This Week's Menu

First of all, I apologize for neglecting the blog. Last week was crazy and this week coming up isn't going to be much better. In fact, I think it's going to be worse. However, I do best under pressure and I'm not going to have time to just sit! Therefore, there should be more posts this week. I'm going to continue the Gifts From the Kitchen, as well as sharing a few of our favorite recipes that we'll be enjoying this week.

This week we have Scouts, we're going to a concert to see a quintet and Elisabeth von Trapp, there's a Holiday House shoppe at the elementary school, candy grams at the the middle school, and Chanukkah! Now on to the menu!

Monday- Pan fried pork chops
                Creamy macaroni and cheese
                Green beans

Tuesday- Beef stew
                Biscuits

Wednesday- Beef bites
                     Latkes
                     Cauliflower au gratin
                     Chocolate cake with gelt

Thursday- Creamy Italian chicken
                  Rice
                  Carrots

Friday- Out (date night)

Saturday- Whatever you can find

Sunday- Roast beef
              Mashed potatoes
              Peas
              Gravy
              Apple dumplings

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com!

A Sweet "Recipe"

I apologize that there are no recipes again today. Rhonda had her Science Fair/STEM competition today and it took way longer than I had hoped/thought. So, here's a cute little "recipe" for Christmas Cheer from my copy of Gifts From Your Kitchen (1955). It's attributed to Clementine Paddleford, a Food Editor of the New York Herald Tribune and This Week magazine.

Christmas Cheer Recipe

Take a bushel of tinsel, sprinkle well throughout the house. Add two dozen stars and one christmas tree Take a generous spray of mistletoe, an armload of holly and a full measure of snow laid in curved hills along the window sills. Toss in a Christmas carol, and season well with good will and friendly laughter. Light the candles, "one for adoration, two fro celebration." Let the first burn brightly, and may those you love be near. The yield: One Happy Christmas.

Dorothy's Diary

Hello Blog Readers! (do I even have any? haha)

I know I was going to post a Q&E recipe today, but I've been obsessing over Dot's Diary! I was perusing blogs this morning and this link caught my eye and I've been reading it *all day*!

Dave, Dorothy's (Dot) son, received two of his mother's diaries from when she was a young girl (1945&46. Dot was 17&18, I believe). It is such a fascinating look into a slice of history. I love the language and the pictures that go along with the posts. It's just fabulous! It almost makes me want to start a diary. Somehow though, I don't think it would have quite the same punch as Dots. I can just imagine the entries:

December 11-Tuesday

Yelled at the kids
Made meatloaf
Went to bed at 11

Certainly not as glamorous as Dorothy's life!

I promise to post not one, but two (maybe even three!) Q&E Gifts from the Kitchen recipes tomorrow!

Quick and Easy Gifts From the Kitchen-Day 1

This is one of my favorite holiday recipes. It is so quick and *so* easy! It only takes two ingredients. Can't beat that! I got the recipe years ago from a boyfriend's mom, but I've seen it floating around the net since.

Fantastic Fudge

12 oz candy chips-and flavor (chocolate, peanut butter, mint, ect.)
1 can frosting-any flavor (make sure you get regular frosting and not whipped!)

Prepare your pan: line an 8x8 pan with foil and either spray with Pam or grease with butter. Melt the chips either on the stove top in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir in the frosting. Spread into your prepared pan and put in the fridge to set up. Cut into squares and store in a container in the refrigerator. That's it! Enjoy!

I thought I had a picture of the fudge in the pan, but I don't. And the fudge is gone already!

Week in Review and Menu Plan

For this weeks menu, please scroll down! Thank you!


Hello!

This was a busy week! I did some volunteering, went to an assembly, went Christmas shopping with my mom, and went tree decorating/caroling with my youngest daughter's Girl Scout troop! Whew! I also tried my hair a new way, played racquetball, rearranged my kitchen a little bit, cleaned up the house a little bit, and put up the tree. I also made popovers for breakfast one morning and thought I'd share that recipe with you.

I love to read, especially cozy mysteries. One of my favorite authors is Joann Fluke who writes the Hannah Swenson/Lake Eden series. Hannah is a small town sleuth who owns and runs The Cookie Jar, a bakery/cafe in Lake Eden, Minnesota. The books are fun reads and include delicious recipes, of which I've made several. The popovers are from The Key Lime Pie Murder.

Popovers

4 eggs (Measure your eggs. They should equal 1 cup. If they don't, you may have to add some or take some away. When I made mine, I had to add an extra egg. Made all the difference as the last time I did not measure and they didn't turn out nearly as well.)

2 cups of milk

2 cups of flour

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Lightly beat the eggs together until they are a uniform color, but not fluffy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Dump in the flour and add the salt. Mix with a spoon until the flour is just incorporated into the wet ingredients. If you used a cinderella bowl as I did, you can pour your batter into your prepared pans. Fill them almost all the way to the top. If you don't have a cinderella bowl, transfer your batter into a vessel with a spout. Bake your popovers for 30 minutes at 450 degrees, no peeking! Remove the popovers from the oven and pierce the top with a sharp knife to let out the steam. Let cool for a moment and then remove to a serving basket or platter. Enjoy!

I have no idea why the ones in the light metal pan rose so much higher than the ones in the dark metal pans, but they all tasted fabulous! Now on to this weeks menu!

Monday-Kielbasa, fried cabbage, pirogi
Tuesday-Ham, macaroni and cheese, creamed spinach
Wednesday-Meatloaf, leftover macaroni and cheese, peas
Thursday-Beef Stroganoff, noodles
Friday-Date Night
Saturday-Chili
Sunday (second night of Hannukah)-Brisket, latkes, broccoli, gelt cake

For hundreds of menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com!

What's Coming Up

Whew! Yesterday was so busy! I went Christmas shopping with my mother, went to dinner with a visiting friend, and then did some things at home. I was exhausted!

Next week I'm going to be sharing some quick, easy, and tasty ideas for Gifts From Your Kitchen! Stay tuned!