Argh, I truly am not a morning person.  I am suppose to be at church by 7:00 to help set up the school fundraiser that starts at 7:30.  It is about 6:20 and I am starting to come to life.   I need to jump into the shower and get ready.   I am setting up the bake sale and will work the tuition bucks table until about 10:30.  Then I will go to church and come home.

Today I plan on staying home.  I do have to make the cookies and food for my cookie exchange tomorrow night.   I forgot to call everyone to tell them how many cookies to make.  ARGH!!   I will have to do that today, plus I will see some people at church this morning as well.   Then the rest of the week should be easy.  All my Christmas gifts are made and ready.  I don't have any extra gifts this year so I hope no more unannounced people are coming to my house for Christmas.  I suppose I should at least have a box of candy on hand just in case.   My houe is always open to anyone for Christmas and my neices and nephews frequently bring significant others or friends.   We should have a hosue full this year.   So our big family celebration will be on the saturday before Christmas and the week of Christmas will be quite family time with our children.   I reall do like it that way.

Later!!!  Hope you have a wonderful day!!!

Jen C

I made four kinds of chex mix to be given as Christmas Gifts.   I am giving many of my nephews a movie rental card and a bag with four kinds of chex mix.   I made the following kinds:

These look like fun to make.  I think I will try and make them with Tommy on the week I am home with him for Christmas.  

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Snowman-Treats?pmcode=QC8C1VH13M&_mid=10800&_rid=10800.9800.54754

I can't believe it, I am getting sick.  ARGH.   I have absolutely no time to be sick.   Once I make it through this week, it will be an easy month.  Last week wasn't anything too exciting.  I worked 40 hours in 4 days and took Friday off.   I went to volunteer in Tommy's school on Friday.  I sorted papers for the kids to take home and hung up some new projects in the hall.   Then the Kindergarten and 1st Grade classes made holiday house.  I would call them gingerbread houses, but there was no gingerbread involved.   The house was made out of rice crispy bars and decorated with frosting and candy.   I helped with the houses and then headed home to clean up a bit before my dentist appointment later that afternoon.

The weekend went fine.  Friday night we watched the new Chronicles of Narnia movie.  It was good, but a bit too scary for Tommy.  While watching the movie I made my shopping list and menu.   Saturday we went to Sams and grocer y shopping.   Once Steve got home from work we went to the library and then to visit my in-laws and take them a poinsettia.  We drove around a bit and looked at holiday lights on the way home.   Josh came over on Saturday night and highlighted my hair.  

Sunday we skipped church again!  Argh...bad, bad.  I cooked up the hamburger and chicken we had bought.  Then I packed up my clothes and things and headed to Duluth for work.   I took the material for Tommy's blanket with me.   It was a terrible drive to Duluth.  It was snowing and the visibility at times was not good.  I took hubby's truck so I just took it nice and slow.  I had no trouble but shortly after I got on the freeway a car next to me spun out.   I hit my breaks and they swung in a circle in front of me and hit the median.   I hit the shoulder and missed having them hit me.  I was freaking out!!   I calmed down and they walk back to where they were.   Another woman and I were just missed.   The car stopped when it hit the median.  It was driven by 3 teenagers.  They had called for someone to come and were ok.   Once i was sure they were fine, I continued on to Duluth.   It took me a bit longer than usual to get to Duluth, but if you drive slow it was fine.  Every car I passed in the ditch was driven my teens or very young drivers.  

I checked in my room in Duluth and ordered some food.  Once I ate, I fell asleep.   I could tell I was starting to get sick and really need the rest.  I woke up later that evening and started working on Tommy's blanket.  I had found some really cool pirate fleece.   I stayed up late and finished the blanket.  Now all my gifts are done, except for some chex mix I want to make.  

This week is crazy!!   As always I volunteered for a few too many things.  But what can I say,  I like to help.  I need to bake 20 dozen cookies by Friday.  I also need to bake a few loaves of mini berry bread.   I am the volunteer coordinator for the Holiday Cookie Sale for Tommy's school.   I have all the shifts filled for selling the cookies, but I also volunteered to bake cookies.  So I have to have all the cookies done by Friday.  I have tomorrow off as Erik has a school assessment meeting in the morning and his CADI worker will be coming in the afternoon. So once home I will be baking for the afternoon.  I will put a roast in the roasting oven and get busy baking. 

A Glance At Jen's Week:

MONDAY - Jen coming home from Duluth

TUESDAY - Off of work - Baking Cookies

WEDNESDAY - Working

THURSDAY - OFF - Baking Cookies - Jen has a Dr. Appointment - Tommy's School Christmas Program

FRIDAY - Packaging cookies at the school

SATURDAY  - Wrapping Party at Work for my Project Christmas Wish

Wish me luck in all my baking adventures.   I can't believe I am getting a cold when I have so much to do.  Isn't that always how it goes!!!!

Menu December 6^th – December 21^st

6^th - Homemade Chicken Soup x 2 (Rotisserie Chickens to the Rescue Cookbook Pg 99) and Grilled Cheese

7^th – Chili x 2 (sour cream and Cheese/ green Onions)

http://jasmine1931.tripod.com/Cooking/crockpot.htm#VERSATILE_SLOW-COOKER_CHILI _

8^th  - Dad Cooking –

9^th     Crock - 

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms

Yield: 6 Servings **If you would like to substitute the canned mushroom soup for a healthier version, check out this site:http://www.menus4moms.com/kitchen/weeklymenu/notes.php#creamsoup

2 cups chicken, shredded                                    2 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup**

2 cans chicken broth*                                          1 cup milk

1 onion, chopped & sauteed (from freezer)     1/4 cup cooking sherry (optional)

1/2 cup wild rice blend                                         Adobo seasoning

8 oz sliced mushrooms                                        4 tbsp flour

2 tbsp butter

Combine first 4 ingredients in slow cooker on high. Sauté mushrooms in butter until tender. Add to slow cooker. Once soup is hot, add cream of mushroom soup, stirring until well blended. Season to taste with Adobo. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. One hour before serving, mix flour with 1/3 cup hot water until dissolved and add to soup to thicken. 30 minutes before serving, add milk and sherry. Per Serving: 373 Cal (35%

10^th   Fast – Wed – Slow Cooked Pot Roast, Mashed Pots and Carrots

Slowcooked Roast

1 (10 lb) Roast, cheap cut is fine

1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup or homemade equivalent

1 large onion, sliced

Place roast in a roasting pan. Spread soup on top of roast and place onion on top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour and then turn oven down to 225 degrees and cook all day (8-10 hours) or until cooked through. Serve 1/3rd of the roast tonight and save the rest for dinner on Thursday and Friday.

11^th    -School Prog – Thurs – BBQ Beef Sand, Cole Slaw

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

1/3rd of the beef roast cooked yesterday 1 bottle bbq sauce 6 hoagie rolls

Add all ingredients except rolls into a slow cooker, set on low and allow to cook 8-10 hours or until done. As it cooks shred meat with a fork. Serve on hoagie rolls.

12^th   Off – Cookie Day – FRIDAY – Beef, Bean and Cheese Burritos

Beef, Bean, and Cheese Burritos

Last 3rd of the roast

1 package taco seasoning

Water

1 can refried beans or homemade equivalent

2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

6 burrito size flour tortillas

Place meat in a saucepan, add taco seasoning then cover with water. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring often and shredding meat as it warms. For serving if there is any liquid left in the meat drain it off. Heat refried beans while meat is cooking. When everything is warmed assemble as burritos.

13^th   - Wrapping Party – Appetizer   *******

14^th   - Selling Cookies - Honey Glazed Chicken Drumsticks Mashed Potatoes

Honey Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

12 chicken drumsticks 1/2 C. honey 2 cloves garlic, minced fine 1/2 C. soy sauce 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil Remove skin from chicken and cut off all fat. Combine sauce, honey, oil and garlic. Coat chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line pan with foil. Place chicken on foil and bake 25-45 minutes or until cooked through.

15^th     Cookie Party – Appetizers  *****   Frozen Pizza*

16^th   - Mom Cooking - 2^nd – Chops and Rice (ranch)

http://thematzats.blogspot.com/2008/11/creamy-ranch-pork-chops.html

17^th   -Wed - -  Grilled Cheese and Chicken Noodle Soup

18^th     - Book Group – Dad Cooks – Tater Tot Hot Dish

19^th   - Friday – Rochester – Pizza

20^th   - Coymas – 7 Layer Salad

21^st   - Sell Cookies – Mom Cooks - – Chili x 2 (sour cream and Cheese/ green Onions)

http://jasmine1931.tripod.com/Cooking/crockpot.htm#VERSATILE_SLOW-COOKER_CHILI _

**********************************************************

Recipes to try next week

Chopped Chicken:  http://confessions-of-a-psychotic-housewife.blogspot.com/2008/06/recipe-creamy-chicken-noodle-bake.html

http://thematzats.blogspot.com/2008/01/chicken-enchilada-soup.html

http://artisanrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicken-and-rice-casserole.html

Whole Chicken-

http://artisanrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/10/bbs-chicken-and-dumplins.html

Pork Chops:

http://thematzats.blogspot.com/2007/12/yes-its-another-new-one-for-me-this.html

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pork-Chops-Over-Rice

Prok Ribs

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/BBQ-Pork-for-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx?prop31=3