October 4, 2025

WEEKLY MENU 10.05.25

We’ve got hockey on the schedule in the Weekly Menu 10.05.25 ~ because they’re back, Baby!

This Weekly Menu 10.05.25 celebrates the return of the NHL Hockey Season. Several years ago, during the pandemic, there were no regularly scheduled games, and it was a tough go. Sure, the sports weren’t the main reason it was a rough year, but it certainly contributed. It made me realize that I actually DID like hockey.

I grew up with four brothers, but we weren’t a huge sports family. Mostly because we were allowed to play a sport only if we could get ourselves to and from practices and games. Plus, we weren’t to expect the parents to attend said games. It wasn’t their thing, and they didn’t feel the need to see us flailing about. (Those were the days, huh?) Sure, we watched the Wide World of Sports Saturday afternoons, but that was about the extent of it. The first time I met Bert, he was wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins t-shirt. What did I ask?

Is that a… Football Team?

It’s a wonder we ever went on a date, because Bert is a diehard hockey fan who even played on his college team. Watching him skate is a thing of beauty. I quickly learned that the shirt represented a hockey team from his hometown, the Pittsburgh Penguins. They had just recently won their first Stanley Cup (the holy grail of hockey awards) so I became a fan, and fast. It took years to understand what icing was, but I finally got there. Bert always says it was a good thing I didn’t break an ankle jumping on the Penguins band wagon.

Sure, I would occasionally complain about the sheer number of games: this year, there are 82 regular-season games – and hopefully a whole lot more if they make it into the playoffs. (Fingers crossed!) The pre-season is going on now, and the final Stanley Cup game in a normal year is about mid-June. So yeah. That’s a lot of hockey, and that’s if the Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team you’re watching. Sometimes (always) I’m on my Kindle or doom scrolling while the games are on TV. (Affiliate links precede and follow – see Disclaimer Page for Details.)

So, I wasn’t completely bereft when the season wasn’t ON during the pandemic, until I was.

I missed hockey.

There. I said it. So what did we do about it? We bought partial-season tickets every year since. Why partial? We haven’t won the lottery yet. Each ticket is good for twelve games throughout the season. (Plus we get a 15% discount on food – but, alas, not on beer.) Last week, Bert and I skipped a pre-season game because none of the “good” players were playing. The team has many standouts, but has been quite a disappointment in the last couple of years. Honestly? They stink. But they are still fun to watch!

How does this affect the Weekly Menu 10.05.25?

TWO games are impacting us during the Weekly Menu 10.05.25. The Pittsburgh Penguins Season Opener is Tuesday at the New York Rangers. For that, we’re going all in with Pizza and Wings. We’ll also have a salad of some sort on offer – my “heart issues” aren’t far enough in the past for me to be scarfing down wings without a care in the world.

On Thursday night, one of our partial-season ticket games is up. We’re heading down to the lovely PPG Arena for a game against the New York Islanders. I created the menu and completely forgot about it, despite scheduling take-out for Tuesday. DOH. So, if you’re not going to a hockey game, go ahead and follow along with the teriyaki salmon bowls.

Usually, when a sporting event impacts dinner time, I whip out the slow cooker. Using the crockpot means that dinner is ready whenever the participants are. I have a post of my favorite slow cooker meals too:

31 Easy Crockpot Dump Meals

WEEKLY MENU 10.05.25

Sunday dinner is old school this week – we’re having classic comfort food. After I make some stove-top stuffing, I’ll put it in a casserole dish and lay chicken breasts over the top to bake. Near the end of cooking, I’ll sprinkle on some Swiss cheese and make a super simple chicken gravy. I melt a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter in a saucepan and sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of flour. I let it cook for a minute or so, then whisk in a cup of low-sodium chicken broth. Voila! Gravy.

We’re going meatless on Monday, although this isn’t any hardship with cheesy stuffed shells. Wednesday is Pork and Beans! It’s so iconic that that phrase inspired dinner. But it’s not going to be classic pork and beans, per se.

I’ll pan-sear pork chops and set them aside, then add onions and garlic to the same skillet. Those get cooked just until translucent, then I’ll add a can of cannellini beans (with the juice) and a couple of handfuls of escarole. Once the greens have settled in, the pork chops are placed back on top of the concoction and cooked (covered) until they are no longer pink in the middle. Yum!

Hopefully chili season is upon us – because that’s on the schedule for Friday night!