We have had a very special week here at the cottage. Our youngest son was able to come and spend some time with us and we got to celebrate his birthday while he was here. These are special times for us as he lives across country from us. We will be planning some awesome meals for this coming week, fall has really arrived and the air is starting to be a little crisp in the mornings. It is nice to include the fall recipes and vegetables in the meal plan again.

We spent a few days last week visiting with family in South Texas. It was really great to get away for a few days and visit with some family that we don't get to see very often. On Sunday I got to enjoy my birthday with lots of family which was so special for me. So now we are back home and I can't believe that this will be the last few days of July.  Making a meal time for this time of the year is so easy with so much fresh produce available. We brought back some amazing peaches with us so I will sure be finding a spot for them on my meal plan.

I am excited to make the meal plans for this week because I am expecting to be seeing some very special family members. Summer months are so much fun when we get to have family and friends visit us at the cottage. When we have guest coming I am very grateful to have my meal plans, it sure gives me more time to spend with them and it helps to keep the visit more organized. I am off to the garden to see what will be available to bring to the table for a special recipe for the meal plan.

Welcome July,  great picnic food, great meal plans, patriotic parades, friends, and family. I love this week and the opportunity to celebrate the freedom of our amazing country! When July 4th is in the middle of the week that means we get to celebrate just a little longer than usual. Many of our activities will start this weekend and continue through the week, so I am getting all set for an active cottage this coming week! 

We are having a little morning shower and that means we don't have to water the garden today. I was in the garden earlier to check what will be available for my meal plan, it started raining so I have retreated to the screen porch to write my meal plans for the week. I will be including some great fruits and vegetables on the plan this week. Looks like we will need to include a nice indoor meal for a rainy day. Meal planning sure makes my life easier and helps to keep our family organized.

What beautiful spring weather we are having, just perfect for taking a walk to the garden and bringing back wonderful fresh vegetables for our meal plans. It seems that everyone has a since of renewal in the spring as the weather is warmer and we can enjoy being outdoors. I will be including some of my garden finds on the meal plan this week plus I am hosting a very special Ladies Luncheon. 

It's really spring and we can think about more fresh vegetables and grilling for our meal plans.    The first week of May so that means we are getting that grill out, I can't wait to start cooking outdoors.  I just spent the most amazing weekend at a spiritual retreat with a group of women that have come  together every spring for the past 25 years. Every year I think how could it get any better, but then it does! Now I need to get back to my work and plan some awesome meals for my family for the next week.

I am just coming in from the garden with some fresh greens and can't wait to make my meal plan for next week. We love fresh fruits and vegetables and always try to include them in our meal plan to give us a healthy balance in our diet. We have had some lovely spring weather this past week and have really enjoyed our time outdoors in the garden and sitting on the screen porch once again after our long winter. I think we will just sit right here on the porch while we make this meal plan and have a cup of tea.

It is so nice to sit on the screen porch and make this meal plan for next week. It has been raining just a little and everything looks so fresh.  Our garden looks great and we are already getting some awesome fresh vegetables. We will have a busy week coming up so I will be looking at that plus the weather. It looks like the weather will be clearing for the cook out we are planning for next Saturday, so happy to be having some special friends over for a the evening.

We actually had a little bit of snow this week, it didn't last long but it sure put us in the mood for a cozy fire and hot chocolate. It is sure starting to look a lot like Christmas around the cottage as we are putting the finishing touches on our decorating. I am thinking about warm cozy food for the meal plan this week because of the cold weather we are stating to have. I will have to bundle up and make a trip to the barn to see what we have in the cold bin and then stop off at the garden to see what fresh greens I can use. Lets get going so we can have our hot chocolate!

Our cottage is all a buzz with thanksgiving company starting to arrive today, we are so excited! In making our meal plan this week, I will be making some of our house guest favorites that they have requested, plus a great Thanksgiving Buffet! It is at times like this that I am so happy to have my meals planned out, the shopping all done and as much prep work done as possible. This allows me to be able to spend more quality time with our guest. When We Sit At Our Thanksgiving Table Please Know That I Count Each Of You Among My Many Blessings May God Bless You Abundantly

It is officially cold outside, summer has definitely left us. We are almost finished with our home projects so I will have full use of my kitchen back very soon. It is good to come to this time of the year when I just sit with my cup of tea and enjoy making my meal plans for the next week. Max just sits right by me and I don't think he really cares what we have to eat next week, as long as he has a little nibble from time to time. A blogger friend ask me, how do you plan anything but Turkey and Dressing for November, I laughed and said well we have to eat between now and thanksgiving day.

Our little community is very busy with fall festivals and preparing for the little spooks that will be coming to trick or treat parties next week. We will be having a great new Slow Cooker recipe on the meal plan this week. Our temperatures are a little lower now, so we will be looking to some recipes that warm the body and soul. We are also looking forward to having some family visiting this week and that is always a very special treat!

October is a wonderful fall month with lots of fun festivals and delicious food. I will be moving forward with my meal plans taking my meals more toward warm and cozy foods that say fall. I love driving by the farmers markets this time of the year with all the fall colors of apples, winter squashes and pumpkins. I am a seasonal cook and I think that comes from the fact that all of my family came from rural america where they ate what they raised on their farms. Now is a really great time to start planning your meals as it will sure give you more time and money.

We are having a beautiful week here at the cottage. I have been collecting dried Zinnia's for next years flowers, we love our Zinnia's. I am working on my screen porch today, watching the birds, little squirrels and making my meal plan for the next week. I recently did the pantry and freezer inventory for fall, so I know what I have on hand. We also just recently went on our monthly shopping trip for basic staple replacement. All this preparation makes it much easier to make my meal plans and the meal plans save me time and money. We are getting into the busy fall season when our meal plans really pay off in saving time.

As I am writing this post, we are being told that one of the largest hurricane's in our history is about to hit Florida. There are horrible fires in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Earthquakes in Mexico. So many folks in need of our thoughts and prayers. We are having a great week here at the cottage, it has been cooler and we love being outdoors and enjoying the beginning of the nice fall temperatures to come. I have spent some time this week taking inventory of my pantry, freezer and cold bins in order to make are stocking list for the fall months. Knowing exactly what I have in stock helps me when making meal plans. I hope that you are getting back into the swing of making your meal plans to save time and money.

We are so excited to have our daughter from Oregon visiting with us this week. We always have cooking and craft projects planned for her visits. She has actually helped me put some of these meal plans together, because they are her favorites. I love the summer when we can make special dishes for all of our visiting family and friends.

Here comes the fun food, parades, fireworks, celebrations and picnic's it's JULY! We are busy here at the cottage getting ready for the big celebration on the 4th of July and enjoying some weekend activities that lead up to the 4th.  I love all the wonderful food and recipes that come this time of the year and always look forward to having some great menus for friends and family that will be joining us.

This is about the time of the year when our garden harvest gets into full swing and we start our canning and preserving. We have had a fantastic production from our garden this year because we have had just the right amount of rain, for which we are very grateful. I am planning one of my favorite soups this week and a great salsa that goes with any and everything in the summer. I love our wonderful garden to table meal plans for the summer.