We discovered that 40 pounds of grapes makes about three and a half gallons of very tasty juice. We were able to pick up quite a bit of produce for very little this week, the last of the harvest is making its appearance around here. I am trying not to go grocery shopping this week. I have a ton to do this week, we have lots of food in the house already and I don't feel like making any more trips than absolutely necessary. So, this week we are using the produce we picked up, meat from our freezer and pantry items. If I do this right, all I'll have to buy is milk next week and we'll do the same then.

Our gleaning was quite productive this week. We made friends with a local farmer who sells her produce. She was only willing to sell us the pumpkins, though, since we are at the end of the harvest season. So, we were able to pick 12 pumpkins (eight for carving, four pie pumpkins), four watermelons they saved from the frost, a gigantic bunch of chard (the size of two or three from the store), about two pounds of brussels sprouts, two spaghetti squash, another huge bunch of scallions, a few ears of feed corn (to make the children happy) and a couple handfuls of soy beans (same thing) for $14. Since I still had $20 of tokens for the farmer's market (they sell them there, so you can use your credit or debit card to pay for your purchases), I only spent $6.25 out of this past week's grocery budget to get our produce there: eight pounds of heirloom tomatoes, eight pounds of various plums, six large sweet peppers, two pounds of garlic, a large, new to me Mexican summer squash called (I think) chayocote and a huge bunch of multicolored carrots. Between what we already have here and what I picked up, we have enough for at least two weeks.

I plan to do a beans and rice challenge next week. I'm still not sure how exactly I'm going to arrange it, all based on one big pot of beans or just different beans each night. I may have to do it a few ways for a few weeks to see what works best. If you are interested in joining me, please leave a comment and blog about it or share in comments what your plan is.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Chorizo & Potato Scrambled Eggs, Watermelon
  Dinner: Corn & Chard Stacked Enchiladas*, Sliced Tomatoes, Riesling Grape Juice, Freshly Extracted Honey on Toast


• Monday
  Breakfast: Whole Wheat Breakfast Cake (using all whole wheat pastry flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt), Bananas, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Kielbasa, Chayocote, Pepper, Tomato & Eggplant Stew, Pomegranates


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal, Bananas, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Pasta with Sausage & Marinara, Buttered Green Beans, Roasted Acorn Squash Slices, Watermelon


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Cracked Wheat Cereal with Maple Syrup, Plums, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Marinara, Garlic Cheese Bread, Pear Sauce


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Toad in the Hole, Sliced Tomatoes, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Lila Beans with Bacon & Chard, Cornbread, Sliced Tomatoes, Watermelon


• Friday
  Breakfast: Toasted Raisin Bagels & Cream Cheese, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Potato, Pepper & Onion Frittata with Feta, Whole Wheat Zucchini Rolls, Watermelon


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Yogurt & Berry Smoothies, Pancakes & Maple Syrup, Coffee
  Dinner: Harvest Dinner at Church

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
Roasted Corn
Bacon Ends
Ground Pork
Ground Beef
Chorizo
Green Beans
Roasted Corn
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Blackberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Sprouted Wheat Raisin Bagels

Fridge:
Eggs
Butter
Yogurt
Sour Cream
Milk (& Cream from the Top)
Cream Cheese
Cheddar
Pepper Jack
Feta
Celery
Carrots
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Scallions
Chard
Watermelon
Riesling Grape Juice
Maple Syrup

Pantry:
All Herbs & Spices
Salts
Potatoes
Shallots
Onions
Garlic
Olive Oil
Hard White Wheat Berries
Soft White Wheat Berries
Rolled Oats
Cracked Wheat
Pastry Flour
Corn Meal
Yeast
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Coffee
Vanilla Extract
All Sugars
Honey
Raisins
Sultanas
Tomato Sauce
Pears
Acorn Squash
Spaghetti Squash

Labels: Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen