To save money, I am basing all my meals this week on a 18 pound turkey I am cooking. I got it on sale after Thanksgiving and should be able to stretch one turkey for meals all week. We will also have turkey sandwiches for lunches and turkey omelets for breakfasts this week. Any leftovers after this week I will freeze.
Monday- Roasted Turkey , home-made stuffing (mine is gluten free), sweet potato casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, steamed green beans, salad
Tuesday- Turkey Soup made with turkey broth, chopped turkey, leftover green beans, carrots, onions, celery, spinach, corn, eggs, and seasoned with turmeric, curry, cayenne pepper, sea salt, garlic, and my herb blend (recipe to come)
Wednesday- Grilled Turkey and gouda paninnis, salad and leftover soup
Thursday- Regular leftovers- Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes
Friday-Grilled salmon, brown rice pilaf, steamed asparagus, salad
Saturday-turkey casserole with turkey, brown rice, cream of mushroom soup, and vegetables
Sunday- Brunch in the morning and leftovers for dinner
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Black Walnut Hulls
Black Walnut Hull or Juglans Nigra is, just as it sounds, the hull of the black walnut tree. The Black Walnut tree grows in the eastern US and parts of Canada, and while easy to grow, it is not plentiful.
Black Walnut has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years. It has been used throughout history for treatment of intestinal problems, snakebites, open wounds, ulcers, scurvy, and as one of the most effective laxatives available. Because of its dark color, the outer hull is also used as a dye and was used in brown hair dye until the early 1900s. Black walnut is a good source of beta-carotene, acids, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, zinc, tannin, B-vitamins and vitamin C.
Today, black walnut hulls are used to help with many conditions. It is known to be a gentle and effective laxative. Black walnut is known as an effective anti-viral and is used to fix warts, which are caused by viruses. Black walnut is an anti-fungus and has been used to fight herpes, cold sores, athlete’s foot and Candida. It has been used as an antiseptic to combat illness like sexually transmitted infections and malaria and can be used to treat acne.
According to scientific labs:
Black Walnut Hull may help to lower blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels and is believed to burn up toxins and fatty materials while balancing blood sugar levels. This activity may help to ward off heart disease.
The tannins in Black Walnut Hull (and leaves) possess an astringent quality that is thought to shrink the sweat glands and reduce excessive sweating. The herb is said to help control menorrhagia, the excessive loss of blood during periods. It is also used to control diarrhea.
Black Walnut Hull is considered a tonic that aids digestion and the intestinal system. It helps to relieve colic, heartburn and flatulence. As a cholagogue, Black Walnut stimulates the flow of bile into the intestines and is thought to ease bilious colic and pain in the spleen.
Perhaps Black Walnut’s most well-known property is its ability to fight intestinal parasites. It is a well documented vermifuge that is effective at helping the body rid itself of parasites. As a laxative, it expels parasites as part of its cleansing of the body and the high tannin and juglone content is thought to oxygenate the blood and kill parasites. Black walnut is effective against pinworm, ringworm, tapeworm and other intestinal parasites.
According to BulkHerbStore.com, black walnut can be used for:
Indicated Usages – Internal:
Ballooned or relaxed colon Constipation Diarrhea Parasites (intestinal worms) Sore throat, tonsillitis Warts Indicated Usages – External:
Abscesses, boils Acne Conjunctivitis, eye disorders Nosebleed Leukorrhea, yeast infection, candida Hemorrhoids Eczema, psoriasis, shingles Ringworm (tinea)
Here is my meal plan for the week… Keyword is plan, I will let you know how th execution goes 
Monday- Baked Chicken and Rice with Black Beans (recipe courtesy of Southern Living)
Tuesday- Greens and Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken, grated cheese, sliced red peppers, mushrooms, cucumber and homemade herbal vinaigrette
Wednesday- Bean Soup made with cannellini beans, chopped zucchini, celery, carrots, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic, onion, and spices to taste
Thursday- Crustless chicken pot pie made with chicken, carrots, peas, spinach, corn and homemade potato soup
Friday- Grilled Tilapia, baked sweet potatoes, spinach salad, asparagus
Saturday- Roasted Chicken, steamed broccoli, salad
Sunday- Pasta and meatballs- Italian Grandmother’s secret recipe
Even though we are gluten free now and can’t eat this, I wanted to pass along this recipe for the best homemade pizza I have ever had. It took a lot of tweaking to get this perfect, and is great for “Italian Fridays,” a tradition of ours where we invite friends over, open a bottle of wine, eat Italian food and watch a movie.
Ingredients for Crust:
- 2 cups plus extra flour
- 1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp (just a pinch) of garlic powder
- 1 package instant dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 1 tsp white sugar
Other Ingredients:
- 2-3 medium sized ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Pound of Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese, thinly sliced
- 1/8 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1-2 stalks fresh basil, finely chopped
Helpful Tools:
- Pizza Stone
- Rolling Pin
To Make:
Mix 3/4 cup warm water, 1 tsp sugar, and package of instant dry yeast in a small bowl and leave to proof.
Mix flour, olive oil, salt and herbs/spices in a bowl until well mixed. Add yeast mixture once it has proofed. Mix well and add flour until elastic consistency.
Put on cutting board and leave in warm place covered with towel for 1 hour.
Thinly slice tomatoes, put in bowl and season with Italian Seasoning, sea salt, Parmesan Cheese and garlic powder. Set aside.
Thinly slice Mozzarella Cheese. Set aside.
When dough has risen for 1 hour, roll into pizza crust and put on pizza stone (can use regular pizza pan, but it doesn’t work as well).
Bake at 425 for about 5 minutes until slightly browned. Turn dough over, cover with thinly sliced tomatoes (make sure to drain juice off), mozzarella cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.
Return to oven and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is done.
Remove. Top with chopped basil.
Enjoy and have a healthy week!
