Monday 15 December 2008

Meals, Menus & Munchies

This week for us, begins the family Christmas gatherings and meals. Ugh, all that wheat and sugar!!!!!!

Monday: Pork & Feta Rissoles & vegies
Tuesday: Pasta & veg sauce (I'm out...they can have as much pasta as they like!)
Wednesday: Chicken Parmigana, vegies
Thursday: Veg Patties, wedges, cauli/broc au gratin
Friday: Pork & Apple meatloaf, vegies
Saturday: Frittata & wedges
Sunday: leftovers from a lavish lunch....or tinned tomato soup!

I'm in charge of dessert at the lavish lunch. I say lavish, only because a SIL delegated different parts of the meal to different family members. Said SIL is doing the main meal and I am doing dessert. Others will do nibbles before, bikkies & slices for after etc. So...my contribution will be:

Individual Chocolate pavlovas with whipped cream and fresh strawberries
Baked Pistachio Ricotta with Cherry Syrup
Fresh Fruit Salad
Homemade Ice Cream

Saturday will be spent in the kitchen!

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I have nearly finished my Christmas shopping, thanks to a conversation at recess time this morning. I had lots of little tots to buy for this year so as we were talking Mr Busy's 2009 teacher said "Oh, I like to try and shop local...it's far quieter up here than down the hill at the big shopping centres". Well...that got me thinking, so I took myself for a lovely little tootle over to Sassafras to visit Geppetto's Workshop. I just adore that shop! It is brimming with quality toys that range from relatively inexpensive to rather extravagant in price. I left with an armload of beautiful wooden puzzles, some bath toys and many more ideas than I had children to buy for!

My tip for all you prefer a quieter shopping experience and have children to buy for, is to head up 'the hill'. Enjoy the drive. Have a spot of afternoon tea at one of the little tea houses or cafe's. There are lots of little shops in Sassafras and Olinda that will delight you. I noticed that Olinda has a 'Baby Geppetto's'. I didn't stop in, but I was intrigued. I don't know about the weekends, but during the week it's lovely and quiet up in the Dandenong's! Certainly beats the 45 minutes getting out of the car park that I heard about on Sunday. Give me trees and quiet stores any day!

7 comments:

juliexpom said...

Hi Trcey, Great minds think alike I was going to do Pasta and Veg Tuesday. Alistair loves it but I don't.
julie

The Vintage Rose said...

I'm with you. Homemade, movie tickets, vouchers, pressies from markets, garages sales and local shops. I have even heard a challenge not to buy new but recycle, takes a bit of looking through the year, but its amazing what you can find at op-shops, garage sales, markets etc.

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Left-Handed Housewife said...

I try to buy local and do homemade as much as possible, though with some things it's just impossible. Your Geppetto's Workshop sounds wonderful!

frances

Tracy said...

Barbara no one pays me for my writing and I do not have paid advertising on my blog. To be honest, I'm very skeptical and reluctant about the prospect and not something I wish to pursue.

Vintage Rose, that would be some challenge. I know a family who are doing completely homemade and have come up with some great ideas.

Julie, while I don't mind pasta with vegie sauce I am definitely looking foward to OUR dinner!!!!

Aprille Roberts said...

Tracy, I'm still not done with my Christmas shopping...uuugghhh... It sounds like you have so much to do for SIL's list! I hope that it all goes smoothly and you have a wonderful time in the kitchen.

I have a question for you...
I have a pork loin in the freezer that I can't decide what to do with. Do you have any suggestions for me of something you have tried before? I have only cooked one in the oven before and it came out a bit like barbecue, it was good, but I would like to try something different.

Love you!
Aprille :0)

Tracy said...

I got to pick what I wanted to do, and I'm quite happy to do it. Dh has often said, over the years, that his sisters are not the best cooks ~ this way we all to get enjoy a special meal LOL.

My first question about the pork is, does it have the 'crackle' on it ~ that thick rind that crisps up if you prepare it right?

Our favourite way to do a pork roast is just in the oven with that crackling done ... that can be a bit hit and miss, I must say. And then with homemade gravy. My kids don't like gravox gravy.

Otherwise, if I were doing it in the crockpot, I have a recipe for Cranberry pork roast or a sweet apple pork roast. Both of which are beautiful.

The other night for DH & his twin's birthday I did a stuffed roast pork and it turned out so well that I am repeating it for my family for Christmas Eve. It's done in the oven. This is a Maggie Beer recipe, so I was confident that it would be beautiful...and it was.

Let me know which one of those ideas sounds like something you'd like and I'll forward on the recipe.