Dinner last night was leftover roast beef, sliced and sauted with onions and root vegetables - potatoes, carrots, beets.

Got an approval rating of "yummy" from DD, who normally doesn't like cooked carrots.

Sliced apples sauted in a bit of butter and sugar, sprinkled with cinnamon, for dessert.

Leftovers for today's lunch.

Dinner tonight might be fried rice (quite a few odds and ends to be used up) or leftover chicken noodle soup.

Bless, when we do carrots, we slice them into sort of bias-coins, then steam them very lightly (more of a "just past stir-fry" doneness), then glaze 'em with a bit of butter and honey. My DH wouldn't eat carrots at all cooked, until he tried them gently steamed and glazed.

We're going to Salad Bar tomorrow night, I think... it's just me, DD-14, and DD-2.95 at home until quite a bit later, and we're happy with grilled cheese sandwiches. DS-11.5 adores Salad Bar nights, so waiting for him to get full enjoyment out of it tomorrow night has a large appeal.

It seems to me that some of you have just one thing for dinner fairly often. I've had "one-dish" meals from time to time, such as soup, or chili, etc., but normally, I think of a meal as including more than one thing, say a "main course," even if it's just a sandwich, accompanied by another vegetable or two, or something in addition to whatever the "focus" is. Do you all get enough to eat that way?

I think it depends on the dish.

Salad bar, for instance, tends to include a lettuce mix, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, frozen peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, hard-cooked eggs, cheese, olives, and diced cold meat. Nutritionally dense, lots of flavors and colors.

Soups will usually involve multiple root vegetables (including onions, potatoes, leeks, garlic, turnips, parsnips, carrots), plus other veg (peas, carrots, celery, green beans, tomatoes) and legumes/grains (black or navy beans, barley, rice), plus chicken or beef. Again, pretty dense all in one bowl.

Even sandwiches will include a variety of veggies, pickled things, and interesting condiments, plus raw veg on the side.

David jokes that if someone leaves our table hungry, it's their own fault. I won't make more than one meal for the family (as in, I don't cater to "Joe wants French toast, but Pam wants biscuits and eggs, and Bob only eats chicken nuggets"), but I do like to include enough elements in meals that people can choose among them to satisfy their own appetite and likes. When do have one-dish meals (like pizza, for instance, though that usually has pickled peppers and veggies on the side, too!), we allow some amount of "picking out" of things an individual doesn't care for.

We did end up having Salad Bar last night (though DS ended up spending the night with a friend). Tonight we had a very late breakfast (potatoes, ham, eggs, toast, fruit), then a mid-day snack of homemade tamales (beef/cheese, and "jalepeno popper"), and supper of sausage links and a fruit-laden "muffin" sort of pan dish... definitely "treat" for dinner, but it solved the sweet tooth problem for my little girls, and that has been driving me nuts for two days.

Tomorrow, I'll pull the turkey and get that defrosting; I think DD-14 and I will make a cheesecake, too. Dinner will most likely be grilled pork, baked beans, corn, carrots, and possibly a quick pasta salad, and we'll eat early, as DH, DD-14, and DS-11 are helping with a food bank distribution that night at 6:30.

Tuesday we don't have obligations! It's Thanksgiving break for gymnastics and Scouts, so just DD-14 and youth group. Dinner may be Mexican... I'll have DH keep some of the grilled pork un-sauced, so we can do pork tacos or something tasty, with a cold salad of black beans, veggies, sour cream, and cheese... sort of a deconstructed 7-layer dip with all "raw" ingredients rather than smashed. Homemade fresh tortillas sound great.

Wednesday, I'm undecided on supper. Possibly a beef stew with biscuits. I don't want to serve chicken the night before turkey. (No pipe band Wed night, so no time pressure at all!)

Thursday, we'll pop the turkey in the oven, then head to a community food bank fundraiser, where DH will be Father Christmas (with DD-14 as his elf). To go with the turkey, we're doing a sage dressing, funeral potatoes, roasted yams with a honey-cinnamon butter on top, green salad, raw veg "relish" plate, rolls, gravy, and cheesecake for dessert.

Right after supper, I'll break down the turkey, get some stock going for additional broth for gravy, and put up gallon bags of meat/gravy for potpies later. If I let it sit in the fridge at all, I'll never do it!

Friday, toasted turkey sandwiches!

that does it Liz, I'm coming to your house this week

You'd be welcome, though obligated to sit on the floor, 'cause I'm out of chairs.

It got COLD here; I'm oven-roasting the pork for tonight, rather than grilling. DH and the kids switched to the earlier volunteer shift, so they'll be home around 6:30, rather than leaving at 6:30.

I will have to pick up more milk, and possibly some apple soda as a treat, but other than that, I may not need to grocery shop until December. That would be *lovely*.

Oh, I'm good at bringing my own chair

I'm in a bit of a dilemna... Dh hasn't been *home* for Tday for some 15yrs. He has his heart on being *home* this year. However, *home* hasn't extended an invite (yet). Dh is "sure" that *home* is doing something and that we're "automatically" invited... Its not unusual for *home* to make assumptions or think that we are mind readers... and I don't know what the traditions are here.. It doesn't really matter to me but the girls do have 4 days off and they want a Thanksgiving meal... I'm not up for having everyone here and my house isn't big enough anyway.

I did have Dh buy some turkey thighs and sweet potatoes the other day. Today I got stuff for pie and some frozen roll dough. I forgot I wanted a tossed salad, but I was out of town and the groceries sat in the frozen vehicle for over an hour anyway. So tomorrow I can pick up salad greens and avocado and I'll check to see what I need for dressing and I should be good.

Maureen, totally understand the dilemma. I have the same thing with my sister. She has decided she does not want me in her life, so DB, who lives in a group home, gets juggled between us for holidays. I had my T-day with him last nite....he, DBF and I had a steak dinner and watched Toy Story 3 together and then I took him home.

DBF will be with his kids in the morning for t-day and then he and I will be at his parents house for dinner in the early afternoon. Friends of his have invited us for an evening meal too. We will also have a friend of mine who is divorced(kids leave with his ex today so I won't let him be alone) will be joining us as well.

The only cooking I have to do is to buy a carrot cake from Costco(this was the request for the meal), which I will do tomorrow morning.

We have been planning on traveling across the state to be at my DParents. The weather though has different plans. Tomorrow we're in a state wide watch/warning (depending where you are in the state) until 6:00 p.m. Thursday.

I need to finish grocery shopping for the traditional meal. I really shouldn't need much, but my family wants traditional taste.

We're having the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, and relish tray. I'll also make the pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake and pecan pies. I'll make green beans and a salad as well.

We'll nibble on it through out the weekend. I'm thinking maybe Saturday to do lasagna.

Tonight for dinner we'll do grilled cheese sandwiches with soup. I'll slice up some apples and oranges, too. DH has to be at school to do the lighting and sound for a play.

Tomorrow I'll do a hamburger casserole, with a green salad and a fruit salad.