I know, it's another Monday without a good blog post. I'm sorry. :(
But! Today I have a somewhat legitimate excuse. I've been meal planning. I meal plan on a fairly regular basis (three weeks a month, usually - the fourth being a week of protest during which, if Husband accidentally forgets that I've over-exerted myself with food preparations recently and asks what we're going to eat, I crumple into a heap of frustrated womanly devastation and either cry or yell, "I DON'T KNOW!" until he just makes us all sandwiches), but this time is different. We're having a billion guests over the next week, and I'm determined not to be caught off-guard this time.
We have guests on a pretty regular basis. Probably more than normal people, because, being an Army family, we don't get to choose where we live, and, since none of our relatives live at Army posts, we don't ever live near (as in the same town) family. But we do have really awesome parents who visit us all the time. I'd like to pretend it's because we're just so awesome, but I'm sure at least part of it has to do with us being the only ones on either side with little kids. Either way, we have visitors at least once a month (usually more - plus our own road trips to them at least once every 3 months).
So this week. My mom and step-dad are driving into town (right now! They might even get here while I'm typing this!!), and they'll stay from today (26 Dec) until Wed (28 Dec). Then we have a bit of a break until Friday (30 Dec), when Husband's parents and two younger sisters will be driving up. They're staying until Monday (2 Jan). But, because that's not enough, my dad and step-mom will also be coming over on Sunday (1 Jan) and staying until Mon (2 Jan). Then a good high school friend of mine and her husband will be staying with us Tues night (3 Jan).
I know I get a few breaks in there, but those days will primarily be used for any food preparations I can do ahead of time. Usually, at least one time during a visit, we end up in that frozen, everybody is hungry, no body has a plan, terrible situation. Like the vultures from "Jungle Book," except about food. No one wants to be the one to have an opinion, so we just sit around until we're starving to death, and someone finally breaks and orders pizza.
Not this time. I'm coming in to this prepared. Hopefully, I'll feel as dedicated to this plan in a couple days as I do now.
Without further ado, I give you my Christmas Visits 2011 Meal Plan:
Mon 12-26 - Dinner - Caprese Baguettes and chips (tomato and buffalo mozzarella with fresh basil on french baguettes)
Tues 12-27 - Breakfast - Spinach & Bacon Quiche
Late lunch/early Dinner - Pineapple & Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, Bacon & Onion Green Beans, Scalloped Potato & Onion Bake, and Buttery Dinner Rolls
Wed 12-28 - Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Icing
(Our first guests will leave on Wed sometime, so we'll just be scavenging and eating whatever until the next guests arrive. Meanwhile, I plan on doing as much prep and goodie baking as possible in these interim days.)
Fri 12-30 - Dinner - Creamy Asparagus Soup and French Bread
Sat 12-31 - Breakfast - Pumpkin Spice Sticky Rolls with Maple Icing
Lunch - Baguette Sandwiches
Dinner - Italian Sausage Lasagna and Buttery Dinner Rolls
Sun 1-1 - Breakfast - Eggs & Bacon & whatever (I'll be getting myself & kids ready for Church, so if other people want breakfast, they can figure it out - also the standard in our house)
Lunch - order out pizza or chinese
Dinner - Bratwurst and Saurkraut Hoagies with homemade fries
Mon 1-2 - Breakfast - Tomato & Basil Quiche
Tues 1-3 - Dinner - Beef Wellington, Buttery Dinner Rolls, and Baked Asparagus
Dessert - Tunnel of Fudge Bundt Cake
Wed 1-4 - Breakfast - Cherry & White Chocolate Almond Twist Breakfast Bread with Eggs and Bacon
It should be noted that all breads/rolls listed above will be homemade (duh).
Also, not to forget the Christmas goodies that I either already have on hand or plan to make over the next couple days:
Sugar Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Russian Tea Cakes
Caramel Popcorn
Eggnog Cookies
Peppermint Bark
Candy Pretzels
Confectioner's Candy
Triple-Chocolate Fudge
Peanut Butter Fudge
There you have it. It's probably safe to assume I won't have a blog entry for next week, either.
I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and has a safe and happy New Year - and please, if you want to get fat, feel free to drop by any time!! :D
I just caught up on your blog! Again you have been dragging your heals with new updates...
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This cooking makes me exhausted but hungry! More blog posts please! ;-)
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