Hello everyone, I sure hope you are warm and cozy on this very cold day. Meal planning can be a challenge sometimes with weather issues, time and budget factors. I am so happy to hear from many readers every week about our recipes and meal plans. Last week one of our readers challenged us to offer a week of slow cooker meal plans. It is  a great challenge for this time of the year so lets have some fun and see what we can create.

Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 730! Snow and cold weather, my goodness it must be winter. That calls for a nice fire to sit by and a nice cup of hot chocolate to enjoy. We have both of those for you today, so come on in the cottage and enjoy the party today. We have some great features from last weeks party for you to enjoy. I always look forward to this party with all of you and the wonderful links that you bring to the party!

  Our Butternut, Sausage and Greens Winter Soup is such a beautiful winter soup. A mix of butternut squash from our garden, smoked sausage, and winter greens from our garden. Along with a spice mix that enhances these vegetables, this is a very special winter soup that we enjoy serving our friends and family. We are serving the soup with our Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread, a fantastic combination!

It is time to put together some great meal plans for the week and I am so happy you are here to help. The first thing I always look at is the weather and it is cold and getting colder. We lost a freezer, sometimes they just wear out. We are in the process of replacing it. In the mean time relocating some of the food and cooking some of it which will go on the meal plan this week. I have a really good inventory of staples in the pantry and plenty of greens in the winter garden. We will be able to have some delicious meal plans for the week!

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 729 I am so happy to see you today. 14 years ago this week, I published the very first Full Plate Thursday. The blogging community gave us such a warm welcome that day as you have been doing so for these past 14 years. There were several of you here last week that were at our very first party. Come on in the cottage and I sure hope you will enjoy this special party. Thank you so very much for your support through these 14 years. I have so much love and respect for all of you who are part of our community here on Thursday!

This Old Fashioned Navy Bean and Ham Bone Soup has been around our family for several generations. I grew up having this soup at my parents and both grandparents tables. It was usually made and served shortly after the big baked ham had been served. We have a special spice mix that goes in the stew pot and that has never changed. It was always served with  Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread .

Apple Coffee Cake will make any brunch a very special occasion. This recipe is so simple with just a few ingredients and delivers a fantastic flavor. The coffee cake can even become a very simple dessert for lunch or dinner. I love to have a nice slice with my afternoon tea. I just love this recipe and have served it for years to friends and family.

Hello everyone, I am happy to sit down with my recipes and inventories today. We have been very busy here on the interior of the cottage. We are taking advantage of being closed in with our cold temperatures. It is a great time to  re-organize some catch-all areas and do some touch up painting in our cottage. Now to take a look at our meal plan for the week. As we move forward, o ur hearts and prayers go out to the folks in California as they begin to recover from these horrible fires.

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, 728. Come right in the cottage, and warm up by the fire. We are have some snow today so it is a little to cold to be out of doors. We have been moving plants around and trying to save as many plants as we can. We always have room for one more at the table here and we have saved you a special seat at the table. We have some great features from last weeks party for you to enjoy and we can hardly wait to see what you are bringing to share with us today!

  We grow our own turnips and greens in our winter garden. I am always so excited when it is harvest time for the turnips and greens. I grew up with the recipe that I am sharing today. Turnips, greens and the all important "pot likker" was a very special dish that our family enjoyed for generations. The recipe is simple with very few ingredients and the end result is pure southern flavor. I am so grateful that my husband and I still have a winter garden to enjoy the fresh turnips and greens. This is truly a Garden to Table recipe.

We love our cornbread here at the cottage. There are certain breads that are a must to complete the meal. My Grandmother made this same recipe when I was a girl and sometimes it taste like I am at her table, what a comforting memory. This recipe is easy to make and will be enough for the crowd or lefts overs for the next day.

Welcome to 2025 and our continuing publications for family meal plans. We have had a great holiday season and now I am sure ready for some normal foods, whatever that is to each person. I always like to have something spicy and  salty after all the sweet's and rich foods of the holidays. We are getting ready for an arctic blast this weekend. I gathered quiet a few winter greens from the veggie pod and the winter garden. We will enjoy some comfort stews and soups this week.

  Welcome to our first party for 2025! Hope you enjoyed all the holiday festivities, it is one of my favorite times of the year. We have a wonderful fire to gather around and I have a hot chocolate bar all set up for you. We have some awesome features for you to enjoy and I can't wait to see what you will be sharing for our first party of the new year!

  Welcome to our annual reveal of our Top 10 Reader Favorite Recipes. I like to pause for a bit at the end of the year and look back at all the successes and even some things that need improvement, in my personal life and here at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.