Because there’s a lot of frustration going around recently. Make stew, not sausage! Take it away, Bad Horse’s Filly:

In honor of the fall colors, it’s time to break out the slowcooker and make a traditional menu. How nice is it to come home from a day’s work or outdoor chores like raking leaves and have a hearty beef stew waiting for you? Add some biscuits and baked apples and you have the perfect fall dinner. On the board tonight:

1)Beef Stew
2)Wheat Biscuits
3)Baked Apples

Click on the blue highlight for full recipes & shopping list.

I guess we’ll have to take ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ out of the Lexicon now, because once Jake Tapper starts using it any phrase is officially Lame & Worn Out.
(H/T Wonkette)

Also (thank you Bad Horse’s Filly) here is the Thursday Night Menu – Checkered Tablecloth Edition, slightly late, because Monday holidays screw around with everyone’s calendar timing:

Hope you feel like Italian. Off to enjoy the beautiful weather. On the board tonight:

Chicken Parmesan
Garlic Bread
Italian Mushroom Confetti
Sherbet or (my favorite) Gelato

Click on the bold for the recipes and a shopping list. Mangia!

Our “new” dog Gloria’s status is changing from foster to permanent, and she is totally taking advantage. Eight-year-old Zevon is limping from a hard shoulder check, Syd Viscous is reverting to his old abused Worm Boy persona, and don’t even ask what the three cats think. Gloria automatically goes to the Time Out crate when I raise my voice now, but you can see the “Whatevs—totally worth it” thought balloon hanging over her head, the little menace. Time to re-enroll at the doggy training classes…

Here is Bad Horse Filly’s First Snow Thursday Night Menu:

This is not your mamma’s canned tomato soup and grilled cheese, and can I say, the flax cookies are addictive (they’re a friend’s recipe, so I can say that.)

Hearty Tomato Soup
Totally Awesome Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Flax Cookies

(Click the blue ‘First Snow’ link for the complete details.)

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The weather is great. Go read blogs outside!

Try this delicious Greek recipe. Just made last night.

Ingredients:
Two bell peppers (your favorites. I used red & orange)
5tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4lb spicy sausage (I used turkey sausage)
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp fresh parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut each pepper into 8 chunks. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and add the peppers. Cook until they are starting to turn a little brown around the edges. Turn off the heat, and put the leftover olive oil into a frying pan. Cut the sausages into bite sized chunks and add them to the frying pan. Cook until brown, but don’t cook through.

Add all ingredients to a baking pan and stir well. Cook on 350 for about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10. Serves 4.

As a side dish, I made stuffed Portobello mushrooms. Not very Greek, but very easy.

Ingredients:
4 medium mushrooms
1/4 cup of swiss cheese (or whatever you like)
Rosemary
Parsley
3tbsp diced garlic

Put all the stuffing ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Stuff the shrooms. Cook on 350 for about 20 minutes. Yum! As always, you should vary the recipe depending on your taste. Don’t like sausage? Use chicken. Don’t like Swiss? Use feta. In fact, feta might be bettah.