December 18, 2021

WEEKLY MENU 12.19.21

It’s Christmas during the Weekly Menu 12.19.21 ~ but we still have to eat!

Christmas falls on Saturday during the Weekly Menu 12.19.21, which means the run up to the big day is a full week. If ever a week called for all the extra help we could get, this is it. Beef left to “stew” on it’s own, leftovers, crock-pot dinners? We’ve got them all.

The plan on the Christmas Cookies has been to do a batch at a time during the past few weeks, but of course, that has not happened. Life did instead. What to do? Shrug our shoulders and carry on. It’s certainly not the end of the world if we don’t have anatomically correct gingerbread men. Although it would be deeply disappointing. I’ve got a list of cookies (of course) but I’ve already dropped at least one off. Bert found Nut Roll at our local specialty grocery store, and it is divine. There is no way I could do it better (or any cheaper).

Check out The Weekly Menu 12.06.20 for recipe links for most of these cookies, including Grandma Schultz’s fabulous (hick) Rum Balls.

Our key this 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. Bert and I will work together on the Nut Horns, which are a Pittsburgh treat that may have a little Slavic influence. They are easy but labor intensive. The dough gets rolled into little balls then rolled out and stuffed with a sweet nut filling. A few years ago I realized our tortilla press (Affiliate links precede and follow – see Disclaimer Page for details) worked much easier to roll out that dough. We sent the marble rolling pin to the back of the cupboard.

That’s what it’s about – taking help when you can get it!

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 white chocolate, so he suggested making White Chocolate Brownies and cutting them into trees and decorating. He gets to be in charge of that one. (Doesn’t that sound tasty? I’ll let you know how the recipe works out.)

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 12.19.21 is even more important during a week like this. We will take any help we can get. On Sunday, we’re making a no-sear stew. A few weeks back, I seared three pounds of beef in about half an hour, but it took me another hour to clean up the house. I even had to mop the floor to get the grease off everything. I thought I was going blind for a minute but it turned out a fine mist had covered the cheaters. We are not about repeating that.

Turns out there are ways around the sear, and I found the key on a Milk Street recipe: bake that sucker and leave the lid off for the last hour or so to brown up the meat. Sold. I’m also adding a full bulb of garlic (not just a clove) with the top cut off. It cooks with the beef and gets creamy and yummy. At the end, I’ll squeeze out the mellow cloves and mix them in. I’m using the Milk Street recipe for a guide only – standard stew with potatoes and carrots is on offer here. Nary a garbanzo bean to be seen.

And sure, you can make a nice loaf of crusty bread, but this week? Hello grocery store bakery.

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. We made the Mississippi PORK roast outlined on the Weekly Menu 12.05.21 and we had leftovers for days. I knew no one would eat them, so I popped the shredded pork in the freezer. On Tuesday I’ll let it thaw, spread it out on a sheet pan and sprinkle copiously with chili powder, cumin and a bit of cayenne pepper. Broil it up and serve with tortillas and the fixins. Delicious? Yes. Authentic? Probably not.

Keep the sheet pan out 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.

Of course we’re using the crock-pot this week.

Twice, actually. I’m cooking frozen meatballs in barbecue sauce on Thursday. That way, if we have unexpected visitors or if we need to go to a Festivus Celebration we’re covered. Come Friday (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.)

Christmas Dinner rounds out the week – there’s nothing easier than slow warming a ham while watching A Christmas Story. I like to share a nice glass of wine with Ralphie’s parents.

The theory on the No Sear Stew is from 177 Milk Street. The Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner (how cool is THAT?) is from The Kitchn. The Calabacitas are via Chili Pepper Madness. We found the BBQ Sauce at A Southern Soul. And the Ruth’s Chris Copycat Spuds are from 12 Tomatoes.