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