Crisp temperatures, cozy foods. My favorite.

MONDAY //

 

Slow-Cooker Sweet & Spicy Cranberry Meatballs over Rice
notes: omitted the dry minced onion from the meatballs.
+ used soy sauce instead of hoisin in the cranberry sauce
+ honestly, kinda underwhelmed with this recipe. the sauce just wasn’t anything special. sorry 🙁

Arugula Parmesan Salad w Simple Lemon Vinaigrette
notes: this salad on the other hand was delicious. amazing how such simple ingredients can be so good. will definitely be adding this into regular rotation.

TUESDAY //

Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach + Bacon Chicken
notes: used regular monterey jack instead of pepper jack cheese.
+ instead of italian dressing mix I used the 21 seasoning salute from TJ’s
+ for the creamed spinach, I just wilted a whole bag of baby spinach with a little olive oil, salt and pepper on the stove top, turned off heat, and then mixed in the leftover laughing cow cheese (4 wedges) from last week until it melted. my healthier version of creamed spinach.
+ all of these flavors together was so yummy. the kids loved this recipe.

Roasted Potatoes
Green Beans

WEDNESDAY //

 

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
notes: I’ve made spaghetti squash before and tried to pass it off as pasta to the kids and they saw right through it… with this recipe, though, they didn’t seem to mind. they actually ate it up! I made this recipe as-is. We topped with shaved parmesan instead of the mozzarella. Will definitely make again.

Kale + Brussel Salad w/ Tahini Maple Dressing
notes: omitted the miso from the dressing and used TJ’s sliced honey almonds. this is a favorite recipe of ours. Highly recommend TJ’s shaved brussels for a shortcut.

Loaf of Crusty Bread

THURSDAY //

  

Apple Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin
notes: this was probably my favorite recipe from this week (possibly tied with the bolognese).
+ I made as-is, except for substituting apple cider for the apple juice.
+ The pork was super moist and flavorful. So good.

Maple Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
notes: used regular carrots, sliced thick on an angle. omitted the rutabaga.
+ used Trader Joe’s agave maple syrup blend, because have you seen how much real maple syrup costs?
+ this side dish was honestly amazing. that glaze!
Also, I drizzled the leftover maple balsamic syrup over the pork right before serving, which I’m sure made it significantly less healthy, but even more delicious. 😉

Baby Kale Autumn Salad w/ Apples, Bacon, Cranberries + Pepitas
notes: used the lemony greens from Trader Joe’s instead of baby kale.
+ subbed sunflower seeds for the roasted pepitas
+ next time i’ll use less olive oil for the dressing (like 3-4 Tbsp).
Other than that, this was a great salad we’ll be having again for sure.

FRIDAY //

Date Night  /   Homemade Pizza for Kids

SATURDAY //

Take-Out / Family Movie Night

SUNDAY //

Chicken Soup w/ Buttermilk Dumplings
notes: this is a recipe that’s been on rotation in my kitchen for years, ever since I pulled the magazine page from an old issue of Cottage Living.
+ I make this as-is. can’t beat the ease of refrigerated biscuit dough for dumplings! kid favorite.

Cheese/Cracker Board
Sliced Apples

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(Thanks to HalfBakedHarvest for the cover image.)