Next Sunday I am hosting about 20 of my in-laws for brunch; this is after I host the same group + 20 extra for dinner the night before. The dinner, fortunately, is mostly catered, so I don't have to worry about that, but since people will be re-descending on my house the next morning, I am looking for some easy breakfast ideas that I can pop in the oven before people arrive and pull out in time to serve. In my freezer, I already have - triple berry muffins - banana-bran muffins And I will be serving juice and fruit salad. Mostly I'm looking for quiche/casserole recipes that I can half pull together the night before, half finish/bake the morning of (or even freeze and bake...) My husband is not a huge egg eater, so I don't have a lot of quiche experience. I'm also 37 weeks pregnant, so my energy level isn't going to be spectacular; thus tried-and-true recipes I can count on are appreciated!

You can actually make your own limoncello - basically, vodka, lemons, sugar and a little time. I'm sure you can extrapolate from there what would work in a recipe - or keep a bit of homemade limoncello in your freezer for further cake emergencies :001_cool:

I'm tentatively in! With a new baby in Feb, I'm trying not to box myself in with my own expectations, but a more organized house would be a win for everyone around here.

A faint line on an OPK just indicates that the test registered some of the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) in your urine stream. This can actually happen at any time in your cycle, but yes, a faint line probably indicates you are sometime before or after ovulation. An OPK is positive when the testing line is darker than the control line. That means there is enough LH to indicate a surge - or basically you have between 12-36 hours before you ovulate. I have friends who test both morning and afternoon during their ovulation window, as the LH surge can be very short.

My niece got a leotard, several tutus, ballet slippers, and a tiara last year for Christmas (almost 3). It's been a year, and she still wears a tutu every day, often several at once. My SIL has to negotiate to get her in something else for preschool.

If everyone likes the same thing. :001_smile: In my household, my dh strongly dislikes eggs (I can get away with a small amount in a breakfast burrito), but he needs protein in the morning. That taxes my creativity. On mornings when everyone else gets eggs, he either fends for himself, or I'll make something separate for him. Depends on how awake I am. :tongue_smilie: When I was growing up, my mom made a different breakfast for everyone. This sounds like a lot of work, but neither my brother nor my step-father are morning people. In high school, my brother was a BEAR in the mornings. It saved her a lot of grief to make separate breakfasts, and she actually served them in bed. (I should add, she made breakfast for the two of them. On my trips home, she would point me in the direction of the cold cereal. The perks of being the oldest, the girl, and a morning person!) To the OP: the answer is sometimes. My dh usually eats lunch out at work; he usually has client meetings at least three times a week, and he has one lunch-provided meeting per week. The schedule is unpredictable, and I get tired of sending a lunch that doesn't get eaten. Breakfast is more of a yes, but then again, I'm a morning person, and dh is not. I don't always make fresh breakfast, though; I reheat oatmeal/hot cereal/pancakes frequently on week days.

The Ox Cart Man by Barbara Cooney King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood Newf by Maria Killilea (out of print, but worth finding! http://www.amazon.com/Newf-Marie-Killilea/dp/0698113969) Rapunzel and Rumplestiltskin retold by Paul O. Zelinsky Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellog

Is she going through a "just like mommy" stage? If so, or it seems to be coming... - play purse, especially with things that can be put in and taken out - play vacuum - her own apron and mixing bowls/spoons This link might have some helpful suggestions; many lean toward the educational but fun toys: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2012/11/christmas-gift-ideas-for-tots-2012-update/ And of course, books! No one can have too many books, even 21 month olds!

Mac 'n cheese - thank you for the reminder. Can't imagine what my DH would say to a month without it! And breakfast foods - :ohmy: Hadn't even thought of that! Of course - not only handy in the morning, but who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? (or lunch, or you know, pretty much whenever...) I freeze pancakes all the time, but I hadn't thought to add them to my stockpile. Blaming it on the hormones. Thank you! Both recipes look delicious, and my favorite meatballs and enchiladas are definitely going on my list now. This is why I turn to the Hive; when my brain goes, I can trust you ladies to help me keep up! Thanks for the suggestion - adding to my recipe to-dos.

I'm getting a chest deep freeze for Christmas and I'm already planning ways to fill it! :D (my current freezer is a side by side and TINY - I can't even fit an 8x8 in there). Baby's due in mid-Feb, so I'm planning on spending Jan/early Feb filling the freezer. We've recently moved to a new area, so except the week my mom is here helping, cooking will be all on me. I figure whatever I stash will be useful. So... your best recipes/tips for freezing? I'm always open to vegetarian options, but DH is pretty sure it doesn't count as a meal unless there's meat involved. :) I'll have the following in there for sure: lasagna homemade pasta sauce (meat and marinara) stuffed manicotti chili (white, vegetarian, and, uh.... regular?) Shepherd's pie Thanks!

Appetizers: - bacon wrapped water chestnuts (recipes call for all kinds of sauce, but I usually just wrap a whole water chestnut in half a slice of bacon, stick a toothpick through it, and sprinkle on a little brown sugar before baking) - veggie tray with ranch and hummus - fruit with a yogurt dip - flavored popcorn (any savory spices you like) - variations on chex mix Drinks Can't help with the coasters, but I would definitely put a large pot of spiced hot apple cider on. It makes the house smell so festive! Desserts If you are willing to put up with a little mess, have a "decorate your own cupcake" bar. I put out three bowls of buttercream frosting - you can either flavor two (chocolate and peanut butter are good) or color them - and about 6 topping choices. Chopped nuts, shredded coconuts, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, etc. Keeps 'em busy, and you probably won't have any leftovers :001_smile:

My husband and I bought our current house after walking through it as an open house (about 8 moths ago). I've never sold a house that way, but both of our previous sales have been relatively unusual transactions.

My mother and her sisters have what they call the "Mom clause" in conversations, as in they comment to one another when one of them is "behaving like mother". I think the most difficult thing about watching my grandmother age has been the way she has cut off contact with people. And yes, it is an exaggeration of personality traits she has always had, but especially since my grandfather died (12 years ago), she has basically trimmed everyone out of her life that isn't family, and family is only welcome on certain terms. That being said, she still has her routine (daily breakfast out, trips to the hairdresser, etc.) and we've recently realized that her own mother basically became a recluse as soon as her children left the house, and finally put herself to bed (for a sprained ankle) and remained there for the last 10 or so years of her life. In comparison, my grandmother has made a concerted effort not to become her own mother as she ages. Looking at my other set of grandparents, I think the thing one can do NOW to stave off the "weirdness" of old age is to cultivate multi-generational friends. There is much wisdom to be had from those older than ourselves, but there is also richness in establishing relationships with those younger. My father's parents taught a Sunday School class for years, and many of those people (15-30 years their junior) became friends. As their own children moved into adulthood, they also maintained relationships with them, and when appropriate, their children's friends. In addition, they both made a commitment to being involved in their community, which kept them both active and gave them a focus outside of themselves, two common problems faced by the elderly.

Pork chops with mushroom rice Brown 1 pork chop per (adult) person for 2-3 minutes on each side. In a casserole dish, mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can minute rice (nothing else works!), and 1 can water. Stir to combine. Set the pork chops on top. Cover the casserole with foil. Bake at 350 for ~30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes. Stir the rice if necessary after uncovering. I only make this a few times a year, but my mom made it often when we were kids. I like to serve it with acorn squash (cut in half and baked in the same oven) so that the next day I can eat leftover squash stuffed with leftover rice :-)

Me too, me too! Every morning without fail. I'm fine by mid-morning, and all stuffed up again when I inevitably wake up in the middle of the night. My DH woke up with a cold this morning and tried to blame me. I asked him where he'd been for the last 28 weeks, because that's how long I've had a "cold".

I have 32 first cousins on my mom's side (she's one of 8, and 2 had no children), but only 4 on my dad's side (he's one of three). My DH is one of 10 cousins, and his grandparents have 14 great-grands, with two coming this spring. In Feb, my parents will have a grand total of one (with more to come, hopefully!), and my ILs will have 4.

Thank you! I can't tell you how much I (and probably others) appreciate your willingness to listen and make changes!

Things NOT to put in DH's stocking: lady's underwear Otherwise you might have a darling second grader tell her Sunday School teacher that her dad got lady's underwear in his Christmas stocking, and then you'll forever wonder who was wearing said item! Or, you know, go ahead and put it in and open it when the kids aren't around :-)

Things that always pop up in our stockings: - new toothbrush/toothpaste - deodorant - fun socks (holiday themed, hobby themed, or just plain wacky colors) - new pens/pencils/highlighters - paperback books - crossword puzzle/sudoku puzzle/logic puzzle books - word-a-day calendar (or similar "thing-a-day" calendars)

Package store is definitely a regional thing... hadn't heard the term until I went to college. It took a few weekends of people asking if anyone wanted something from the package store to twig on. It seems to be most common in the South and the Northeast.

I'll third this! I know it's a habit that drives people crazy (or grosses them out), so I try to be conscientious about when I pop, but most of my joints will go ahead and do it themselves. It doesn't hurt, because I don't force it, but my joints do begin to ache if they don't pop. Guarantee then that the next time I flex there will be a nice ricochet!

My husband found his current job via LinkedIn. So, no advice about how it might be helpful as a business owner... but it helped us quite a bit!

:party: I, too, hate making phone calls. I spent the morning checking off my "hateful things" list, and 90% of them were phone calls. I don't care that each call takes about ~ 2 min, I still hate them. But they are DONE! And now I just have to go to the appts, etc. Yay for tackling Tuesday! :D

Claire Jean June Elle Jane Jill Ann/e Mae Beth Kate Fay Leigh

When I'm home in Oklahoma, Taco Bueno! It's a very good thing for this pregnancy that I'm nowhere near a Taco Bueno. On the road: Wendy's (my preference) or McDonald's (DH's preference)