Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
Four more weeks of meals – October!
So – last month my menu-post turned out to be pretty popular and now I’ve got friends asking for another menu plan for this month. Also – I’m a big advocate of meal planning because it makes for better meals with way less grocery costs. So! Here it is – starting with this Sunday, this menu will take us through the end of November.
On Wednesdays I have class so there is no cooking at home that night – and on Sundays we have band practice and generally do some kind of a roasted thing which we leave up to the weekend to decide. This Sunday we are making Hard-cider braised pot roast with sage served with parsnips and potatoes from the garden. Next Sunday will obviously be turkey since we’re having a Thanksgiving dinner party (specific menu for that, and our end of the month dinner party will be posted here when we figure them out).
As before, this is a wheat-free menu with a focus on whole foods with seasonal availability. I have Mondays off work so I often do something more elaborate that day, but otherwise these are all meals that can be cooked after work without too much fuss. If the item doesn’t have a recipe link it’s because the dish is something I make regularly or plan to improvise. In any case – enjoy! I sure know that we will.
Monday – Black eyed pea stew with wheat-free Cornbread
Tuesday – Beef and Bok Choi Stir-fry
Thursday – Cream of Mushroom Soup served with crackers, cheeses, apple
Friday – Sausages with pan cooked chutney & leek mash
Saturday – Garlic Braised Chicken with Olives and Mushrooms
Monday – Polenta Pizza with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, Dried Fig, Prosciutto & Kale (we loved the polenta pizza from September’s menu so much we’re trying a new variation on it!)
Tuesday – Turkey Tetrazinni (w gf pasta to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving)
Thursday – Pork Paprikash w rice
Friday – Fish Tacos, guacamole, corn chips
Saturday – Warm chickpea salad with sun dried tomatoes and feta
Monday – Roast Duck with roasted beets, carrots and sweet potatoes
Tuesday – Chicken Curry with Apple-Ginger Chutney
Thursday – Some type of leftovers before playing a gig at Van Dusen gardens!
Friday – Shrimp & Herb Risotto
Saturday – Torta w Chorizo with warmed beet salad
Monday – Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples and Leeks
Tuesday – GF-Macaroni-hamburger skillet dish
Thursday – Chicken and Wild Rice Salad
Friday – Salmon and potato al forno
Saturday – Chili served over crisped polenta
Exciting enamelware!
In a follow-up to yesterday’s outhouse post, I am plotting a small project for the winter workshop which will see the creation of a wash-basin stand. For the stand I intend to simply cut a hole in a piece of wood to rest a basin in, sand, stain and varnish – and then later in the summer attach it to some legs cut from trees on our property.
When I first envisioned this, I determined that for the basin I would like to find a piece of vintage-looking *or* actual antique enamelware. It didn’t have to be in great shape since its sole purpose will be to hold water, so I figured I could find something pretty cheap. But looking in local antique shops here and in the interior had turned up nothing.
Enter Craigslist! Last week, upon our return from Link Lake, I found a posting for the above collection – being sold out of Burnaby for only $30 – and so I promptly drove out to take a look. It’s the real deal – 1930s-era – with just a very few nicks and rust marks. Perfect for my intended use (the coffee kettle will make a nice water jug companion to the wash basin). The rest of the vessels will find an eventual home in our cabin or bunkie I’m sure 🙂
Outhouse pictures and update.
Back at work after ten days of vacation and so forth. Sadly I haven’t got all the photoset uploaded from our week at Link Lake, but I offer the following woodshed and outhouse update for your viewing pleasure:
One finished shirt……
In the last two weeks I bought a ton of fabric for making new fall and winter shirts. I’m tired of what’s in the wardrobe, but I can’t stand the idea of shopping for ready-made clothing right now which means….. somehow eking out the time to make myself some new things.
Yesterday I made this blouse from start to finish (almost finished, I have a sleeve facing that needs to be re-sewn and then the sleeves need turning up). It took longer than a blouse of this type might normally because 1) there are darts, and pleats, 2) the front is made up of six pieces of fabric which gives it a bit of flutter, and 3) it’s all french seams. (Pattern here).
A simple pull-over, this belongs with a plain skirt or jeans. I’ve got two denim skirts I plan to make this fall as well which would pair with this nicely.
I’m hoping to finish one more blouse/jacket this week before heading out to Link Lake (and away from my sewing machine) for a few days – and then to redouble my efforts in October/November to churn out several more garments for my autumn and winter wardrobe. (Fortunately in Vancouver we have mild winters which means from late fall until late spring one can really wear the same cloths with varying degrees of layering).
Mostly I’m just happy to have a single garment finished – since I have been struggling with a couple others started earlier this month – I needed to tackle something more straightforward but still fabulous to prove that I still have my sewing chops!
Magpie…. magpie.
In a little rush this morning because it’s a day full of meetings, I’ve got class tonight, and I’m off to Campbell River in the morning — which leaves me with little time for posting.
So I will share this shawlette that I took off the blocking last night – crocheted from Sweet Georgia sock yarn in one of their new fall colourways: Magpie!
A true beauty, in low-light Magpie looks pretty much like a navy, but in the light it reveals a true depth of colour and slight variegation that gives it the “oooh, ahhh” effect it had on me when I got my skein in the mail.
This shawlette is another gift, for who I will not say — I love this ability to give beautiful and handmade to awesome people!
Red Cedar 