Here's a little planning to cheer you up!

I am pretty sure that I have been fighting the 'back to school blues' this week. Not that I am 'not' excited about going back to school - because I can't sleep from that excitement - but I have started to feel really guilty about leaving our 'happy family' lifestyle behind. Being Irish, it is my birthright to feel unimaginable guilt therefore I have been plaguing my dearest darling this week, with all my 'worries, woes and what if's'. The most recent one, was how would we manage to arrive home each day at 6pm and whip dinner together and get the kids to bed by 7.30pm when it has been something I have spent most of my 'lazy' days of summer doing - ALL DAY LONG!

Nothing like a calm and humorous husband to drag me back to reality and remind me that most couples in the real world are working full time and have more than 2 children and all survive.

His suggestion was a little menu planning and it brought us all right back to our restaurant days when we would gather once a week with our staff to discuss our weekly menus!
Already salivating are we?

Monday, August 31st, 2009
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
with local cheddar cheese, our homegrown onions, Jojo's Guacamole and some home made corn chips.

Kicking off the week with this spicy dish will surely get our juices flowing. I realise it is still August, but in Ireland you can have Chili all year round because we live on the coast and it is always a lot cooler around these parts - even in the summer!

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Quiche Lorraine

One of Ron's longtime favourites. He loves it because you can make it in advance and it is one of those dishes that no matter what you put into it, it always turns out yummy.

Ours will have leeks, maple cured ham, gruyere and some of those lovely lovely eggs from our girls out back!

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Turkey Burgers with spicy portabello's on some homemade baps.

Served with Sweet Potato Fries and curry ketchup! (can't wait for this one!)

Must be all the rain around here and moisture, but we have found that Ireland (for sure) has the best mushrooms on the planet. The intense flavour of the portabello's that we source at our local market on Saturdays is one of the meatiest flavours (for a mushroom) we have ever encountered! Not to mention, they are Rory's favourite!

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANNY!
Meat Pie with redskin buttermilk mashed homegrown potatoes and sauteéd spinach!

The details on this pie are vague, as we have to see what meat looks good at the butcher before he commits to beef/chicken etc. In saying that, I am sure that between the pastry and the veg. and gravy in the pie - no matter what meat ends up in there, it will be a crowd pleaser! There is even the idle threat of Bread Pudding or Pavlova for dessert if Granny joins us for dinner!

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza with lots of salad and beers!

To wrap up our first week of this new schedule, Ron feels certain that the pizza oven will be ready for its first trial run - even though the pizzas coming out of the 'housewife oven' are not too shabby at all!

Once again, the blues have been blasted into oblivion and I feel like I can take on the problems of the world again, now that y'all know we will not be wasting away to nothing around here!

Plus, if you are thinking about stopping by, you can pick which night to do so!

That is all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna