The food, the shopping, the food, the gifts, the food...

We have what is technically called "too much."
Even though I roasted my smallest turkey yet (not quite 12 pounds), we're still loaded. Our fridge is so jammed the green bean casserole might just have to go as there's no room for it. He's going to cook down the turkey carcass into soup this evening and that will help, as it's currently taking up too much room in our overstuffed fridge.
He's very good at it. And this year, instead of freezing it all, we can just take some of the jars from our Great Applesauce Adventure and use those! Some are still being used for applesauce, though. And that way, we won't have to microwave the frozen vats for 15 minutes to get them thawed; they'll be ready to serve in just a few minutes!
I made mincemeat pie this year (from a jar). I'm still wary of it; the idea of meat in a pie gives me raised eyebrow. I probably wouldn't have liked it if I'd tried it when I was younger. Now, though, it's a nice change. And a nod to my dad, the only other person I know who ate it.
Another reason I won't be grocery shopping until the New Year has to do with the generosity of my mother-in-law. Since they travel to warmer climes during the winter months, she emptied her larder into mine. Most of it we'll use, eventually, like the mac'-&-cheese and egg noodles. A little will get donated at our parish's weekly can donation. Realistically, how many cakes can I bake?
We're taking this week off Official School. If she wants to do something, I'll pull out other books that we don't see very often (Princess workbooks). She just read me half of one of the books she got in her stocking--another tradition of my husband's family. MIL has historically put supermarket tabloids in stockings; I'm tweaking that tradition and making it something useful. Maddie got a couple (Princess for a Day and I Want to be a Ballerina), and Dale got three (Cars, Rescue Heroes, and one on spaceships). All are Level One readers. Rachel got The Monster At The End Of This Book, starring Grover. I wonder what she'll think of it.
My dear husband got me a Catholic Woman's Day Planner, with the menu and lesson planning options. Yes, I asked for it. I live by my planner; it helps me stay sane. I don't have to remember when everything is (swim class, library, ballet, Bible study, doctor's appointments, et cetera); I just need to remember where I write it all down. This one is almost too nice to write in.
I hope everyone's Christmas and Boxing Day were as merry and relaxed (respectively) as ours, or more so. Probably spotty blogging until the New Year, but who knows? With husband on half days, I may just have time.