Menu Plan for the Week

What a weird little truncated week this is, in terms of menu planning!

We are going to join friends and family in Bend, Oregon for Thanksgiving -- it will be a picturesque day of gratitude amongst the snow-covered mountains. And because it will be a collaborative effort, we'll be bringing a Pumpkin-Ginger Pound Cake (!) from one of our favorite local bakeries, The Humble Bagel, as well as making a new variation on my famous Balsamic-Glazed Brussels Sprouts (I'll brown them in my cast-iron skillet without boiling them first, then finish them off by roasting them at 400F for ~ 10 minutes). It will be delicious all around, I know that for sure.

Until then, here's what we're eating at Casa Dena:

• Monday: Kitchen Sink/Kitchen Garden Soup (I just kinda threw this together: along with mushroom and chicken stocks, I added garlic, leeks, chanterelles, potatoes, carrots, frozen spinach, frozen cauliflower, frozen broccoli, and canned tomatoes to make a really hearty, really veggie-full soup. Top with grated parmesan and you're in heaven.)
• Tuesday: Comfort Food Pasta (aka Pasta alla Aglio e Oglio)
• Wednesday: Black Beans & Rice

And you? What are you eating before The Big Day?