I have to be honest, I nearly had a small break earlier this week trying to plan for all the holiday festivities. And, before I really say this, please know that I TRULY enjoy hosting dinners, and I love having family over. But honestly, taking into account my kids’ WILDLY different appetites and dietary preferences was the thing that made me lose it. Also, the elf. Moving that dumb elf. Whew. (Truth be told, most days, the elf brings us a source of joy. J and I giggle, the kids love it, but I’m ready for her to return to the North Pole.)
Before I get on with my weekly plan, I have to share (because I promised I would), my friends BEAUTIFUL homemade matzo ball soup, made with love from her grandmother’s recipe. We were lucky to be invited to a Hannukah party and enjoyed this soup, latkes, and some great Jewish deli food.
And…on with another week of planning, with a sprinkle of chaos in there.
This week:
Sunday: Dinner at my mom’s house! (Sometimes self-care is asking your mom if you can just show up for dinner.)
Monday: Tofu lettuce wraps for A, and tipsy turkey lettuce wraps for the rest of us. I skip the lettuce and serve over rice. The tofu was great. I skipped the separate sauce and just added some soy sauce straight to the tofu. She loved it! The other lettuce wraps came from this cookbook that I bought on sale like 20 years ago, and honestly, I can’t find it online to link it. This one from Chrissy Tiegen seems to be sort of similar in flavor.
Tuesday: I had dinner with a friend, so the fam ate leftovers.
Wednesday: I think we will do leftovers again to help clear out the fridge.
Thursday: I’m going back to the Baked Gnocchi with Broccoli that everyone loved from a month or so ago.
Friday: WE ARE GOING TO THE NUTCRACKER! Instead of going out to eat, we are having a quick dinner at home before we head to the show. Swedish meatballs (fake ones for A), buttered noodles, and salad will hold us all over for the amazing dancing spectacle.
Saturday: Christmas Eve Eve, or as they call it in Norway, Teeny Tiny Christmas! (Did anyone else watch that Christmas movie? I’m making a roast beef for the meat eaters, and my small vegetarian will be enjoying salmon for the holiday. Mashed potatoes and some broccoli will round out the dinner, plus I will probably make some gravy for the roast because mashed potatoes and gravy all day, please. (I still have to plan on a dessert. Stay tuned!) I’m also making these cinnamon rolls for breakfast which are so much work, but truly incredible and worth it.
YES I AM STILL PLANNING, KEEP READING!!!!
Sunday: Christmas Eve. I think we’ll have a fair amount of leftovers, and we have no plans for this day, so I think it’ll be whatever anyone feels like eating from the fridge!
Monday: Christmas Day. Same story as Christmas Eve, but I know that the girls do want me to make homemade hashbrowns, so we will start the day with that, as well as J’s homemade bloody marys (well, not for the kids, obv). We will have dinner with J’s family, so no planning there.
Tuesday: (I AM STILL GOING) We will be hosting the “sibling Christmas” and last year we did crabs, so we decided for a repeat. I still have to sort out sides, but the crabs are in the fridge, and apparently we should have warned Zoe because “they scared me” when she opened the fridge.
And now you know why I nearly had a full on menty b. I’m tired. Catch you next week, and I’ll let you know how I ended up rounding out some of these meals!
Merry Christmas if you celebrate, and if you don’t, I hope you take a break this weekend through next and catch your breath. I know I’ll try!
Allegedly Delicious 