October Decor & What's Cookin' Oct 14 - 20

My menu last week worked for about half the time -- my nemesis was (and has been since the dawn of time) getting things thawed!  Whole chickens, even small stewing chickens, always take much longer than I think it should, necessitating a last minute scramble to adjust dates and sometimes upending plans totally.

So, trying again this week!  Next week, we're heading up to Boston/Salem for a few days to enjoy our honeymoon, so I'm being a little cautious about having too many perishables to deal with.  I'm leaving Sunday's plan open in order to finish off anything that won't keep.

I didn't manage any pictures/recipe entries last week - I will try to do better this time.

Monday Oct 14

Taco Salad (no chips)

Salsa, Guacamole

Tuesday Oct 15

No-Grain Pumpkin Waffles

Bacon

Stewed Apples

Wednesday Oct 16

Pork & Veggie Stir-Fry

Thursday Oct 17 (Meeting tonight)

Cottage Pie with Mashed Sweet Potato Topping

(prepare early to be cooked for dinner by Michael)

(thaw short ribs early, to be slow cooked tomorrow)

Friday Oct 18

Slow Cooked Short Ribs and Mushrooms

Salad

Saturday Oct 19

Curry Meatballs
Spaghetti Squash

Sunday Oct 20

Leftovers / Clean out the Fridge Day

Because of our trip, I am going to leave my Calendula Oil to infuse until I return, and work on the next stage of that project then.

~~

Autumn Mask - Renee Olson

Spring Mask - Renee Olson

I had some exciting news yesterday - I won a pair of masks from Samhain's Sirens - aren't the beautiful?  Here's the best part - the maker of these beautifies, Renee Olsen, also posted a tutorial for making  them.  I am looking forward to trying my hand as these, next time I get myself to a craft store, and of course playing around with some Summer and Winter motifs!

I think the Autumn mask is going to do quite nicely added to our Samhain shrine, don't you?

 Today's Samhain's Sirens entry is a literary one - you'll find a recipe for spiced apple cider (yum!), just perfect for reading the posted short story, or dipping into today's giveaway: a novel by Wendy L. Callahan called "The Pain Maiden.  There is also a blog makeover on giveaway, so stop by today.  This contest ends tomorrow morning.

Head over to Pagan Culture as well, for the So Good So Grim Blog Party, going on from October 13th - 21st.  All sorts of spooky stories, artwork and other delights that speak to the good hiding in the darkness, along with some amazing seasonal giveaways.  I'm spending time over at The Cauldron Born talking about the dark(ish) side of Tarot all this week.