The boys are super excited about Halloween this year. Gavin said it is his favorite holiday, but we'll see if it takes a backseat to Christmas in a month.

Sara asked the boys what they wanted to be this time, and Gavin knew right away. "A spooky ghost!" he said. Great! That's about as simple as it gets. Garrett, always the contrarian, wants to be "A goose." A ghost and a goose are very similar in Garrett's mind, but with his silly twist. He likes everything to be just like his older brother's, but with his own little spin on it.

We searched and searched for a goose costume, but could only come up with ducks and chickens. Unfortunately, Garrett can differentiate the several species of fowl costumes we presented him with, rejecting each with a "That's not a goose." Sara had a solution.

We've had this great little spider costume from Old Navy in the attic for 2 years. It was too small for Gavin when we bought it so Sara's been anxious to use it on Garrett. When we first put him in it to try it on, he was excited. Then it slowly dawned on him that we intended for him not to be a goose, but rather a spider. He stomped around the house in that little costume for awhile, unleashing a torrent of objections and grievances, but finally he has accepted the costume and is happy with it. I hope.

Gavin's artwork of late is almost always Halloween themed. This is a great one he did of himself, trick-or-treating and scaring everyone! The black shape in the corner is a flying bat with wings in motion, and the pumpkin is a pumpkin house with candy inside, of course! He also tore all 4 edges of the paper in a fringe-like fashion to make it more "scary".

Lots of new recipes I've been wanting to try on the menu this week. I went through my huge pile of recipe clippings and threw out a lot of stuff that didn't look good anymore. I also threw out the recipes I was able to find online and add to my virtual recipe box. So, I do feel a lot more organized. The pile is smaller... but it still looks like something I'll never be able to make through in my lifetime. Next look through will definitely have to include some sort of prioritization method.

There wasn't anything tremendously noteworthy from the September 14th - 20th 2009 menu except the Salsa Rice - which was super easy and really good. It's my new go-to recipe when I need a Mexican side dish. I'm not really a fan of instant rice, but being able to throw this together as quickly as I did can't be beat. Two other things that I would make again are the Slow Cooker London Broil and the Black-Eyed Peas and Tortillas. We enjoyed both.

I reference everything on the menu with a link to the recipe, unless it's something that doesn't require one. If the link directs you to another website, it usually means that I have not tried the recipe, and therefore have no idea whether it is good or not. :) If the link leads to a posted recipe here on my blog, it means that it is a tried & true family recipe that we love. I will also revisit some of the recipes I link to and leave comments about how they turned out for us the following week.

Dinner Menu :: October 19th - 25th 2009

Monday
Mandarin Chicken
Jasmine Rice
Green Beans (The canned kind, simmered in bacon for about an hour on the stove.)

Tuesday
Calico Beans
Buttermilk Cornbread

Wednesday
Leftovers from Tuesday.
Chocolate Eclair Cake

Thursday
Rustic Baked Pasta with Roasted Veggies and Italian Sausage
Sour dough rolls with butter & jam. (store bought)

Friday
Leftovers from Thursday.

Saturday
Grape, Avocado, Walnut, Lima Bean Salad Sandwich
Cream of Mushroom Soup

Sunday
Out to dinner at Surfs! (BOGO coupon, $2 Bloody Marys and kids eat free. Yay!)

If you try anything listed here, I'd love to know how it turns out for you! For more menu ideas, or to submit your own plan, visit orgjunkie.com.

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