Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash: Ghoul-lash! #Weekend Bites

When I received an invitation to a Halloween party I responded, "I will be there with something ghoulish to eat... maybe goulash?" At the time I was just being cute, but then I thought about it...maybe I will make goulash! 

Osso Buco in a Tomato Orange Sauce: Osso Buco å l' Arman #French Fridays with Dorie

I didn't know that the French had hijacked the beloved Italian dish: Osso Buco? I grew up eating this dish flavored with a lot of pepper and garlic. Dorie Greenspan's recipe a l' Arman (after the French artist) is a lot more sophisticated and very French. It contains oranges and herbes de Provence.

Easy Crockpot Mexican Pork Stew #Dei Fratelli Ripened Recipe Contest #National Tomato Month #Weekly Menu Plan

This post is sponsored by Dei Fratelli. All opinions are my own.

Until field hockey season is over we are in over drive at the Balch house. You see my daughter is determined to keep up with her fencing too, which means 2 nights a week and Saturday on top of her field hockey practice and game schedule. My son has been busy with both fencing and Boy Scouts and my husband has been traveling... lets just say I have I lot less time to spend in the kitchen because I am driving so much.

Beer & Butter Roasted Vegetables #Weekend Bites

Our pool club has a beautiful grove area by a lake. An old tradition of having an Octoberfest was resurrected this year. We have been having a dry and mild Autumn so the event had gorgeous weather. Some families brought desserts and others were designated to bring side dishes. Many types of German sausages were provided.

Weight Loss Yogurt Cereal Breakfast #Healthy Eating #Weekly Menu Plan

In Mireille Guiliano's famous book: French Women Don't Get Fat.  She shares a recipe for what she calls: Magical Breakfast Cream. It is a yogurt cereal concoction that is very healthy and helps stave off hunger, so you can make it to lunch without snacking.

Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Apple Cake #Weekend Bites

We have been going apple picking with friends of ours every year since our kids were toddlers. They have been living in Brooklyn for a while now and the traffic to get out to the orchard is just not making it a fun thing to do anymore. 

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes with Garlic & Potatoes #French Fridays with Dorie

We are on an ugly food roll in French Fridays with Dorie: celery root two weeks ago, monkfish last week and Jerusalem Artichokes this week... it must be Halloween season because I feel like I've have been concocting witches' brews for the last month. Don't be surprised if we roast eye of newt next week!

Belgium Mussels #Food of the World

When I think of Belgium I think of mussels. I was fortunate enough to visit Brussels on my way to a wedding in Amsterdam. There were street vendors and outdoor cafes overflowing with mussels. Yes, everyone must eat "Mussels in Brussels." with a side of pommes frites...

10 Best Fall Recipes from Simple Living and Eating #Weekly Menu Plan

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

I hope you are enjoying a long holiday weekend like we are....quiet, restful... so unusual for us these days. A good weekend to cook and sort through old recipes. Here are some of my family's favorite Fall meals.

Andouille Sausage & Pappardelle #Weekend Bites

This recipe is truly a mixture of Mediterranean flavors and elements. Andouille sausage is a favorite of the French and Spanish (quite popular in New Orleans) with Pimenton Picante (Hot Paprika) from Spain and a favorite Italian pasta Pappardelle. 

Scallops with Double Carrots (Bonne Idee of Monkfish and Double Carrots) #French Fridays with Dorie

We made the ugliest vegetable, celery root, last week in French Fridays with Dorie. This week we were suppose to make the ugliest fish: monkfish. Ever since I saw a picture of what this beast looks like I have been unable to eat it. I substituted scallops.

Slow Cooker Chicken in Tomatoes #Dei Fratelli Ripened Recipe Contest #National Tomato Month #Weekly Menu Plan

This post is sponsored by Dei Fratelli. All opinions are my own. 

This is a great contest to enter... everyone loves tomato based recipes and Dei Fratelli's products are delicious and diverse. They have plain tomato ingredients,  along with Italian and Mexican flavors so you can keep things interesting with different flavor palettes. 

Here is my recipe for the contest and I plan on making another one with a Mexican flair.... oh, yes, by the way... my family loved this dish. You simply can't go wrong with tomatoes! 

Muffuletta Pasta Salad #Weekend Bites

Muffuletta Pasta Salad brings back memories of family gatherings when I was a kid. My whole extended family loves this salad. There is something in it for everyone. Ham and salami for the meat lovers, provolone cheese, and Giardiniera salad (pickled vegetables) that I just learned how to make myself. (Check out Monday's Post: Giardiniera on a Muffuletta Sandwich)

Celery - Celery Soup #French Fridays with Dorie

It is the time of year to give out the ugliest root vegetable award. Will it be parsnips, goatsbeard? The hands down winner every year is always celeriac or celery root. No vegetable is as knobby and gnarly.