We almost canceled the new menu this week, due to band concerts and other travels, but since I'd already bought everything, I decided to go ahead and then the guys would have leftovers all week, right? Wrong. Between four of us (at least two are older teen boys who eat a lot anyway), we polished off a 5 pound pork tenderloin (roasted with Granny Smith apples, craisins, a little brown sugar and cinnamon) and two boxes (I know, I try not to use mixes on my Puritan nights, but...) of Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice. There MAY be about a pound of the tenderloin left, but that's it. Really, really, good! Apparently my tenderloin was larger than usual, or I should have cut it in half, because it took much longer to roast than the oral recipe I was given said. Still, it was very good, and the rice was a nice appetizer.

After supper, I made Pecan Coconut Bars for a Christmas Party tonight. They were a big hit at a reception last weekend. I even left a few for the guys this time.

I'm not sure yet about next week: it's such a busy time of year. I think this is my last super busy one (something every night until Friday). I'm looking forward to some rest, but enjoying all the activities.

Merry CHRISTmas to all!

L

Can you believe it's December 6th? My grandfather told me years ago that each year passes faster than the one before it - how true!

Tonight was your basic old pot roast in the crockpot: chuck roast, cream of mushroom soup, Lipton Onion Soup mix, potatoes and carrots. I had this growing up (you can also do 3-4 hours on 300 degrees in the oven) and we always had it with rice. I was planning on just the potatoes, but once I smelled the gravy, I had to have rice, too. It was pretty good, but nothing new or fancy. The carrots were AMAZING! LOL I'm not sure that I've ever put potatoes and carrots with it before - just the meat and soups. The veggies were really, really GOOD! Nothing is easier than a crockpot, too - throw it in first thing in the morning and supper's ready when you get home. My biggest problem is finding recipes that work out time-wise. There are so many good sounding ones with directions of "Cook on Low for 6 hours". That just doesn't work when your job is 8-5! I guess I could always come home at lunch and get it set up, but...

Next week, Apple Craisin Tenderloin (Jim & Linda Mason's recipe). I'm hoping I can remember what exactly they said to do - guess we'll find out!

Happy Eating, and Merry CHRISTmas to all!

L

Another winner (two, actually)!! The Walnut-Crusted Salmon was wonderful and the Pineapple Casserole was fantastic. (It's hard to mess up steamed California blend, too). The salmon could have used a little more mustard than the recipe called for, I think, but it was really good - and baked perfectly...flaky and moist, but fully cooked. The pineapple was a little sweeter than I remember having this Summer at Camp Meeting, but there were three recipes to choose from and I think I picked the wrong one. This one was excellent, but I think a little less sugar would be better. It was more a pineapple cobbler than a side dish. Steamed veggies and soft rolls rounded out a delicious meal. We had almost no leftovers, too!

Maybe not the best choice for fish, but Weathervane's Santa's Sweetie red wine was delicious, too. I spent years trying to find a red wine I liked and this one is my second favorite of all time. Weathervane's Rooster Red is top of the list. I have yet to meet a Weathervane Wine I didn't like. :-)

Next week (by request) pot roast with potatoes and carrots. I found a quick and easy crock pot recipe to try, so little effort will be required. Those are my favorites!

Till next time,

L

Yum! Oh, my goodness! The Asparagus and Proscuitto Stuffed Shells were wonderful - everyone wiped their plates clean with the dinner rolls and there were only 2 shells left. I think we all just got 'stuffed'. This one is definitely a keeper! The flavors blended so well, you couldn't really taste any one ingredient. I just talked the hold outs into trying it, too, so there are officially NO leftovers.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving! I'm eating with family, and everyone's bringing something. I'm making my Grandmother's Cranberry Salad, a Hershey Swirl Pound Cake (by request) and deviled eggs.

Next week, when we're all poultry'd out, we're having Walnut-Crusted Salmon Fillets, Pineapple Casserole and steamed California-blend veggies. Starting the holiday season out right!

Til next time,

L

Paula Deen's "Creamy Rice Salad with Country Ham & Peas" is definitely a keeper! I have to agree with my sister-in-law, though - it would be a much better side dish than main course. It was really good, but needed something more. I'm thinking it would really excel as a covered dish choice.

Due to a schedule change, Tuesday Night Supper will become Monday Night Supper next week. I'm having mixed feelings there - on one hand, I think Monday will work much better with the rest of my week. On the other hand, though, it's been kind of hard to come home from work on Tuesday and starting cooking. You may have noticed the recipes have become simplier in recent weeks! Monday may be even more tiring, but I have the rest of the week to 'rest'.

Next up: Asparagus and Prosciutto Baked Shells. I found this one on a website for Barilla pasta. I knew I wanted stuffed shells, but not the same old, same old. The cheesy ones tend to be too cheesy (according to some), and the meaty ones I've had several times. This sounded really different and tasty!

If anyone would like one of the recipes we tried, please let me know! I'll be more than happy to share.

L

Tuesday, November 8th was Breakfast for Supper night. Homemade pancakes, sausage patties, bacon, scrambled eggs and optional sauteed mushrooms. Rather plain and simple, but I was just tired. Left up to 'surprise us', that was the quickest and easiest thing that ran through my mind.

Next up: Paula Deen's Creamy Rice Salad with Country Ham and Peas. (I know, I know: these folks don't like peas, but I'm doin' the cookin' and I do!)

L

Trisha Yearwood has two fantasic cookbooks out - "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen" and her new one, "Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood". Pretty much everything in both of them looks good, and so far, everything I've tried has been really wonderful!

Tonight, we had "Cowboy Lasagna" - your basic lasagna, but with ground beef, sage sausage and pepperoni. I made it with cottage cheese instead of ricotta, but I'd like to try it again the other way. It was pretty good. There were no leftovers, anyway - that's always a good sign. Although (much like Garfield), I've never met a lasagna I didn't like. There's another recipe in the same book (the new one) for Chicken Spinach Lasagna. It's on the menu for later this week simply because there were so many leftover noodles. I had a partial package from an earlier meal, so I went ahead and cooked it with the full one for tonight. Personally, I think the Chicken Spinach one sounds even better, but I'm partial to the unusual.

Next week, pot luck. They said "Surprise us", and so I shall. (That means I currently have no clue.)

Till next week, happy eating!

L