WEEKLY MENU 12.17.23
We’re leaving time for the GOOD stuff on the Weekly Menu 12.17.23 ~ Christmas Cookies!
We’re not making ALL the cookies during the Weekly Menu 12.17.23, but we are getting a start! I’m a little bit of a cookie monster at the holidays: I adore Christmas Cookies.
So we make a ton of them.
The secret is not making them all at the same time, and being judicious with quantities. Growing up, my Mom always insisted on a quadruple batch of sugar cookies. You read that right. A quadruple batch. Then I had to wrangle the littles into rolling and cutting them out. They never lasted much past the first batch, the little stinkers. Guess who had to finish them all up? Yep. Assembly line cookies for the win.
So now we make one batch of sugar cookies. (Otherwise we’d miss out on the anatomically correct snowman and his missus.) And we use a quarter of our original recipe for the Baklava – otherwise it will be sitting around the kitchen until May.
I’ve tried to cut down the list.
But the whining!! Everyone has a favorite, and honestly, it’s just not Christmas without each and every one. Of course I print out the list and attach it to the fridge. Then I decide which to make when, and make sure to check them off when they are complete. I usually make the White Trash early on – it makes a great snack to put out if someone stops over to visit.
The Rum Balls are next – they’re better the longer they get to marinate. Hick. One of the last things I make is the Sugared Cranberries. They don’t last as long as some of the other sweets, but they are spectacular on a platter or in a Cranberry Margarita. They’re natures answer to Sweetarts. (Affiliate links precede and follow – see Disclaimer Page for Details.)
I like to put the Rum Balls in a decorative relish tray with some candy or pretzels in the other compartments. They don’t need to take up an entire platter, and they look great in a grouping. How cute is this tray?
You can never go wrong with a Santa Platter!
Fill with Favorites!
BAKLAVA
SEVEN LAYER BARS
OREO TRUFFLES
BISCOTTI
WHITE TRASH
RUM BALLS
SUGARED CRANBERRIES
I might make a batch of cookies on a Tuesday afternoon, or on a Saturday morning. Whatever time I can find. I get burned out if I bake too many things at once. (Nice pun, huh?) I usually lasso in the boys and Bert the Sunday before Christmas for the Sugar Cookies. I can’t have all the fun!
Remember though, it’s not supposed to be a huge chore – it is supposed to be something you enjoy. If you hate baking cookies – buy them! The possibilities out there are endless. Christmas should be a judgment free zone.
What are we eating during the Weekly Menu 12.17.23?
Glad you asked. When we aren’t baking cookies, we’re thinking about popping a chicken and some potatoes in the oven to bake for Sunday dinner. And we’re starting out with a nice Baked Brie with Walnuts. As you can probably tell, we have plenty of walnuts in the house ready to be baked. We’ll just grab a handful.
The Pork Milanese is on the Weekly Menu 12.17.23 again, because it got kicked to the curb the last time we were supposed to make it. And it is a delicious addition, so we didn’t want to miss it.
We haven’t had the Mexican Fried Rice mash up in quite a while, but it is a fun, fast dinner that everyone likes. We’re subbing in chicken in the Saucy Asian Pork Tenderloin recipe. Pork and chicken take about the same amount of time to cook in the crockpot, and this will go great with some Peanut Noodles.
WEEKLY MENU 12.17.23
