I know what’s for dinner. What I don’t know is how it got to be October already.  By now the cider should be nice and sweet, and since the kids have a half-day this week I’ll con them into picking apples with the promise of cider and donuts to follow.  If you have room in your freezer – buy a few gallons of cider you like, pour 1.5 cups from each (assuming a 10% expansion rate), and freeze.  It’s great to pull out on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Ok, back on topic.

This week the boys were kind enough to request some meals, and my husband put all his meetings on the calendar, so my planning went a lot easier.

Tonight will be chicken fingers (I marinate the chicken in a garlic buttermilk bath first), roasted carrots, and parmesan potatoes.  This is the same chicken that I bought for vineyard chicken last week, but I was unable to keep fingers out of grapes, so after 2 trips to the store I gave up!

Brian wants to make guacamole, so to round out the meal we’ll have pork soft tacos (love this recipe) and a fruit salad and some chips and salsa.

Wednesday is pasta night, and it will be Penne and Sausage in Creamy Tomato Sauce served with green beans with shallot butter and almonds.  I’m testing a pumpkin biscuit recipe for Thanksgiving that should go nicely with this.  I’m also going to attempt a compound butter from cream.

Also going to try a member suggested recipe, Italian BBQ Cube Steak.  Will serve this with garlic butter Texas toast and BLT salad.  I have high hopes for this meal.

The boys will be quick to point out that there are no desserts on the menu – I’ll think of something…