End of November activities

Many of my next posts will be about activities and thoughts on Christmas as this is important to me at this time of year. This week is a great time to plan your Christmas activities. I often get out the collection of advent calendars to prepare for December. I also put away the fall decorations and start bringing out the Christmas and winter ones.

Create your own advent calendar. In each square for the 24 days leading up to Christmas, put in an activity for your family. This itself is a great family activity. Things you might want to include in your calendar: carol singing with friends at a nursing home; secret Santa gift/food delivery; volunteering at a food bank; baking cookies; cookie exchange with friends; sorting through old toys and clothes, then donating them; watching your favorite Christmas movies together; lights and decorations outside the house; lights and decorations inside the house; getting a tree; viewing Christmas lights and decorations together; Christmas party; Christmas services at church; addressing Christmas cards.

With such a calendar, you can more easily see which days might be hectic and have low key meals on those days. In addition, you can fit everything in a little better when you know when to expect it. If your kids have special activities at school, parties or concerts, these can be the family activities as well. Share the load with other families and friends which decreases the burden on you and builds your network of friends and love.

Menu planning November 25-December 1

• Sunday
  Roast chicken and root vegetables (make broth out of the carcase)
  Broccoli
  Apple pie
• Monday
  Turkey vegetable soup using broth from last week's turkey
  French bread
• Tuesday
  Chicken stew using Sunday's leftovers and broth, adding celery and peas
  Green salad
  Crackers
• Wednesday
  Chili on brown rice topped with cheddar cheese
  Green salad
• Thursday
  Sloppy Joes using leftover chili
  Fruit salad
• Friday
  Macaroni and cheese
  Green beans
• Saturday
  Pizza
• 
  

Thanksgiving thoughts

For me, Thanksgiving week is a time for counting blessings. I live in such abundance. My garden produced an enormous amount of vegetables, many of which are in the freezer for use throughout the winter. I have a wonderful family: children, grandchildren, cousins, aunts, uncles, mother, sisters, neices, and more extended family. We're mostly friends and love and support one another. I have a special and wonderful husband. I have a comfortable home, comfortable income, challenging and rewarding career. I have great friends, many opportunities to provide service, and the ability to provide that service. I'm blessed with excellent health, a good mind, a love of reading and lots of books to read. I'm grateful for my talents and strengths for the opportunities they bring to serve, and for my weaknesses for the opportunities they bring to grow. I feel blessed to live in the United States and to have traveled within the states this year and to other wonderful countries in the past. I'm grateful to speak languages other than English for the appreciation of the beauties of language and of the other cultures it has brought me. Most especially, I'm grateful for my faith and the foundation that religion provides in my life.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving season.

Thanksgiving week activities

This is a great time of year to look at the numerous blessings we enjoy. We live in a time of such abundance. As you prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, if you are in the US, spend some time reflecting on this abundance. Read the fall chapters of Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They have so much prep work just to make it through winter in tact. Discuss with your kids how different it is today. Did you have a garden this year? Have you been to a farmer's market? I think we're more grateful for our food and other blessings when we know how much work goes into creating them.

Create Thanksgiving cards to share with your loved ones. You can use the traditional drawing a turkey by outlining a hand or perhaps cards showing the things your family is grateful for. Creating a centerpiece of harvest items can be a great reminder.

Contrast our current Thanksgiving activities with those of the past. Read the Thanksgiving chapter in Farmer Boy, also by Laura Ingalls Wilder, or in Eight Cousins, by Louisa May Alcott. They had a feast and had to work very hard to create it. Have the whole family help in some of the holiday cooking preparations-maybe in making pies.

Have older children do some online research to find out what was served at the first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts. It sure is different than we normally serve now, unless you normally include such seafood as eels. If you live in New England, this is a great week to visit Plymouth. The Mayflower was tiny-imagine spending weeks in such close quarters. The plantation settlement was pretty small as well. Even our smallest houses today are huge compared to these homes.

Although they didn't spend the day watching Football or shopping, games were included in this first Thanksgiving. That's another area older kids might enjoy learning about. It wasn't just spectator sports, most of the men were involved.

Delayed menus November 19-25

Things have been crazy, so this is somewhat delayed.

• Sunday
  Salmon-make at least 2 extra servings
  Artichokes
  Potatoes au gratin
  Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
• Monday
  Salmon noodle casserole (like your favorite tuna casserole, but use Salmon)
  Green salad
• Tuesday
  Hot and sour soup
• Wednesday
  Quick tomato soup
  Grilled cheese sandwiches
• Thursday (whatever your traditional dishes are)
  Turkey (make broth out of leftover bones) and gravy
  Roasted potatoes
  Mashed yams
  Green bean casserole
  Pumpkin pie
• Friday
  Hot turkey sandwiches
  Leftover veggies
• Saturday
  Turkey enchilada casserole
  Green salad

Veteran's day 2007

Yesterday was Veteran's day, with today our official celebration so people get a Monday holiday. Our flag flew yesterday, before it rained. It is flying today. I'm wearing a pin commemorating the flag. What I find very sad is that there are no other flags flying in my neighborhood.

Many years ago, we lived in a small town in Massachusetts where there was a local parade for Veteran's day. Girl scouts, boy scouts, junior high and high school bands all marched in the parade. We ended up a at the cemetery where a bugler played taps. Most of the houses flew the flag. There were many veterans there. We could concretely thank them for their sacrifice. What about today? For my company, it isn't a holiday. It is work as usual. How sad that we've become a society that does not value the sacrifices that made the society possible.

This is a great day to spend reflecting on our citizenship. Watch a patriotic movie with your kids. Talk about sacrifices that our vets make. Fly your flag.

November 11-17 menu planning

• Sunday
  Pork roast
  Pan roasted potatoes and carrots
  Spinach salad
  Oatmeal and apple cookies
• Monday
  Hot pork and gravy sandwiches
  Mashed potatoes
  Slice tomatoes
• Tuesday
  Vegetable soup using rest of leftover pork
  French bread
• Wednesday
  French bread pizza
  Green salad
• Thursday
  Canned salmon (instead of tuna) casserole with veggies
  Green salad
• Friday
  Squash bisque
  Crackers
  Green salad
• Saturday
  Leftover salmon casserole
  Leftover squash bisque
  
  

Squash bisque:
3 Tbsp butter or oil
1 small carrot grated
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 acorn squash, peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

In frying pan, melt butter or add oil; saute carrot until tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, squash and chicken stock to your slow cooker and cover. Cook over low at least 3 hours, but may be all day if needed. Puree about 1.5 cups per time in the blender or run through a ricer. Add back into a large saucepan. Add the milk and salt and pepper to taste. Heat on medium heat until hot and ready to serve.

For flavor variations: add 1 apple to the squash and potatoes, then a dash or two of cinnamon to the seasonings.
Add a dash of curry or garlic to the seasoning

Activities suggestions for the week

If you live in an area with pretty fall leaf colors, take some time with your kids to gather bouquets of leaves. You can use them like flowers in a vase. You can preserve them two ways: cover them with clear contact paper, then cut an outline just outside the leaf so the contact paper can stick to itself, or use waxed paper for more economical solution. Use 2 sheets slightly larger than the leaf, put leaf between them, iron with a warm iron. Then trim like the contact paper.

You can use these preserved leaves to create a centerpiece, as window decals with light adhesive, or you can hang them from a tree as ornaments. You can write things you are thankful for on the leaves as an additional reminder of why we celebrate Thanksgiving. This is a great month to look for blessings, things to be thankful for, everywhere and talk about how wonderful life is.

Kids can help with leaf raking, particularly if you make piles of leaves for jumping into. If you have some fun, and finish up with some hot spiced cider, you have created memories and helped clean up your yard. You can add the leaves to your compost, particularly if you can shred them first, and help your kids understand about rebuilding the soil.

For smaller kids, this is a great week to make some home-made Thanksgiving decorations. The favorite turkey made by tracing the hand and coloring is always good, particularly with creative coloring.

Dinner menus November 4-10

• Sunday
  Oven fried chicken
  Mashed winter squash-pick your favorite
  Chicken gravy
  Peas
  Pumpkin spice cake
• Monday
  Tuna casserole
  Green salad
• Tuesday
  Vegetable strata or quiche
  Carrots
• Wednesday
  Left over casserole
  Green beans
• Thursday
  Chicken vegetable soup-cook mixed veggies in chicken broth
  French bread
  Salad
• Friday
  Stir fried vegetables
  Brown rice
• Saturday
  Deli sandwiches-make your own
  Include favorite sandwich meats, cheeses and a variety of toppings