Monday, November 21, 2011

Meal Plan Monday! Week 47

This week is a short week, but a fun holiday week! And we are hosting Thanksgiving, so it will be full of prep for that as well!

We had an awesome weekend, starting out with a wine HH with a former co-worker who is hopefully going to start working with me soon! It was nice to unwind and relax on a Friday night.


Saturday was spent running errands in the morning, a haircut in the afternoon (a new salon and stylist and I LOVE it), lunch with sister J for her birthday and a little shopping and then we got ready and headed to the wine event. It snowed really good most of the day and evening Saturday. Thank goodness we had gotten a valet for the wine event, it made life so much easier, for everyone! It was a really fun event with a wonderful turnout. We held the event in the community room of a beautiful building in Minneapolis. Our friend J lives in the building and is just about completed with a redecorating of her condo, which is turning out fabulous, I need to take photos when it is all done, but it is being done in a monochromatic gray palate with some beautiful features, I just LOVED it. This is the chandelier above her island, OH MY!
Sunday we slept in a bit, which was very nice and then headed to brunch and to get some errands done. We tried a new brunch for us, Santorini's in Eden Prairie. We have been there for HH and dinner and really enjoyed it, but brunch was also very good! Errands consisted of Costco and such. We got what we needed for Thanksgiving Thursday, mainly veggies in large quantities including a 20 lb. bag of potatoes, oh my!
We picked up friend J and sister J and headed out for dinner before the best part of the weekend. Downtown was crazy and we had to do quite a bit of wandering around to actually find somewhere to grab a bite to eat. I have never seen downtown like that on a Sunday night, but with the Vikings in town, getting done around 4, and then, the best part, the Zac Brown Band at the Target Center starting at 7:30 the restaurants were packed. We finally found somewhere and enjoyed a really nice meal together before sister J and I headed to the show. Next time I will know better to plan and make reservations, but I seriously did not think a Sunday was going to be a problem!

We did make plans for New Years Eve as well which I am really looking forward to. Two years ago we had a big table for a late seating at one of the best steak houses in Minneapolis and we decided to do that again. We had some wonderful wines, wonderful food and spent the night ringing in the New Year with good friends. I am looking forward to doing that again. 

Zac Brown Band in concert is unbelievable, their music via cd, the radio, streaming or whatnot does NOT do them justice. They are true musicians and their harmonies are incredible, it was by far one of the best concerts I have ever been to. I did not want the night to end and I will definitely go see them again and would not mind paying for good seats, it was absolutely incredible!

With the contractors over and working on the basement, they have been using the 1/2 bath, and leaving the seat up. The boy and I are not big fans of this at all, we never were prior to Stella, but with her fascination with water we figured it best not to tempt her. We have come home to water all over the walls and bathroom floor a couple of times now, and every time you head into the bathroom she has to be right there checking things out, she cracks me up!



We have a pretty low-key week which is perfect for getting ready for Thanksgiving! I am looking forward to getting things crossed off of the Ta-Da list! We also have contractors working on the basement this week. They should be finished with getting the main room mudded, taped and sanded. So then we will just have trim, painting, carpet and cabinets left. I am hoping that comes together pretty fast, but we will see. My goal is by the end of the year. I would like to have friends over New Years Day for a football party!

Monday
Plans - Set table, get out serving dishes and label, organize dishes for cooking
Dinner - Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chobani Mustard Sauce , rice and butternut squash

Tuesday
Plans - peel and mash potatoes, blanch green beans and prepare bundles, blanch brussel sprouts, make corn pudding
Dinner - Slow cooker White bean and Kielbasa Stew

Wednesday
Plans - Pick up turkey and final items needed for Thanksgiving
Dinner - Park Tavern for burgers and bowling

Thursday
Plans - Host our first Thanksgiving!
Dinner - Appetizers - Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip, Stuffed Baby Portabella Mushrooms, Parmesan Crusted Goat Cheese with basil oil, veggie tray (sister is bringing), Main course - Turkey (no recipe yet), Green Bean Bundles, Apple and Turnip Dish (C from Canada is making and bringing this), Balsamic Glazed Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta, Creamy Mashed Potatoes (what I love about this recipe is that the Pioneer Woman made these ahead of time and put them in the oven), Wild Rice Stuffing (using this recipe but adding mushrooms and sausage), Scalloped Corn, Gravy (mom is making), Cranberry and Pear Sauce, jell-o salad (mom is making at niece and nephews request), rolls (sister is bringing), lefse (mom is bringing, Dessert - mom is making three different pies

I am sure it seems like a lot, but I think it will all go over pretty well. We usually have a couple of appetizers, then a late lunch, then pie, then we eat again later. Without the basement, I am just hoping we can keep the kids occupied long enough so that there isn't a fight over wii and the football!

Friday
Plans - My niece is spending the night Thanksgiving, so we will go and do some shopping, maybe get our nails done and then wait for the boy to get off of work and then go have dinner and see a movie. There are SO many good ones out, I am having a hard time deciding between Arthur Christmas, Hugo, and The Muppet Movie. I heard from my sister that she has been Muppet crazy lately so I am guessing that is the direction we will be going in. I am also really excited to take her to see War Horse. She is horse crazy and I just know she will love that film.
Dinner - out - Nieces choice

Saturday
Plans - We have a huge list of things that need to get accomplished before the next weekend. One is getting the house decorated. I need to get all of the Thanksgiving down and put away and get the Christmas up. This has to happen this weekend as our annual holiday party is the next weekend!
Dinner - Osteri I Nonni (I made reservations for 5:15 so that we can enjoy an early dinner and maybe a movie)

Sunday
Plans - Brunch at Jax with my parents to celebrate my dad's birthday. Start getting appetizers ready for the following Saturday, plan shopping list and menu, set table, get platters and serving dishes ready.
Dinner - it better be leftovers, we will need to make space in the fridge and I am sure we will still be full from brunch!!


Super busy week, but with work being more manageable, working from home most of this week and the house getting more organized, things should go pretty smoothly!

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