by Leonie Pisco-Cuerbo
We are all in a hurry during the holidays! So—here are some fun and time saving tips for planning your holiday dinner.
Plan your recipes now.
Make assignments as to who will do the buying, and the cooking as early as possible.
Prepare some food early.
Some dishes can be prepared one or two weeks in advance and stored in the freezer. Stuffing for meat like onions, garlic and herbs can be chopped and kept in a container in the freezer and defrosted on the day you will use them. You can also prepare and freeze some dressings, sauces and gravies ahead of time. You can have a head start on potatoes or carrots by peeling, and chopping them the night before you plan to cook them. Put the potatoes in a container filled with water overnight to keep them from browning. My mom used to do this.
Venue for dinner and decorations.
Once you have chosen where to hold the dinner, put up decorations weeks before the actual date if possible. Delegate one person who will be in charge of this task. Include your youngsters in decorating the venue. Kids are more creative and have more energy to do this than older people. Have at least one adult to supervise the decorating. Decorations should create a Christmas atmosphere and need not be expensive. If you are on a budget, you can recycle your old Christmas decorations.
Make your dinner festive.
Since we are celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ make dinner an enjoyable one. Remember, it’s not just an ordinary occasion. We are going to be celebrating the birth of the King. You can assign someone from your family or a friend to play host at the dinner. Dinner time should be lively and happy. Purposely let your conversations be focused on the Story of Christmas. Let everyone share the importance of Christmas Day. You can also have a short skit involving the others about this after the dinner to add more fun.
Prepare physically.
Schedule your activities well. The holiday season is definitely exhausting and stressful for most of us. To prepare for this, exercise and eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, and take your vitamins to keep you healthy and fit for the days ahead. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Stay away from sweet foods to avoid, what the doctors call ‘sugar rush’. Have enough rest before the night.
Have Fun. By preparing early, you can enjoy the dinner while catching up with the family, instead of being in the kitchen the whole day cooking!
