Holiday Grand Plan - Week 18 - A Brand New Year and a Debriefing

Looks like we made it - all the way to Week 18! I hope you all had a wonderful week, free from any extra holiday stress. Was it worth it to start planning way back on Labor Day weekend?

For me, it definitely was worth it.  Although I was AWOL from the blog, we had a wonderful and relaxing Christmas with a delicious dinner.  I was at work until 2 on Christmas Eve, but still made time to meet Mom for coffee and a little bit of people watching for our annual tradition.

We decided to go to Mass at 9 pm instead of midnight.  Afterwards I let The Pit Boss open his first gift - a new wedding ring to replace the one that went missing during the renovation - and we asked Father Dan to bless it on our way out of church.   On Christmas Day, the grands came over for Crown Roast of Pork, The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potatoes Au Gratin (plus her Skewers of Glory as an appetizer), oven roasted asparagus, Deuce's homemade bread, and Mom's English Trifle. 

Now it's time to celebrate the New Year, reflect on 2013, and plan a debriefing dinner with the family.

• What did everyone like best?  What would you prefer not to repeat?
• What was the best freezer dinner?  (make 2 next year!)  Bring a list to the meeting so they remember which ones you tried.
• What was the best treat?  Which one wasn't worth the time and effort?
• What worked about the holiday meals?  Were they at a good time of day?  Were the recipes "keepers" or do you need to test a few new ones next year?
• What was the best memory of the season?  Was it a family activity that you want to be sure to plan again, or having friends over to decorate the tree?  Was it shopping with each child alone for a bit, or maybe cooking together? 

Also, catch this great guest post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie by Sharon from MomOf6 about making New Year's Predictions instead of resolutions. 



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 17 - Celebrate!

It's Week 17, the one we've been waiting for. Keep household chores to a minimum and focus on the reason for the celebration. Is it a religious holiday? A time for visiting with family and friends? A day off work? All of the above? Whatever your reason for celebrating this week, keep sight of it and try not to let drama or stress distract you.



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 16 - Steady Now!

It's Week 16 of the Holiday Grand Plan. If all has gone well, we are to the fun part. This is the week where we eat a few of those meals from the freezer, visit with friends and family, and keep home maintenance to a minimum.

If a few things have slipped through the cracks, hopefully the rest of your preparation has helped keep it from feeling like a crisis.

As for me, the part I'm still working on is my shopping.  But guess what!  I'm pretty calm about the rest of it, so I can enjoy some "last minute" shopping.  It also helps to keep things in perspective; the year I was pregnant with Deuce, I had been on bedrest for a month and had done NONE of my shopping or wrapping on my due date/Christmas Eve when I was finally allowed to get out.   That year triggered a complete meltdown in the middle of Perimeter Mall which led me, eventually, to The Plan.  Just another thing to apologize to my mom for.

So I'll shop a little this week and maybe meet TPB for lunch or an after work date to get the kids taken care of. 

One thing I'm still pondering - what do you do about co-workers' gifts?  Do you give them?  Is there an organized exchange?  The two young women I work most closely with are so young and so broke that I hate to give anything that feels like an obligation.  But I do adore them both and would like to give them a little token of my appreciation for their companionship, hard work, and a lot of laughs over the last six weeks.

They are both dieting, so I can't give them baked goods.  Except...hmmm...maybe some of Gina's Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars.  What do you think?



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 15 - Let's Do This!

It's Week 15, y'all, and it's getting real! It's time to catch up and wrap up.  Time to face the cold hard truth about any unfinished homemade gifts and get packages mailed.  Time to deep clean any critical areas you missed, and finalize plans for holiday parties and dinners.

We got an early Christmas gift today of a Kamado Joe ceramic grill from my in-laws, so The Pit Boss is we are reconsidering our Christmas dinner plans.

My weak spot at the moment is my gift list.  I was doing so well, but the kids are somehow hard to shop for this year.  Any suggestions for three teenagers?



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 14 - Deck the Halls!

It's Week 14 of the Holiday Grand Plan, and we are getting down to the wire! It's time to drag out the decorations and put up the lights.  I know a lot of people do this over the Thanksgiving weekend, so you might already be done.  We always wait a little longer, and this year I want to wait until Deuce comes back home to get our tree.  I will start bringing up the Christmas dishes and decorations from the basement a little at a time this week.

The other thing we are working on is our holiday menu.  We have hosted Christmas dinner every year since the first year we were married, with exceptions only for the year Deuce was born on December 27 and the year the Bear came down with the flu during Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.  It used to be a big crowd when more of our extended family joined us, but in the last several years we've been down to less than a dozen.  It has been fun to switch from a big pot luck to a more coordinated meal.

My gift shopping is going okay.  I was very excited that the special order item for TPB - the one with an estimated arrival date of January 3 when I bought it - came in early.  I was able to have the boys run me over to the mall on Black Friday and drop me at the curb so I could push through the crowds to pick it up and get the heck out of there as quickly as possible. 

And, for those of you who are wondering, Batman is still not here!  My SiL is checking into the hospital tonight to be induced tomorrow.  Unfortunately, my brother will then have to check into the same hospital on Friday for minor surgery.  They've both had a rough couple of weeks; thank goodness my parents are out there.  Prayers, positive thoughts, crossed fingers...whatever you do, please do it for them. 



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 13 - Quiltin' Jenny in the Dining Room with the Vacuum Cleaner

Can you believe it's Thanksgiving week already? And Week 13 of our Grand Plan.

More important, it's The Pit Boss's birthday. Happy birthday, my love!

It's also the anniversary of our first date.  I'm not sure how many people have pictures from their first date, but we went to dinner with his cousin who had just gotten engaged and she was a little shutter happy. 

For week 13, it's all about getting ready for Thanksgiving.  Batman has still not put in an appearance, but my parents are on the West Coast in preparation so Thanksgiving has been transformed.  Last week the plan was to host the traditional feast at our house, and do TPB's birthday dinner on Friday at my in-laws'.  Since everyone who is left in town just had a big turkey dinner a few weeks ago, and his birthday often gets lost in the "I can't believe I ate so much!", we decided to have his birthday on Thursday.  My MiL will make her famous country fried steak and gravy, and I'll be making TPB's birthday cake request - Mama Ruby's Made-From-Scratch Caramel Cake.  Usually this is Mom's job, so wish me luck!

I can't wait for Deuce to come home on Tuesday night, and for a few days off work to enjoy having all my chicks in the nest. 

What's happening at your house this week?



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 12 - Attic? Or Catch Up?

It is Week 12 of the Holiday Grand Plan and we are heading into the last trimester of this little adventure!  This week's deep cleaning section is the attic, which we don't use for anything but extra insulation and storing the furnace, so I have a week to catch up on all the stuff I have missed.  Perfect timing!

It's a good thing, too, because after all my bragging last week about how I don't have to do much for Thanksgiving at Mom's, it looks like Batman may arrive this week and I'll be in charge of EVERYTHING!   I'm not that worried because I do Christmas every year and sort of have the routine down.  There will only be nine of us, and my MiL and her cousin and my aunt will all pitch in.  No one is high maintenance, so there won't be any fancy centerpieces or place cards.  Just plenty of good food and gratitude.

I made a breakthrough on gift ideas for The Pit Boss.  I now have an idea for his birthday AND Christmas, which is just about a jackpot for me.  If I could figure out our dads, it would be easy breezy from here til December.  Seriously.  Why are men so challenging to shop for?  Oh, I remember!  Because when they want something they just go buy it.  Yeah, that.

Gracie is going to make our freezer meal this week.  She has asked if she can cook dinner one night a week, and her selection this week is Crock Pot Chicken Bolognese Sauce.  I'll have her double it and freeze half for a busy December night.

I think this week my treat to freeze will be another coffee cake for breakfasts when my boy is home next week. 

Marbled Coffee Cake

• 1 square unsweetened chocolate
• 1 Tbsp shortening

• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 1/2 C shortening
• 2 C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 C buttermilk (or 1 C milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
• 3 C flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350.   Grease and flour a 10" tube pan.
2. Microwave chocolate square and 1 Tbsp shortening until melted; set aside.  
3. Cream butter and 1/2 C shortening.  Gradually add sugar, beating well on medium speed.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.  dissolve baking soda in buttermilk.  
4. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.  Do not overbeat.   
5. Stir in almond and vanilla extract.
6. Remove 2 C of the batter and mix with the chocolate/shortening from step 2. 
7. Spoon 1/3 of remaining batter into pan.  Top with 1/2 of chocolate batter.  Repeat layers, ending with the plain. 
8. Gently swirl with a butter knife to create a marbled effect.
9. Bake at 350 for 65-70 minutes or until done.
10. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Do you have an attic to clean?  If not, what will you use this week to catch up on? 



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 11 - Thinking of Thanksgiving

It's Week 11 of the Holiday Grand Plan and we staring down Thanksgiving!

Luckily for me, Thanksgiving is at Mom and Dad's, so I don't have to do too much to get ready.  Unless Batman shows up early, in which case all bets are off.  Each year I make a turkey, a pie or two, and occasionally a side dish. 

It's very casual, so I don't have to get hung up on holiday clothing.  We like to be comfortable, so my only rule is that everyone has to wear a clean nice shirt.  In my humble opinion, holidays should not feel like more work than work.

Deep cleaning this week is supposed to be the garage and storage areas.  That is a mixed bag for me.  Cleaning out the garage would be a fantastic idea.  I typically save the storage area cleaning for when the Christmas decorations are out of it and when I am putting them back.  Unless you want to talk about the unfinished room in the basement where the furnace is, which I definitely do NOT.  Ugh.

My treat to share will be the Cranberry Bread I told you about yesterday.  I'm thinking of making it in mini loaf pans to share with my team at work.

For my freezer meal this week, I think I'm going to try my MiL's chicken and dumplings.  I've never made them because she makes them and brings us the leftovers, but this would be a wonderful dinner to have on hand when Deuce is home for his Christmas break.  If it works out, I'll share the recipe.  Remind me.



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Cranberry Thanksgiving

This book is from when I was a little girl, younger than Gracie is.

I love this story for so many reasons:  I love Thanksgiving, I love cranberry bread, and I love the message about not judging a book by its cover.

I remember reading this with my mom as Thanksgiving approached and then making the "famous" cranberry bread recipe on the back of the book.  It freezes beautifully and makes a delightful breakfast on those chilly autumn mornings.

Grandmother's Famous Cranberry Bread

(Get Mother to help)

• 2 C sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 C sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 C butter or margarine
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp grated orange peel
• 3/4 C orange juice
• 1 1/2 C light raisins
• 1 1/2 C fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice all at once; stir just until mixture is evenly moist.  Fold in raisins and cranberries.
Spoon into greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

If you choose, you may substitute cranberries for the raisins to have an all cranberry bread. [This is what I do. - ed.]


Recipe tested by the Food Department of Parents' Magazine

Holiday Grand Plan - Week 10 - Time to Pay the Piper

It's time for Week 10 of the Holiday Grand Plan, and we've made it past the half way point.  It was a great week, and a big part of being able to enjoy it was the work we've done so far.  My first week of work went well; everyone was so welcoming and friendly. 

Then my big boy arrived home on Wednesday for his fall break, and it was so great to have all my chicks in the nest again.  I slept great for the last four nights!  We celebrated Halloween with some wonderful friends, then watched the high school football team win against their crosstown/region rival by one point in a nail biter. 

Yesterday we celebrated my MiL's birthday and an early Thanksgiving with The Pit Boss's family.  It was delicious!  We finished it off watching the 'Noles beat Miami.  I'm exhausted but so happy!

This week is supposed to be for deep cleaning the family room, but remember back on Week 2 when I did the family room instead of my office?  Yeah, now it's time to pay the piper and get my office under control.  And not a moment too soon!  After a summer of working from home, it's due. 

My freezer meal this week will be my marinated flank steak.  We are supposed to have some spectacular fall weather this week, with sunny days and highs in the low 60s.  I want to enjoy grilling out a few more times before it turns chilly.

As far as goodies to share, I'll be doing some replacing this week.  We ate up the Peanut Butter Fingers yesterday along with all of the other desserts Gracie, Mom and I made. 

During my lunch break from work one day, I hit a toy store and found two more gifts to ship to California.  I'm almost ready to get that box wrapped and packed.  It's the only thing I mail for the holidays, and it feels good when it's ready to go.

Now I have another question for you who work outside the home: do you buy a gift for your boss?  Coworkers?  Where do you draw the line, and what are some of your best ideas? 



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 9 - Pantry and Pie

It's Week 9 of the Holiday Grand Plan, it it's time to clean out your pantry. I don't know about you, but the top shelf of my pantry is where I store our first aid kit and all of our medications.  When I clean out the pantry, that's the first thing I have to go through.  The really frustrating thing?  YESTERDAY was National Drug Take Back Day and there were several locations near my house where I could have quickly and safely dropped off the expired stuff. 

I need to mark the calendar for next year so I don't miss it again. 

We're getting ready for our early Thanksgiving/MiL's birthday celebration on Saturday, so I'll be doubling up on desserts and skipping a freezer meal this week. 

I'll go ahead and make a Calypso Pie for Saturday and one for the real Thanksgiving.  This is a tradition at our house and a family favorite, but so easy and you can make it ahead.  I can't find where I've given you that recipe or link before, so here it is.  You can thank me later.

I know this recipe isn't "in order."  This is the order I make it in so that the chocolate sauce is totally cooled by the time you're ready for it.

Calypso Pie

Chocolate Sauce/Topping (sauce recipe makes enough for two pies.  You can make two or just freeze the extra sauce)

• 4 1/2 oz dark chocolate squares
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 C sugar
• 1 C evaporated milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 C slivered almonds, toasted
• whipped cream

Combine chocolate, butter, sugar, evaporated milk, and salt in top of a double boiler.  Cook, stirring continuously, for 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens a little.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Chill. 

Crust

• 1 1/2 C Famous chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (I put most of a sleeve in my food processor)
• 4 Tbsp melted butter

Mix together and press into 9" deep dish pie plate.  Refrigerate.

Filling

• 1/2 gallon of coffee ice cream, softened
• 1/4 C Kahlua

Press ice cream into crust and drizzle with Kahlua.  Top with Chocolate Sauce, then slivered almonds.  Freeze.

Serve topped with whipped cream and a cherry.



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 8 -

It's Week 8 of the Holiday Grand Plan. How's it going there?  I'm a little behind on the kids' rooms.  Grace had allergy testing done on Wednesday, and now doctor's orders are for ME to dust and vacuum her room every week!  Just when I had her doing it well herself.  Now her room is looking good, but I still haven't gotten Deuce's room ready for him to come home in two weeks. 

By the way, she's also allergic to these guys, so they are banned from her room, she's not allowed to brush them, and I need to vacuum more frequently.

Um, Doc? I didn't make this appointment to reduce her chores and add to mine! 

This week's focus is on the kitchen.  While I did a lot of this last year when we did the remodel, the drawers and cabinets really need a good vacuuming out and wipe down.

I'm going to make a double batch of Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto for my freezer meal, plus a Sour Cream Coffee Cake to have on hand for when Deuce comes home next week.

I guess it's time to start asking for advice for gifts since I'm stumped on a few of my favorite people. 

What's working for you? What is challenging you? 



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 7

We are on Week 7 of the Holiday Grand Plan, and it's time to get the guest room ready for company.

It's also time to get out the Halloween/fall decorations if you haven't already.  Do you have costumes to plan?  Might want to think about that too.

I'm taking advantage of the fact that this week is as empty as last week was full - which is to say that there is nothing in the evening this week except lacrosse practice.  Wahoo!  Since I will start working two weeks from tomorrow, I'm trying to get even more freezer cooking done than normal.  If December is crazy busy in a "normal" year, I assume it will be even more hectic when I am trying to get used to my new schedule.

This week I'll make two freezer meals; No Bean Chili and Chicken Parmesan.

My treats to freeze this week aren't for Christmas, but for the "Outlaw Thanksgiving"/70th birthday party for my MiL.  I'm baking several of the desserts ahead so we can focus on the birthday cake that week.

I'll make a pan of Nutella Blondies, some sugar cookies to decorate, and maybe a batch of Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.

No progress on the gift list this week.  I'm stuck.  Our parents are possibly the hardest people on the planet to shop for!  Any brilliant grandparent ideas out there?



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 6 - The Kids' Rooms

It's Week 6 of the Holiday Grand Plan, and time to deep clean the kids' rooms. This comes not a moment too soon, since my boy will be home at the end of the month and his room could use some freshening up.

I'm sure there are parents who, when their children leave for college, keep the room an immaculate shrine to their absent student.  Over here, however, I just closed the door.  Apparently The Bear has found his brother's room to be a perfect dumping ground for clothes, books, shoes, and sporting equipment that he is ready to give away, throw away, or just doesn't want to put away.

I can't have Deuce come home for his first visit from college and find that mess! 

As for the rest of our assignments, I didn't get any shopping done this week, but I overheard and wrote down on my spreadsheet a great idea for each kid and The Pit Boss.  I try to shop for them closer to the actual holiday in case they change their minds or I come up with something better, but that whole writing it down thing is essential.  Think you're going to remember your great idea by the time December rolls around?  That's crazy talk!

I'm off the hook for a freezer meal.  Last week I had trouble finding the beef short ribs for the Korean Ribs recipe.  That has happened before, so when I found them this time I bought double and froze a batch (everything but the jalapeno peppers). 

I'm starting to get in the spirit of autumn, so I think I'll bake up some pumpkin bread and muffins to stick in the freezer for those cool mornings ahead.  For some reason I have a lot of canned pumpkin in my pantry, and that's a good way to use it up.

Here's the recipe I use:

• 3 eggs
•  1 lb. can solid pack pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 3/4 C vegetable oil
• 1/2 C water
• 2 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 C sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, pumpkin, oil, and water.  In a separate bowl, sift together remaining ingredients.  Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.

Bake in two greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pans at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to 275 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes or until bread tests done.

You can also bake the entire mixture in a greased 13" x 9" pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

How's your grand plan coming along?



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 5 - All Dogs Go To Heaven

It's Week 5 of the Holiday Grand Plan!  How's it going?  So far I am staying on top of my cooking tasks, actually purchased a few gifts this week, and am about 50/50 on the cleaning part.  I didn't make a dent in my bedroom last week, mostly because of our weekend out of town and the recovery process afterwards.  I'm hoping to get back on track and double down this week on the master bedroom and bath.  My bathroom is in pretty good shape since we just remodeled last year, and so much got thrown out or organized in that process.  We'll see!

A tip for saving money and supporting friends with their own small businesses:  I went to the open house of a Lia Sophia rep I know.  With the special deals, I ended up with four great gifts at a deeply discounted price.  I'm also happy to support my friend who is working to bring home some extra income.  Other great home based business that make my holiday shopping easy include Pampered Chef (though I don't know a rep anymore, so have to keep an eye out for a party), and Thirty-One.

My freezer meal for the week is going to be meatballs in homemade marinara sauce.  I will make a giant batch - this is great to have stashed away for a last minute spaghetti dinner, meatball subs on a busy night, or a meal to bring to a friend.  Also, I think it tastes better after a night in the fridge or after being frozen than it does on the day I make it. 

This week, in honor of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi this Friday, we're stocking the freezer with all kinds of homemade dog treats so that George and Daisy don't suffer a critical shortage during the holidays.

Have a great week!



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 4

It's Week 4 of the Holiday Grand Plan! How's it going?

It's another week that presents a real challenge for me - the Master Bedroom. This room tends to be the dumping ground in my house because no one goes in there.  It's where clothes that need to be mended or donated or ironed pile up; it's where toys and books and furniture that the kids don't want in their rooms anymore get stacked; it's where my sewing space is.  I think that about sums it up right there. 

This is a little bit like my office; it never gets to that immaculate Better Homes and Gardens look that I keep in my mind, but it does get a little better every year when I hit this week.  Right now, the bed is made, the ironing and mending is in a giant basket, and the donations have been donated.  My sewing area is far from perfect, but there is a clean work table with just my Star Surround quilt on it. 

I have a friend who cleans her bedroom first because she believes firmly that the whole rest of the house and her family's attitude stems from her having a serene and restful night's sleep.  Isn't that amazing?  I want to be her when I grow up. 

This week we are continuing with the freezer meals and goodies to share.  I'll be making a double batch of Gina's Crock Pot Creamy Tomato Soup on Tuesday, along with the Russian Tea Cakes that are required in our house over the holidays. 

We're adding gift shopping this week.  Remember that list you made?  We're trying to get 1/8 of it bought, wrapped, and ready for shipping.  I will be trying to get my list for shipping to my brother's family taken care of, since they are the only out of towners.  Luckily they are easy because we only shop for the kids, and what could be more fun than shopping for my only niece and nephew...and Batman! 

This is also the week to check your linens and see if anything needs to be replaced.  Guest sheets and towels?  Tablecloths and napkins?  Do you have enough dish towels? 

Have a great week!  I think I've shared these before, but here's Mom's Russian Tea Cake recipe in case you're looking for something to bake.  These freeze beautifully.

Holiday Treat of the Week - Russian Tea Cakes

• 1 C butter
• 1/2 C powdered sugar, plus some for dusting
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 C flour
• 3/4 C finely chopped nuts
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla.  Stir in flour, nuts, and salt.  Shape into 1" balls and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes.  Immediately roll in more powdered sugar.  Cool and roll again.

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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 3 - Come on In!

It's Week 3 of the Holiday Grand Plan and we're cleaning out our Entry/Foyer this week.  Unless that's not working for you. 

Last week we were supposed to do the living room, which is when I usually do my office; however, once we decided to have friends over to watch Alabama beat Texas A&M, I called an audible and switched to deep cleaning the family room.

That's what you need to remember about planning ahead.  This is not to stress you out.  This is not to start the holidays way too soon.  This is about the exact opposite - making sure that you get to enjoy and appreciate the season without being overwhelmed by the extra tasks. 

If this week you are expecting company and need to deep clean the guest room instead of the entry, go for it.  If your child's birthday is coming up and you want to get the playroom or their bedrooms taken care of first, that's an awesome idea.  Make it work for you. 

For example, this week's list includes buying two canned items; one to tuck away for a holiday meal and one to donate to the food pantry.  I don't do this.  I can't think of very many canned items I even use anymore, and our food pantry has a wish list of items that I buy when they are on sale. 

This week's traditional list also reminds us to buy film, camera batteries, and blank videotapes.  Raise your hand if you use any of those things.  Yep, that's what I thought.  Just cross it off the list!

The tasks I try never to skip, though, are the freezer meals.  They are a lifesaver even during the "normal" times of the year.  This week's freezer meal is going to be Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu. 

I also enjoy this week's start to baking and freezing treats.  This is one way to ensure that my old favorites don't get lost in the chaos.  I'll be making a double batch of Peanut Butter Fingers so I can bring some to Deuce on Friday when we visit him for Family Weekend. 

I'm doing the happy dance and counting the days!  Have a great week!



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Holiday Grand Plan - Week 2 - In the Thick of It

It's Week 2 of the Holiday Grand Plan, and we're getting right into it with freezer meals and buying extra flour and sugar for baking projects.

This is the week where the real prep occurs, in my mind. This is the week when we start stashing meals in the freezer for those crazy nights in December when cooking - or even just getting to the grocery store - is a major accomplishment.

Normally this is one of those lists where I just cut and paste from last year; however, looking over my notes I realize that the way I cook has completely changed.  My old freezer list has things like meatloaf, lasagne, and chicken pot pie.  I rarely cook those things anymore unless it's a special request.  Just when I was feeling a little deflated about my health and fitness goals because, yes, it's been another week of not really working at it, I realize that there are little changes we've made that have become deeply ingrained habits.

Our healthier way of eating requires me to reconsider these meals and find a few of our new recipes that would work well in the freezer.  Thankfully, Gina over at Skinnytaste has a whole section on freezer friendly recipes.

This week turkey sausage is on sale, so I'm making a double batch of Gina's Baked Sausage and Spinach and freezing half.  I've tried this one before, and it works beautifully. (It's also nice to have on hand when you need to bring a meal to someone on short notice.)

The deep clean room for the week is the living room, which we don't have, so my office is the target.  Every year I feel a little let down that it isn't perfectly clean and organized, but looking around now I realize it is better than it was.  What more can I ask for? 

That, truly, is the point of this exercise; not a picture perfect holiday, but one that is less stressful and frantic, one that lets you hold onto the reason why we bother in the first place.

If you have great freezer meals to share, please leave a comment. 



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It's Time for the Holiday Grand Plan!

It's that magical time of year when some of you will be tempted to unfollow my blog.  No, I'm not talking about back to school - that is soooo three weeks ago here in Georgia!  I'm talking about Christmas.  Or whatever other winter holiday you celebrate that turns your house into a Ringling Brothers act. 

Yes, I follow the Holiday Grand Plan over at Organized Home, and have been attempting some version of this since back in 1996 when there was a Get O group over on the AOL message boards.  Anyone around actually remember those days?  That was when I had a 21 month old, a newborn, three months til Christmas...and a major panic attack!  Hard to believe that toddler is now in college, the newborn is driving himself to his junior year of high school, and the baby we hadn't even imagined is already a teenager. 

This week is Front Porch/List Week.  It's the most fun for list junkies like me, and the easiest one for us because we have virtually no front porch.  Usually it consists of sweeping cobwebs from around the porch lights and replacing the doormat.  Luckily the list is short and won't cut into my #LDSI time too much!

Some people print fancy lists and build binders, but I like to keep it all in a spreadsheet so I can reuse it next year.  If you'd like a blank copy of my spreadsheet, you can email me at quiltinjenny AT gmail DOT com.

This is also the year to give yourself permission to cut back.  Sit down over a family dinner and really listen to what is important to the people you love most.  Several years ago, when I was stressing about getting cards in the mail, The Pit Boss asked why I bothered.  A light bulb went on and I realized that I didn't even know.  It was just what I did every year.  I asked the kids, and they didn't care.  Almost everyone on my card list is a friend on Facebook, so they don't need an annual picture of my family or a letter about what we've been up to.  The money, the time, the anxiety...it was unnecessary. 

What are you doing just because it's how you've always done it?  What do you love most about the holidays, and what just stresses you out?  Find out what you can eliminate or reduce so that you get to enjoy the season, too. 



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WiP Wednesday - Pondering the To Do List

I'm linking up with WiP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

This week I've been clickety clacking along like the little engine that could - or is it the tortoise from the race with the hare? - making slow and steady progress on a couple of projects.

I've finished quilting the large white crosses and squares on the family ties quilt and have moved on to the partial ones along the edge.  Then I have to decide what to do about the pink and purple sections and the blocks with the little girls.  Baby Reagan is now 3 months old, so I'm pushing forward on this one.

Whenever I get a few minutes that aren't really long enough to set up for FMQing, I like to add a few quick strings to my spider web blocks.  This quilt makes me so happy whenever I lay out the blocks.  I may have to set my design wall back up just so I can look at them all the time for inspiration.

But the real work in progress this week has been my to-do list.  I have always thought I was a good multi-tasker - isn't that a requirement for motherhood? - but it has been brought to my attention that I actually pretty much stink at it.  When I am writing a blog post or checking Facebook or working and someone asks me a question, I stall with an "Ummmm..." until I'm done with what I'm doing.  I think I can keep working when someone calls, but they can tell I'm not really paying attention.  And when I'm focused on eating healthy and exercising, the house doesn't stay as organized and I forget to turn on my sewing machine.  If I'm reading a really good book, dinner might not get made. 

I am not, after all, good at multi-tasking.  I'm sorry.  I have a one track mind, and I like to think about what I'm thinking about and everyone else please leave me alone. 

Except that's not how life works. 

So I've been listening closely to the people who get a lot done and trying to mimic them a bit.  I've always been a list maker, but something Brye used to talk about and Pam mentioned a long time ago and I'm sure is totally obvious to the rest of you is that writing FINISH QUILT or CLEAN HOUSE on a list doesn't exactly inspire progress.  It's overwhelming.  What these people who accomplish things seem to do is to break the task down into small steps, maybe even little baby steps for people like me who are just getting the hang of it.  That way, if you have five minutes, you don't look at the list and think, "Nope, no time for that!" but instead think, "I could sew three more strings onto my spider web block." or "Let me just pull the chicken out of the freezer for dinner."

This week I'm working on my to do list, keeping it right in front of me, making the items very simple, and I have to say it's working.  I've gotten more quilting done this week but it isn't to the exclusion of everything else.  I'm on track for my work hours and managed to put fresh sheets on the bed and do laundry.  I've written several blog posts, but also caught up with some nagging errands that have been put off.  I've even gotten back on the elliptical. 

I'm not saying any of this to brag about my three decent days or fishing for compliments.  I'm certainly not claiming this is an original concept.  I say this because, as plain as it is to some of you, I think there are other people like me for whom this does not come naturally. I know that once school starts it is going to get even crazier, and I have to be ready.  Also, I'm hoping that when I veer off track again - and I'm sure it will happen - future me will be looking for something and find this blog post and be inspired to pull it all together again.

 If you've stuck with me this far, thanks!  For the rest of you, back to our regular programming tomorrow.  Seriously.  I've already written it and scheduled it to post. 



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