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A few weeks ago, as I sat at the breakfast table at 5:30 am, I was fortunate to find Lidia Bastianich on a PBS station. Lidia, on this particular morning, was making a ground beef meat loaf with ingredients that included ricotta cheese, scallions, mozzarella and sprinkle of nutmeg. Somewhat unusual ingredients for a delicious meat loaf.
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Whole Foods has on special until next Tuesday, 85% lean ground beef for $3.99/lb. ($3.59/lb. if you’re a Prime member). I purchased 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef as I was making this meat loaf for three people and merely cut the recipe in half.  I purchased the 15 ounce container of whole milk ricotta cheese at Wegmans on Monday for $1.99 and the mozzarella I already had on hand in the freezer. I also need a bunch of scallions and fresh parsley for the meat loaf. 
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As I was going through my recipe box for holiday cookie recipes, I came across a recipe from my late mother-in-law. It was a meal I made for my husband and I when we were first married. The recipe is kielbasa with bacon and vegetables. I stopped making it as we were trying to eat fewer fatty foods. However, everything in moderation is good for one’s self.
 
I was able to find turkey kielbasa at Wegmans, which will help will to keep this dish healthy. I also needed a package of cut broccoli, carrots and cauliflower which I found at Wegmans, in the frozen food section Wegmans FYFGA Just Picked and Quickly Frozen California Blend. This one pan recipe also calls for a few slices of bacon (I used pork bacon) and an onion, both of which I had on hand.
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​Do you still have the remnants of Thanksgiving leftovers in your refrigerator? Is the family tired of eating Turkey? Here’s a thought, Thanksgiving Leftovers Panini. A couple of years ago, I saw this recipe in the Williams-Sonoma catalogue before Thanksgiving. It’s a grilled sandwich that takes all of the Thanksgiving fixing’s and places them between two slices of bread. The recipe suggested rye bread, however, this time I opted for a loaf of pain de campagne from Whole Foods for our sandwiches the other night. 
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​Thanksgiving is over and I think my menu was well received. I’m not sure if everyone was pleased with the three ravioli per person portion. It met the criteria of having pasta on a holiday, and it was enough so that you didn’t get full before the main course.
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​It’s less than a week before Thanksgiving and I’ve finalized my menu. As I’m working this Sunday and the day before Thanksgiving, time is of the essence. My menu is  apple, dried cherry and walnut salad with maple dressing,  fresh ravioli (2-3 per person so they don’t fill up on pasta), roast turkey with Williams-Sonoma Apple Cider and Sage Glaze, Melissa Clark’s sweet potatoes with bourbon and brown sugar, Great Grandma Freid’s dressing (a family tradition), Brussels sprouts sautéed with pancetta. For dessert we’ll have tapioca (another tradition), pumpkin cheesecake crumble squares and a Delicious Orchards apple pie and perhaps a few mini éclairs from the Orchard. 
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Working in retail during the holidays means working extra days and more hours and I need to be organized and prepared for all the cooking and baking I like to do. I've already reviewed this week's sales flyers for prices for holiday baking.
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Last week I was again helping out my daughter and son-in-law by babysitting overnight for my granddaughter. I knew I would be there for breakfast a couple of mornings, so I looked on line for a recipe for whole wheat pancakes made with buttermilk. I find that pancakes made with buttermilk make for a lighter tasting pancake.
 
My internet search led me to a recipe by Betty Crocker for Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes. For years, I’ve been making different Betty Crocker recipe that my family loves. This new recipe didn’t disappointment either. I cut the recipe in half and found the batter rather thick. An extra tablespoon or two of buttermilk would have helped to thin the batter a bit. They were very light, not heavy and filling. My fourteen month old granddaughter devoured one each morning, no room for fruit.
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The last few days I’ve been babysitting my granddaughter while her parents attended a wedding on the West Coast. I thought I was well organized by preparing a meal in a crock pot but despite best laid plans, I didn’t have the two onions I needed for Hungarian Goulash.
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This is a recipe that I believe I found out in a crock pot cookbook my sister has. I already have Hungarian paprika in my pantry from another recipe and I was looking for another recipe in which to use this spice. This hearty stew type dish needs a six ounce can of tomato paste, Hungarian paprika, red and green pepper, carrots, two onions, beef broth, lemon peel, caraway seeds and 1-1/2 pounds of beef stew meat.


​meet donna

A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

​If you have questions or comments, click on the envelope icon above to contact me directly. 

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