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Friday, December 16, 2011

What is for dinner this week: 12/18 - 12/24


  • Sunday: Toasted Ravioli with Marinara Sauce  and spinach salad
    • OK, so these aren't as good as I can get back home in St. Louis, but not bad.  I had my heat a little too hot on the oil and so they were more golden that I would have liked.
    • TIPS: 
      •  Dip all of your ravs first in the 2 mixtures.
      • Fry them in an electric skillet where you can keep a constant temp
  • Monday:  Pork Chops with Crash Hot Potatoes roasted carrots and spinach salad 
    • The potatoes were yummy!  The best part was the crunchy parts so I should have left them in a little longer.  
  • Tuesday: Roasted Garlic and Pesto Chicken Pizza 
    • I purchased the garlic & herb pizza crust from trader joes - yum and only $1.19
    • I roasted the garlic in the microwave and it wasn't like it would have been if I would have done the typical in the oven for an hour, but it did the job. 
  • Wednesday:  Thai Pork and Noodles
  • Thursday:  Santa Fe Burger with sweet potato fries
    • OH MY DEAR BURGER - this was DELISH!
  • Friday:  Baked Potato Soup - Slow Cooker Style 
    • It was good....
  • Saturday:  Out to dinner with Nana after we see Lights Under Louisville

Friday, December 9, 2011

What is for dinner this week: December 25 - 31

  • Sunday: Pesto Pasta with spinach salad and Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread 
  • Monday:  Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce and black beans
    • These were REALLY good...Make sure you watch your pan once you turn on the boiler.  Spoon the sauce left in the pan over the top of your enchiladas when you serve them.  If you like REALLY hot food, add another can of green chilies.   
  • Tuesday:  Jersey Mikes sandwiches and Chips
    • Always yummy!
  • Wednesday: Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin Asparagus and Roasted Carrots
    • Really good!
  • Thursday:  Out to dinner for DH's birthday
  • Friday:  Burger
    • We redid the santa fe burger from last week because we liked them so much....
  • Saturday:  Leftovers






Monday, December 5, 2011

What is for dinner this week: December 4 - 10

  • Sunday: Chorizo and Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells 
    • I didn't stuff, I just mixed everything together.  It was good.
  • Monday:  Philly Burger
    • YUMMY!
  • Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas 
    • I accidentally left this cook too long and all of my liquid cooked out.  I added a couple of teaspoons of frozen canned enchilada sauce and pureed with my stick blender.  This was good.  We had black beans with this dinner. 
  • Wednesday:  Pizza @ Rocky's....MMMM
  • Thursday: Buttermilk Pancakes with bacon or sausage
    • they were good, but we like our basic pancake recipe the best!
  • Friday: Leftover Spaghetti Sauce (frozen) and pasta with garlic bread.
  • Saturday: We went to Light Up Cedarbrook and had some yummy chili, cookies & hot chocolate.
 
Christmas Parties at Buca di Beppo
Give yourself a Christmas Break by making a reservation at Buca di Beppo.
Your guests will arrive from far and near, bringing Christmas greetings, Christmas gifts, Christmas recipes, and a host of different Christmas ideas.  It’s a wonderful time of year to see everybody, mix them together and make your own crazy concoction of Christmas cheer!
And on December 25, after the Christmas presents have been opened, the coffee put away and the last Christmas cookie eaten, it’s refreshing for everyone in your group – especially you – to get out and do something a little different.  Instead of hanging around the house eating Christmas party leftovers and staring at Christmas decorations that already have been up for three weeks, why not plan a couple of Christmas activities away from home?  They don’t have to be elaborate.  After all the traditional Christmas dinners, parties and events, part of the beauty of Christmas Day is its casual intimacy.  And there are interesting venues open on Christmas that you can take advantage of to give you and your house a welcome Christmas break.

Buca di Beppo instantly comes to mind.
I’m planning to serve a light breakfast first thing, with plenty of hot coffee for everybody to enjoy while opening Christmas gifts, then let the morning run its course.  We’ll take our time getting dressed, putting new things away and just relaxing.  Buca’s one of my family’s favorites, and this year they’re open on Christmas at 11:00 AM.  I’ll get online and make our Christmas lunch reservation mid-morning, then take the majority of the gang for a walk.  (My dog is a great walk instigator.  She has to go out anyway, and being part of a human pack is one of the best Christmas gifts ever for her!)

After burning Christmas calories and working up an appetite, it’ll be time for more Christmas food! 
Buca always has a wonderful holiday menu that qualifies as one of my family’s favorite Christmas events.  It’s got traditional Christmas recipes kissed with the sunny flavors of Italian-American cuisine.  And Buca’s always festive.  The atmosphere there is just plain fun, during the holidays or any time of year.  We always find new vintage photos and advertisements to comment on, and there are some old favorites too.  Some of the photos are even of Christmas parties from the past!
Christmas desserts at Buca are always special, and this year is sure to be no different.  We love their Celebration Cake, which just so happens to be red and green, and they offer lots of other fabulous finales too.

Some of us will probably be sleepy after all that wonderful Christmas food! 
After we stuff ourselves on Buca’s great eats, our Christmas party may break up for awhile.  Some may go home and take a nap, and there’s always football on TV for those who want to lounge, but many movie theaters are also open Christmas Day.  Seeing a new release is one of my favorite Christmas events.  I’m out of the house, nowhere near a kitchen, and don’t have to worry about long lines and noisy crowds.

Give yourself, friends and family a Christmas break over Christmas break! 
There’s no law that you have to have every minute of the holidays inside your house.  You’ll host plenty of Christmas events at home in the days leading up to, and even after, December 25, so there’s no need to apologize for having a Christmas dinner or lunch at Buca.  It’ll make everyone in your gang happy, and it’s one of the best Christmas gifts you can give yourself!