We have had quite the weekend in terms of produce! Rich went to a men's dinner last night and came home with three home grown butternut squash and about 10-15 pounds of potatoes. We stopped at our neighbors after church to pick some Christmas pears that they offered to us a couple weeks ago. They were already picked and ready to load in our car. Then, they offered us the Riesling grapes off their vines that had been touched with frost. Nearly all of them. We are making juice tonight and eating some fresh over the next few days. They also had a walnut tree that had leaves and nuts blown out last night, so they grabbed a rake and helped us all gather walnuts to take home to dry. We have some of last summer's walnuts already so we can keep cracking them with the children, even though these ones aren't ready to eat yet. Freshly cracked walnuts are some of the best snacks out there. It is fun for the children, too. The goal is always to pull out a whole walnut without breaking it.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftover Blackberry Pancakes with Lemon Icing, Steak, Milk
  Dinner: Loaded Baked Potatoes, Riesling Grapes, Watermelon, Caramelized Pear & Toasted Pecan Ice Cream
• Monday
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Raisins, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Kielbasa, Potato, Eggplant, Squash, Pepper & Onion Saute, Sliced Apples
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Pizza Pot Pie, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Tomato Sauce for Dipping, Riesling Grapes
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Baba Ghanooj, Khoubz Araby, Cucumber, Pepper & Feta Salad
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Yogurt with Honey & Granola, Mint Tea
  Dinner: Pork & Hatch Chile Stew, Cornbread
• Friday
  Breakfast: Scallion & Cheese Omelets, Whole Wheat Toast, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Fiesta Casserole with Pinto Beans from Freezer, Salsa Rice, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Vanilla Ricotta Doughnuts, Yogurt & Berry Smoothies, Fruit Plate, Coffee
  Dinner: Braised Beef Brisket with Vegetable Gravy, Mashed Potatoes

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. Starred recipes will follow separately.

Here is the list of foods from the freezer, fridge and pantry that I'm using this week. Anything from the freezer, pantry or fridge that was not bought specifically for this meal or this past week will be included in my lists.

Freezer:
Kielbasa
Pork Shoulder
Beef Brisket
Pinto Beans
Pecans

Fridge:
Eggs
Butter
Yogurt
Sour Cream
Milk (& Cream from the Top)
Cheddar
Feta
Blackberry Pancakes
Celery
Carrots
Cucumbers
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Scallions
Watermelon

Pantry:
All Herbs & Spices
Salts
Potatoes
Shallots
Onions
Garlic
Olive Oil
Hard White Wheat Berries
Basmati Rice
Sushi Rice
Rolled Oats
Granola
Pastry Flour
Corn Meal
Yeast
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Coffee
Tea
Vanilla Extract
All Sugars
Honey
Raisins
Sultanas
Canned Tomatoes
Canned Hatch Chiles
Mint
Apples
Acorn Squash

Labels: Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen