The kiddos have dubbed the basement Santa Lane.  Why?  It’s because they are not allowed downstairs for the foreseeable future until mommy finishes her official Santa Helper assignments.  NO PEEKING!  I hope to post lots of pics of the cuteness being created, but for now it’s all very hush-hush.   This past weekend while everyone else was battling the crazy snow, I got to have a great time working on Christmas projects with two friends.  Thanks, Kim and Karol!  You guys ROCK!  And, thank you, honey, for hanging out with all the kiddos.  :o)  I am a lucky girl!

Below is a picture of something I knit recently for a friend who had to have surgery.  Um, you don’t need to know what kind of surgery, but I bet you can guess!  I told my kids I was knitting her a cuddly monster doll to cheer her up.  Ha!  If you just have to make one yourself, the pattern is here.   You can see it is dressed up in cat antlers all ready for Christmas.  Nothing says “Merry Christmas” quite like it!

For more menu ideas, head over to Laura’s blog for Menu Plan Monday.  She has a link to a cute gift tag for any baked goods you may be giving this year from Crafty Carnival.  The Gluten Free Menu Swap is being hosted this week by Heather of Celiac Family.  The theme this week is onions.  The weird thing I have to share about onions is that you may never have to buy green onions again!  I have found that if you plant the root end into a pot and leave it in a window sill…

…they grow into an entire new plant.

I am experimenting this winter to see if I can go the entire winter without buying any more green onions (this is just one small pot of onions.  I have another larger one also).

The end of celery also seems to be working.  I’ll have to keep you updated on its progress…

I am a garden geek.  Well, onto the menu plan!

Monday: Bake off vanilla cutouts for Saturday/big girl dance class/boy scouts/bake gfcf bread for sandwiches

Frittata with roast squash and gluten free French bread (freeze extra loaf for Saturday)

Tuesday: Bake off chocolate cutouts for Saturday/piano lessons (need portable dinner)/start blender cornbread

Turkey burgers with gf buns, seasoned oven roasted fries and broccoli

Wednesday:  Bake off gingerbread cutouts for Saturday/volunteer in 2nd grade class/little girl dance class

Taco chili and blender corn bread

Thursday: Bake egg-free (gluten and dairy free also) cutouts for Saturday/orchestra concert

Roast turkey, roast squash and salad

Friday: Make brown sugar dough for Saturday/make turkey stock, freeze/volunteer in school library/sew for Christmas with friends

Fish tacos, red cole slaw (didn’t have last week) and red bean rice

Saturday: Cookie decorating day with friends!!/birthday party for friend of the little peep/sew for Christmas

Turkey wild rice soup (double batch – freeze half) with gf French bread

Sunday:  church/finish sewing day for Christmas with friends

French bread casserole (make a second for freezer to serve Christmas morning.  Bag the bread cubes in one freezer bag and all the rest of the ingredients into a separate freezer bag.) with fruit and homemade turkey sausage