Menu plan for the week of December 11

Good morning, all.  You may recall that last week, I was regretting my decision to freeze our turkey carcass.  Well, I finally got it into the stock pot this weekend.  Actually, it was so big, even stripped and crushed (the boys stomped on it, I think, to get it to fit in the freezer), that I had to use two stock pots.  I estimate I've got a total of about 24 quarts of stock to can today.  That seems like a lot.  More than past years, I think.  It's at least 5 canner loads (more if I decide to can pints).  I think I can get it done in a day.  The Ball Blue Book of Preserving recommends 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure for quarts, but adding in the heating, venting, and cooling/returning to 0 pressure time means I'm looking at around 1.5-2 hours per load.  Of course, I don't have enough lids...so that makes it difficult to finish today...

In other news, we're preparing for guests again in a couple of weeks, so I'll be doing as much cooking ahead as I can.  Although for the recipes I've chosen, there isn't as much I can do ahead this time.  And yes, I did think about reusing the same menu, but decided instead to customize based on this group's preferences (breakfast and lunch ended up the same, so there's that).

In other, other news, it's Christmas month, so I'll be making some treats.  Last week, I made Grinch cookies (cake mix cookies, dyed green, with candy hearts on them), Rolo pretzels (like this, only instead of using a nut on top, I use a second pretzel), and Mint m&m Oreo cookies.  I'm not sure what's on tap for this week.  I've been in the mood to make dipped things, like buckeyes and Oreo truffles.  I think I might make sugar cookies this week, and I just noticed the Santa's Snickers Surprises recipe when I was looking for the sugar cookie recipe, and it looked enticing.  I guess we'll find out.  Or, at least, I will.  You probably will, too.

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Supper:

• Grandpa R's chicken-rice soup, rolls
• Pizza (sauce, crust), salad
• Garlicky chicken, corn, brown rice or quinoa
• Beef & potato casserole, green beans
• Hamburgers, buns, chips, carrots
• Moroccan chicken couscous, cooked carrots
• Pancakes, eggs & bacon
• Cheesy mini burgers, brown rice, green beans

Other:

• Can turkey stock
• Cookies
• Warm you up sausage quiche
• Flock blocks