Meal Plans and Pumpkin squares (And Lure Coursing pictures)

We are off to a flyball tournament this weekend, so that means stuff like cleaning the house, cleaning the car, and packing all have to happen as well. Luckily (or unluckily, monetarily speaking), work is super light for the next week, so I'll have plenty of time.

As requested, the recipe for the pumpkin bars I posted last week:
Make pumpkin cream cheese (1 package cream cheese, 1/4 cup canned pumpkin, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 2 T brown sugar).

In a greased baking dish, lay out one layer of crescent rolls (I just used the off-brand package of them, and did a small pan, which took one tube). Pinch the seams together. Spread with Pumpkin Cream Cheese. Lay the other half of the crescent rolls over the cream cheese, pinching the seams together. Top with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, and scatter a few small chunks of butter across the top. Bake at 350 until golden brown and flaky (about 15 minutes in my toaster oven).

Slice and serve. They are great warm out of the oven, or cold the next day for breakfast.



Meal plans for the week:

Lunch/Dinner meals: 
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches: a roast was on sale, which I got for the dogs, and cut off my own portion of the meat, plus I have two bell peppers to use up still, and some onions, and a few hoagie rolls left from the apple butter meatballs last week, which I ate as hot meatball subs.

Fajitas: with the same mix as the cheese steak, minus the cheese and plus fajita seasoning and a tortilla

Chicken/corn chowder: Plan is to cook a chicken quarter in the crockpot (after removing the skin/extra fat). I'll remove the meat from the bones and brown up the meat in the pan, then make my normal corn chowder, adding the chicken in. The bones from the quarter, along with some vegetable scraps like onion skins, will get made into chicken broth the next day, in the crock pot.

Quesadillas: Since I have tortillas, this is one of my fall-back foods. Made in a cast iron pan, please, as I can't stand a soggy tortilla from the microwave.

Pumpkin French Toast: Because it sounds amazing, and I am still trying to use up all that canned pumpkin. I really need to just freeze it into an ice cube tray next time to use in small amounts as the need comes up.

Cheese Sandwich: A cheese sandwich, made on five seed bread, with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, apple slices, sprouts (alfalfa/radish/clover/chia mix), and sunflower seeds. Because I used to get this at a coffee shop down the street from my college, and its an amazing sandwich. Might have this a few times, to use up all my sprouts and fully solve my craving.

*Shopping list: Milk, eggs, maple syrup, Halloween candy (my contribution to our team potluck over the weekend, along with some blackberry liquor)

And, here are the dogs with the two Qualifying ribbons each, from the CAT yesterday (check out yesterday's post for videos)

Dog meals for the week:

As I mentioned above, we are gearing up for a flyball tournament. Which for my dogs means a week of no organs, slightly more bone, and consistent meals. Last thing I want is a dog suffering from too much organ meat, too little bone, or a new-food reaction at the tournament (or stinking up the car on the drive).

Monday: Chicken Quarters (Yes, out of the same bag as I am feeding to myself. Its the benefit of buying meat at the grocery store for the dogs.)
Tuesday: Beef heart
Wednesday: Beef heart
Thursday: Chicken quarters
Friday: Beef heart
Saturday/Sunday (at the tournament): Chicken quarters, with a small portion of beef heart in the late afternoon after racing is over.

It is about two-days-worth more bone than I usually feed to my dogs. Bone firms up stools, so I feed it a bit more heavy for tournaments and traveling as a dog with the runs is 1) not feeling their best, 2) not pleasant to be around, and 3) likely to soil in the ring, which I DON'T want to continue our reputation of. This is the same reason I omit organs in the week leading up to a tournament, or any new/rarely fed protein source.


I will also be freezing some tuna juice into ice cubes to add to the dog's water if they aren't drinking. Koira barely drank at all at the last tournament, and the dogs need to stay hydrated.

For more meal planning and recipe tips, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie and StoneGable.