Holiday Traditions: Holiday Lights & Train Ride

From about the first year we lived here, we've been going to a nearby town that has a huge Christmas lights display for the whole surrounding community. It's a relatively inexpensive opportunity for our family to enjoy the holiday season.

As you drive up, there are lights displays depicting the birth, life, death & resurrection of the Savior...

You can walk around and see some of the lights. Little Miss loved this rocking horse. :)

There's a train ride that will take you through a field of Christmas lights. Tickets are just a couple dollars per person.

The train ride is always a hit with our son, he loves trains!

Wok's For Dinner: Bisquick Quiche

This particular recipe came from Dawn at Finding My Way At Home. I can honestly say that I don't think I have ever made a quiche. My mom made a quiche once when I was young, and I remember loving it. And I've had quiche many times over the years, but just never got around to making it until now.

Bisquick Quiche

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Bisquick mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 Tbsp boiling water
2/3 cup chopped ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (I used slices of Swiss that I had on-hand)
1/4 cup chopped onion (I used 1/2 tsp onion powder)
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
12 oz can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate. Stir Bisquick and butter until blended. Add boiling water and stir until soft dough forms. Press dough into bottom and up sides of greased pie plate. Sprinkle ham, cheese, onion and broccoli over crust. Beat eggs, evaporated milk, salt and pepper until blended. Pour into crust. Bake 35-40 minutes or until edge is golen brown and center is set.

Remember Ernest P. Worrell? The character created by the late Jim Varney...the same character who once said, "Real men don't eat quiche." Well, I'm here to tell you that Ernest had no idea what he was talking about, because my husband ate his quiche and liked it a lot! And that goes for me as well. Except I didn't just like it, I loved it. It was really good and a nice change. We've had a lot of nice changes to our menu lately, a nice way to add variety. And the kids have adjusted well to seeing new things on their plate, for the most part at least. :)

Holiday Traditions: The Christmas Parade

When I was really little, Dad was in the military, and we were stationed at Eglin AFB in Florida. Mom & Dad used to take me to the parades in the surrounding area of where we lived. When I was older, I got to be in the parade each year where I lived in Texas. I was in the marching band, and I thrilled hearing the percussion and trumpets. It was an awesome experience.

Last year, we found out that the town near us had an annual Christmas parade. Our son's preschool had entered a float in the parade, and all the kids got to ride in the float. He, our son, had an absolute blast.

This year was no different. His Kindergarten class and our daughter's preschool class were in the parade. They go to the same school, so they were able to ride together on the float. It was a chilly day, so we bundled them up in coats, scarves, hats and blankets. I was a little nervous having our girl ride the float, but I knew she would be okay with her big brother next to her.

I found out after the parade was over that Little Miss came "this" close to falling asleep! lol

Wok's For Dinner: Chicken Tacos

I had planned on making tacos a couple days ago, but hubs had ulterior motives and picked up Chick-fil-A Monday night. We had invited a friend over for dinner tonight, so I decided to make the tacos instead of the casserole I had planned. The change was definitely worth it!

Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:
cooked chicken, about 3 cups
1/2 pkg taco seasoning (I used Old El Paso 1/3 less sodium)
1/2 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 1/3 cups water
diced fresh tomato
lettuce
shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)

Directions:
Place cooked chicken in large skillet, add seasoning mixes and water. Stir and simmer on low fo about 5 minutes. Serve on flour tortillas with your favorite toppings.

I had a friend who made Tortilla Soup and told me she used ranch dressing mix. The soup was fantastic, so I decided to try it out on my tacos for tonight. And was it ever good! The flavors blended really well. The kids ate great, hubs ate great, I ate great, and our guest had seconds and commented several times how much she loves our tacos. I couldn't be happier. :-D

Holiday Traditions: Advent Calendar

I have been searching high and low for the perfect Advent Calendar since hubs and I got married nearly 9 years ago, a tradition I've wanted to add but haven't been able to. Everything I find is either too expensive or just not what I'm looking for. I finally found the "perfect" Advent Calendar at Target this year.

The problem with this particular Advent Calendar was more than one problem. It was shaped like a little wooden house, and the "roof", which was made of pine cones, had some missing pieces. One of the little wooden doors had a missing knob. And there were scratches in the paint. It was the last one they had, and the product had been discontinued, so I knew that I couldn't come back later to see if they had any more.

Since it was damaged and the last Advent Calendar in stock, I could have gotten a 10% discount off the price. It was also on sale, so under normal conditions, that would have been an excellent deal to get an extra 10% off.

But I had to weigh the pros & cons. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. And I haven't loved ANY of the Advent Calendars I've come across (I'm rather picky!).

So I decided that I couldn't wait any longer, and I made my own advent calendar.

I have a shadow box frame that I bought last year, which I had painted in a crackle finish and added embellishments like the wooden "Family" word and the ribbon. On the inside of the shadow box, I glued down a sheet of magnetic paper. For the past year, I've had a "scrapbooked" style family photo there.

I decided to change this shadow box into an Advent Calendar for this season. I took out the family photo, and put up a sheet of scrapbook paper that had the numbers 1 through 25, as you can see in the picture. Since the paper behind was magnetic, I added a few magnets. Two of the magnets hold the numeric paper onto the magnetic paper. The third magnet, a Christmas tree, is for the date. The kids take turns each morning moving the Christmas tree to the number that corresponds with the current date on the calendar.

Thus, a homemade Advent Calendar!

My plan is to use it this year, and continue looking for the "perfect" one. If hubs were a carpenter, instead of an electrician, I'd ask him to make one for me like the one I saw at Target. Alas, he is not. So the search will continue, but at least I have a jump start to finally including the Advent Calendar as one of our holiday traditions. And I can keep the numerical scrapbook paper, so I can pull it out again next year if I still don't find what I'm looking for. :)

Wok's For Dinner: Barbecued Beef

It's been awhile since I've made this particular recipe. I think this recipe came with the instructions I got for my first Crock-Pot. I like it because you can shred the beef, leave it as a whole roast, or cut it up into 1-inch chunks like I did. You can serve the barbecued beef alone, or put on sandwich buns.

Barbecued Beef

Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless chuck roast
1 1/2 cups ketchup
2 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Place roast in Crock-Pot. Combine remaining ingredients in mixing bowl. Pour barbecue sauce mixture over chuck roast. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Remove roast from Crock-Pot and shread meat, or cut into chunks. Place meat back into crock. Stir meat to evenly coat with sauce.

If freezing: After cooking up barbecued beef and sauce, allow to cool. Seal in freezer bag, lay flat and freeze. Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator. Heat in microwave on medium power for 3 minutes.

I love the taste of the homemade sauce in this meal. It's sharp without being over powering. The kids enjoyed it, too, which was a real plus for me. :)

Holiday Traditions: Santa Under the Tree

This is the third in my series on holiday traditions. If you missed the first two, you can click here to read about Hiding the Pickle Ornament and here to read about Elf on a Shelf.

Another tradition my family has is placing a stuffed Santa under the Christmas tree. When my mom was abaout 4 years old, her Aunt Millie made her a Santa Claus. My aunt and uncle also got a Santa from Aunt Millie.

I don't know what happened to the three Santa's during the years that my mom and her brother and sister were growing up. But when my mom became an adult and got married, she started placing her Santa underneath the Christmas tree with all the presents. It's a tradition that I remembered very fondly growing up.

My mom passed away from cancer in 2001, and I inherited her Santa Claus. In loving memory of my mom, I place her Santa Claus under our Christmas tree each and every year. And I love sharing this tradition with my children, as it helps to keep alive the memory of their grandma.

What are some of our favorite traditions? Please leave a comment and share. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Menu Plan Monday: 12/14-12/20/09

Well, we survived another week of holiday happenings. For this coming week, there isn't a lot on the calendar for us as a family, but my husband will be helping out with several different service projects that the men at our church have planned. I can't believe that Christmas is now less than 2 weeks away. I've wrapped all the presents, and the Christmas cards are almost completely done. Just have some last minute things to do before I can call everything "done."

Here's the menu plan for this week. I'll post recipes, so be on the lookout for them throughout the week.

Monday--Mexican Pork Chops, Black Beans, Pears, Green Beans

Typically, Mondays are our weekly "Family Home Evening" night, where we read scriptures, have a spiritual lesson, a fun activity, and dessert. But instead, we went ahead and had our F.H.E. night tonight. For our activity, we took family Christmas photos in front of the fireplace. The kids had a blast posing for the camera, especially when we let them take some of the pictures, too.

Tuesday--Barbecued Beef, Tossed Salad, Celery Sticks, Corn Bread

Wednesday--Tortilla Casserole, Mango & Kiwi

Thursday--Bisquick Quiche, Sliced Tomatoes & Tossed Salad

Friday--Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops, Oranges, Parsley New Potatoes

Saturday--Crockpot Beef Fajitas with Sautee'd Bell Peppers and Onions, Rice, Zucchini

My once a month cooking day!! I've worked on my monthly menu plan some, but it's nowhere close to complete. I'll get it posted soon--it may be the day I whip up my freezer meals, but it will get posted. :)

Sunday--Kielbasa & Cabbage, Baked Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas

For hundreds of menu plan options, visit OrgJunkie.com!

Wok's For Dinner: Minestrone Soup

Tonight's meal was inspired by this recipe that I found at Clay In His Hands. With the cooler weather, I wanted a hearty homemade soup to add to our menu plan. About the only time I get away with making soups is in the Winter (hubs thinks they are a poor choice for supper when it's hot outside).

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup diced onion
1 large carrot (thinly sliced)
2 stalks celery (thinly sliced)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups cubed zucchini
28 0z. can diced tomatoes
15 oz. can broth (or water)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
15 0z. can garbanzo beans {chick peas} (drained) (I used navy beans instead)
15 oz. can kidney beans (drained)
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (I used straight macaroni)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Combine olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in a large pot. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or until garlic is golden brown. Add zucchini, tomatoes, broth, water, and Italian seasoning. Stir. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until macaroni is tender.

If freezing: Allow soup to cool after preparing as directed above. Place cooled soup in gallon-size freezer bag, squeeze out air, and seal. Lay flat in freezer. Thaw 48 hours in refrigerator. Heat in large saucepan and serve.

This was a nice soup. It needed a bit more flavor than what I gave it. I think the pasta sucked up all the seasoning flavor, so maybe 1 tsp of salt instead of 1/2 tsp for next time. It was a very nice meal, and everyone in the family ate it very well. Especially my 3-yr-old daughter, who really loved it.

Holiday Traditions: Elf on a Shelf

Last year, I read on my friend Melissa's family blog about their Elf on a Shelf tradition. I looked at the picture of her elf and thought, "Hey, I have one of those!" Actually, I have THREE of those!

They belonged to my mom, who probably got them from her parents. When I was about 10 or 11, my mom was going to get rid of several Christmas decorations, including her elves. She never had a really convenient place for them and thought they got in the way.

But instead of throwing them out, I convinced her to give them to me, her three elves, plus all the decorations she was getting rid of. I decorated my bedroom, and since then, I still have them all.

When I got my first Christmas tree, I started putting each little elf on a branch of the tree so they can "look out" at everything. And I'm so glad that I kept these three elves, especially after learning about the Elf on a Shelf tradition.

The tradition of the Elf on a Shelf is based on a children's book. The elf comes out and watches for naughty and nice behavior to help Santa out. Each night, he returns to the North Pole to give his report, then comes back to your house in a different hiding place. Children have fun looking for the new hiding spot in the morning.

I love the idea of this tradition. For one thing, it helps keep the kids on their toes that someone is "watching" them for naughty and nice behavior! But for our family, my three elves are more like "Elves on a Christmas Tree Branch" because I still keep them there. That is one tradition that I still want to keep.

To purchase your own Elf on a Shelf, visit Amazon.com here.

Holiday Traditions: Hiding The Pickle Ornament

I've decided to start a series on holiday traditions. I have a lot of memories of great traditions while growing up, like getting to open up one Christmas present on Christmas Eve, a tradition that started when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I pestered and bugged my parents so much in my eagerness to open presents, that they finally consented to let me open up one on Christmas Eve.

When hubs and I got married, we did our best to incorporate some of the traditions we grew up with into our marriage and our family. We've added some new traditions that have helped enrich our holiday celebration.

Our newest tradition is hiding the pickle ornament, which we actually have started this evening. I first heard about this tradition several years ago during a Christmas activity at our church. The theme for that activity was holiday traditions. One family had a tradition of hiding a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree. Each member of the family hunted high and low to find the pickle. Whoever found it received a special treat.

I was a little...well...what's the word? Perplexed? Yeh, perplexed. Whoever heard of a pickle on a Christmas tree? It just seemed such an odd choice of decoration. And besides, what store in their right mind would sell a pickle ornament?

Well, apparently, JCPenny sells pickle ornaments! (I couldn't find it at JCPenny online, but Crate & Barrel sells one here). When I saw the pickle ornament at my local JCPenny, I couldn't help but think, "Seriously? Someone else heard about this tradition and is sellng this thing?"

Needless to say, I bought one! And hid it on the Christmas tree after the kids went to bed. They'll enjoy looking for it in the morning, and since I put it up on a high branch, it will take them awhile to find it.

Hubs got a good laugh. He, too, remembered the Christmas activity when we first learned about the pickle ornament tradition.

According to the tag that was on our pickle ornament, the pickle is a symbol of good luck in Germany. Parents decorate the Chrismas tree on Christmas Eve. The last ornament they place on the tree is the pickle ornament, which they hide. The first child to locate the pickle ornament on Christmas morning gets an extra gift from St. Nicholas. But I did a little research, and it seems that St. Nicholas arrives much earlier in the month of December, and German families open their presents on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day.

So no telling when or how this tradition really surfaced, but it's a fun one nonetheless that we have added to our list of traditions. It's quick and easy and fun for the whole family.

How about you? What are your traditions? I'd LOVE to hear about them! Write a comment to share your tradition. We just might have a tradition in common. Or you might have a tradition that we'll be able to add to our list of holiday traditions. :-D

Wok's For Dinner: Beef Stroganoff

I forgot to get a picture for tonight's meal. But since it wasn't homemade, I figured you would forgive me. We got a frozen beef stroganoff meal in our November Angel Food Ministries order, but I couldn't even tell my husband we were having "Beef Stroganoff" for supper tonight. He does not like my beef stroganoff. That is, he does not like it if I tell him we are having Beef Stroganoff. I've got about 5 different recipes, and the ground beef version is my favorite. But, it's not his mom's version, and although I have tried, I cannot duplicate her recipe. So whenever I make Beef Stroganoff, I have to call it something along the lines of Creamy Beef & Gravy or something so I can get away with it. And it doesn't matter which version of Beef Stroganoff I make, it all gets called something else. Oh well! At least this is the only recipe that my M-I-L beats me at. So far, hubs likes everything else I make better! lol

If you'd like to see the recipe I use for a ground beef version of Beef Stroganoff, click here.

Oh, and the verdict for tonight? Hubs loved it. I can't remember exactly what I called it when he asked me what we were having. But he had seconds and even gave me a thumbs' up. I feel like a parent who snuck vegetables in their kid's food. But what difference does it make? I got a thumb's up!

Wok's For Dinner: Pork Cooked in a Pickling Style (Adobong Baboy)

I found this recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen while I was perusing Menu Plan Monday over at OrgJunkie one day, trying to create my freezer meal list for my once a month cooking day in Novembr. I made a smaller batch of chops, so I cut the recipe in half; my version is below.

Pork Cooked in a Pickling Style

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp white vinegar

1 bay leaves

1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

3 pork chops

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp vegetable oil (don't use less, this keeps the sauce from being too strong)

Directions:

In large bowl big enough to hold pork chops, put 1/2 chopped garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, ground black pepper, and sugar. Mix well and add pork chops. Put in refrigerator to marinate 1 hour, turning occasionally if possible. Heat oil in frying pan big enough to hold all pork chops in one layer, add remaining chopped garlic and saute until barely starting to turn color. Add pork chops and marinating liquid, stir in cup water, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently 30-45 minutes, turning pork chops a few times. Remove lid from pan and turn heat to medium high. Cook another 10-15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and glazed pork chops.

If freezing: Prepare as directed and place cooked pork chops in a food saver bag. Vacuum-seal and freeze. Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator. Heat in microwave for 3 minutes and serve.

Oh, man, this meal was awesome! Way, way better than I expected. Everyone loved the pork chops. And you know what? We all loved the Sweet Potato Fries!! The year 2009 will be known as the year of the sweet potato. It's the first year I have voluntarily cooked with sweet potatoes and have actually learned to like them (that includes the whole family!). So tonight's meal definitely gets 5 stars--a great new recipe for pork chops, and a great way to eat sweet potatoes. ***** (those are my 5 stars!)

Wok's For Dinner: Chicken Fajita Crescent Braid

This meal became an instant family favorite when I first made it. The odd thing about is that it never turns out the same! I found the original recipe over at Startsampling.com.

Chicken Fajita Crescent Braid

Ingredients:

1 can (8oz) crescent rolls

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped, or 1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup green or red bell pepper strips or diced

1/4 cup salsa

2 cups shredded cheese

1 egg white, beaten

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough onto cookie sheet; press to 8x12 inches. In a 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir in chili powder, salt and garlic; cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are crisp-tender. Spoon chicken mixture into 4-inch strip lengthwise down center of dough. Top with salsa; sprinkle with cheese. With scissors or sharp knife, make cuts 1-inch apart on long sides of dough wihin 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips over filling; press edges to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

If freezing: There's a couple ways that you can make this into a freezer meal. First, after preparing chicken mixture, freeze it in a food saver or freezer bag, thaw 24 hours in refrigerator, and heat in microwave. Then prepare with crescent dough, salsa, cheese and egg white. OR, if you have leftover chicken, cut it into strips or shred it, place in a food saver or freezer bag and freeze. Prepare the spices and vegetables, then add thawed, cooked chicken and continue to make the meal as directed above.

The only thing that I did differently this time was I omitted the salsa. I had an old jar in the fridge, but it was definitely OLD! I didn't want to risk it. But it still tasted great, even though it was a different taste than what I've made before (it always comes out different!).

Wok's For Dinner: Calico Beans

My Great Aunt LaVerne gave this recipe to me several years ago when I put together a family cookbook. It's great for feeding a crowd as it can be easily doubled, and it also makes for a good freezer meal, too!

Calico Beans

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)

3 or 4 slices bacon

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup brown sugar or sugar twin

1/2 cup ketchup

1 can Great Northern white beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can pork and beans

Directions:

Cook bacon until quite crisp. Remove from pan and break bacon into small pieces. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in pan; drain fat from pan. Add chopped onion. Add bacon to ground beef and onion. Add brown sugar, ketchup and beans. Put in casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

If freezing: Prepare as directed but do not bake. Place all ingredients in gallon-size freezer bag, squeeze out air, seal, lay flat and freeze. Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator, then bake as directed.

Loved it! The beans looked so pretty with the different colors, no wonder it's called "Calico" Beans. :)

I found this recipe in a free cookbook I received from Jiffy several months ago. It's one of those warm, hearty meals perfect for a cold, crisp Fall or Winter night!

Chili Corn

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs ground beef (I just used 1 lb)
1 pkg taco seasoning mix, reserving 1 tsp
1 can (10.75oz) condensed tomato soup
2 cans (16oz)chili beans

Topping:
1 pkg Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
reserved 1 tsp taco seasoning mix

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 3-quart casserole dish. In skillet, brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning mix, soup and chili beans. Let simmer while preparing topping. Combine topping ingredients, blend well. Pour meat mixture into prepared dish and spoon topping over meat mixture. Bake uncovered 15-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

If freezing: Prepare chili ingredients as directed and freeze in gallon-size freezer bag. Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator, then continue preparing as directed.

I forgot to mix the cheese with the topping ingredients, so I sprinkled the cheese on top. I baked this in a 10x8-inch baking dish, and it took 25 minutes for the cornbread topping to cook through. I'm not sure if it's because the cheese was on top, or not. But this meal was really good, and hubs liked it a lot. My son liked the whole thing, but my daughter only liked the cornbread part. Still, it was a good meal overall. :)

Santa and the Christmas Spirit

I found a great article about handling the "Santa Question" and balancing the excitement and magic of Santa with the true reason and celebration of the season, the birth of the Savior. This sweet sister created the Christmas Spirit, who delivered a nativity to a member of the family each year. When her oldest child was about the age of asking the "Santa Question," she revealed that she was the Christmas Spirit, and involved her child in anonymous gift-giving.

Click here to read about how she was able to share the excitement and magic of Santa with her children, keeping the magic alive without letting them down about "lying" to them. And at the same time, teaching the true meaning of Christmas.

Wok's For Dinner: Country Ham & Macaroni Casserole

I found this recipe over at my friend Melissa's Bargain Blog, and she got it from Sandy (Bettyinthekitchen), who posted it at the Baby Center Cooking for Your Family board. My kids love macaroni & cheese and this seemed liked it would be an instant hit.

Country Ham & Macaroni Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb country ham slices or regular smoked ham in one piece

1 large onion, diced

1 lb elbow macaroni (I used shell-shaped pasta)

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted

1 cup dry plain bread crumbs

Directions:

Heat oven to 400º. Bring 4 quarts water and ham to boiling in large pot. Once water begins to boil, remove ham to a plate. Add onion and pasta to pot. Return water to boiling; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Coarsely chop ham, discarding any fat and bones. Drain pasta and onion; return to pot. Add ham, cheese, sour cream and soup. Scrape into a 13x9x2 baking dish. Pour melted margarine over top. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in heated 400º oven 30 minutes or until heated through and top is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

If freezing: Prepare in two 8x8 casserole dishes, bake one and freeze one (unbaked) for another day. If freezing, top with crumbs and margarine right before baking.

I only had enough ham and pasta to make one 8x8 casserole-size dish, which worked out perfectly. I went ahead and mixed the margarine with the bread crumbs, then put them on top of the ham mixture. I covered my casserole dish with foil and stuck it in the freezer, then let it thaw in the fridge for 48 hours before baking as directed.

This was really good. It had an interesting flavor, thanks to the sour cream. The kids absolutely loved the meal. Hubs wasn't as excited about it. He expected there to be mashed potatoes, not pasta (I don't know why, the menu on the fridge said "Ham & Macaroni" not "Ham & Potatoes." Oh well, the rest of us loved it!

Wok's For Dinner: Hotch Potch

This is one of my favorite beef roast meals. I've been making it for many years now, and it's always a hit with the family. It's very simple to make without a whole lot of fuss. But unlike a traditional roast, it's cooked in a pot on the stove, instead of in the oven or a crock-pot.

Hotch-Potch

Ingredients:

1 lb beef or lamb, fat trimmed and meat cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1 can beef broth + water to make 2 cups

4 medium carrots, peeled and quartered

3 potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered (optional)

1 medium onion, quartered

1 small head cauliflower (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

Place meat into a large, heavy saucepan. Add beef broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until almost tender. Add carrots, potatoes and onions; bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until all are tender. Add cauliflower, cover and cook 10 minutes longer (cauliflower is optional, I didn't use it this time because I couldn't find any good heads at the grocery stores). Remove vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Thicken juices with the cornstarch blended with 2 Tbsp cold water. Serve meat and gravy with the vegetables.

If freezing: This froze very well sealed up in a food saver bag. Thaw 24-48 hours in refrigerator. Heat in microwave.

This was the first time we had this meal as a freezer meal, and it didn't fail to deliver in taste. We loved it! And prior to making the gravy, I had enough broth to freeze 2 cups worth, so now I have beef broth in the freezer in additional to homemade chicken broth!

Menu Plan Monday--12/7-12/13/09

I took the kids to the local art museum yesterday for a Wonderland Breakfast activity they were having for the community. The cost was relatively inexpensive. It wasn't hubs' idea of fun, so he stayed at home. The kids made Christmas necklaces and their own gingerbread houses that they got to take home. It was pretty serious business! Little Man and Little Miss had a good time working the icing onto the houses, adding marshmallows and candy canes...good times and good memories! We've got a couple more good memory-makers planned for this week. Keeping our fingers crossed that the weather and time will permit us to do them all. This year's holiday season has been going really great and stress-free (first time ever!). I owe it all to planning ahead and preparing in advance, something that OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday has definitely helped me learn!

Here's the menu for this week. I plan the menu based on the activities during the day or evening, using mostly meals that I've prepared in advance and stocked in the freezer. Recipes will be posted during the week, so check back for them. :)

Monday--Dinner out

We're going to see Christmas lights as an activity for our weekly Family Home Evening (family activity night). The place we go to has a little train ride that costs just a couple dollars per person, taking you throughout a field of lights. They sell hot chocolate as you wait for the train ride, and old-fashioned candy in a little country store. Santa even has a workshop set up so kids can tell him what they want for Christmas. My daughter has yet to get within 10 feet of Santa (she's very afraid of him) but she told me that she would stand next to Santa, but only if I hold her hand...we'll see if she's brave enough!

Tuesday--Calico Beans, Corn on the Cob, Tossed Salad, Oranges

We'll have salad a few times this week. Our garden is overflowing with various types of lettuce that are ready for picking. We've had a couple red leaf lettuces, but there's still a lot more to eat. The lettuces have done well in our Fall garden, but the nights are getting colder, so we better get them all eaten up before the weather really gets cold.

Wednesday--Chicken Fajita Crescent Braid, Sautee'd Cabbage, Celery & Carrots

Hubs has a meeting this evening. Hopefully, I'll have dinner ready before he heads out; otherwise, he'll eat when he gets back home.

Thursday--Pork Cooked in a Pickling Style, Sweet Potato Fries (we're going to give these a try to use up some sweet potatoes), Tossed Salad

Friday--Chicken Tacos, Pears & Apples

Our church will have a Christmas party this evening. We heard that, unlike previous years, they will not be serving dinner. And the activity that's planned may not be very kid friendly (a concert pianist is playing). It'd make a great date night for hubs and I, but we haven't quite decided if that's what we're going to do. If anything, we'll at least eat good and have a quiet night at home.

Saturday--Beef Stroganoff, Mashed Potatoes, Tossed Salad

We definitely have a lot going on this day! Little Miss has dance class in the morning, and immediately following, we'll head out to pick up our December Angel Food Ministries order. Normally, I'll make all my monthly freezer meals immediately after getting our monthly AFM order, but there's just too much going on, so I'll do the freezer meals the following Saturday (12/19). After getting home and putting away the AFM order, we'll go to the local pioneer village for a Christmas activity that afternoon. Then, we'll head to the downtown sector for the Christmas parade; both kids get to rid in a float! The parade was originally planned for yesterday, but was postponed due to some nasty weather conditions. After the parade, we'll warm up at home with our supper. And finally, hubs and I will have a date night and see A Christmas Carol at the local theatre. I think that's everything. Whew!!

Sunday--Minestrone Soup, Crackers

A nice way to end the week--a quiet evening at home!

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