Meal Planning - Week of November 19th

THANKSGIVING WEEK!!!  I'm so freaking excited youdon'tevenknow.  We are having dinner at our house this year for the first time - yikes!  There goes my tradition of arriving lazily at my parents house a couple hours before meal time, making lap after lap through the kitchen asking my mom when everything will be ready, and sneaking spoonfulls of stuffing straight from the turkey as it cooks in the oven.  (Full disclosure - my mom is still making half of the items and bringing them over, and Greg is going to tackle the turkey, so I really will only be in charge of green beans and mashed potatoes).

Last week's meal planning didn't go quite as planned since we were all sick and not in the mood for cooking, or eating for that matter.  I did make the antipasto salad, the BBQ pork sliders, the tex mex casserole, and crispy chicken sandwiches, but we will have to make the beet salad this week and the lasagna another time.  Actually, I guess I didn't do too bad after all!

This's week soup is Chicken and Potato Florentine Soup (The Olive Garden's Recipe).  Thanks for sending this, Robin!

Monday: I think we will eat the soup for dinner, too!  Since I'm the only one that eats soup during the day at work, it will be new for Greg and I don't mind eating it twice :)  Plus, I teach yoga on Mondays, (assuming my voice has returned by then), so I usually don't eat until I get back.

Tuesday: Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese, garlic bread, and a green salad.

Wednesday: Beet Salad with leftover soup or pasta.  (You know, gotta create room in the fridge for so many leftovers)!!

Thanksgiving: The items we are taking care of are:

• The turkey - Greg is going to brine it overnight
• Mashed potatoes
• Pumpkin pie (store bought)
• Gravy
• Green beans - I'm thinking we might try this (November 2012 Better Homes and Gardens)

Friday: I came across this recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and I thought it looked like the perfect thing to make on Friday with our leftovers!