WEEKLY MENU 12.18.22
Christmas Eve shows up during the Weekly Menu 12.19.22 ~ and we have a full week of dinners to get to!
Christmas falls on Sunday during the Weekly Menu 12.18.22, which means the run up to the big day is a full week. We don’t work Saturdays, which gives us plenty of time to get everything together, plus a free day to recoup. Christmas Eve on Saturday and Christmas proper on Sunday is my absolute favorite calendar effect.
Of course, it means that the Christmas Cookies snuck up on us. Anybody else surprised by how soon Christmas is? Normally we do the sugar cookies as a family amid much good natured grumbling, the weekend before. Gulp. This is now. I’ve got a full list of cookies (of course) but we’ve already ixnayed at least two.
Check out The Weekly Menu 12.06.20 for recipe links for most of these cookies, including Grandma Schultz’s fabulous (hick) Rum Balls. What aren’t we making? We’ve binned the Seven Layer Bars and the Nut Horns. The White Trash (man, I hate the name of that mixture) is on the fence. We’re thinking about adding white chocolate to a pre-made cocktail mix and skipping all the cereal the recipe requires that languishes in the pantry for months.
Our key every year is to make a single batch of each of the cookies. Grandma Dolly’s Sour Cream Drops are a slightly chewy, chocolate walnut cookie that we can’t celebrate the holiday without. I’ll whip up a batch of sugar cookie dough early Sunday and force coerce invite the boys to roll, cut and decorate. We only have one rolling pin – it’s a marble one that usually doesn’t get much work. (Affiliate links precede and follow – see Disclaimer Page for details) The one we have is our second one. When the marble pin hits the floor, it shatters all over.
Why, yes. I am speaking from experience.
The Oreo Truffles and the Rum Balls are, as you might expect, rolled into balls. That’s another thing the kids can help with. Bert loves Mallo Cups, which are a Pennsylvania thing. According to their website, they are: “Often described as decadent, delicious, and full of chocolaty goodness, there are many ways to describe Mallo Cups. Mallo Cups are a favorite among candy connoisseurs everywhere” Boyer Candies
In my head, the Christmas Story narrator read that
We often stop at the factory store on the way back from State College, and we recently bought a big box of them. We didn’t know that they weren’t individually wrapped until we got them home. So we had to get them eaten, stat. Bert suggested Mallo Cup Fudge. He’s in charge of that one. (Spoiler alert: Bert made them the other night, and they are divine.)
Of course the normal Christmas activity is also going on. I’ve been trying to stay on top of wrapping as we go, but, sure, there’s a bit of that still to do. And a couple last minute pickups. And a run or two to the grocery store. Oh, and a visit to the liquor store. Plus, you know, normal weekly stuff like work and laundry. It’s no wonder that this time of year, while awesome, is so stressful.
EASY EATS!
That’s how we ease up on the stress a bit. The Weekly Menu 12.18.22 is even more important during a week like this. We will take any help we can get. On Sunday, we’re having a fast and easy pork chop with pasta. I keep claiming that I’m going to post the recipe for Pork Chops Italiano, and I swear (a lot, actually, but that’s another story) 2023 is my year. I’ll get that post together and everyone will be able to enjoy the chops.
Dessert? Grab a cookie or a piece of fudge.
Sheet Pan dinners can’t be beat – you prep the food on the pan while the oven heats up. Usually they only take about 20 minutes to cook, which is beauty. Clean up is a breeze too. Before that, though, we’re having super simple meatloaf and mashed spuds. We’ll bake the potatoes alongside the ‘loaf, scoop out the innards and smash them when they’re soft. Don’t discard the skins: they are delish with a smear of softened butter and a sprinkle of kosher salt.
Keep the sheet pan handy to make Pops Crispy Chicken and serve on mixed greens. Cook up some frozen fries at the same time as the chicken and it is a full meal deal.
All of our dinners are last minute prep for a reason.
That way, if we have unexpected visitors or if we need to go to a Festivus Celebration we’re covered. Come Saturday, (Christmas Eve!), the Ox Roast will warm in the slow cooker so it’s ready when we are. (Don’t worry – no oxen were harmed in the making of the roast. It’s beef. And a regional favorite served up in au-jus. It’s pretty fabulous.)
WEEKLY MENU 12.18.22
