What's on your Monday Menu, RNYers?

Hi all! Happy Thanksgiving week!

I'm not hosting, but am making a big charcuterie tray to take along. I have very little restraint - actually none whatsoever - when it come to putting things together for celebrations. I really enjoy entertaining! I am off now to Trader Joe's, then my local QFC, for the remainder of the fixin's. There will be 4-5 cheeses, four meats, smoked salmon, smoked oysters, shrimp, two dips, various fancy condiments, bacon-wrapped stuffed dates and bacon-wrapped breadsticks, figs, grapes, nuts, and dried fruits, plus various crackers, breads and mini-muffins. I have a couple of beautiful big wooden trays to set it all out on. It will look very pretty! Something for everyone, even me!

I am on a quest to drop a few pounds which have been plaguing me for most of this month. I look fine and my size XS-0-2's still all fit, but I can see a little difference at the tops of my thighs and slightly in my face (which is actually an improvement). But I just want to keep lean because it makes me feel so very free! I will eat foods which are on plan this holiday, and will probably have a little cheese. But I have stopped buying cheese to eat here at home, because I have no clutch at all and it's just so, so easy for me to eat the entire wedge rather than to just savor one ounce. Ditto with nuts! Yesterday all I ate were hard-boiled eggs and tuna, and no cream or creamer (I just stuck with cashew milk, plus syrup). I felt very full (gallons of tea helped), kept to under 850 calories, was rewarded by a 1.5 pound drop! So I'm on the way. It's so great to know that I can lose even at this low weight just by keeping my calories and carbs low and my protein high!

I made a wreath already, and hung it on the door yesterday. I would never have done this in years past until after Thanksgiving, but once I had finished making it I just didn't feel like putting it on the shelf to wait it's turn.

Big news: my son and my DIL just closed on their first house! They move in tomorrow! I'm terribly proud of them, and so happy for them. They are enthusiastically planning on hosting for Christmas - so cute!

QOTD: I am good about this again, but for a bit was less dedicated. It's helpful.

First: tea with cashew milk and SF, 0-carb syrup. Great big multiple mugs of it!

B: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 tuna packet, a tiny bit of Skinny Girl Buttermilk Ranch dressing

L: salmon with lemon and a few broiled grape tomatoes

D: Turkey breast. As if I won't shortly be sick of this!

Here's a pic of the wreath I just made.

Gorgeous wreath!

This is the Charcuterie tray I'm trying to recreate (from Pinterest of course).

that is gorgeous! I wonder what that orange log thing is on the right - maybe a cheese log with dried cranberries in it?

• 8 oz Italian dry salami
• 6 oz Prosciutto, smoked
• 4 oz Prosciutto

• 1 bunch Champagne grapes
• 1 bunch Concord grapes
• 6 Figs, fresh
• 2 Granny smith apples
• 2 Honey crisp apples

• 1 Lemon juice, fresh

• 5 oz Pecans, sweet and spicy
• 4 oz Pumpkin spice pumpkin seeds

• 2 11 oz french baguettes

• 10 oz Wheat crackers, Stone Ground

• 8 oz 1000 day hard gouda cheese
• 8 oz Apricot cherry cranberry goat's milk cheese
• 8 oz Cheddar cheese, sharp
• 11 oz Fig butter
• 8 oz French brie, traditional
• 4 oz Pepper jack cheese

• 11 oz Naturally flavored candy corn

• 4 oz Uncured salame di parma

thanks! It must be the apricot cherry cranberry goat's milk cheese, then

I'm saving the picture of your charcuterie board so I can hopefully try and recreate it too! Thanks to you both for the idea!

I added the ingredients above, so that you don't have to guess. Enjoy!

Just let me at the figs that is my favorite fruit.

Thank you! That tray is a beauty! I love the blueness of those grapes especially. I'm trying to mix textures and colors - it's so easy to have it be overwhelmingly brownish. I have gone ridiculously overboard with this project, but hopefully it will be one handsome (and groaning!) board! I will take a picture when it's done.

Beautiful!