Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and most of the leftovers are gone it’s time to get back to our normal schedule. Well, actually, a little busier than normal. The girls have voice and piano on Monday at 5pm followed immediately by our youngest (the cheerleader) participating in our town’s Christmas parade at 6pm. I’m not sure what we’re going to eat for dinner or when we’ll eat it. Tuesday and Thursday is after school archery practice for Presley followed on Thursday by choir practice for both girls. On Friday, Highlander Youth Choir is performing in a Christmas Concert at Lyon College. Saturday we have Portraits with Pets, an event sponsored by our local Humane Society every year. Now that I’ve listed everything it sounds a lot busier than usual. I hope I can stick to my menu for the week but it’s looking like at least one meal is going to get pushed back.

My garden has finally given up so there’s nothing there that I have to worry about incorporating into our menu this week.  I still have a little leftover turkey and the bones for soup. Everything else has been eaten.

Monday: Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches with kale salad. I was born in Louisville, KY and raised nearby in Southern Indiana. The Brown Hotel created this delicious open-face turkey sandwich in 1926 and has been serving it ever since. It’s an iconic, regional sandwich and besides that, it’s delicious. All I have to do is fry up some bacon, make a cheese sauce, and slice up the last of the tomatoes on my windowsill. Since it’s going to be a busy afternoon, I’ll get everything ready early and throw the sandwiches under the broiler when the kids get home from school.

Tuesday: Cheese tortellini (I had a coupon & a rebate) with sautéed vegetables and homemade pesto sauce, salad, and garlic bread. I have mushrooms and an eggplant leftover in my refrigerator crisper drawer so I’ll sauté those with an onion and add to my sauce. Dave’s awesome garlic bread will cap off the meal.

Wednesday: Tuna steaks with sushi rice balls, sugar snap peas, and cucumber salad. I will crust the tuna in my “Everything Bagel Topping” which includes salt, pepper, garlic, sesame and poppy seeds (YUM!) and sear for a couple minutes on each side. Make sushi rice according to package instructions, mix with rice wine vinegar and roll into balls with wet hands. The kids love dipping these in soy sauce before eating. Steamed sugar snap peas and cucumber salad made with rice wine vinegar will complete the meal.

Thursday: Cincinnati-style Chili with Fritos. For those of you who don’t know, Cincinnati-style means it’s served over spaghetti with an option of extra toppings. We like cheese, onions, and sometimes jalapenos. And in our household you can’t have chili without Fritos too.

Friday: Turkey and wild rice soup with biscuits. The girls have a choir concert so I need something I can make ahead of time and warm up quickly to feed the family. So I’ll take those turkey bones and make soup. Biscuits will be great to soak up that thick broth.