What a morbid term, right? Well, it is what it is. How was your Thanksgiving?
Ours was nice and quiet. We traded food with my mother and stepfather and dropped off quite a bit at the gym where my oldest trains. I still have two more servings of my favorite dish in the world the andouille cornbread dressing and there’s plenty of turkey bones to make more stock.
Things I learned from smoking the turkeys… the pan juices were just a bit too salty from the rub, which lead to the gravy being quite a bit too salty, next time I’ll just use the drippings (fat) and not the juice (liquid) for the gravy. My smoker is still pretty new to me, so I’m learning the ins and outs of that, too. It’s a vertical smoker, so if you have a large item on the bottom, it blocks the heat from the top, so either you have to regularly rotate, or just be prepared for the top item to take a lot longer. This didn’t mess with our dinner plans as Turkey #2 was not to eat on Thanksgiving itself.
I think we are going to start having Smoking Sundays as an opportunity for me to have a plan to learn more. I haven’t decided for sure. (Remember when I talk about reducing cognitive load? Using mnemonics is one of those tricks.)
This week we are working on using up what is in the refrigerator to make sure that nothing goes to waste. I will go back to the long-range monthly plan, once I have a clean slate. (The pantry is bursting at the seams, I am only referring to the refrigerator in this case).
What’s for dinner at your house this week? Will having a printable help you put together your menu and shopping list? Here you go!
Here’s what’s happening in the Solos-Bergman home:
- Monday – Smoked sausage and cabbage skillet
- Tuesday – Breakfast for dinner – Buttermilk pancakes, bacon, fruit
- Wednesday* – Sort of a twist on Must Go soup, in this case, it will utilize Italian sausage and lots of bell peppers and onions as the base and whatever vegetables are on the verge. I will have to go to the store for milk before then, so I may grab Italian bread to serve with it.
- Thursday – Turkey Noodle or Dumpling Soup it depends on how I feel energy-wise
- Friday – Red Lentil Curry – this is the base of the recipe I use, I do deviate a bit, I am hoping to get this one written up for the site.
- Saturday – Flexible based on what is left in the fridge that needs to be used. I will also be doing our weekly grocery shopping.
- Sunday – Smokin’ Sunday – I believe I’ll be doing pulled pork, but this may change.
* Our HVAC unit has been out for over a month and yes, it has been hot and yes we have missed it terribly. Of course, now that it will be replaced on Wednesday, it is finally cooling off. In fact, as I write this, the wind is howling and the temperature is dropping.
Husband of Coconut-Hater says
Reading your posts makes me hungry!!
In a soup like the Red Lentil Curry, can you substitute something for the coconut milk? My wife hates the taste of coconut, even the hint of it, but that soup looks and sounds so good that I would love to make it. Just wondering what I could get away with.
Heather Solos says
In this recipe, you could probably get away with soy or plain dairy milk… I’d likely try evaporated if I were going to use a dairy version.