Winter Wonderland

Depending on where you are in the world, you may have heard about the giant Nor'easter which is currently wreaking havoc up and down the East Coast of the United States. We rarely have snow before January here in NJ and today we've gotten almost a foot of snow (last I checked) and it's still supposed to continue another seven hours!

There's The Viking, knee-deep in the beautiful fluffy stuff as he attempts to clean off my car. Man-Cub had a hard time getting through some of the drifts and came in for the night after he ran into a stump hidden in the snow.


Here's the view from our backdoor into our neighbor's yard. The Viking's truck has 4-wheel drive so we were out driving around this afternoon, running errands and stopping over at our dear friends' house for their daughter's first birthday party. It was slow going because of the poor visibility (not to mention the hordes of NJ drivers who have no clue how to drive in snow and freak out at the slightest coating), but we had great fun doing it!


From the kitchen porch. We're back home now and hunkered down for the night. The timing of our stove being completed couldn't be better. We've got plenty of wood and hot chocolate and eggnog and in a few minutes I'm making another stellar Cottage Pie! I think we'll be eating in the living room around the stove tonight! Last night, Man-Cub fell asleep on the floor in front of it with faithful Nutmeg beside him. What a photographic opportunity lost!

After dinner, we're supposed to bake some yummy things: some to give away as gifts and others simply for our own enjoyment. But first things first...time to make some Cottage Pie magic!


Take any hunk of leftover beef you may have on hand and, if it's tough and dried out, give it a braise bath in a pan half full of a mixture of beef broth and wine for about 30 minutes. Trust me, you'll be amazed at how tender and flavorful it is when it's done. If it's just fine the way it is, just cube it up into bite-sized pieces.


Fortunately (miraculously) I did not need to revive this meat. This time. This time I was smart and braised it right from the start. A good searing, then a 3 hour simmer in some beef broth and the last of the cranberry wine with a large onion chunked into it was all it needed. And, I promise you, despite its appearance in this photo, it did NOT look like dog food.


Some minced onion, sauteed in butter...


The rest of the carrots, threatening to turn manky in the fridge, chopped and added with some frozen corn (only veg I had in the freezer: WHERE did that bag of peas get to?)...


About a cup-and-a-half of beef broth, one-and-a-half tablespoons flour slurried with a few teaspoons water, some rosemary and thyme were all that was left to make a nice Cottage Pie base. But, WHOOPS! I forgot we were out of potatoes...dear oh dear...can't have Cottage Pie without potatoes. So, a quick flip through my cookbook and a quick scan online later, the Cottage Pie became...


Beef Pot Pie! Biscuit mix really is a great thing. And I don't mean biscuit mix out of a box. I mean the kind you can make easily yourself with some flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, some sugar and milk, buttermilk or cream! As you can see, we all tore into it pretty well. I actually remembered to stop and take this photo which is quite an accomplishment for me! It was darn tasty. And now I know: this recipe works with either potatoes or biscuits on top. Who can resist a recipe like that?


We ate our delectable dinner in the living room within cozy range of the stove while the weather outside got crazier and crazier. This is the view from the dining room window at around 10:30 tonight.


The view of our deck out of the laundry room window. This is where we let Nutmeg out to conduct her business of keeping our property free of small animals (among other things). She was not happy about having to walk around in cold wet stuff up to her armpits (do dogs have armpits, technically?) in order to continue business as usual. It took a few doses of tough love in order to get her out there. Sissy dog.


And the money shot, my car nearly completely snowed in. If you compare this to the above shot of The Viking you can see just how much snow has fallen in just six hours around here. We're estimating we've gotten nearly two feet and it hasn't stopped yet! I wonder what the grand total will be when we venture out tomorrow. We're supposed to be getting our tree which I'm sure will be a grand adventure! It sure will be a tree retrieval the kids will always remember!

Right, then, it's late and I've got great plans to nestle all snug in my bed while sparkling snowflakes swirl overhead.

YAY!

Tonight, after a quick trip for some last minute items, The Viking completed a project that we've been dreaming about for almost our entire marriage.


Now, obviously, the stone isn't finished (or started, for that matter) but it's in, it's functional...


It's heavenly!

Getting Closer...

Seriously? Seriously.

I did manage to buy a gift last night and we're pretty settled on what we're getting everyone on our list, it's just a matter of getting out there and buying it. However (and thankfully), it's not the gifts that will be taking up the majority of my time in the next week+ but getting prepared for our Christmas gathering! This is the year all the sisters come home for Christmas (my two married sisters alternate each year with their husbands' families) and with all the expansion we've had since we've last Christmased together, it is quite a logistical endeavor. Thanks to both Dharma and Lobelia's fruitfulness in multiplying, we now number 15! And, as we seem to be a large family of dog lovers, there are six dogs in the mix when we all gather. That's a lot of turkey! And PIE, don't forget pie! Heavens, if we had five pies for nine people on Thanksgiving, just imagine how much pie there will be for 15! You can probably also imagine how much preparation is needed in the area of linens, laundry, baking, cooking, food prep and cleaning! WHY AM I STILL SITTING HERE??? 'Cause I'm a dolt.

Anyway, in other news, with Christmas being little more than a week away, I am ready to start putting up Christmas decorations! We're toning things down this year, not that we usually go hog wild or anything (we're not those kinds of people), but with The Viking's back in its current condition the garland and giant wreath are just going to have to take a year off. We'll still the wreaths on all the windows and the candles in the windows, but that will probably be it. And I, for one, am thrilled about it! I always prefer a simpler display when it comes to Christmas lights but The Viking always insists on more. We will probably be going to get our tree and putting it up this weekend and to coincide with such a happy and timely event, I will be changing the decor of the blog.


It's time to deck the halls all over the place so stay tuned...

It's Coming...

I just cannot seem to get my rear into gear. And Christmas is only...hang on let's look...EGADS...ELEVEN DAYS AWAY.

This is getting critical, people.

I know, I know, it's Advent and we're supposed to be calm and serene and blissful. But things still need to get done, right? I am having trouble knowing how to get things accomplished without all the craziness and chaos in which I usually partake during what I used to call the Christmas season.

Still redefining Christmas over here. If I don't run around like a fiend for a solid month before the 25th, getting done all the things everyone else tells me I need to do, when, exactly, am I supposed to do the things I AM supposed to do?

I think, maybe, I've been misusing Advent. It is not an excuse to be lazy and procrastinate after all, is it?

In my defense, things have been a wee bit unusual around here. True, Redheaded Snippet is not doing basketball this year which has been a HUGE improvement, schedule-wise, and The Viking's back is getting gradually better all the time, but there always seems to be some kind of wackiness to fill in the gaps when other wackiness departs from us.

We're having our stove put in, which you know about. It's still not done. I don't really want to talk about it. Okay, being no stranger to home improvement projects, I am fully aware that NO project EVER goes as quickly or smoothly as you think and predict it will. There is ALWAYS some unseen problem and some surprising drama. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to fill all those programming hours on HGTV. Can you imagine? Today on Home Renovators, Joe and Darlene are upgrading their upstairs bathroom, taking an out-dated, boring, 1980's-style glorified closet and turning it into an up-dated, boring, 2009-style glorified closet with a granite vanity and cocoa paint! They finish the project in the allotted time and within budget and they like it very much. BORING!

Or how about this:

Today, on House Hunters, Mike and Joann are looking for a modest 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath home in a middle-class neighborhood in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Their budget is $300,000 and they have plenty of time to move. They find the perfect house on their very first try. Moving day goes super-smoothly and, three months later, they still like their new, boring house a lot. SNORE!

Okay, I digress (how unlike me).

So, yeah, I knew things would decidedly NOT go as planned. But, I did NOT think it would take THIS long to get the job done. It's going to get done, there is no major drama; we didn't have to move a wall or evict a colony of pests or call the fire department or anything. But, we're not going to have the cozy living room hearth by Christmas that we were dreaming of. It may or may not be functional by this evening, but it certainly isn't going to be pretty.

Long story short, the project took a lot longer and we don't have enough money in our budget to pay the very nice, very honest man who is doing the installation for the extra time he's going to have to put in. He wants to just put in the time and have us pay him the amount he originally quoted us, but The Viking won't have it. As a part-time handyman himself, he understands how these things go and while he appreciates the man's integrity does not want him to put all those hours in and not be compensated for it (and we just can't afford to do that). So, our honest, nice installer is going to finish the pipe/chimney thing so the stove is functional and The Viking is going to finish the aesthetic part (the stone facing for the walls and floor) himself (and with lots of help).

As long as we can use the thing before Christmas, I will be placated. I just want ONE evening of sitting in front of a blazing fire in my own living room with Christmas carols blaring or Holiday Inn on the television, stringing popcorn and cranberries or wrapping gifts. Is that so wrong?

Anyway, The Viking is going away on a two-day business trip (BOO) so the kids and I are on our own for 47 hours. Yikes. One good thing, we get to have pancakes and bacon for dinner tonight! The Viking hates breakfast for dinner but the kids and I love it so we whoop it up whenever he's not here. And Man-Cub will get to sleep in our bed with me. They're little things, but they help make The Viking's absence not so horrible. I hate it when he's not here; it just doesn't feel right at all. If only our silly dog would bark at creatures that walk on two legs and have no fur, I might feel a little better...

Well, I suppose I'd better get my chores done and then see about getting some Christmas shopping done. I'm going to try to do the vast majority of my shopping online again this year. I hate shopping, especially at Christmas time and am hoping I can avoid the long lines and cranky people and fake sales completely this year.

Off to the salt mines...

What a Blustery Day

This is what I am looking out on today. Ick.



Again, I know my skillz do not do it justice. It's miserable out there. It could be worse, it could be 92 degrees with 90% humidity, that would REALLY make me cranky! Even during the short distance between home and school the roads were treacherous and flooded. The Viking left over an hour ago to begin what is usually a 45-minute commute and just texted me that he hasn't even gotten on the highway yet.

I just wish our stove was in working condition! I could have a nice, blazing fire in it and be folding laundry in front of it, or just relaxing, keeping warm in front of it, instead of hovering near the stupid, ugly, unfragrant space heater. Okay, enough about the stove...

So, I managed to pull dinner together at the last minute. A last-ditch peek into the fridge (before pulling on coat and hat to run to the nearest grocery) revealed two previously forgotten packets of sausages I had bought on Friday because they were Buy 1 Get 1. And as I had plenty of potatoes in the bin, it happily became Bangers-N-Mash night! I say happily but that's only for me and The Viking. The children do not like Bangers-N-Mash night. Man-Cub would prefer Bangers night while Redheaded Snippet could do Mash night every night. But Bangers-N-Mash it is and so they will eat.

I do not (obviously) have photos. Lately, I have been too tired by 5:00 each evening to do anything but scrape something out of a pot into a bowl for dinner then melt into the sofa until The Viking says, "Hon, you look wiped. Go to bed." I think it's our stupid morning routine. I wake at least 6 times before I actually have to get out of bed. That can't be healthy. I think I need my own bedroom (sorry, Love), full sensory deprivation and a good solid week of waking up exactly when I want to in order to get caught up. Which means it'll never happen. Sigh.

I'd better go make some coffee.

Wood Stove Day Two

Progress continues.


This was how things looked by lunch break yesterday.


And then by quittin' time. Of course, there are naysayers who say mournfully that they hope I won't hate it with the ash and smoke and especially situated in the corner like that and I'm still not exactly sure how we're going to arrange the furniture, but I find myself getting more and more excited about having this thing in the house. And the furniture placement is starting to come together in my mind anyway so I'm not that worried. Anymore.


As of lunchtime today, the part I was worried about was over; the cutting of the rather large hole into the front wall of my house. They did a good job and it doesn't (so far) look junky or like Pineys have moved in so I am relieved.

I'm expecting it will take at least another day before it's finished as they haven't even started on the stone work yet and that will probably take a good, long time. But I'm still crossing my fingers that we'll be gazing into a roaring (and safely contained) fire in our living room by week's end!

In other news, I have broken my own rule and do not have a single morsel planned for tonight's dinner. I got nothing! Maybe I'll turn to the old stand-by and make Eggs in a Basket? Maybe just get some tomatoes, cheese and a few cans of soup for grilled cheese and soup night? Guess I should get on that, huh?

Latest Project

This latest is not, specifically, my project. It's our project, though if I had to pick I would lean more toward it being The Viking's project. It will benefit us all, but he is having more to do with the particulars than I am.

Before I dive right in, I must post a disclaimer: the photos you are about to see may contain images that some will find disturbing to their eyesight or equilibrium. I fully acknowledge that I am a terrible photographer.

I'm sorry about the blur! Ye be warned...


This is what I alluded to in my last post, about the furniture being in disarray and not having a home for the nativity. The wood stove is going in today!

Here is the corner we've designated as the new hearth of our home, where the piano used to be, already stripped of the carpeting we had installed 11 years ago. I was very curious to see what was underneath as I can't recall getting a good look at it the day we moved in (I was 6 months pregnant at the time and running after a 3-year-old Redheaded Snippet-- task more daunting than you can imagine). We've always intended to one day pull up the carpet and refinish the floors but haven't been entirely sure what we'd be dealing with. As it turns out, it doesn't look half bad...

Because of his back, The Viking is not able to install it himself so he has committed what nearly amounts to a cardinal sin amongst the men of his family and has...sshhhhh...hired someone...to do it. But that isn't stopping him from getting in there while the guys are outside getting something out of the truck (which is also when I sneak in to snap a few photos).

And the obligatory "stud finder" gag. Har-de-har-har, I know. I'm sorry, Honey, about the terrible quality of this shot! But it's okay, the rest of the world doesn't need to know just how foxy you are; they'd be beating down our door just to gaze at you! Just like I do. Every night while you sleep.

Okay, that was uber-creepy and unnecessary as The Viking never reads this unless I ask him point-blank to do so. And, no, I don't watch him while he sleeps. I'm too busy rummaging through his sock drawer. Again, I kid.

Hopefully, I can get some more snaps as the work progresses (and hopefully of better quality--maybe The Viking will have pity on me and take a few for me). And maybe, just maybe, in a few nights' time I will be too busy relaxing in front of the fire, basking in its wholesome glow, to blog about anything whatsoever. If you don't hear from me for a while, I'll be toasting...

Weekend Review

So, who can guess what I made last night???

Hmmm...avocados, lime, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, red onion...any guesses?

Anyone?

Can we say Guacamole? Oh it's just so Mmmm-Mmmm Good!

Guacamole is one of those foods I always thought of as hard to make. I think it was the avocados that intimidated me. Sure, they can be expensive, but you can catch them on sale (and Aldi has them for quite a reasonable price) and any vegetable that is that creamy and smooth and full of protein is one worth buying, in my book!

*edited to add: Okay, I know the avocado is actually a fruit and not a vegetable, but nevertheless, how many fruits can you name that are that decadently smooth and creamy?


Of course, you have to know how to prepare them. Thanks to America's Test Kitchen I now know to remove the rather large pit (which usually goes to Man-Cub after a quick rinse--he loves to play with them, the little weirdo) very carefully with the blade of my chef's knife, then score the flesh like a grid.

The cubes are then removed from the skin quite easily with just a swipe of a tablespoon. Unless of course the avocado is not quite ripe in which case there is nothing you can do with it except put it in a brown paper bag and think of something else to serve while the avocado ripens for a few days. If you haven't yet cut into the avocado and you know it isn't ripe enough you can poke several holes into it and nuke it for 30 seconds at a time until the skin turns purple and it's soft enough to cut.

But, once you've got nice, soft avocado flesh and you've scored and scooped it, you can simply mash it with a fork as your Guacamole base.

All of the other ingredients (diced garlic, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, some cumin and salt and one avocado the cubes of which you have not mashed but left...cubed) can then be plopped in...

...and with a squeeze or two of lime juice, the whole thing is ready to be stirred up!

Now, all you need is a bag of your favorite tortilla chips (we're partial to Mission brand chips--tasty and economical), a jar of salsa and some sour cream and you've got a taste explosion that serves as snack, lunch, or even dinner.

I made this for Redheaded Snippet's field hockey team's victory party. A few minutes after we had arrived, one of the assistant coaches, who I had never met before, came up to me and asked if I had made the Guacamole. When I said I had she began pumping my hand and gushing about how good it was and how she had to ask around until she found out which player's mother had made it! Apparently, she's a bit of an aficionado and considers mine among the best she's ever had! I couldn't stop blushing and smiling! I have to say I don't think I've ever had a reaction like that to anything I've made before. It totally made my day. Maybe even my month.

That Guac was the perfect prelude to a chili and cornbread dinner put together by Lobelia and me. Our men spent the day hauling wood together in the chill, freezing rain and, eventually, snow. They endured getting the U-haul trailer stuck in an ATM lane at the bank, getting the truck stuck in the mud in Lenny and Lobelia's back yard, having to call AAA to get them out, leaving deep ruts in our yard, Lenny's yard and Lenny's neighbor's yard (Lenny took care of it, it's cool), and getting good and wet and filthy in the process. Lobelia and I knew they'd need something hearty and sustaining so I made The Viking's favorite Cincinnati Chili and Lobelia made our aunt's famous Onion Corn Bread. And, as the Guac happens to be a favorite of everyone's I made some of that for us all to munch on while we heated up dinner. The whole thing was perfect!

Switching gears once more, I did manage to put together what can loosely be defined as an Advent wreath. Okay, it's not a wreath, per se, but it will just have to do.

I am amazed, and a bit disgusted, at the severe lack of Advent materials out there. I've looked everywhere I can think of, even the "religious" store at the mall. They had one wreath and it was metal and gargantuan and weighed about 3 tons and probably could easily brain someone. And the only candles they had weren't even the size that fits it. That made no sense to me whatsoever. And their "Advent" calendars? All either had candy in them or were plastered with images of Santa and reindeer and snowmen and such. I've looked online and have realized I'm going to have to make do this year and order what I really want for next year.

A.C. Moore had votives that were close enough in color to make do for this year. And at $.50 each I decided to go for it. When I got them home I realized I had these little glasses sitting on my hutch that would fill in perfectly as votive cups. The Viking went out in the yard and cut some holly and evergreen branches for me and, as I couldn't figure out how to bend them into a circle and keep them that way, I decided to abandon the wreath idea and go for more of a linear, rectangular kind of thing in keeping with my (very limited) arranging skills.

So, down came my vintage, metal Coca Cola tray off the wall. I laid the holly and evergreen around it (pricking my fingers several times in the process--holly prickles are SHARP!) and arranged the candles carefully so I don't burn the house down as an unforgettable Advent gift for us all! I briefly explained to the children why we light candles for Advent and lit them as we sat down to dinner and The Viking led us in prayer as he usually does, but this time he had us all give our own short prayer of thanksgiving. God has really been speaking to The Viking lately, ever since his back pain started; sometimes God just has to knock us off our donkeys to get our attention.

While it's not what I had envisioned, and I'm still planning on ordering a proper wreath for next year, I'm glad to have finally gotten the Advent decorating started. I left the candles glowing in the dark dining room while we sat in the next room and it made me feel so...festive is the wrong word but it's the closest thing I can think of...to look in and see the light shining in the darkness. Tomorrow, I want to get the electric candles in all the windows. Somehow, they seem more like Advent than Christmas to me. I'd also like to get the nativity out from its box in the basement, but that has to wait until we figure out where we're putting the living room furniture and that won't be settled until later this week.

But that's another whole story...

Cottage Pie and Advent

So, first of all, that Cottage Pie I made the other night? There are no words to fully capture its magnificence. It was splendid, delectable, perfection in Pyrex.

Those are good words, but even they fall short.

It was the kind of food that reduces you to mere grunts of delight, eyes rolling back into the head and everything. It was better than pub food and this from a girl who thinks nothing's better than pub food.

Not to mention, it was a marvel of making do with what you have. I was Super Mom last night, I'm telling you! I had decided on the dish to use up the leftover beef and mash I had in the fridge, which I thought was rather clever to begin with. But I wasn't able to get to the grocery store as planned yesterday so when it came time to whip it up, I found myself having to be a little more clever than I had anticipated.

I was wiftily (a word which, shockingly, spell-check does not recognize) out of onions, frozen peas and carrots, and gravy mix but managed to find a zip top bag full of onions I had diced for guacamole earlier in the week (another culinary triumph, but one for another day) and forgotten about, a bag of frozen peas I didn't even know I had, and glazed carrots leftover from the roast beef dinner. And as for the gravy mix, I put my thinking cap on and came to the conclusion that gravy mix is for sissies and threw some beef broth (made from a beef base I get at the Mennonite market and some boiling water), flour and red wine into the pot. And don't forget the leftover beef I had cubed and rejuvenated in its own little beef broth and red wine bath.

Remember in cartoons when an irresistible aroma would enter a character's nostrils and literally pick him up off his feet and waft him through the air toward the source? That's the kind of smell we had going on in our house that night. It tore Man-Cub away from his new video game nose first, asking breathlessly, "What smells so good?"

And, oh Man, it was so so good! Silly good! The downside is we wolfed it down so quick there was no time to get photos. And there were no leftovers for lunch. But once again, I saved dinner and saved money and managed to impress my husband which is always a plus!

Secondly, I am still dwelling on Advent and how to change the way we prepare for Christmas. I have felt in the past few years a certain unease about the way we've been celebrating. I had chalked it up to giving into peer pressure and becoming like everyone else (something I generally hate), but I am starting to see it was way more than that. And the answer, I believe, is not so much going back to an old-fashioned way of observing Christmas (though I think that has its merits), but more about Advent.

I've already expounded a bit on this, so I don't want to keep going on about it. But, it's still rolling around in my head so you're bound to keep hearing about it a bit. For instance, I'm wondering, since I usually deck out my blog for Christmas, would it be acceptable to deck it out instead for Advent? Or would that just be the same thing I'm trying to get away from? And if I do decide to do it, how does one go about that, exactly?

Anyway, it's time for me to start the evening bedtime routine. Man-Cub needs to be bathed and put to bed and I still have clothes to fold and iron. Good night!

Back to life, back to reality

Aye, my head is spinning today!

I took the day off yesterday to sit in my pajamas and waste away in front of the computer. But now it's back to the daily grind and then some!

I'm still washing dishes from Thanksgiving. Don't judge me! There are very specific Biblical guidelines for judging and I know for a fact that leaving Thanksgiving dishes to sit on the kitchen counter for two days before washing them is not mentioned!

Anyway, I'm also writing up our weekly menu and trying to work all our lovely leftovers into our upcoming meals. What do you think of these?

English Cottage Pie with Herbs (from recipezaar.com)
*I will try any dish that sounds even remotely English. Except blood pudding. Sorry, but no. I don't do Marmite either, but I digress...

**This recipe not only uses some of the leftover mashed potatoes taking up space in the fridge, but the rest of the whole eye of round I slow-cook on Wednesday. BONUS!

-1 lb lean ground beef (Pshaw, I'm using diced, braised, leftover roast beef)
-1 large onion, diced
-12 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
-16 oz frozen peas and carrots or cooked fresh carrot slices
-6 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes (WHAT??) or leftover mash
-1 oz herb & beef gravy mix (A-HA, an excuse to go buy some Bisto)
-1/8 t rosemary
-1/4 t thyme
-1 1/4 cups water or dry red wine (dry red wine, definitely)
-1/2 t ground black pepper
-1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
-1 large tomato, sliced (I may be omitting this)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (WHY is there no degree symbol on the keyboard?)
2. In medium saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is very browned, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and peas and carrots. Stir well and heat through.
3. To the meat mixture, add gravy packet and water or wine, rosemary, thyme and pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. boil and stir for 2-3 minutes (gravy will thicken when cool).
4. Turn beef mixture into a greased large and deep casserole dish. Top with potatoes, cheese and tomato slices.
5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees (grrrr) for 30 minutes. Uncover, and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
6. Serve with Parmesan cheese for topping at the table, along with a glass of cider or ale (Magners would do very nicely), if desired!
7. Note: To freeze, omit the cheese and tomato. Do not bake. To cook, defrost in fridge overnight, add cheese and tomato and bake as directed, adding about 20 minutes to the baking time to compensate for the chilled food.

I'm actually making that tonight. I may have to go out just for some Magners to go with it.

Tomorrow for brunch after church (if we make it--The Viking's back is still very bad), I'm making this one:

Crispy Leftover Stuffing Hash with Sunny-Side-Up Eggs (from seriouseats.com
*I think this one needs a new name. I didn't name it. But it does use up the TONS of stuffing leftovering in my fridge.

-2 cups leftover stuffing
-2 T lightly salted or sweet butter
-2 eggs
-salt and pepper to taste

1. Form a half-inch thick pancake about 6 inches in diameter with your leftover stuffing.
2. Melt the butter in a saute pan. Place the stuffing pancake into the pan.
3. Cook at low heat for about 5 minutes, until it is a lovely golden brown.
4. Turn the stuffing pancake over and cook another 3-4 minutes.
5. Put the pancake on a serving plate in the oven.
6. Make your sunny-side-up or poached eggs. Top the pancake hash with the eggs.

And one more that I'm probably going to make tomorrow evening to get rid of the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers in one fell swoop:

Turkey and Stuffin' Soup (courtesy Rachael Ray)

-4-6 cups prepared stuffing
-1 T extra virgin olive oil
-2 medium carrots, chopped, up to 2 cups leftover baby carrots, chopped
-2 ribs celery, chopped
-1 onion, chopped
-salt and pepper
-1 bay leaf
-2 qts chicken stock
-1 1/2 lbs cooked turkey meat, diced
-handful parsley leaves, chopped
-1 cup frozen peas or leftover prepared peas, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and transfer stuffing into a small baking dish. Place dish in oven and reheat 12-15 minutes until warmed through.

Heat a pot over moderate heat and add olive oil. Work close to the stove and add veg as you chop. If you're using fresh carrots, cut them into a small dice or slice thin. If you're using leftover baby carrots, cut into bite-size pieces. Add celery and onion and lightly season veg with salt and pepper. Ad bay leaf, stock and bring liquid to boil. Add turkey and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until any raw veg are cooked until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and peas, if using.

Remove stuffing from oven. Using an ice cream scoop, place a healthy scoop of stuffing in center of a soup bowl. Ladle soup around stuffing ball. Your soup will look like a chunky matzo ball soup. Pull spoonfuls of stuffing away aw you eat through your bowl of soup.

Hey, that sounds pretty good! We'll see what the family thinks, though, and they are a tough bunch. I think all Man-Cub ate on Thanksgiving was turkey, rolls and pie (but not the crusts, the Philistine). I can't quite see him going for stuffing in his soup. Oh well.

My other pursuits today are many and varied. I have to somehow track down The Viking's doctor. He has been in continuous pain for two weeks now, is still sleeping in the recliner and is slipping into despair despite the epidural he had on Tuesday. I know, it can take up to 2 weeks for it to take effect, but what is he supposed to do in the meantime? The doctor isn't seeing him again until December 22! The meds being prescribed are not helping much, but he's running out of them and can't get them refilled without a doctor's authorization.

I also have some shopping to do. I need groceries (SNORE), but I also want to stop in at my favorite British Import shop for some Advent calendars for the kids and a package of Typhoo. Then I want to track down the materials to make my very first Advent wreath and some candles. I've been doing some reading lately and have decided that what we need right this very moment is a little Advent, not a little Christmas. It's too early for Christmas, people! That need you feel to anticipate something with great expectation and excitement cannot be met by Santa Claus, Frosty, Rudolph, the Grinch, or (Lord help us) Homer Simpson dressed as Santa. Getting that something special for everyone on your Christmas list, mailing all your Christmas cards by December 1st, or festooning every corner of your home with glitter, tinsel, baubles, holly and ribbon will not help. Wishing joy and peace and goodwill to your fellow man won't even cut it.

We spend inordinate amounts of time and energy getting ready, but for what? For Santa? No, we're too old for that. For exchanging gifts? For gathering with family? For resting and relaxing? All good things, but is that all we're gearing up for? Is that the main event? We spend almost 6 weeks preparing for something we just did on Thanksgiving except with presents? So is it just about presents? It can't be. Because then we could just efficiently add the exchanging of gifts to our Thanksgiving celebrations and save ourselves a lot of time, effort and money (not that corporate America would ever want that to happen, but it would be the sensible thing to do). No, there must be something else that makes Christmas special.

Lately, you hear a lot about being kind to everyone around you because it's Christmas, that special season. But why? Why should we be extra good to people at Christmas time? What's so special about it?

What's special about it is Christ and the celebration of his birth. He came, miraculously and willingly, to become one of us, knowing we would kill him and reject him, all so we could have a way to be with him for eternity and escape the eternal torment we deserve. That is what we celebrate on Christmas and that is what we anticipate during Advent. We prepare our hearts and our homes for what should be the most splendid party of the entire year. That's where all the hoopla surrounding Christmas comes from, or once did.

One year, when I was walking far from God, I celebrated Christmas and Easter the way many Americans do, without Christ in it. I didn't think I would miss much; after all, it seems to work for so many. But, despite my continued anger with and rebelliousness toward God, I noticed how empty and flat those Holidays seemed without that divine element. I actually thought, though I would not acknowledge it for many, many months, "How do people celebrate this way year after year? Is this all they have, all there is? How SILLY!"

So, this year, instead of getting caught up in the increasingly secular preparations for an increasingly secular "Holiday," I am slowing down and refocusing. I'm remembering what I'm really waiting for and preparing for. And I'm finding ways to work those remembrances into our family traditions, which is why I want a wreath! Anyone know where I can get that stuff???

You know, I never know how to wrap things up. I go on a tear about something and then suddenly, I'm done and I've got no words or mental energy left for a spiffy conclusion.

So, on that note...I'm done. And I have to go shopping. Thanks for listening.