We begin the second week of Advent with the feast day of St. Nicholas. We put out our stockings last night and received quite the bounty, including our bags of gold (to recall how the good Bishop saved three poor sisters from being sold into prostitution since they had no dowry).

Since we enjoy turkey so much, and we got so many good deals on turkeys before Thanksgiving, we decided to roast a smaller one for our St. Nicholas dinner. We still had some brussels sprouts, so I roasted those whole in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. We used the last of our frozen pie cherries to make a pie for dessert. This is the last feast day we observe until Christmas day. There is a little break next Sunday because it is Gaudete Sunday, but it is still a bit more subdued. We hope to put our Christmas tree up then, and string the lights. We do not decorate it fully until Christmas Eve after Mass.

• Sunday Feast of St. Nicholas
  Breakfast: Toasted Bagels with Fried Eggs, Cheese and Salami, Apples and Oranges from our Stockings, Hazelnut filled Initial Cookies for St. Nicholas, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Roast Turkey, Gravy, Roasted Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts, Cherry Pie


• Monday
  Breakfast: Rice Pudding, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini, Salad


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Whole Wheat Toast, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Chili Casserole, Tomato Rice


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal*, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Spinach


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal*, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Probably Dinner Out


• Friday
  Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast, Yogurt & Honey, Apples, Milk, Coffee
  Dinner: Spinach Chevre Quiche with Potato Crust, Salad


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins, Apples, Yogurt & Honey, Milk
  Dinner: Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit Plate

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. Starred recipes will follow separately.

Here is the list of foods from the freezer, fridge and pantry that I'm using this week. Anything from the freezer, pantry or fridge that was not bought specifically for this meal or this past week will be included in my lists.

Freezer:
Turkey
Ground Beef
Chicken Broth
Sprouted Wheat Bagels
Tomatoes
Roasted Corn
Sliced Peppers
Peas
Hazelnut Meal
Cherries
Pie Crust (homemade and prepared ahead of time)
Cranberries
Pumpkin Puree

Fridge:
Eggs
Butter
Milk (& Cream from the Top)
Parmesan
Cheddar
Cream Cheese
Homemade Mayonnaise
Yogurt
Lemons
Carrots
Celery
Salami


Pantry:
All Herbs & Spices
Salts
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Olive Oil
Brown Basmati Rice
Sushi Rice
Hard White Wheat Berries
Soft White Wheat Berries
Steel Cut Oats
Black Beans
Walnuts
Pastry Flour
Corn Meal
Yeast
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Coffee
Tea
Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract
All Sugars
Honey
Tomato Sauce
Olives
Canned Chiles
Golden Raisins
Dried Cherries
Brussels Sprouts
Apples
Oranges
Sherry

Labels: Advent, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen