December 6, 2025

WEEKLY MENU 12.07.25

The Weekly Menu 12.07.25 is here for the ride into mid-December!

A gentle reminder, dear reader, to begin the Weekly Menu 12.07.25. In the throes of all that is Christmas, it’s easy to become a little “hum-buggy”. Please, try not to! When you go into it planning on enjoying it, you’re more likely to actually enjoy it. Stop going overboard and take the things you want to do one step at a time. We’re all in the same boat – too much to do with too little time. Make a conscious effort to pare down what doesn’t work for you or make you happy. And make every effort to meet up and see the people that matter. NO is a perfectly acceptable answer to an invitation.

Pshew. Sorry for the rant.

Check out my How-to Host the Best Holiday Open House to invite friends and family to celebrate the season with you in your fully decorated house.

If you’re still scratching your head over gifts, check out the 50+ Epic Gift Ideas Post. It’s full of fun, unique gifts you don’t have to buy at the mall.

Ready for the “food portion” of the Weekly Menu 12.07.25

I’m hopping off the soapbox to get right to the meaty stuff – the food! Sunday during the Weekly Menu 12.07.25 is a gimme. We’re going to an Erie Philharmonic Christmas Concert, which is a resounding “YES” from all of us, and planning on grabbing a bite afterwards. Of course the concert is at 3:00 PM, so dinner will be way earlier than it normally is for us, so I’m making a dessert that we can eat after our meal has a chance to settle.

We’re sticking with Meatless Monday by cooking a big crockpot of Cajun Red Beans all day. I almost never remember to soak the beans the night before, so I put them in a microwave-safe bowl and cover them with about an inch of water. Then I microwave on high for 5 minutes, and let them soak for as long as I can before putting them in the crockpot. (Add new water to the beans for cooking.) The tender and juicy beans get served with a big scoop of rice and a variety of our favorite hot sauces and Cajun seasonings. I try not to make the beans themselves too spicy to allow for appropriate szuszhing!

Comfort Food abounds during the Weekly Menu 12.07.25

We’ve got some stew meat in the freezer, so Taco Tuesday is Beef Barbacoa Tacos, another fabulous crockpot treat. They are simple to put together (no pre-cooking for this girl) and cook all day. Yay!

I’m going to bake a couple of chicken breasts for our salad on Wednesday, but shredded rotisserie chicken would work just as well. I prefer cooking my own – it only takes about 20 minutes in a nice hot oven, and that way I can season them the way I like. I’ve been loving McCormick Salt Free Seasonings, and the Garlic Herb will be delicious on these.

Do you ever have one of those cravings for a diner meal? It’s a pretty consistent craving around here. Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes are coming to the rescue, giving me something to look forward to all week. Check out the recipe for Weeknight Mashed Spuds – no peeling required, because they bake in the oven with the meatloaf!