Monthly Archives: December 2011

Dec 3

November’s Tasty Treats

November the kitchen was busy, busy, busy, and I had a blast doing all of the cooking and baking. I know I’ve said it a few times, but Thanksgiving was so much fun, it has me ready for Christmas already. I also can’t wait to do some holiday baking. But first things first here’s some of the tasty treats from November.

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I made some homemade hot chocolate for me and the kiddos. It’s the perfect treat for a cool Autumn day.

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I made a lot of Apple Pie filling for the freezer. I’m planning on making a Dutch Apple Pie for Christmas.

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I also made a big batch of Cheesy Potato Soup, it was so tasty.

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When my mom visited I made a batch of Brown Sugar Topped-Apple Oatmeal muffins to serve with coffee.

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My garden buddy stopped by to till the north garden, so I made him some Cinnamon Rolls to say thanks.

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When it was pizza night I made a tiny Pizza for Agnes. It is just cheese and pizza crust, but she loved it.

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Those were for us. When I make Pizza I make four at a time so there is always plenty of leftovers for lunch.

When Thanksgiving finally rolled around I had my mind set on baking something for the big day. I was going to bake a few loaves of homemade bread, and then I thought homemade rolls, and decided on baking Croissants instead. I’m glad I decided to make the croissants, they were crazy good.

They take 3-4 days to make though…

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Lots of rolling,

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and lots of patience too.

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Almost done.

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I also made some Vanilla mints to snack on for Thanksgiving. These taste just like Icing, my family loves them.

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I tried out a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip, I liked it, but the kiddos didn’t care for it too much.

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Chex mix is always good though, no complaints there.

I woke up extra early on Thanksgiving and started baking at 5:00 a.m. That gave me enough time to get the Pies made, and the Croissants finished before the Turkey needed to go into the oven.

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The kitchen was smelling so good that day.

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The 4 days of prep and rolling were all worth it,  the Croissants were awesome.

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I think I’ll make another batch for Christmas.

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Now it’s finally December, and I’ve got the kitchen stocked and ready to get to baking.

Dec 2

November’s Favorite Photos

I still can’t believe that it is December, and almost the start of a new year. 2011 has flown by way too fast. November was a fun month, and I managed to get a few photos in too. Here are some of my favorites.

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Agnes has become my little helper. If I am in the kitchen, laundry room, or bringing in the groceries she is right there. She will also say “I am helpful” when she is helping, it is pretty stinking cute.

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We have been lucky in November, and the weather hasn’t been too cold. One warmish afternoon I got to take a lot of pictures of the kiddos running around the front yard. They were all smiles.

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Dylan loves to play in the fallen leaves.

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All 3, sitting down in one picture, mission accomplished.

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This is one of my favorites of Agnes, I love side-profile photos.

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This year the boys were happy to help with Thanksgiving dinner. Dylan was excited to get to wash the potatoes,

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and Thade was happy to stir the chocolate pudding for the chocolate pie. The boys are at great ages to help out in the kitchen. They also cleaned a little before the guests arrived. The boys love to dust and use the stick-vacuum.

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Thade kept up with his reading over the Thanksgiving break. He is currently reading  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He loves the Harry Potter book series, I love them too, I don’t have to remind him to read at all, he is excited to read all on his own.

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I had so much fun cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year. I loved waking up at 5:00 a.m. and finishing up the Croissants. I baked a few pies too, and enjoyed a few cups of coffee. I can’t wait to cook again for Christmas!

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The day after Thanksgiving we stayed in and I started decorating. This is the first time that I’ve decorated for Christmas before December’s arrival. The house is looking pretty festive.

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This is the vintage Santa that is in our foyer, I love him. The kiddos whisper all of their Christmas wishes to him all season long.

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The boys were really proud of their Christmas tree. I leave the Christmas lights on for them at night too, they sleep better with the soft lights pretty glow.

One more, just because there aren’t enough kitties on the interwebs…

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My darling little kitty, he turned 12 years old in November.

Dec 1

December’s Monthly Menu

It’s a bit bittersweet writing up the last monthly menu for the year. This year has really flown by. October and November were just a blur, and I know December is going to be a busy month too. I have an easy and tasty menu planned filled with ingredients that I can keep on hand just in case the weather turns unpleasant. I might just sneak in a few new dishes too, shhh don’t tell the family.

So here we go, one more for 2011, it’s December’s Monthly Dinner Menu:

  • 12/1/2011: Chili, Saltines, and Brownies
  • 12/2/2011: Double Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
  • 12/3/2011: Pancakes, Bacon, and Fresh Fruit
  • 12/4/2011: Panko Popcorn Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn
  • 12/5/2011: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
  • 12/6/2011: Pot Roast with Potatoes, and Homemade Bread
  • 12/7/2011: Nacho Bar
  • 12/8/2011: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Macaroni & Cheese
  • 12/9/2011: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
  • 12/10/2011: Breakfast Ham, Hash Browns, Muffins, Fresh Fruit, Juice & Coffee
  • 12/11/2011: Beef Stew and Homemade Bread
  • 12/12/2011: Pulled Pork Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
  • 12/13/2011: Chili, Saltines, and Brownies
  • 12/14/2011: Nacho Bar
  • 12/15/2011: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Pasta Salad, and Kettle Chips
  • 12/16/2011: Ham & Beans, Cornbread, and Macaroni & Cheese
  • 12/17/2011: Sausage, Biscuits & Gravy, Muffins, and Cheesy Potatoes
  • 12/18/2011: Homemade Pizzas: Cheese, Pepperoni, Triple Meat, and BBQ Chicken with Bacon
  • 12/19/2011: Chicken Enchiladas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
  • 12/20/2011: Chicken Cutlets, Green Beans, and Mashed Potatoes
  • 12/21/2011: Nacho Bar
  • 12/22/2011: Chili, Saltines, and Brownies
  • 12/23/2011: Pot Roast with Potatoes, and Homemade Bread
  • 12/24/2011: Cinnamon Rolls, Bacon, and Breakfast Potatoes
  • 12/25/2011: Merry Christmas! Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Croissants, Chocolate Cream Pie, and Dutch Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
  • 12/26/2011: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
  • 12/27/2011: Turkey Noodles and Mashed Potatoes
  • 12/28/2011: Nacho Bar
  • 12/29/2011: Turkey Noodle Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and Cherry Pie
  • 12/30/2011: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Macaroni & Cheese
  • 12/31/2011: Happy New Year! Panko Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, and Chocolate Bundt Cake

I’m looking forward to December, and I can’t wait to cook another big meal for my family. Thanksgiving was so much fun, I know Christmas will be too. Happy December everyone!