Catering Melbourne Blog

What’s For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2010 – 33rd Edition

Article by Elizabeth Randall

This is the 33rd edition of the weekly 30-minute menus for 2010. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Thursday or Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week’s menus on Sunday.

Since it is still so hot and the kids are going back to school (and all the business that means), I have included a cook once – eat three times menu strategy this week. We can all be winners with our time, our budget, and our family. How great is that!

This Friday is the start of the Labor Day weekend. My family will arrive on Friday evening so I will have the Beef Vegetable Soup simmering on the stove as they come home. We will begin our celebration on Saturday night with family and friends with a Crab Boil. To accompany the meal, I will serve the Tex-Mex appetizer course containing: Sharp Cheddar Wedge with Farm House Chutney; Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing; Celery, Carrots, Ripe Olives, Sliced Apples on the Vegetable Tray; Tortilla Chips and Simple Water Crackers; Smokehouse Almonds. This will be a grand meal with lots of fun for everyone!

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:

Fish in White Wine Sauce (frozen fish fillets)

Duchess Potatoes (instant garlic mashed potatoes)

Baby Peas (frozen peas)

Baked Tomato Halves

Coconut Cream Pie with Berries (prepared graham cracker crust, instant pudding mix; purchase extra berries for Thursday)

Monday:

Roast Beef and Vegetables (crock pot; save leftover beef for Wednesday and Friday)

Tossed Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing (bagged salad greens, bottled salad dressing)

Ginger Shortcakes with Caramelized Pears (baking mix, canned pears)

Tuesday:

Sauteed Chicken and Mushrooms (boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets, sliced mushrooms)

Roasted Red Potatoes with Green Beans (frozen veggie mix)

Baked Granola Apples (purchased cereal)

Wednesday:

Shepherd’s Pie (beef from Monday; instant mashed potatoes, canned mixed vegetables and soup)

Waldorf Salad

Cherry Fluff (canned cherry pie filling and pineapple, frozen whipped topping; purchase extr whipped topping for Thursday)

Thursday:

Tortellini Rustica with Fresh Vegetables (vegetarian; prepared tortellini, grated Parmesan cheese)

Three Pepper Salad (jarred Italian salad dressing)

Quick Tortoni and Seasonal Berries (purchased coconut macaroon cookies and ice cream, frozen whipped topping)

Friday:

Beef Vegetable Soup (beef from Monday; canned vegetables and mushroom gravy)

Gouda or Cheddar Paninis

Blueberry Turnovers (blueberry jam inside crescent rolls with sugar glaze on top)

Saturday:

Crab Boil for a Crowd

Potato Salad (canned potatoes)

Spring Vegetable Salad (cherry tomatoes, bottled vinaigrette)

Individual Corn Puddings (canned corn)Angel Food Torte (purchased angel food cake, instant pudding mix)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Elizabeth Randall and Family

About the Author

For more ideas, check out my website: http://www.MomsMealConnection.com.

The 30-Minute Menus give you instructions for preparing the complete meals in 30 minutes – flat! Party in a Bag offers ideas for 30-minute appetizer courses or cocktail parties.

MomsMealConnection is designed to help busy moms everywhere prepare meals – family meals, holiday celebrations, and special dinners plus entertaining.

What’s For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2009 – 38th Edition

Article by Elizabeth Randall

This is the 38th edition of the weekly 30-minute menus for 2010. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Thursday or Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week’s menus on Sunday.

Can you believe it is October? Our weather is really feeling like Fall; the nights are chilly with beautiful blue skies during the day. Our football fans are just loving it! In fact, everything outside is glorious now. These menus will have you out of the kitchen and in the great out-of-doors in no time at all!

The Saturday menu, Beef Burgundy, has an easy prep that makes it great for a family night but is also fancy enough for company! If you are having company, I would recommend the Curry Shrimp Cocktail appetizer course consisting of: a Camembert Round; Shrimp Cocktail with Tamarind Coconut Curry; Endive, Snow Peas, Asparagus Spears, Bell Peppers with Pineapple Chipotle Salsa; Sea Salt Pita Chips and Simple Water Crackers; Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds. This will complement the meal nicely and leave you time to enjoy your guests, too!

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:

Stuffed Pork Chops with Maple Glaze (boxed cornbread stuffing mix)

Harvard Beets (jarred Harvard beets)

7-Layer Salad (frozen peas; purchase extra peas for Monday and Wednesday)

Berry Topped Cupcakes (purchased cupcakes)

Monday:

Broiled Tilapia

Fettuccine with Green Peas (boxed pasta, frozen peas)

Broiled Tomatoes (grated Parmesan cheese)

Heavenly Cherries Jubilee (purchased angel food cake, canned cherry pie filling)

Tuesday:

Mexi-Mac Chicken with Double Cheese (cooked or canned chicken, boxed mac&cheese mix, shredded cheese)

Fresh Green Beans

Cookie S’mores (purchased cookies, bagged chocolate morsels, mini-marshmallows)

Wednesday:

Salisbury Steaks on Bed of Onions

Acorn Squash with Peas (frozen peas)

Citrus Salad (jarred fruit)

Apple Tarts (puff pastry, canned apple pie filling)

Thursday:

Quick Seafood Bouillabaisse (cleaned and deveined shrimp, jarred picante sauce, and canned crab, clams, mixed vegetables, and tomatoes)

Rolls or Baguette of Choice

Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches (ice cream between purchased jumbo cookies or use leftover cookies from Tuesday; purchase extra ice cream for Saturday)

Friday:

Build-Your-Own Grilled Pizza (vegetarian; purchased pizza crust, jarred pasta sauce, shredded cheeses)

Lettuce Wedges (jarred salad dressing)

Grilled Pears with Honey Glaze

Saturday:

Beef Burgundy (sliced mushrooms; any leftovers make a fine soup base)

Wide Egg Noodles

Marinated Broccoli and Red Pepper Salad (jarred herb vinaigrette)

Warm French Rolls (purchased bread)

Peach Sundaes (purchased ice cream and jarred peach preserves)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Elizabeth Randall and Family

About the Author

For more ideas, check out my website: http://www.MomsMealConnection.com.

The 30-Minute Menus give you instructions for preparing the complete meals in 30 minutes – flat! Party in a Bag offers ideas for 30-minute appetizer courses or cocktail parties.

MomsMealConnection is designed to help busy moms everywhere prepare meals – family meals, holiday celebrations, and special dinners plus entertaining.

Need a Caterer in Jersey

Article by Allaric Saltzman

Catering today is a lucrative business. All sorts of events require it, from birthday parties, reunions, get togethers, small lunches, corporate dinners etc. Caterers are willing to cater even for small groups and within manageable costs. Catering is no longer an expensive business. Food is served based on the theme and the venue apart from the selections you have made. Catering companies in South Jersey do just that. Food for larger parties can be served on plates, whereas if its just a small luncheon or get together with a few friends on a hot day, have boxed lunches, filled with sandwiches of light meat, chips and fruit slices. Iced tea to accompany all of it. The best part is a caterer has done all of this for you and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy it. Lot of caterers are willing to work on their menus to please the clients. Ask for references at your work place or from a neighbor who can fill you in on the experience they have had. Another place to look for caterers is the school. Ask your children if they enjoy the food at their cafeteria, today many caterers have tied up with the school nutrition program and they use their skills to make food at school very appealing. Catering in South Jersey is not just applicable to big events and parties, small lunches, corporate lunches, family dinners, and picnics are also included. Keep these tips in mind; make sure your caterer has experience in serving. Check that they have the manpower and resources to cater for your event. Some caterers can only do a small number whereas others may only agree for a large group. Catering costs in South Jersey have come down and are not necessarily very high. Discuss your preferences and what kind of food is okay – kosher, halal, vegan etcetera. Also let the caterer know beforehand if any body has food allergies, this way the caterer will make sure not to use that particular ingredient in the menu. Caterers will also help with decoration ideas and flower arrangements, discuss this with them beforehand. A capable and professional caterer will make sure your experience is a pleasant one, as it’s not just you that he is catering to, but also your guests who could be his potential customers. Making a party a success is also beneficial to him and thus he will make sure his team delivers quality service.

About the Author

Duke Catering in South Jersey caters to the healthy lunch program needs of school children and also provides event catering for businesses and individuals.

Appetizer Recipes For Party Recipe – Easy Deviled Egg Appetizer

Article by Jackquin Lohanse

Deviled eggs are fantastic to create to get a simple holiday gathering or for a pot luck dinner. They have a tendency to be a delicious, soothing, and party preferred appetizer. There’s nothing much better than generating a big batch and snacking on a couple of prior to you put them out in the dinner celebration or packing them up to get a celebration. Beneath is really a fast and simple deviled eggs recipes that can effortlessly be made a couple days forward. So if you are prepared for a foolproof, crowd pleasing recipe, then get your tools prepared and let’s start.Hard-Cooking EggsThe initial step in generating these simple deviled eggs is to hard-cook them. Lots of people say hard-boil, but this is not the correct term because you’re really not boiling them, as you’ll see. They should be cooked more than high heat just until the h2o begins to boil then removed and left to stand until done. By no means depart your eggs to boil! If eggs are boiled for any size of time, the yolks will turn out to be tough or might flip an unattractive greenish-gray.Merely put the eggs inside a pan roomy sufficient to maintain them with out crowding, with chilly h2o to cover by a minimum of one inch. Next, more than higher heat, warmth the h2o and eggs until just fully boiling. As soon as a complete boil is accomplished, remove the saucepan from the warmth, cover tightly and let them stand for 15 mins. Following which, eliminate the scorching h2o and run them beneath chilly h2o for 5 minutes to cease the cooking procedure. At this point, put them in the refrigerator to awesome for a couple hours. It will make it simpler to peel them.Easy Deviled Eggs Recipe

12 tough boiled eggs1/2 cup of mayonnaise1 teaspoon prepared mustard1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon cayenne1 tablespoon curry powderNow it’s time to create the deviled eggs. After peeling them and cutting them lengthwise in half, eliminate the yolks and put them in a bowl. This step is optional, but you can run the yolks through a hand sifter to obtain them actual fine. It is tends to make to get a creamier deviled egg. Otherwise, just mash them with a fork. Next, combine all the other components towards the yolks and combine well.The last step would be to take the mixture and put it in a food storage bag. What you will do next would be to snip a gap in corner of bag and pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves. This is the simplest and most clean way of getting ready the deviled eggs for presentation.There are a quantity of variations to try, but I discover this deviled eggs recipe to be the best tasting. It’s simple to make, taking only a matter of mins to put together, minus the cooking time for the eggs and letting them awesome down prior to peeling.So in the event you want to be the hit of the celebration or household get collectively, than give this yummy and easy deviled egg recipe a try.


About the Author

Discover all MY RECIPES SECRETS ==> http://myrecipesecrets.info

What’s For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2010 – 40th Edition

Article by Elizabeth Randall

This is the 40th edition of the weekly 30-minute menus for 2010. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Thursday or Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week’s menus on Sunday.

Wow! Our weather is so great; really feeling the Fall y’all! This week’s menus are using the grill a lot – using it while we can for the weather will turn colder very soon plus it is so good to be out-of-doors now.

I have included a grand mix of Fall’s harvest fruits and vegetables this week. So enjoy your week and this grand season of wonderful weather and fabulous foods.

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:

Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes with Balsamic Maple Glaze (purchased balsamic vinegar and maple syrup; save some pork for Friday)

Grilled Veggie Skewers

Pineapple Pound Cake (purchased pound cake, canned pineapple, cream cheese fruit dip; save some cake for Saturday)

Monday:

Kung Pao Chicken (chicken tenders; purchase extra tenders for Thursday)

White Rice

Melon Salad with Apricot Dressing (apricot jam, yogurt, shredded coconut)

Gingered Ice Cream with Fortune Cookies (purchased ice cream and cookies)

Tuesday:

Cheeseburger Pie (baking mix, shredded cheese)

Fresh Green Beans

Sliced Tomatoes with Blue Cheese Crumbles

Sugar Cookie Apple Crisp (prepared cookie dough, canned apple pie filling)

Wednesday:

Quick Minestrone Soup (vegetarian; dried tortellini, canned tomatoes, mixed veggies, and white beans)

Waldorf Salad (prepared mayo)

Artisian Bread (purchased bread)

Cherry Cobbler (puff pastry, canned cherry pie filling)

Thursday:

Corny Chicken (boxed cornbread stuffing mix, chicken tenders)

Steamed Zucchini

Gingerbread with Whipped Cream (boxed gingerbread mix)

Friday:

Pork Fried Rice (pork from Sunday,instant brown rice, sliced mushrooms)

Asian Veggie Wraps (flour tortillas, broccoli slaw mix)

Fruit Pizza Cookies (purchased sugar cookies, canned fruit, apricot jam)

Saturday:

Grilled Fish Packets (foil wrapped fish with butter and wine)

Potato Stacks (bagged julienned white and yellow potatoes)

Slaw Wedges (prepared slaw dressing)

Pound Cake with Grilled Pear Topper (purchased pound cake)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Elizabeth Randall and Family

About the Author

For more ideas, check out my website: http://www.MomsMealConnection.com.

The 30-Minute Menus give you instructions for preparing the complete meals in 30 minutes – flat! Party in a Bag offers ideas for 30-minute appetizer courses or cocktail parties.

MomsMealConnection is designed to help busy moms everywhere prepare meals – family meals, holiday celebrations, and special dinners plus entertaining.

What’s For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2010 – 42nd Edition

Article by Elizabeth Randall

This is the 42nd edition of the weekly 30-minute menus for 2010. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Thursday or Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week’s menus on Sunday.

Is it chilly (or maybe cold) where you live? It is down-right chilly here in Atlanta. We have had a marvelous fall with chilly mornings and crispy days. You will find the menus reflecting the cooler weather with more hearty food being served. I have also included fresh fruits and vegetables of the season.

The menus this week will help save you time and money with the crock-pot Turkey Breast with Herbed Wine Sauce making two great meals for your family – there will also be turkey for those great turkey sandwiches! The Meat Ball Stew comes with its own bread bowls. How fun is that to eat everything including the bowl. Your family will simply love them.

Saturday’s Pesto Chicken with Linguini menu is easy enough for family but special enough for company fare. I will host a dinner this Saturday for a few friends. The appetizer course will be a wonderful start to this meal. It will consist of: a Brie Round and a Mild Cheddar Wedge with Pomegranate Cranberry Chutney; Pate; Endive, Asparagus Spears, Bell Peppers, and Melon with Artichoke Pesto; Whole Wheat Mini Toasts and Simple Water Crackers; Kalamata Gourmet Olives. If you have pesto remaining from the chicken main course just add it to the appetizer buffet!

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:

Turkey Breast with Herbed Wine Sauce (crock pot; save some turkey for Wednesday)

Mashed Potatoes (frozen mashed potato steamers)

Green Beans

Pecan Tarts (purchased pecan tarts, whipped cream topping; save some topping for Monday)

Monday:

Ravioli Mediteranea (vegetarian; purchased ravioli, jarred pasta sauce, shredded cheese)

Fresh Green Beans

Heavenly Angel Food Cake (purchased angel food cake, strawberry jam, whipped cream topping)

Tuesday:

Meatball Stew (frozen meatballs)

Bread Bowls (refrigerated biscuits)

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Dressing (purchased yogurt, canned Mandarin oranges, pear slices, and pineapple; purchase extra pineapple for Wednesday and Friday)

Buckeye Chocolate Chippers (prepared cookie dough, canned chocolate frosting)

Wednesday:

Hot Turkey Salad (turkey from Sunday; jarred chutney, canned pineapple, bagged salad greens)

Sliced Apples with Grapes

Chocolate Nut Toffee (boxed graham cracker crumbs, chocolate morsels)

Thursday:

Tuscan Pasta (boxed pasta, canned cannellini beans, shredded cheeses)

Sliced Tomatoes (purchase extra tomatoes for Saturday)

Italian Bread

Peachy Macaroon Cups (canned peaches, purchased macaroon cookies; purchase extra peaches for Saturday)

Friday:

Spicy Redfish with Pineapple Slaw (bagged slaw mix, jarred slaw dressing, canned pineapple)

Herb and Mushroom Rice (boxed rice mix)

Chocolate Dipped Cookies and Berries (purchased cookies, chocolate morsels)

Saturday:

Pesto Chicken (boneless and skinless chicken breasts, jarred pesto or jarred pasta sauce if your family does not like pesto)

Linguini (boxed pasta)

Caprese Salad (jarred Italian dressing)

Peach Crisp (canned peaches)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Elizabeth Randall and Family

About the Author

For more ideas, check out my website: http://www.MomsMealConnection.com.

The 30-Minute Menus give you instructions for preparing the complete meals in 30 minutes – flat! Party in a Bag offers ideas for 30-minute appetizer courses or cocktail parties.

MomsMealConnection is designed to help busy moms everywhere prepare meals – family meals, holiday celebrations, and special dinners plus entertaining.

Science Diet – The Perfect Food Supply for Your Puppy

Article by Blaine Ward

Congratulations for owning a new puppy and being a nice and cute puppy owner. This time period is the best time for both of you as it is filled with joy and opportunities for starting a great life ahead. But the thing is, like a baby has various needs and requirements, your puppy also does have some of the same kinds of needs in those periods. Starting a new life with your puppy only requires ensuring the happiness and the good health of your puppy for the years that are coming ahead.

All those puppies need some basic requirements to be fulfilled like proper time to play, lots of love and affection and the most important is precise nutrition. The feeding practices should be considerable enough to have their early years as the healthy time. Sometimes, we are just forgetting about this somehow. May be because of the factors like size, age, breed, heredity, environment, exercise, and much more, we are just thinking with the approach of “one size fits all”, but it might not work at all. There is a risk to your dog in the improper feeding like obesity, excessive growth, skeletal problems during the growth, poor muscles and improper development of the bones and poor immune system.

A puppy needs precise level of necessary nutrients and nutrition at the right time for the healthier growth. And to meet such requirements of the health of the puppies, they must be given right type of food in the right amount with the perfect level of protein, energy and calcium, and such nutrition is available in the product science diet. This is the one product that provides the basic supplement for your growing puppy. There is a perfect combination of the nutrition supplements like protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats and others that are essential for your puppy in their growing stage.

Science diet natural pet food is the leading brand in the market and there are different varieties of this product. Best lamb, brown rice Dinner Adult Small diet, best Chicken, Lamb meal, Active adult meal, Rice Recipe Large Breed Dog Food, Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Dog Food are some the science diet pet food that are available for your dogs.

Not just a puppy, your large breed dog also needs this kind of puppy formulated diet to ensure their proper muscle and bone growth and also for the right amount of energy. So, the precise nutrition is a key for your dog’s health and for every other thing that your dog need from the first day. Even their growth and well-being is dependent on the nutrition provided. Therefore, they must be supplied with “>science diet food that is particularly designed for the puppies.

About the Author

The author is actively involved with providing different brand of pet food at cheaper price possible through Petflow Company

A No cost Moussaka Recipe For You: Mediterranean Diet plan

Article by Admin

One of my very favored meals of all time. It by no means gets thrown away and places a smile on each ones encounter at meal time. This conventional Mediterranean meal is a Greek dish and it contains not only classic egg-plant and lamb, but also potatoes for a tasty, comfort food casserole. It’s as simple as pie as well (excuse the foodstuff pun).THE Ingredients:* 3 eggplants* 1/a couple of cup olive oil, plus extra for oiling the pan and the aluminum foil* a whole medium onion, minced* 2 garlic cloves, minced* 1/a couple of pound floor lamb* a couple of tsp soil cinnamon* a whole tsp soil cumin* one tsp freshly floor black pepper* one-single/two pounds baking potatoes, scrubbed* a couple of eggs, flippantly overwhelmedPlanning:Slice the egg-plant in fifty percent, then score the cut facet with a sharp paring knife with out breaking the pores and skin. Warm a big skillet around large heat.Combine in a couple of tablespoons of the olive acrylic, then add two egg plant halves, cut side straight down. Sear for one minute, create 3 tablespoons h2o. Include and decrease the temperature to minimal. Steam the egg-plant halves for ten mins. Established the halves aside to cold on a huge platter and repeat with the remaining halves.When the egg plant has cooled adequate that you can deal with it, scrape the pulp into a huge bowl using a teaspoon, using treatment not to break the skin. You should have four cups eggplant pulp. Reserve the skins, discarding any extra pulp.Then warmth up a large skillet or saute pan around medium warm. Swirl in the continuing to be forty one tablespoons olive fat, then include the onion and prepare dinner until eventually delicate and fragrant, about a couple of min’s, stirring commonly. Excite in the garlic. Cook dinner for thirty seconds. Consist of the soil lamb and prepare dinner until flippantly browned, about a couple of mins, stirring continually.Incorporate the 4 cups eggplant pulp and the sweet vermouth. Blend effectively with a wooden spoon, then inspire in the cinnamon, salt, cumin, and pepper. Continue cooking until the egg plant offers off its liquid and starts to coat the pan with a high-quality film, about five mins, stirring continually. Arranged apart to awesome for at least thirty mins. (The egg-plant filling can be produced up to this level a day in advance; cover tightly when cooled and refrigerate, then permit to arrive back to space temperature prior to proceeding.)You can peel (some don’t) the potatoes and lower them in 50 percent. Beginning with the reduce side, cut off skinny slices, making use of a sharp knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler. Location the potato slices in a large bowl of mineral water as you perform.Boil a medium pot of mineral water. Drain the potato slices and add them to the pot. Cook dinner just right up until crisp, about 3 mins. Drain — getting proper care, as they are fragile — and set apart.Stir the eggs into the egg-plant pulp combination. Placement the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Acrylic a 2-quart substantial-sided souffle dish with olive acrylic.Put the egg-plant skins in the souffle dish, skin aspect out, so that they meet and overlap on the bottom, then rise up alongside the insides of the dish. In other phrases, the egg plant skins ought to type a type of “skin” all around the moussaka as it bakes. Overlap them as essential. If any tear, plug the gap with a small quantity of the eggplant pulp mixture. Permit the skins hang more than the leading of the souffle dish.Location a single-fifth of the potato slices on leading of the egg plant skins on the backside of the dish. Top with 1 cup egg plant pulp combination. Develop three far more layers, then prime with a last layer of potato slices. Fold the egg plant skins more than to seal the dish. If the skins don’t connect, it doesn’t matter.A little fat up (olive acrylic only) a 10-inch-lengthy piece of foil. Location it, oiled aspect down, in excess of the casserole and loosely seal it. Bake the moussaka for 1 hour thirty mins. Permit awesome on a wire rack for 5 mins, then serve.More info of mediterranean diet

About the Author

Adminstrator

Your Cat: Food Tips for Surviving The Holidays

Article by Susan Livingstone

Is your cat one of those who likes to hang around under the table, hoping to pounce on any scrap of food that might fall from your fork? Cats are above begging, of course, but they can certainly show a more-than-polite interest in whatever it is you’re eating, and their dignity doesn’t preclude positioning themselves for a mid-air chomp if the opportunity arises. Thanksgiving is a particular favorite with kitties, as our love of turkey is a mere passing fancy compared to the single-minded devotion your cat will lavish on a juicy slab of breast meat.

You’ve probably heard that table scraps are bad for your kitty’s health, but some are certainly worse than others. When you belly up to the dinner table this Thanksgiving, be armed with the knowledge about what parts of the feast your cat can safely share, and which bits are a serious no-no.

The Turkey

As mentioned, most cats will climb over your prostrate body to get to a drumstick. Fortunately, turkey is good for them – check the ingredients in many homemade cat food diets, and you will find turkey comprising up to 75% of the ingredients. So feel free to slip your kitty a sliver of lean meat, but be careful not to allow them near the skin or bones. Turkey skin is very high in both sodium and fat, creating digestive issues and the risk of choking, while the bones – since they are hollow and rather fragile – can easily splinter and may become lodged in your cat’s throat.

Stuffing

What you’re actually “stuffing” yourself with is pretty much bread, fat and salt. As satisfying as it is for you to sink your canines into this, kitty won’t get that crunchiness she needs to aid in cleaning her teeth, and frankly, she won’t get any nutritional value from it either. Dish up this dish strictly for yourself and your human family members.

Sweet Potatoes

A small slice of raw sweet potato is fine as a treat. Your cat will enjoy chewing on it. But if you plan on doctoring your yams with marshmallows, brown sugar, and maybe even some canned peaches and pecans [pause while I wipe the drool from my keyboard], then kitty is far better off not partaking. Even if you prefer to simply mash your sweet potatoes with butter, it’s still a bad idea for kitty to nosh on this. Leave this one on the table.

Green Bean Casserole

If you actually want to kill your kitty, toss her a slice of onion. Onions are toxic to cats (dogs as well), so if you include these in your green bean casserole (and frankly, I wouldn’t want to eat it if you didn’t!), keep it well away from your kitty. Also, the dairy in the dish should be avoided. It goes against centuries of accepted cat lore, but the truth is that dairy products can cause diarrhea, and your kitty shouldn’t be having any. An unimaginable number of bowls of cream have been fed to cats over the ages, so clearly it isn’t deadly to them, and heaven knows they will beg with every fiber of their being to have some if once they sniff it, but limit it to the occasional “stolen” tablespoon of vanilla ice cream. Interestingly, raw green beans themselves are good for them, so if your little feline has a yen for veggies, slip her a bean or two in good conscience.

Cranberry Sauce

While many commercial cat foods include cranberries in their recipes, there is not yet any clear evidence of its having any health benefits. Even if it proves to be beneficial, it’s pretty unlikely that your kitty will find this very tart, very gooey side dish much of a toothsome treat. He would probably just wade through it to get to the turkey.

Pumpkin Pie

Strictly human food. Heck, you didn’t want to share anyway, right? If your cat’s a real bum with a sweet tooth, he may ratchet up the wheedling, but bear in mind that a pumpkin pie is chock full of fat, spices, sugar, and the dreaded dairy, all of which can jumpstart some serious digestive problems. If you are one of the.01% of people left in America who doestn’t buy your pie from the grocer’s freezer, it may interest you to know that natural, canned pumpkin is actually good for kitty’s digestion, so you might try mixing a small amount in with his regular food.

Thanksgiving is a time for us to reflect on our blessings, and one of the greatest of these is our little furry companions. With a little common sense, and some firm ground rules, you can both enjoy this annual feast with no worries about emergency trips to the vet.

About the Author

Susan Livingstone built The Cat Bladder Blog because she loves cats, which is just as well since she is basically a slave to their whims. After years of spending money on them, she is now reversing that trend by offering products, information, advice and help to cat owners everywhere.

What’s For Dinner? 30-Minute Menus for 2010 – 48th Edition

Article by Elizabeth Randall

This is the 48th edition of the weekly 30-minute menus for 2010. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Thursday or Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week’s menus on Sunday.

Happy December everyone. Have you started your holiday count-down yet? Mine started this past week with decorations, cards, and getting ready for a dinner party. No matter what your plans are, the menus this week will have you enjoying the season rather than fretting over dinner.

The menus for both Friday and Saturday nights are company-fare but easy enough for family dinners, too. If you are hosting company, I recommend the Italian Buffet appetizer course: a Parmesan Wedge and Tuscan Olive Cheese Ball; Figs, Apricots, Melon, Asparagus Spears with Prosciutto and Artichoke Pesto; Red Pepper & Romano Bruschetta Topping with a Baguette; Asiago Cheese Crackers; and Feta Stuffed Gourmet Olives. This appetizer course will work deliciously with both menus.

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:Spiral Sliced Ham (fully cooked ham; save some ham for Tuesday and Thursday)Quattro Fromage (boxed pasta, shredded cheeses)Peas with Mushrooms (frozen veggie mix; purchase extra peas for Friday)Lemon Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries (purchased pound cake; save some pound cake for Tuesday)

Monday:Warm Chicken Citrus Salad (pre-cooked or deli chicken; bagged salad greens, jarred citrus)Triple Corn Chowder (canned corn, purchased corn chips)Pecan Pie (purchased pecan pie)

Tuesday:Ham and Cheddar Strata (ham from Sunday; purchased sourdough bread, bagged cheese)Broccoli / Bell Pepper / Mushroom MedleyToasted Pound Cake with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce (pound cake from Sunday, purchased ice cream and chocolate sauce)

Wednesday:Eggplant Parmesan (vegetarian; jarred pasta sauce, purchased bread crumbs, shredded cheeses)Pasta of Choice (boxed pasta)Green BeansOrange Crescents (refridgerated crescent rolls, jarred orange marmalade)

Thursday:Ham Asparagus Casserole (ham from Sunday; boxed pasta)Pear Salad (canned pear halves)Chocolate Chip Cookies (prepared cookie dough)

Friday:Broiled TilapiaFettuccine with Green Peas (boxed pasta, frozen peas)Broiled Tomatoes (grated Parmesan cheese)Heavenly Cherries Jubilee (purchased angel food cake, canned cherry pie filling)

Saturday:Pork Medallions with Honey-Dijon Glaze Tomato and White Bean Salsa (canned diced tomatoes and cannellini beans)Steamed Brussels SproutsApple Strudel (phyllo dough, canned apple pie filling, purchased ice cream is optional)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,

Elizabeth Randall and Family

About the Author

For more ideas, check out my website: http://www.MomsMealConnection.com.

The 30-Minute Menus give you instructions for preparing the complete meals in 30 minutes – flat! Party in a Bag offers ideas for 30-minute appetizer courses or cocktail parties.

MomsMealConnection is designed to help busy moms everywhere prepare meals – family meals, holiday celebrations, and special dinners plus entertaining.