Free Friday with Friends at Home

I love Fridays!! Mostly because Frank tries not to schedule any meetings on Friday so we get to spend the day together.  Today Nancy will take Mom out to lunch before her manicure and pedicure and then she will drop her off at Dick and Jackie's for the weekend.  We are going to be home this weekend but it is still nice to have the weekend off.  Tonight we are having our friends, the Doumas over for dinner.  Tomorrow we are going to a concert with John and Kirsten and Sunday we hope to go flying with Dawn and Tom if weather permits.  We will pick Mom up after dinner on Sunday.

The Douma's are a great couple.  We try to get together with them at least once a month but that doesn't always happen because.....life get's in the way.  They are both dog lovers and dog sit for us when we find ourselves in a bind so I am anxious for them to meet Fiona.

Mark had a health scare last year and has since become a vegan.  I am a carnivore with a family of carnivores.  Even my Meatless Mondays usually include eggs, cheese, butter or cream.  So it was a challenge to find a vegan menu.  Vegetarian I have done numerous times and could have thrown that together, no problem.  But not being able to use any animal products definitely made me put on my thinking cap.  I did come up with a menu but my dessert was supposed to be Blood Orange Cups.  Unfortunately, it is still too early for Blood Oranges.  Instead, I am making Baked Apples but I can't figure out any way to get past using butter.  I hope that it okay, if not then I guess I can just cut him up an apple for dessert.  Can any of you think of desserts that don't use any dairy products??

Okay, so I went to the farm today and have come up with my final vegan menu for tonight.

Menu

Vegetable soup
adapted from weight watchers

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced
2 Carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
8 cups vegetables (mixture) of your choice (broccoli, cabbage, spinach, chard, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers,summer squash, beans, peas, etc.) whatever you happen to have on hand.
1 can diced tomatoes with their juices
6 c. vegetable stock
2 T. fresh seasonings of your choice or 2 t. dried (I like to use Italian seasoning, or thyme and oregano)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste, season with more salt and pepper if needed.   Print Recipe


Assorted Salads:

• White Bean Salad
• Refrigerator Pickles
• Pickled Beets
• Pepper Salad (adding purple pepper and deleting the cheese)
• Yellow Pear Tomatoes

Orrechiette with Butternut Squash

Apple Crumb Pie (Because I figured if I was going to use butter in the Baked Apples anyway I may as well make Pie for Frank)

I chose these salads because they are so colorful and remind me of Fall.

Dinner was a success and we had nice visit.  Hope all of you have a wonderful Friday night.