:
Leftover Buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Pollock with vegetable sides and rice

Meal Plan: September 3 - 9

Monday:
Fire Department BBQ

Tuesday:
Slow Cooker Autumn Sausage Casserole

Wednesday:
Frozen Ravioli with Red Sauce

Thursday:
Hotdog and bean casserole with peaches and apples

Friday:
Leftover Buffet

Saturday:
Pizza

Sunday:
Pork chops, Broccoli and apple compote

We made Lavender Jelly with some dried lavender we purchased at Lavender by the Bay farm in East Marion, NY.  We used this recipe from What's Cooking America.  It was our first experience using a jelly recipe and we were pleasantly surprised by how fast and easy it was.  Shortbread cookies to follow!

Lavender Jelly from What's Cooking America.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lavender flowers
Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)
1 (1 3/4-ounces) box powdered Pectin or 1 pouch (3-ounces) liquid pectin
4 cups granulated sugar
Preparation:

In a large saucepan over high heat bring water just to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in dried lavender flowers, and let steep for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, strain mixture into a deep kettle or pot, discarding the lavender flowers. Stir in lemon juice and pectin; continue stirring until the pectin is dissolved.

Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil; add sugar. When the jelly solution returns to a hard rolling boil, let it boil for 2 to 4 minutes (see below), stirring occasionally.

Boil Times:
2 minutes - soft gel
4 minutes - medium gel

Testing for jell thickness - place a plate in the freezer for 5 minutes, then spoon a small amount of the mix onto the plate and return it to the freezer for 2 minutes. If it thickens up to the consistency you like, then the jelly is ready. If not, simmer for another minute or two.

After boiling, transfer the jelly into hot sterilized jars. Fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. Boil in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove jars with tongs and set on a towel for 12 hours. Make sure that ever lid has sealed. If any are still raised, store in the refrigerator and use right away.

Makes six 1/2 pints.

Meal Plan: March 19 - 25

And we're baaa-aaack! After a long posting hiatus, not planning hiatus, mind you, I am happy to be seemingly back on track. I have found that unless I post our meal plans, where they are publicly viewable, they are not sacred enough for us to adhere to them. The public nature yields accountability.

Luckily, our dinners have been coming together super-easily, despite evening meetings and a crazy amount of work travel. I attribute most of this to the half-pig we purchased from On the Edge Farm in October, the chickens we bought from Thymeless Herbs Farm and, of course, all of the canning and freezing of produce we did over the summer.

Well, here you are. May every dinner be stress-less for you this week.

Monday:

Left-over Corned Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes (It was really good this year!)

Tuesday:

Zucchini and Ricotta Dumplings with Butter and Romano Sauce

Wednesday:

Broccoli, Chic (peas), Cheese Casserole made with Brown Rice in the Slow Cooker

Thursday:

Sweet Sausage Ragu over Linguine with a Mixed Green Salad

Friday:

Creamy Shells with Tuna and Spinach from Everyday Food, March 2012

Saturday:

Pan-seared Pork Chops with Colcannon and Pickled Vegetables

Sunday:

Roasted or Grilled Chicken with Zucchini-Potato Fritters and Sauteed Spinach

Meal plan: January 30 - February 5

Monday:

Birthday leftovers - ham with apple jelly, macaroni and cheese, spinach and pickles

Tuesday:

Pasta Alfredo with ham and zucchini

Wednesday:

Beans (and ham) and rice with broccoli

Thursday:

Ham and onion pot pie

Friday;

Ham salad sandwiches on bulkie rolls with pickles and roasted potatoes

Saturday:

Pizza

Sunday:

Split pea soup

Meal Plan: January 9-15

Monday:

Slow Cooker Apple Sauce Chicken and Company's Company Potatoes Au Gratin from A Year of Slow Cooking with shredded zucchini

Tuesday:

Asian-style orange pork with brown rice and broccoli

Wednesday:

Slow Cooker Squash Soup from A Year of Slow Cooking with chicken salad sandwiches

Thursday:

Left over Split pea soup with cheddar shallot toasts

Friday:

Pizza

Saturday: Visit with the Andrades!

Our own Slow Cooker chili, cornbread and salad

Sunday:

Franks and beans with homemade sauerkraut

Meal Plan: January 2-8

After a long hiatus from posting, not meal-planning, I am glad to be back on the stick in a brand new year!

Monday: Thanksgiving Casserole made from vacation-week roast turkey leftovers

Tuesday: Leftover Thanksgiving Casserole.

Wednesday: Leftover New Year's Day Hoppin' John from Simply Recipes with sautéed cabbage

Thursday: Turkey Chili in the Slow Cooker with leftover turkey

Friday: French Toast, bacon and strawberry preserves for 12the night

Saturday: Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese from A Year of Slow Cooking.

Sunday: Slow Cooker Orange Apricot Pork Chops from A Year of Slow Cooking with rice, roasted squash and broccoli.