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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.
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.  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.
 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.
 So far my plan is working. I was at Delicious Orchards as they opened the doors yesterday morning. Upon returning home it was time to get crackin’ and prepare Thanksgiving sides. I started by making Great Grandma Freid’s dressing followed by a new sweet potato side dish by The New York’s Times’ Melissa Clark, Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon and Brown Sugar.
 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.
 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.
 Ground turkey can be a blank slate for creating interesting meals. On a recent weeknight I was at my daughter’s babysitting while she was on a business trip. But before I left, I was able to prepare at my home Turkey Meat Loaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, a recipe that I’ve had from Bon Appétit Magazine from March 1996.
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