Tomatillos grow similarly to tomatoes; they grow tall and need to be staked or otherwise contained with a basket or other device.

So the temp went down a few days ago and we had to cover up the tomatoes and bell peppers; took off the covering after two days and hope that they don't take a turn for the worse.

Thanks; I'll check into it...

Oven Baked Pork Steaks with sauteed onions and red bells and a pan jus sauce; sides were sauteed mixed veggies and a romaine salad with cukes, carrots, cherry tomatoes w/ spicy ranch

Not much day to day cooking going on here for the past week and a half as I recently started a new job; a few dishes I had during that time was home made lasagna with fresh pasta; duck potstickers (made with duck confit) served with a sesame cabbage slaw; cheese ravioli with homemade marinara; steak one night and a couple days ago, I cooked a pot of short ribs in a roasted mushroom, onion and carrot sauce which was really good; it was served with rice pilaf and peas/carrrots..tonight was no cooking night and I made do with ham/cheese sub on whole wheat roll and multigrain sweet potato chips (Green Giant, these were good...my first time trying)

Trying to decide what's on the menu for tomorrow; the weather has gone from 70's - 80's back down to the low 60's; I'm thinking gumbo...

Update on the garden: I planted five tomato plants and 9 bell pepper plants a few days ago...these were brought home by the bf and I was not expecting them as I have 12 tomato seedlings doing their thing in planters...only a few corn stalks has sprouted so today, I replanted those... Herbs are still coming slow but steady...tomatillos, and all other veggies I started on the 9th are coming right along....

I love peppadews and never thought about growing them though; I saw Amazon had them....is this where you purchased yours?

I made 50 lbs of venison sausage a few months ago and used beef fat but no other meat and pork intestines for casings. They turned out juicy and delicious. I'd love to try elk...

I get it; the wording is like breakfast, breaking the fast from the night before....

+ 2 on the info please...I'm intriqued...

I thought it strange to be having a meal in a funeral home; I can't imagine my loved one laid out in the front of a room and a buffet set up at the back or in another room. Way to shut down an appetite! On another note; I'm used to a wake being a somber affair but within the last few months, I went with my BF to a couple of family members wakes and it was like a get together.

The body was laid out in the front of the room and chairs were set up in rows...everyone was laughing, talking and mingling;they had a family video ovehead the casket with the deceased, it was like a party. It was weird for me.

I personally don't like it and I do think the dish would be messed up if goat cheese were included...no disrespect, but I care not if others find my post uninteresting; you can't please everyone...to each his own.

Ok, I admit I adore smoked gouda and it just goes so well with so many flavors...one, of which would in your stuffed peppers...I'm just saying....

I love Kumatos; tried for the first time last Spring and I harvested some seed from a couple, which I planted a few days ago...don't know that they will do anything but we'll see...

I just wash them & remove any hair between the toes then put them in a pot covered with water; I add aromatics like celery, onion, garlic and bay leaves and season with s & p and crushed chili flakes...I had some whole dried cayenne that I harvested from my last summer's garden that I threw in there...sometimes I'll add a chicken bouillon cube or two, sometimes it'll be a seasoning packet; this time I added a packet of Goya salad & vegetable seasoning, and a splash of cider vinegar.

These are the basics and depending on my mood, I might add cracked black pepper pods, some other type of herbage like parsley and/or cilantro and thyme, other types of peppers like anchos, etc. then I bring it up to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium/medium low and cook, covered until tender or about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or more depending on your stove.

I've also put these in a covered roaster and braised them in the oven on about 375F. The key is making sure the feet don't stick to the bottom of the pot; make sure the liquid covers the feet at all times and turn them occasionally to evenly cook. Pretty easy to make.

I'm a carb junkie (I'm working on breaking the habit :-) which is why I thought I'd add the crispy coating but I'm with you on the crackling skin...I must do this before it turns too hot to eat them...

I'm from the South; I normally just call them straight up pigs feet (lol) but thought I'd finesse my wording...we always have random pig parts: feet, tails, hocks, chitterlings (Chitlins)...not really adventurous for us as we eat them frequently but I was thinking while I cooked these that next time I'll make them asian style, maybe after boiling them for a couple of hours, I'd dip them in egg and into panko crumbs and fry them. Then serve with a chili sauce and soy...that would be adventuresome for me

My opinion is that goat cheese is nasty; I can't see putting it on anything...and to mess up a delicious combination of chorizo & poblanos with it; I'd rather leave cheese out of it if there was no other choice...but that's just my opinion

I'm also in NE North Carolina; Many of the foods you listed are commonly seen at wakes in this state...To the OP, I've never been to a "wake break" where people gather for a meal between hours in which the body is viewed at the funeral home. That seems strange to me (no disrespect)

Here, when someone passes away, you'll find many people showing up at your door with gifts of food for the family so that they don't have to cook with everything else they have to tend to (which is usually the time before burial when arrangements must be made). It is not expected for the family to feed visitors prior to the funeral (at least where I come from) but close family & friends visiting family prior to the funeral may be invited to partake of the foods dropped off.

Once the funeral has taken place, a meal usually follows the service called a repass; I've never been to one in a restaurant because most Southerners either have it in the church fellowship hall (where the church members prepare it) or at a family members home (where it is a pot luck)
You'll also find pork barbecue, grilled chicken or other meats, brunswick stew, potatoes & onions, cooked greens of some sort (collards, mixed greens, etc.), potato salad, cole slaw, mac & cheese...pretty much any Southern inspired dish may be found at a funeral repass.

Born & raised in New York; many a morning I stopped by my favorite deli on my way to work for a scrambled egg & cheese on a buttered hard roll. So so good! Second up, authentic bagels & bailys: toasted with cream cheese, scrambled egg & cheese, toasted w/ham & cheese I can go on... I no longer live in NY but I can still taste these breakfast treats as if it were yesterday....Ever time I get back up there, I have to buy rolls and bagels to bring home.

And you're right, the sandwich needs to be wrapped in foil for a few minutes to melt the cheese and warm the roll to just the right consistency....

I'm in NE North Carolina now, love sausage biscuits but they're not the same as a NY buttered hard roll...

3 and 4 if you leave off the goat cheese (I know its not me eating it but you're messing it up with the goat cheese) My suggestion is to sub smoked gouda, it will be perfect!

Yesterday, I simmered a pot of whole pigs trotters (lol) in a combination of honey bbq sauce, cider vinegar, chopped onion, celery & garlic, crushed red pepper, salt & pepper for nearly three hours...so good! Served with potato salad and leftover collards.

Tonight, I threw pork chops and burgers on the grill. Made a side of cooked egg noodles with a garlic cream sauce & frozen peas...also had leftover green beans with bacon. There will be leftovers tomorrow and no cooking on Saturday so I won't be "cooking" (with the exception of maybe breakfast over the weekend) until Sunday...

I love hash of all sorts...yours sound devine!

Planted some of my herbs in containers yesterday to start: rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, dill, and sage; also planted tomatoes in containers: big boy, cherry, yellow jubilee and kumato (kumato from seeds harvested last summer, keeping my fingers crossed with these) as well as romanesco and purple tomatillos. I had a horrible time last summer with my herbs so I decided to transplant the herbs later into a small kiddie pool so I can regulate the conditions.

I picked and cooked the last of the collards that over wintered today; still tasty! Next up to start seedlings will be peppers, which I read will germinate faster if I soak the seeds a few hours to overnight before planting. I was hoping to erect the trellis for the long beans this coming weekend but we're forecasted rain 70% on Friday and if that happens, it'll be a wrap.

Last year's garlic has been up for the past couple of weeks. I can see my radishes, onions and beets peaking out; carrots should have done so also by now but if they have not by the end of next week, may have to replant. Hopefully the rain will help!

Exactly!! I'm pretty much a bargin shopper; I wait til the sale circulars come out on Wednesdays then I make my purchases unless I'm wanting to make a dish and I absolutely have to have something before then

Not much cooking since Friday; none on Saturday...Sunday & yesterday we had jerked Turkey wings with sweet potato hash and green beans cooked with bacon..tonight (Tuesday), they'll be liver & onions with gravy and mashed potatoes with a side of braised cabbage for the BF

For myself, I'm wanting to make a pot of chicken gumbo....homemade rolls for the both of us.

Saturday's game meal was a disappointment; we got there
1 1/2 hours late to begin with so we missed the bear, deer and racoon (which I wasn't going to touch!) but I did get some underseasoned rabbit. There were other meats/dishes but I was turned off so we went out to eat.....

Second the pulled pork...it freezes and thaws well as does roasted pork loin; serve with a platter of small dinner rolls.

Other things are a pot of gumbo or jambalaya; chicken & pastry (or what others might think of as dumplings); a pan of bbq or baked chicken (if you're doing baked, it's easy to turn that into baked chicken & rice by baking the chicken for an hour then stirring the rice, broth, aromatics and seasonings right into the pan with the chicken and continue to bake for another hour); it's a one pan meal.

A large pan of baked beans with chopped ham, mustard, brown sugar, onions and peppers can be made ahead/frozen and reheated. A whole roasted turkey is a welcoming change from baked pastas. Accompany with rolls, chutney or relish like orange cranberry or a cranberry mayo. Or turn it into a bowl of turkey salad with toasted walnuts and dried cranberries or apples.

I think it depends on your location whether certain meals can be made for $10.00 or less. I live where beef and some other meats is expensive except when there is a sale so regularly I couldn't make a beef entree meal for $10.00. I love beef oxtails and tongue, for example, which you might consider cheap cuts of meat, but you can't buy it here under $5.99 lb or more and how many oxtails are in a pound? That's right, not enough to make a meal and get full off of it and by the time you buy side dish ingredients, you're over the $10.00. Same thing with seafood, veal and lamb.

On the flip side, I can buy chicken leg quarters cheap @ 7.90 for a 10 lb bag and eat it everyday for over a week (for two in my household, if I didn't tire of it). A few days ago, I did buy a family pack of ground beef for 1.99 lb (about 3 1/2 lbs and will make burgers and meatloaf) and chicken breast with skin & bone for .88 cents lb (family pack of about 6 lbs) that will last awhile for two. In those instances, I can splurge on sides and still be under the ten bucks.

But you asked for a list of meals so here are my contibutions

Chicken breasts stuffed with smoked gouda/spinach/roasted poblanos; toasted rice cooked with a base of roasted mirepoix puree and chicken stock (bouillon cube if necessary) and frozen peas

I agree with the salmon croquettes; I made some just last week with a can of salmon (2.79 at Walmart) with onions, bell peppers and celery leaves; served with a side of hash brown potatoes with cheddar and peas. Served two for under $6.00 and had leftover hash browns for breakfast patties. Croquettes can also be made of other meats like cheap chicken/pork

Pasta of your choice with alfredo sauce (jarred or fresh) topped with oven dried proscuitto crumbled over the top (just enough to garnish; garden salad with choice of dressing *TIP- sometimes I just go to the garden salad bar at my local grocer's just to get a few things for my salad IF I already have the lettuce and or other items for things like a few cuke slices or tomatoes etc instead of buying an entire cuke or carton of tomatoes...it saves money!

We know that dried beans are inexpensive - they can be utilized in a myriad of ways and filling. Bean cakes, chili, soups, etc can be paired with a side and good bread usually for under your budget.

Soup, soup, soup! I love gumbo and make it often; if you have a Dollar Tree and or Walmart (Sam's, Costco, etc) you can buy frozen packages of mixed veggies for a dollar or a little over...some broth, tomatoes, seasonings and some random bits of meat and you'll have a pot of gumbo to last for days. Pair it with cornbread or other bread and a side like rice or other veggie.

I need to mention here that I've had a garden for the past few years and it helps with my food costs. I use the okra, tomatoes, green beans and other veggies for my gumbo and soups; I use carrots, onions, celery for my stocks, etc. I plant extra and freeze it to use in winter.

This week, pork shoulder roasts are on sale for .99 cents/lb. Tons of possibilities for a roast @ about $6.00+; pulled pork, pork and apple stew, sliced thin for pork steaks, thinly sliced and pounded/stuffed for roulades or chicken fried pork with gravy & biscuits, pork fried rice topped with an egg - all from the same roast.

Turkey wings - I bought a 5 lb box for $5.99; we put some on the grill to cook halfway then I jerked them (put them in sauce) and finished them in a slow cooker. They were so so good! Smokey and a little spicy from the sauce; served them with my sweet potato hash and green beans (frozen from the garden) cooked with a little bacon.

Breakfast for dinner is something we do about every two weeks - omlettes or scrambled with good extra sharp cheddar, sausage and/or bacon, grits or potatoes cooked with onions and toast or french toast can be had for about 10.00 or less.

Finally, I must mention my BF hunts rabbit & squirrel and we freeze these; our neighbors hunt wildlife like bear, deer etc. I have deer ribs, sausage and other deer cuts in the freezer. We fish also...the only thing it cost us is time and a few dollars for fishing/hunting supplies (bait, bullets, etc). Deer rib are delicious; most of the time, we eat like royalty for under $10.00.

To me, a meal is balanced, otherwise it's just a side, entree, etc. A green salad with bread is not what I consider a meal. JMHO....

NIce!

I'm in zone 8 (NE NC) Thanks for the bean info; the BF has decided to use posts on either side of the row, wire and twine to reinforce...we will probably only use it this spring and fall then move it next spring as we usually don't like to plant in the same spot for more than a year...Tuesday & Wednesday we planted 2/3 row of sweet corn, 1/2 row sweet onions, several more heads of iceberg and a few heads each of romaine and bibb lettuces; half row each of broccoli and cauliflower. 1/3 row Spinach has also made it into the ground.(I'll do several plantings of this). Starting tomato seedlings and cabbage (cause the BF tilled up the seeds I started a few days ago by accident) tomorrow