Tag Archives: Holiday

This thing called… an Advent Calendar

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This thing called .... a Advent Calendar

Hubby and I have been contemplating purchasing an Advent Calendar for the past couple of years, but neither of us were sure exactly what purpose it served.  And, the last thing we wanted to do was to add anything to Christmas that would require us to exert any more effort than we already do during the Holiday Season.  So year after year, we have passed.

This year (2014) however, they seemed to be all over the DIY circuit, which of course sparked my interest again.  And, some of the ones that I was coming across seemed like they would be something that I could tackle and actually be pleased with the outcome.

So I was off to do my research, little did I know that this would be much more involved than I thought. Literally, every one seemed to have their own way of doing it.  Some folks gave a gift for each day, similar to Hanukkah   Some folks did it for the entire month of December. Some people did it for the 12 days of Christmas.  Others made sure that it corresponded with the Advent Season.

After learning about how other’s did it.  I decided, which I am sure is of no surprise to you, to do it MY WAY!!  I decided that we would do it for 12 days and I really didn’t think it was important when we started it, as long as we got in 12 days prior to Christmas Eve.(we started today)  I decided that for the first 9 days, we would discuss the Fruits of the Spirit, in a way that a 10 year old and a 4 year old could both comprehend.  And, then for the remaining days, we would discuss 3 character traits, that we thought were vital to being good people.  We choose Empathy, Forgiveness, and Honor.

After being woo’d by all the great DIY Advent Calendars, I took the easy way out and created a printable version.  Maybe, I will do something more complex next year.

Do you think this is something you would like to do with your little ones? Join us on our journey, here’s a free printable for you. Right Click – Save – Print and Enjoy!! (Just right click and save and you are good to go!!)

 

Fruit of the Spirit Advent Calendar

Enjoy the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

Another Great After Thanksgiving Recipe – Turkey Dumpling Stew

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Turkey Dumpling Stew

Another After Thanksgiving Recipe - Turkey Dumpling Stew

Photo Source: Food Network Magazine

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:
50 min
Inactive Prep Time:
—
Cook Time:
4 hr 0 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
6-8 servings
 Ingredients
  • 1 leftover roasted turkey carcass, plus 3 to 4 cups shredded turkey meat
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2 stalks celery, quartered crosswise (save the leaves for the dumplings)
  • 1 pound carrots (3 quartered crosswise; the rest thinly sliced)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 sprigs parsley
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • Dumpling dough (recipe linked below)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 shallots, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pound parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Chopped fresh chives, for topping

Directions

Make the stock: Pull the turkey carcass apart into smaller pieces; set the meat aside. Put the bones in a large, deep pot and add cold water to cover, 4 to 5 quarts. Add the onion, celery, the 3 quartered carrots and the bay leaf. Tie the parsley and thyme together with twine and add to the pot, then cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook 3 to 4 hours. Remove the bones and vegetables with a skimmer and discard, then strain the stock though a fine-mesh strainer. Return the stock to the pot and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half, 30 to 40 minutes (you’ll have about 8 cups stock).

About 45 minutes before serving, prepare the dumplings . Keep covered with plastic wrap while you make the stew.

Make the stew: Melt the butter in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually add the stock, stirring, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced carrots and parsnips, cover and cook 5 minutes.

Stir in the turkey meat, lemon juice and green beans. Add the dumplings in a single layer (leave as squares or pat into rounds). Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls; top with chives.

Photograph by Con Poulos