Meal Plan Extravaganza!

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

Recipe: Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

These are a great holiday treat with a peppermint kick. I just made them to test my recipe, and I had to force myself to stop eating them.

The base cookie is the same as my sugar cookie recipe.

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter (at room temperature)

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs (at room temperature)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp peppermint extract

Red food coloring

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer), beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla and peppermint. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture.

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into two equal-sized balls. Place one ball back in the bowl, add red food coloring, and continue to mix until desire color is obtained. Remove red dough from the bowl and re-shape into a ball. Flatten both balls slightly, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate discs until firm, at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325.

Divide dough into approximately tablespoon-sized balls. Roll out each ball into a snake-like strip (just like we used to with play-doh). Line a red snake next to a white snake and twist evenly around each other, twisting from both sides. Curve one side down to form the cane shape. Place formed cookies on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets, approximately 2 inches apart.

Bake 9-11 minutes. I always make sure to slightly under-bake these, because I prefer the white parts to not brown at all. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks (they have to cool to set completely if you under-bake them). They don't need any icing, but I have seen variations where people sprinkle crushed peppermint candies (or crushed actual candy canes) on top immediately after removing from the oven. I prefer them without the crushed candy, since they're very chewy and soft, and I don't like the hard candy juxtaposition on them.

Makes ~ 3-4 dozen 4" cookies.