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Friday, November 4, 2016

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the first week of November


Friday
It's been a very busy day, today. Taking one daughter someplace, an hour long appt for myself, grocery shopping at WinCo, peeling trimming and chopping 15 pounds of carrots, and I still need to do laundry and clean up the house. I'm too tired to do much for dinner. I'm thinking something that will use canned veggies, some of the carrots I chopped and use the food processor to do onions, all combined with frozen turkey in broth.
  • turkey, vegetables and dumplings
Saturday
  • leftover turkey and dumplings
Sunday
  • turkey tacos, using frozen turkey, refried beans, cheese and chopped tomatoes, in a fried corn tortilla shell
  • carrot sticks
Monday
  • turkey, bean and cheese burritos
  • oven-roasted carrots
Tuesday
Baking day. I baked 2 weeks of bread for us, 4 loaves of sandwich bread and 4 loaves of French bread. I plan on using one loaf of French bread to go with dinner tonight.
  • tomato, kale and onion frittata
  • French bread
  • canned corn
  • canned green beans
  • pickled beets
  • pudding/stale cookie dessert
Wednesday
After several meals of turkey, we are on a meatless streak for a few days. I soaked some black beans overnight, and I'll make a large pot of soup to last 3 nights (and a couple of lunches).
  • black bean and veggie soup, topped with cheese
  • home-fried tortilla chips
  • last of pudding dessert
Thursday
Last night's soup was delicious. Tonight, I'll serve more of the soup, along with garlic bread on one of the loaves of French bread, that I baked on Tuesday.
  • leftover black bean and veggie soup
  • garlic bread
  • carrot sticks and 1000 Island dressing/dip
This weeks big cooking used my large stock pot, both times! I made the turkey and dumplings that we ate for a couple of dinners and a lunch, and then later in the week, the large pot of black bean and veggie soup. So far, we're not tiring of the repetition. And this is giving me more time to do other things, like make gifts. 

We'll eat the last of the black bean soup for tonight's dinner, which is very handy considering I have an appointment this morning, then a few errands, and later this afternoon, if both daughters are home in time, we'll go over to our local Christmas store for a little holiday inspiration.

So, what was on your menu this week? Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

15 comments:

  1. We had lots of good food this week but now we're finishing all the leftovers. Chicken soup, baked chicken, chicken tacos, spaghetti, roast beef and green beans, mashed potatoes.

    I have been making no knead bread lately and one I have really enjoyed is cranberry/pecan. I think I will do another one without the pecans and maybe add dates or figs or some other dried fruit. We'll freeze some to have in the next two weeks.

    We're going to have a nice weekend and the intention was to work Sat. cleaning up leaves but hubby is going to work instead. I am very capable of doing the cleanup myself so that's not a problem. I think we cook hamburgers on the grill when he comes come. I have minimal groceries to get this weekend so I'll get those on the way home from work today.

    Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
    Alice

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    Replies
    1. Good morning, Alice!
      Your meals sound yummy! And so does the cranberry-pecan bread. Is this a yeast no-knead bread, or a baking powder one? Sounds delicious, and as it happens, I have both pecans and dried cranberries on hand right now. You just inspired me to do some baking this weekend!

      While it is work, cleaning up leaves, I hope you can take a few minutes to enjoy the crisp air and beauty of it all. I hope to get some spring bulbs planted tomorrow. That will get me outdoors for a little while, at least.

      Have a lovely weekend, Alice!

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    2. Alice, if your bread is a yeast bread, I'd be interested in the recipe!

      We are, indeed, having beautiful weather today in west Michigan, hooray! We are having a small (early) birthday celebration for my daughter tonight--her best friend and grandma are joining the family. I made my quick yeast roll recipe this morning and I will make crockpot lasagna for supper, which will make my life easier, as I have to take my son this afternoon (it's a half day of school today) for his initial-braces-for-teeth appointment. Not sure how long the appt will take and I like to have everything prepped and ready to go for dinner. I'll heat green beans and we'll be good to go. We have birthday cake, which my daughter and her friend will decorate for us (I'm using the term "decorate" veeeeery loosely here). Definitely a carb-loading meal. Ha. I can't remember all of our meals, but I had a chicken and rice dinner, hamburger/potato/cheese soup and breadsticks meal, and, hmmmm, well, I'm sure we ate something on those other days!

      Happy weekend to you all, too! :)

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    3. Hi Kris,
      Happy, happy to your daughter! How old is she? Your kids are growing up, Kris! Your birthday diner celebration sound yummy! And I'm sure your daughter and her friend will have fun decorating the cake. My two daughters still love to do that, when given the chance (perhaps it's to eat frosting!).

      Have a wonderful weekend, Kris, and enjoy the gorgeous fall weather!

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    4. She will be 11. Time is flying. :)

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    5. Oh, my! She'll be a teen in no time!

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    6. Kris,
      How do you make your hamburger, potato, cheese soup? Sounds like a winning combo.

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    7. L&L, are you sure you aren't a midwesterner? Your tastes trend that way. :)

      Here's the link: http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/11/cheesy-hamburger-potato-soup.html Next time I would skip the parmesan and add all sharp cheddar. I might kick up the herbs, too.

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  2. Lili,
    This is a yeast bread with 1/4 tsp. yeast. I put the dough together at 6 pm Friday night and Saturday anytime after 6 am I fold, then roll it and let it sit for 5 minutes, then I roll it in a ball and let it rise for 2 hrs. Then bake.

    It takes very little work but it takes planning. I used this recipe: http://breadtopia.com/no-knead-recipe-variations/

    I do have sourdough starter in my fridge but I am really hesitant on using it without yeast. Supposedly, the bread should rise but I'm afraid it won't and then I would have wasted ingredients. I suppose I should try it. I'm not sure if I could add yeast later or not. Too much to think about!

    Alice

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Alice--we must have been posting at the same time. :)

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    2. Thank you, Alice!
      Like Kris, I was hoping it was yeast bread, as they often have less sugar, than quick breads. I'm going to make some of this over the weekend!

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  3. Your meals sound delicious and comforting for this time of year. Thank you Alice for the link to the bread. I will be checking ing that link out. I will be doing some baking which uses up some of the pumpkin I have to process and I would like to try that bread recipe also. Have a great weekend.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Susan,
      Oh yum, pumpkin recipes! Enjoy your baking time, Susan. It sounds like a lovely fall activity.
      Have a wonderful weekend!

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  4. Hi Lili,
    It has really cooled off at night so that has been lovely. I even got to wear a sweater.:)
    Our meals this week were simple but good. We had Quick Chili open cans add meat and spice top with cheese. Pasta Fagioli salad and homemade bread. Beef Brisket with veggies in the Crock Pot and homemade bread.Tamale Pie and toppings. Bake the pumpkin and had Pumpkin muffins and bread. Boiled eggs for snacks and breakfast this is quick protein. Tonight Gnocchi,salad
    and homemade bread.Your meals sound really good!
    Have a wonderful weekend. I hope you get to go to the Christmas store.
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patti,
      I'm so glad that you're getting a taste of fall right now! We were in So. CA 15 years ago, today, and I remember the temps being pleasant, not hot, not cold, with a tiny bit of rain sprinkled into the week.
      Your meals sound so tasty, Patti! And I agree on boiled eggs as great for high protein snacks and breakfasts. Eggs were on sale at Fred Meyer this week, with my Senior Discount, I paid 59 cents/dozen (in 18-ct packs, limit 2). So I boiled a bunch of eggs. It's nice to have fresh eggs again, as I've been relying on the frozen ones for a couple of months.

      My daughters finish up early today, so if it all works out, I'll pick them up at the transit center and we'll go to the Christmas store. Free coffee/cookies, holiday music, and lots of inspiration.This is also the place that sets out pumpkins and squash for free sometime in November. Hoping to get lucky!

      Have a great weekend, Patti!

      Delete

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