We have just had a festive and relaxing Christmas Day and weekend. We are looking forward to the next eleven days of Christmas. Especially Rich, because it means no days of fasting at all. We will be celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary this Friday on New Year's Eve. We talked about going out to a rather nice place in town that will have live music, but we decided to use the money we'd spend on the restaurant and babysitting to get some nicer gifts for each other and buy some our most missed foods from living near the sea. So, I will try to recreate another dish from Visconti's for us and make my sweet husband a cherry pie with ice cream.

Something new I'm trying this year is making twelve days of cookies, one for each day of Christmas, rather than trying to make it all at once. I've already made almond brutal, fudge and loads of Chex Mix, and will make some peppermint bark and coconut balls as well. My schedule of cookies is:

Day 1: Brown Sugar Shortbread
Day 2: Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Day 4: Zimmesterne
Day 5: Almond Blossoms
Day 6: Cherry Almond Biscotti
Day 7: Snow Caps
Day 8: Pistachio Linzertorte with Cherry Jam
Day 9: Cream Cheese Pastry Cookies
Day 10: Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Day 11: Saudi Nut Crescents
Day 12: Glazed Lemon Ricotta Cookies

I, foolishly, signed up to be in charge of the coffee hour at church in two weeks. So, I'll be freezing a bunch of the cookies to put out with the coffee then.

I had a great idea that crushing Chex mix would make a nice coating for chicken fingers, so I told Rich we'd try it out this week. I will report back as to whether or not it was a good idea.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Leftover Pancakes, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Smoked Salmon and Crackers, Roast Beef Hash, Satsumas, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake and Peppermint Ice Cream


• Monday
  Breakfast: French Toast made of our Christmas Bread* and Leftover Eggnog, Chorizo Patties, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Chex Mix Coated Chicken Fingers, Roast Seasoned Potato Wedges, edited to add: Buttered Peas and Carrots, Clementines, Christmas Cookies and Candy


• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Raisins and Cinnamon Sugar, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chili and Cornbread, Oranges, Christmas Cookies and Candy


• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Squash, Potato, Poblano Pepper and Onion Hash with Eggs Poached on Top, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Bacon Tomato Linguine, Garlic Bread, Clementines


• Thursday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Vanilla Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Kung Pao Chicken, Rice, Stir Fried Cabbage, Onions and Peppers with Garlic, Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil, Satsumas


• Friday New Year's Eve
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Chorizo, Milk and Coffee
  Anniversary Dinner: Crab Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce, Garlic Shrimp, Buttered, Steamed Green Beans, Sauteed Squash, Onions and Peppers, Prosecco, Sparkling Cider, Cherry Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream


• Saturday
  Breakfast: Waffles with Maple Syrup, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Roast Fresh Ham with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon, Biscuits, Roasted Rutabaga Wedges, Buttered, Steamed Green Beans Creamed Spinach, Christmas Cookies and Candy

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

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