Always good to have a plan...

My mom is coming to visit from Nashville this weekend, and I am planning to have her take the MP and I out to dinner on Saturday night (don't think she knows this yet!). But the rest of the weekend should include lots of cooking.

I got this as a wedding gift, and know my mom thinks she wants one too. So, we'll definitely be making Ebelskivers at least once this weekend. I am thinking we'll try apple-filled ones for fall...plus I get overly enthusiastic at the farmers market most weeks, and so I am still trying to use up stuff from last week, since I am headed back tomorrow!

On Sunday, we'll definitely spend some time in the kitchen. My dad isn't a big seafood fan, so I think we'll make scallops, which my mom loves. I would usually serve with vegetable risotto, but I think I want to try some more fall veggies, so I am going to make Turnip Gratin. For dessert, we'll have this tasty looking Upside Down Pear Chocolate Cake.

After she heads back on Monday, I am going to try my hand at one of my all time favorite comfort foods, which I have never attempted making...Chicken & Dumplings. At a meat & three, if chicken & dumplings is on the menu, I may as well not bother looking at it, because my decision is made. I am pretty excited to see how these turn out. It seems to be a pretty time intensive process with cooking a whole chicken, shredding it, making the broth, and the dumplings.

Tuesday, we'll have Beef Stroganoff (again...raiding the freezer of meat I've had for a bit) and I am going to also make the MP's very favorite cookies. I use the recipe as a base and add about any combination of mixings you can think of (dried cherries or cranberries, nuts, white or milk chocolate chips, etc). A batch never lasts more than two days, unless I hide some of them!

Wednesday, I have yoga class in the evening, so it'll be leftovers for the MP.

I can't think of what to have Thursday, so I think I will hold off on the hope that we have leftovers still by then - or else see if there's something at the market tomorrow that strikes me. Usually, as I am walking around I remember something I haven't had in awhile that sounds good (maybe some pork loin or chops...).

Guess I am going to head off to the gym for a little pre-emptive workout considering I am going to consume more than my fair share of heavy creams, cheeses, pastas, desserts over the next few days.