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Friday, December 1, 2017

Cheap & Cheerful Supers for the end of November



We did not roast a turkey for Thanksgiving, but chose to do a whole chicken instead. It was simpler and I had one in the freezer already. So our meals don't contain turkey leftovers! Scheduling-wise, celebrating on Saturday worked better for our family.

Saturday
cream of spinach soup
meatballs in thai peanut sauce
roast chicken
braised lamb shanks
macaroni and cheese
potato salad
dinner rolls
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
cranberry sauce
pumpkin pie
pumpkin cheesecake

Sunday
leftovers from the previous day

Monday
a mixture of leftovers combined into 1 casserole, plus leftover potato salad and mac and cheese

Tuesday
casserole of brown rice, lentils, chicken
random leftovers divided amongst us

Wednesday
chicken, rice, and pumpkin soup
cole slaw
fresh fruit

Thursday
corn and sausage souffle
oven-roasted sweet potatoes
broccoli


Today marks the beginning of the last month of the year. So much has happened in this past year. And there is so much left to do in this last month. One thing that has remained constant is home-prepared meals almost every day. I have enlisted help from other family members, and relied on more ready-made products. But in the end, we have delicious dinners on a very low budget. So I think we're doing well. I think that I'm happy with how the meals are turning out.

What was on your menu this past week? I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

8 comments:

  1. Hi, Lili--

    What a delicious Thanksgiving feast! It sounded wonderful! I know a lot of people who could not get together on Thursday for their celebration, but everyone seemed to have lots to be thankful for whatever day they gathered. The rest of the meals sounded wholesome, tasty, and seasonal. I love autumn food! :) I'm glad you're evolving a plan that works for your family's current time and budget situation. I've found that what's practical and appropriate does change over the years. I was thinking the other day about what DH and I ate when we were newlyweds, compared to what we eat now. It's interesting...neither way was "better", our needs and resources were just different. It's important to be able to be flexible, because food is such an important part of our lives, health, and budget.

    Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! Love, Sara

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sara,
      Thanksgiving was quite a feast, thanks to my two daughters. They prepared a lot of it. And there were so many leftovers that I did little cooking for the following couple of days.
      Cooking does evolve with life's seasons. I do keep wondering what it will be like when I am cooking for just one or two.
      I hope that you had a wonderful weekend, too, Sara!

      Delete
  2. Wow, your dinner sounds delicious--and 3 kinds of meat! I've never been that ambitious! In my single years, if I hosted Thanksgiving (mostly for my parents and maybe a friend or two who needed a place to land) I typically cooked a Cornish game hen (or two). Tasty and I didn't have to deal with massive amounts of leftovers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      3 kinds of meat does sound extraordinary, doesn't it? The lamb was brought by a guest, and the meatballs were freezer ones in sauce (and my daughter prepared that). So, really, the chicken was the only meat that I freshly cooked. It's wonderful having grown kids who like to do some of the cooking. You are not that far off with your own kids.

      Delete
  3. We did our family Thanksgiving the Saturday before - also because of scheduling issues. Even though it's a small gathering, I feel for my poor step-mom having to contend with everyone's dietary restrictions. I have a pile of allergies, my cousin can't have gluten or dairy, and my dad hates anything "mushy" (which includes both sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes.) Oy! Like Kris, we always do Cornish game hens because my step-mom isn't a big fan of leftovers - and then about a zillion side dishes so everyone can find something they can eat. So I baked some chicken the next day to go with all the many side dishes she sent home with me!

    Cream of spinach soup sounds beyond delicious! I may have to try that some day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      I've never ever made Cornish game hens. They sound like a great solution to mega-leftovers. I like the idea of lots of side dishes. It's hard to do if it's just one person doing all of the cooking, but it does provide options for those of us with allergies and intolerances.
      My daughter made the cream of spinach soup. It was milk-based so I didn't have any, but it smelled delicious.

      Delete
  4. What wonderful Thanksgiving meal. So many options. We went to my sister's and had pot luck. My sister got a honey baked ham. Brother in law brought a turkey. We brought a green bean casserole. There also was corn casserole, cauliflower casserole, brushel sprouts,fruit salad,mashed potatoes, gravey and at least 10 different sweets. My niece loves to bake. Doing a potluck was wonderful and it wasn't too much on any one person.
    Hope your weekend is lovely.
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patti,
      I love potlucks, too. I find that most of my own cooking tastes very similar. So eating what several people have made provides a lot of variety in flavors. Your feast sounded delicious! Have a great day, Patti!

      Delete

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