Seasonal Sundays: Fall Meal Prep (Week 37)

Clean out the fridge, people, because this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection isn't so much about "dinner" as about prepping foods with "meal potential". It's an easy way to "cook ahead" and "make the next meal easier" with just a little special somethin-somethin.

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

As ever, thank you for welcoming me into your InBox and RSS feed reader. It's your kitchens, your lives, I conjure while writing ...

Geez. Do short weeks always last a hundred days? Why does the Friday following a three-day weekend take twenty-nine days to arrive?

But then there's this.

It's that put-on-your-big-girl-sneakers time of year because the sprint toward the holidays begins N-O-W now.

Here we live such simple lives and still, there's a sense of fall in the air and once that first leaf flutters to the ground, holiday tension wiggles its way into my brain. Should we do the big extended-family party in the fall in lieu of the "forever" Christmas party last held in 2019 pre Covid? (Although planned, then cancelled, in 2021, 2022 and 2023.) And if we do do one, should it be earlier in November, before deer season, when good weather for an outdoor gathering is more possible? Or maybe that's too close to the pumpkin painting party for some of the same group? So maybe we should we wait until the more celebratory-feeling Sunday before Thanksgiving? Or should ... should ... should ... hmmm, that's a lot of shoulds. A LOT. OF SHOULDS.

And then my sister sent me this.

Did you watch the pumpkin-pie weights lift off my shoulders? A bunch of to-do's crossing themselves off my list? Me grabbing the dog leash to head off into the woods?

Ha. Me either. But I did feel a certain calm and sense of purpose that was missing.

Let's do this, shall we?

In Praise Of ...

• ... cooler days and outright chilly overnights even as we mourn the likely end of swim season as the water temp drops to something optimistically described as "bracing" but in real-life qualifies as literal breath-taking (all you cold-plunge polar people, what are you thinking?)


• ... waking up a few minutes before the alarm goes off at 5:25 (well, actually, three alarms just to be safe, five minutes apart) but always wishing the "snooze" time could be changed from nine minutes to ... well, whatever I choose ... what's up, Apple, a kabazillion-million choices but not that?


• ... an unexpected upside from my "morning job" with our almost two-year old great-great nephew, a renewed comfort-level with everyday city driving ... I've worked from home for sooooo many years, I just don't exercise those muscles very often ...

Democracy Matters

The country needs calm, thoughtful and assertive voices amid the chaos inflicted by a minority hellbent on taking/retaining generational power by strangling democratic principles and equal rights. None of us have to personally change the world. We just have to do our part. Pick one thing for the top of your Do Something List this week.

Fifty Eight Days. Fifty Eight Days. Fifty Eight Days.

It's a firehose right now, the news surrounding the November election, not so much the campaigns (or the campaign) but ...

Russian interference, with DOJ indictments charging right-wing influencers paid $400K a month (4 posts!) to spout Russian propaganda. Can members of Congress and TV personalities and X oligarchs be far behind?

The Inadequacy of Mainstream Media to cover this election, failing to cover Trump's increasing lunacy, turning his word salads into subjects, verbs and predicates.

Trump Lies, claiming that children go to school one gender and come home another; that full-term babies are aborted; that tariffs will pay for universal childcare.

Another, Yet ANOTHER, School Shooting, this time in Georgia, by a fourteen-year old child who killed four and wounded nine with his Christmas gift from his dad, gifted an AR-15 style assault rifle.

Election Interference by a Republican Supermajority Sigh. Red States like Missouri are like petri dishes for the rest of the country should Trump and Project 2025 prevail.

A month ago, our Republican governor who's term-limited out appointed a judge in Cole County, home of the state capital Jefferson City. ONE MONTH AGO. That one judge's name happens to be Limbaugh, he's a cousin to the travesty of the late Rush Limbaugh. RUSH LIMBAUGH. That one judge threw out a citizen-led legal initiative by almost 400,000 residents to allow all Missouri voters to decide (you know, with a democratic VOTE) to change the Missouri constitution to allow abortions in a state where since Dobbs, there are virtually no exceptions, not for rape, not for incest, only for medical emergencies. (In Missouri, people, a twelve-year old may not marry but can be forced to bear an unwanted pregnancy. TWELVE, people, TWELVE.) This judge threw it all out on Friday night. When does the Missouri constitution require final decisions on what our November ballots will include? Tuesday. TUESDAY. Democracy has until Tuesday.

This is what the country faces, unless we take the White House, the Senate, the House. It's a high bar, this, but failure is no option. If you live in California or New York and think you're safe from the anti-democracy actions of Republicans at the national level? Remember Missouri.

And this is nothing to say of ... the disaster in Gaza, the Russian war in Ukraine, a fight to fund the U.S. government past September 30th. Oh yeah. And the presidential debate on Tuesday. What did I miss?

IT IS A FIREHOSE. But we have super weapons, Harris, Walz, money, women and most of all, democracy. And you. And me. And all the people WE reach out to in the next 58 days.

Do Something.

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Fall Meal Prep

For this week's recipes, I aimed for recipes that strike me as fall-ish and that fit my favorite form of meal prep, that is, not meals themselves but somehow, if not now then soon, make the next meal better, easier, faster, simpler.

• THE RECIPE Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots Just a little sweetness, just a little oil.
• ANOTHER TAKE Make-Ahead Bran Muffin Batter Mix now, bake later in small batches including a single mug in the microwave. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE How to Make Homemade Applesauce No added sugar! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Naturally Sweetened Apple Butter Apple Butter as it should be, naturally sweet with just a touch of butter.

• THE RECIPE Pumpkin Spice Lattes Fall's favorite coffee drink made with my very own DIY pumpkin pie spice. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE My Spice Rub Our house seasoning, an all-purpose blend and a "chef's kiss" for meats, vegetables and more. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Sweet Pumpkin Seed Crumbles Crunchy clumps of honey-sweetened oats and pumpkin seeds, more nut brittle than granola.
• ANOTHER TAKE Maple-Glazed Pecans Crisp and barely sweet. Pecan Pizzazz!

• THE RECIPE Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions Extra-special with a little brown sugar and a little sherry.
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Especially for Hummus aka "Jerusalem Chickpeas" For extra-smooth, extra rich hummus.

• THE RECIPE Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Concentrate Makes 42 quarts stock from frozen concentrate.
• ANOTHER TAKE No-Big-Deal Vegetable Stock for the Slow Cooker Just 4 common vegetables, just 3 hours. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Roasted Roma Tomatoes Turn so-so supermarket tomatoes into something special. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Roast Peppers in the Oven My favorite way to roast many peppers at the same time.

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Pesto Pasta Primavera Another Quick Supper, so many veggies, not much pasta. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Pasta with Zucchini Noodles, Ricotta & Basil Pesto A summery Meatless Monday vegetarian supper.

• THE RECIPE Jerusalem Turkey Burgers with Zucchini Moist, flavorful burgers specked with grated zucchini and fresh herbs. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce Summery Greek-style chicken sandwich with chunky Greek tzatziki. (PIN This)

September: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Homemade Finnish Mustard How to make mustard at home, Finnish-style. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Famous Mustard Sauce (Carolina BBQ Mustard Sauce) A tiny-bit spicy and a tiny-bit sweet and totally addictive.

September: Lost Recipes

• THE RECIPE Gum Drop Cookies An old-fashioned cookie with jewel-colored bites of gum drops candies.
• ANOTHER TAKE Banana Oatmeal Cookies Oatmeal cookies with a banana twist. (PIN This)

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• September 8th - Grandparents' Day
• September 11th - Patriot's Day, And the River Was Like Glass: A 9/11 Remembrance
• September 22nd - First Day of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere
• October 1st - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Fall
• October 2nd - 4th - Rosh Hashanah
• October 11th - 12th - Yom Kippur
• October 14th - Canadian Thanksgiving
• October 14th - Columbus Day (also Indigenous Peoples' Day)
• October 31st - Halloween

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2022 Late-Summer Eggplant (Week 37)
• 2023 Fall Is for Vegetarians (Week 37) (PIN This)

RECENT WEEKS
• Late-Summer Entertaining (Week 36) (PIN This)
• Recipes That Inspire JOY (Week 35) (PIN This)
• Summer Sandwiches (Week 34) (PIN This)
• Summer's Best Tomatoes (Week 33) (PIN This)
• Dog Days of August (Week 32) (PIN This)
• Cool as Cucumbers (Week 31) (PIN This)
• Summer Sweet Corn (Week 29) (PIN This)
• Peach Season! (Week 28) (PIN This)
• Red, White (& Blue) (Week 27) (PIN This)
• Let's Beat This Heat (Week 26) (PIN This)
• No-Ordinary Green Beans for Summer (Week 24) (PIN This)
• Summer Easy (Week 22) (PIN This)
• Summery Spreads & Dips (Week 21) (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for September

• SEPTEMBER's COLLECTION Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for September It's back to school but summer's not over quite yet!


• BUT DON'T MISS Tomato & Rice Salad A refreshing summer salad, just leftover rice and tomato.
• AND THIS Easy Steamed Bok Choy Salad A fast make-ahead and easy-to-carry salad using the healthy Asian green called bok choy.
• AND THIS TOO Yellow Squash Coconut Soup A riff on Julia Child's master soup recipe.

Good to Know!

• THE RECIPE Quick Tomato Sauce for Pasta & Pizza Just canned tomatoes, a few pantry ingredients and 20 minutes.
• ANOTHER TAKE Fresh Tomato Sauce When summer tomatoes are most perfect.

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• September 16th — National Guacamole Day (My Guacamole)
• September 18th — National Cheeseburger Day (Oil Tanker Burgers)
• September 21st — International Banana Festival (Shhh Banana Bread)
• September 21st — International Eat an Apple Day (Estonian Apple Cake)
• September 21st — National Pecan Cookie Day (Pecan Meringue Cookies)

Trader Joe's Test Kitchen: Quiche Lorraine

My kitchen is no diner, no breakfast or lunch on demand. So my husband and I nearly always fend for ourselves for breakfast. He makes the best breakfasts, truly, but some times, he wants more than a bowl of cereal but just isn't up for actually cooking whatever that more might be.

So I've started stocking up on a few individual breakfast quiches from Trader Joe's. This week, a lady reached over me to grab a half dozen Quiche Lorraines for her cart. If another shopper needs six, I definitely need at least one.

And that's how a TJ Quiche Lorraine became "dinner" one night this week when timing got complicated.

And it was pretty good! The quiche was smaller than I'd realized, but filling, which is a good thing since a whole quiche is more than 1000 calories. I could easily see baking a few of these for a brunch or light lunch, say, cutting into three wedges to serve with some simple greens and fruit on the side.

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing The traditional spinach salad with bacon, eggs, mushrooms. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Sautéed Collard Greens with Bacon For good fortune and good health in the new year. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Cornmeal Catfish with Warm Potato Salad Cajun-seasoned catfish fried crisp in bacon fat. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Salmon with Crispy Crust Moist, flaky fish topped with a golden bread crumb crust. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Cornmeal Muffins with Peaches Barely sweet, pretty muffins with great texture. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Cornmeal Muffins with Apple Studded, garnished with fresh apple.

Something to Read

Anna Quindlen, Anna Quindlen. I know her name, it's more than a little familiar, as if I've maybe read some of her books? Her first novel Object Lessons, perhaps? maybe? possibly?

Somehow her latest book After Annie ended up on my long wait list in the Libby app, the app used by public libraries across the country to lend kindle-friendly and audiobooks. (My feature request for the app? A quick way to make a personal note on how the book came to be on the list, who recommended it, why it was interesting.)

And I'm so glad it did. After Annie is rich in thought and language, the lives of those most affected by Annie's sudden death, her teenage daughter, her husband, her best friend, the elderly she cared for.

It's not in the least maudlin, just an unsparing look at deep grief, at the life of an everyday remarkable woman who lived an everyday unremarkable life ... except for love, except for love.

• THE BOOK After Annie (affiliate link) by Anna Quindlen


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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