Monday, December 19, 2011

What's Cooking This Week

Spiked Lemon Chicken Salad
Well, we're in the final countdown.  To say I'm feeling a tad disorganised would be an understatement.  I still have 4 machines that haven't arrived yet which I'm hoping to get here and have delivered by Christmas Eve.  I haven't wrapped ANY presents yet (and, in fact, still have to go and buy half of them).  The builder is out the back building my boys' Christmas present as I type (they're getting a much anticipated and long awaited fort for Christmas) and once he's finished on Wednesday we have to get out there and finish painting it, putting sand in etc.  I've got a plan for my Christmas cooking, but it's all waiting for the arrival of my Christmas pressoir (my new oven!) and so I'm not starting it until Wednesday night. 

So, like everyone else, it is all systems go here this week.  We're taking it easy with some simple meals, but I'm also taking the chance to cook a couple of dishes from Tenina's Dinner Spinner.  I downloaded the Dinner Spinner App on the weekend and it is fabulous.  After selecting a meal (with a very cool spinnery thing which I just kept playing with over and over again because I liked watching it spin), you can select which ingredients you need to purchase and then email the shopping list to yourself.  When you start cooking, the method screen also lists the ingredients required for each step, which is very handy! 

So, Dinner Spinner in hand, this is what we're chowing down on this week:-

Monday & Tuesday:  I'm off to do some late night shopping and finally finish the presents off, so Paulie's in charge tonight.  His specialty is the Ragu sauce from the EDC and we'll use the leftovers tomorrow night - if we do a big salad with it and some fresh rolls, it makes enough to do us for 2 nights.

Wednesday:  We're having the Black Bean and Beef Nachos from Dinner Spinner.  I'm also starting Christmas cooking on Wednesday night with the Pastilla from In The Mix, Blue Cheese & Walnut Shortbread and Caramel Fudge.

Thursday:  We plan to be painting all day on Thursday, so I'm aiming for something quick and easy with Spiked Lemon Chicken Salad.  I'm continuing the Christmas cooking with Irish Creme and Chocolate Coconut Ice Slice.  I'm also keen to try a couple of other treat recipes I've been printing out the last couple of days, but we'll just wait and see exactly how much time I end up with!

Friday:  We have a massive snapper in the freezer that Paulie caught a few weeks ago.  We're going to bake that with some potatoes and tomatoes and serve it with a giant green salad.

On Saturday, the Christmas prep will really get into full swing tidying up the house, cleaning down outside after all the building work and prepping the desserts for Christmas Day.  We're having Christmas here on Sunday (so the boys can spend endless hours between the pool and the fort).  Christmas morning we'll start with Christmas Fruffins while we open presents and laze about for a bit.  We'll have a late breakfast of Eggs Benedict which will take us through to late lunch/early dinner. 

 We're having Turducken, Ham, Christmas Waldorf Salad, Steamed Greens, Roasted Veg and Roasted Hasselback Potatoes.  The great thing about Christmas lunch itself is that there isn't a lot of prep work to be done - it's just throwing things into my shiny new oven and letting them cook.  For dessert, we're having Spiced Pecan Pie & Egg Nog Icecream, Steamed Christmas Puddings and Brandy Cream Sauce.  Afterwards there will be cheese, pastilla and walnut & blue cheese shortbread. 

It's a big week for everyone but I hope you all get to relax and enjoy the lead up to Christmas.  Link up to Quirky Jo's Menu Planning link and let us know what you're planning for the week and for Christmas.

Mele Kalikimaka everyone!!!

3 comments:

  1. Oh yum, your menu always sounds so good, especially that Christmas menu!! Maybe I should tell mum to try your pecan pie this year - sounds wonderful! Thanks for linking up, Jo :)

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  2. I don't envy you painting a fort just before Christmas when I for one would rather be painting cookies :-) But lucky you, with that Dinner Spinner App!!! I have an out-dated iphone here that refuses to download the app so I haven't see it yet :(

    Take a few deep breaths today, and tomorrow, and the next day too. Soon it will be that magical day when you can sit back and enjoy all you've done this week!
    Happy Holidays Brooke ;-)

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  3. Thanks Jo and Helene!

    Fort painting in the middle of summer - delightful! However, new oven has been delivered and is sitting here just waiting for the electrician - very exciting.

    Happy Christmas to you both - hope you have a lovely time!

    xx

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