More to be Thankful For

7. A freezer and pantry full.  The harvest from my tiny garden has added so much to our stores.

8. We've had weeks and weeks with no need for air conditioning.  I love fall temperatures.

9. One of the Zillions of road projects around our house is finally completed.

10. I walked the girl's home from school the other day. So fun.  They were very chatty about their day.  I could get used to that...and the exercise.

11. A little boy of mine turned four.

12. We sold our puppy. The kids and I learned a lot from having a pet, but in the end we discovered we are just not a "dog family."

13. Hubby was willing to sit down and help me brainstorm.

14. A weekend conference full of inspiration and peace.

Menu Plan

I think we will try concocting a Swedish Meatball recipe this week.  It should be interesting.  I have a white sauce recipe/shortcut I use all the time and I'm planning on using that with some beef bouillon, herbs and spices for the gravy.  I'll share a recipe if it turns out.  If not, well, maybe I'll just share my white sauce recipe.  The sauce is very versatile and can be used in several different dishes.  I love it because it is quick and it always turns out perfectly.

That's the plan for the TRY this week, here's what we will be eating:


Monday:  Pulled Pork Tacos, Chips & Salsa, Beans & Rice

Tuesday:  Spicy Chicken Skillet, Rice

Wednesday:  Swedish Meatballs, Egg Noodles, Green Beans

Thursday:  BBQ Beef Sandwiches, Oven Fries, Veggie Plate

Friday:  Stew, Cornbread Muffins

Saturday:  Simple Supper

Sunday:  Off to Grandma's we go...

I'm linking to OrgJunkie's weekly menu roundup.  Check 'er out!

Bunch of Carrots: A Garden Update

Photo Credit: The Fishographer

This bunch of carrots became part of our dinner on Sunday.  Aren't they lovely?

You can just see the "Attack of the Killer Tomato Plants" in the background.  I need to find a better way of supporting those buggers next year.  The cheap little tomato cages I have just aren't cutting it.

I find it extremely fun to wander out to the backyard, gather a bunch of veggies, head back into the house for a quick wash and prep, and then to serve super fresh food to my family.

Not only is it fun, but I think we have almost broken even on this years cost for seeds and plants.  I've estimated I spent right around $40 for all my seeds and plants.  According to my spreadsheet we are up to $31.97 in harvested produce, and that's not even counting any of the herbs I've collected.

Tracking and pricing the herbs is turning out harder than I thought.  Often I will run out and grab a few leaves to throw into whatever is planned for dinner, and forget to measure or write down what I took.  Plus, I have harvested basket-fulls of herbs to dry for later use.  Do I use a cost for fresh herbs or dried herbs?  Any thoughts on how I can track my herbs better?

In any case I think the first year of the garden project is going splendidly and I'm already planning and scheming for next year.  How did your garden go this year? or Are you planning one for next year?

Marvelous Meatballs

I know I promised this post last week, but life happened as it generally does. So, here it is ... better late than never right?

Marvelous Meatballs

8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups dry italian style bread crumbs
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup dehydrated, chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
4 pounds ground beef

In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Add ground beef and mix well. The best way to do this is with your hands. Shape into balls roughly the same size (a small cookie scoop would be great for this step, but I do not own one) and place on jelly-roll pans.

Baked uncovered in 375 degree oven for 30 min. Remove from pan and place meatballs on a couple of paper towels to remove some of the grease.

Now, you can either place meal size portions in bags and freeze, OR you can flash freeze them separately on another pan then transfer them to a large freezer bag. I like the second option because we can use as much or as little as we want for each meal.

To serve, thaw completely and reheat with your choice of sauce. Here are some we have tried:

BBQ Meatballs - Throw the desired number of frozen meatballs in a baking dish. Drench with bottled, or homemade, BBQ sauce. Toss in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 min. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas.

Spaghetti and Meatballs - Thaw desired number of meatballs and toss in sauce before heating. Ladle over hot spaghetti noodles and serve with salad and breadsticks.

Some other ideas I may be trying soon are:

Swedish Meatballs - A white-sauce/gravy served over egg noodles.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs - Served with rice and maybe some stir fried veggies.

Meatball Soup - A simple Vegetable, Meatball and Beef Broth soup.

Cocktail Meatballs - This mysterious recipe includes chili sauce, grape jelly and mustard. I have no idea what to serve it with.

Freaking Amazing Sauce Balls - If you know the restaurant I'm referring to you'll know the sauce.

I'll add more pictures of these different options as we try them.