What We're Eating 10/31-11/7

 The Best Laid Plans

It's Sunday and it's Halloween. I always think it's cruel for kids to have to wait all day to trick-or-treat, but they seem quite sold on venturing out for candy only once it gets dark around these parts. 

So today I put those Brats in the crockpot. I'll also make noshies and we'll sit outside to greet the trick-or-treaters while we warm ourselves around a fire. 

On Monday we'll probably eat the leftover beef stew. In fact, I know we will. 

On Tuesday I will make pasta alla norma. I love eggplant and pasta and this dish will be comforting and warm when the cold starts to make its way in. 

On Wednesday this Creamy Pumpkin Soup. I just have to remember to pick up apple cider which is always the tricky part. 

On Thursday we want to try to go see my friend Julia's reading of her new book: The Sum of Trifles. It's the kind of book I hope to be able to write some day. It's so good. All that to say I'll probably make a quick pasta dish like this mushroom one (because the mushrooms sitting in the fridge are taunting me) or maybe burritos. Quick and easy my friends, quick and easy. 

I'll probably be putzing about the kitchen on Friday cooking up things. The same thing on Saturday. 

More on that when I update later this week.

Gang Aft Agley

Bizarrely, I almost stuck to my plans this week. Almost, but not quite. On Thursday we went with burritos and then I used the mushrooms (plus another packed picked up) to make Mushroom Bourginon for Friday night. I love making meat dishes I love with mushrooms. I don't have to worry if the meat is under or overcooked. And it just makes me laugh that these funny looking little guys that grow out in the wild can be transformed into such delights. 

It's Saturday now and we're about to head to see my mom. I packed up the leftovers and these pumpkin cream cheese muffins and some granola. 

They seem like rather ordinary bakes, but our oven has been so so weird lately. Temperamental to say the least. So I decided to bully it into working last night. To be clear: I do not condone bullying of any kind except when it comes to ovens. 

When we arrived back home, I made a brown butter sage and rosemary sauce to pour on top of the store-bought fresh-ish butternut squash and pumpkin with sage ravioli. It's Sunday now and I spent some time in bed this morning looking at soup recipes. You see Mango thought four am was five am and he was ready to start his day and promptly go back to sleep. I think tonight we'll try this Italian potato soup with greens.  It just seems like something we would like and, in fact, I'm surprised I haven't made it already. I think the lads will be joining us so maybe there will also be a fire pit and hot dogs on sticks.