Thanksgiving week is upon us, which means that there is a lot of bustle and cooking and cleaning going on here. Meals this week will be either quick to make or cooked in the crock pot and will be short on leftovers, so as not to have too much extra in the refrigerator for Thursday. Most of the recipes are or will be posted on the Thanksgiving menu post. I had a turkey in our freezer from the spring already, but picked up a free one from Fred Meyer on my last trip and bought two 20 pound turkeys from Safeway for $0.27 a pound for other meals. I may pick up another one if I can find another $20.00 to spend there. They had a deal where if your total bill was $25.00 or more, including the price of the turkey, you got a turkey at 16.01 pounds or above for $0.27 a pound, 16 pounds or lighter for $0.37 a pound. We like turkey here and it can certainly be used in all the same kinds of things that we normally use chicken for, and $0.27 a pound for meat can't be beat, even if it isn't pastured and has been injected with brine. One day we will be able to raise our own for our meat, but until then, this was a good deal. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the Church's new year, and with it comes the first fast of the year. Our menus will reflect a bit more simplicity and abstinence. This has been a rough year, but we still have much for which to be thankful. We are in a new area which is a great place for children, which is fecund and abundant in good foods that are easily grown and readily available. I am thankful for my husband who loves without measure. He always puts our needs and desires before his own. I am thankful for a little more knitting time and for my new ballet class. Also, I am thankful that all of our family is doing well in the climate here, Dominic's eczema is almost gone, though it seems counter intuitive that such a dry place would help his dry, scaly skin. All of our health seems to be improved in the dry weather, though our skin needs lots more moisture here than it did in the damp of the west side. I am thankful for our well insulated house that barely lets any cold in, even on 20 degree mornings with the wind howling through the trees. I'm thankful for our little plot of land with its trees, in the midst of all the scrub brush and fields, and for a chance to try our hands at a small part of farm life.

• Sunday Breakfast: Southwest Breakfast Skillet, Satsumas, Milk Dinner: Salami & Cheddar Sandwiches, Snack Tray, Satsumas
• Monday Breakfast: Chocolate Oatmeal, Milk Dinner: Mustard Glazed Corned Beef, Potatoes, Carrots and Onions, Soda Bread
• Tuesday Breakfast: Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries, Milk, Coffee Dinner: Leftovers
• Wednesday Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Milk, Blackberry Tea & Honey Dinner: Potato, Pepper & Onion Frittata with Feta Cheese, Whole Wheat Bread, Satsumas
• Thursday Breakfast: Pepper & Sausage Brunch Strata, Satsumas, Steamers, Coffee, Tea Dinner: Thanksgiving - Relish Tray, Herb Roasted Turkey, Bourbon Gravy, Wild Rice Dressing, Cornbread Dressing, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Horseradish Relish, Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans, Sweet Potato Rolls, Corn & Pepper Pudding, Martinelli's, Wine, Mexican Coca Cola made with real sugar, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Pecan Pie, Cranberry Cherry Pie, Nantucket Cranberry Pie, Apple Pie, Gingerbread with Sweetened Whipped Cream
• Friday Breakfast: Pie, Mashed Potato Cakes, Steamers, Coffee, Tea Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini, Noodles, Salad
• Saturday Breakfast: More Pie, Fried Eggs and Toast, Steamers, Coffee, Tea Dinner: After Thanksgiving Soup

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: Corned Beef Ground Pork Mixed Peppers Frozen Roasted Corn Turkey Fridge: Eggs Butter Milk (& Cream from the Top) Buttermilk Feta Cheddar Carrots Lemons Leftover Taco Soup (thrown into the breakfast skillet) Pantry: All Herbs & Spices Salts Potatoes Onions Garlic Olive Oil Wild Rice Basmati Rice Sushi Rice Hard White Wheat Berries Soft White Wheat Berries Corn Meal Rolled Oats Pastry Flour White Bread Flour Yeast Baking Powder Baking Soda Fetuccini Coffee Tea Vanilla Extract All Sugars Honey Molasses Mustard Pine Nuts Walnuts Pecans Chocolate Chips Dried Cherries Apples Bourbon Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles

Labels: Advent, Family, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen, Thanksgiving