Christmas Dinnerware Giveaway And Weekly Menu November 22~28, 2010

The Giveaway:

STONEGABLE CHRISTMAS DINNERWARE GIVEAWAY

BETHLEHEM CHRISTMAS DINNERWARE

Retail value over $400.00

StoneGable, in partnership with Pat at Life At Lydia's House is giving away this beautiful set of Christmas dinnerware. I am absolutely thrilled that Pat contacted me and offered this very generous giveaway to StoneGable friends.

For detail and to enter to win this beautiful dinnerware, click HERE.

The Menu:

This week StoneGable is getting ready for Thanksgiving. We will have company for a solid week. My daughter arrived tonight! Her husband, my sister and her family and my brother will all arrive by Wednesday. What fun.

Meals will be ones to feed a crowd. Lots of family favorites.

Monday

Spiral Ham

StoneGable Mac and Cheese

Spinach With Garlic Oil

Recipe: StoneGable Mac and Cheese ( Formally Aunt Sue's Mac and Cheese)

This is probably my kids favorite family recipe. It is a winner!!! Since my kids are all home, of course I'm making a dish that will bring back some great memories! To see this most yummy mac and cheese click HERE  and find it under Saturday's menu.

Tuesday

Steaks On The Grill

Baked Potatoes

Grilled Asparagus

Wednesday

Sausage Spinach Lasagna - My sister bringing dinner!!!!

Arugula, Shaved Parmesan, Pine Nuts in a Lemon Vinaigrette

Recipe: Arugula, Shaved Parmesan, Pine Nuts in a Lemon Vinaigrette

This is on the menu every week. What a great salad. Click HERE and look for it on Tuesday's menu.

Thanksgiving Dinner

We have had the SAME menu for years and years!!!! Everyone has their favorite dish and Thanksgiving  just wouldn't be the same without it.  I dare not change the menu ... but...the pumpkin roll is new this year, I wonder if there will be a dessert riot?

Baby Field Greens, Spiced Pecans, Dried Cherries, Bleu In A Cherry Vinaigrette

Green Jello Thingy~ We don't really know what it is called and we have had it for 30 years!

Turkey

Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Giblet Gravy

Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Orange Relish

Cranberry Jelly

Wines

Coffee/Tea

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Roll

Apple Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Friday:

 Thanksgiving for Breakfast

My sister Lisa and I look forward to the day after Thanksgiving for a yummy and traditional breakfast. We have all of our favorites from the Thanksgiving dinner.... again!!!! We sit together drinking coffee and eating pumpkin pie and stuffing and whatever else we want. We DO NOT feel guilty, not one little bit!!!! And because all the work is over, we just love laughing, eating and spending a couple of hours together at the kitchen table in our jammies. It is really one of my most favorite times!

OUT To Dinner

Saturday

Turkey A La King In Puffed Pastry Cups

Roasted Broccoli

Rice Pilaf

Recipe: Turkey A La King In Puffed Pastry Cups

This is a company worthy meal. It is so yummy and easy!!!

2 pkgs. Frozen Puffed Pastry Cups

1/2 cups mushrooms

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups light cream

2 egg yolks, beaten

3 cups diced cooked turkey

1/2 cup pimiento, chopped

salt and pepper.

Make pastry cups according to package directions.

Saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat in a large skillet.

Mix flour with chicken broth in a jar. Shake well. Add to mushrooms in skillet. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir. Add 1/2 broth to beaten eggs in a bowl, 1 TBS at a time, mixing well. Add the egg mixture to the broth in the skillet. Stir. Add chicken and pimientos. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until thick.

Lift off the top of each pastry cup and fill to overflowing with Chicken A La King. Put pastry top back on cups.

Sunday: Soup Day

Turkey Noodle Soup

Crusty Bread

Reciper: Turkey Noodle Soup

1 turkey carcass and wings

1 large onion, quartered

3 ribs celery, cut into quarters

2 large carrots, cut into quarters

salt and pepper

chicken bullion

1 large onion, peeled and diced

3 large ribs of celery, diced

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds

2 cups shredded turkey

1 large bag of very thin noodles

Cover turkey carcass and wings with water, about 10-12 cups. Add onions, celery and carrots. Add 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 TBS salt.  Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 1/2  hour, skimming scum.

Remove turkey carcass and wings, onions, celery and carrots. Test flavor of soup. For more depth of flavor add a tsp or so of chicken bullion.

Bring soup up to a simmer. Add onions, celery and carrots and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make noodles according to package directions.

To serve soup, put noodles in the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Ladle soup over noodles. YUMMY!

DO NOT MIX THE NOODLES AND SOUP UNTIL SERVING. Keep them in separate containers. This will keep the noodles from becoming soggy and the soup cloudy.

Thanksgiving Countdown

Monday and Tuesday are great days to buy any items you have left on your Thanksgiving shopping list.

Don't forget to buy several sizes of plastic ware for leftovers. There are so many reasonably priced glad/ziplock/store brand plastic containers with lids. Buy extra. And make sure you have extra foil, plastic wrap and lock type bags.

If you have a frozen turkey start thawing it according to package directions.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday make anything you can make ahead.

I am making my pies and stuffing on Tuesday. I won't stuff my turkey until Thanksgiving morning. I will make Cranberry relish and salad dressing on Wednesday.

Make a Timeline for dinner. I determine the time I want everyone to sit down to say grace and work backwards. I write it all out on a sheet of paper.  I know that my turkey will take about 6 1/2 hours to cook plus resting and carving time, so my turkey will have to be in the oven by 8:00am. I am starting my basting liquid at 7:00 am and then will stuff the turkey so it is ready and in the oven at 8:00.

Ask someone to say grace. I always call that special person and ask them ahead of time.

I also ask someone to read a poem, read a Thanksgiving proclamation or read the Thanksgiving story. Give this person a couple of days notice.

Each year we have some kind of interactive family building game, or exercise around the table. Get it together now.

One year I put 5 kernels of corn in everyone coffee cup at the table. Folk lore hold that the Pilgrims were only left with 5 kernels of corn for each person at the end of that first hard winter. I asked each person to tell 5 things they were thankful for.

This year I will have everyone's baby pictures as place cards, so we will be telling family stories.

Start practicing an attitude of gratitude! Start your Thanksgiving early. Fill your heart with thankfulness, love and joy!