Reducing Holiday Meal Frenzy
By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers
www.FreshBaby.com
Is it your turn to host Thanksgiving this year? Lucky You! The holiday
season can be stressful enough without the extra added pressure of
making one of the "big" holiday meals for 15 of your closest relatives
or friends. We wish we could give you an "Easy" button for your holiday
meals, but the best we can do is offer you a few terrific tips that will
help you get through it smoothly!
Write down the menu: The best way to get started with the task of
planning a big meal is to develop the menu. This can be lots of fun.
Start this task with the guest head count divided into adults and kids
and before setting the dinner menu, check with your guests about any
food allergies. Buy a few magazines or look through cookbooks for ideas.
Unless you have a lot of cooking experience, we don’t recommend picking
all new dishes. It’s best to pick a few new items and few stand-bys that
you know how to make.
Don’t overdo it: Holiday meals should be feasts, but you don’t need to
make an entire cookbook worth of side dishes. Side dishes are often the
most time consuming part of making the meal. Select a menu that includes
4-5 side dishes that compliment your main entrée.
Accept help: When you call your relatives and friends to extend the
invitation, be ready when they offer "What can we bring?" Most people
grew up with holiday meals where everyone pitched in. Try to match up
people with things they do best. Have a suggestion ready, but don’t be
too specific. Ask your friend to bring a vegetable dish, not broccoli
with hazelnuts in a sherry cream sauce. Or you can ask if they have a
special dish and let them tell you what it will be. Adjust your menu
accordingly. If your relative does not cook, ask him to bring a no cook
item - wine, juice, dinner rolls, etc.
Select make-ahead foods: The less you need to do the day of the event,
the more you will enjoy it. Most foods can be made 2-4 days ahead and
warmed up prior to serving. Many foods often taste better when they have
a chance to set. Review your menu and identify the dishes you will make
ahead of time and set aside the time to make them a few days before the
event.
Buy prepared foods and ingredients: It’s a holiday meal not a test to
see if you can perform the culinary act of making dinner for 20
completely from scratch. Don't be afraid to buy prepared ingredients
that will make meal prep easier - canned soup stock, chopped nuts and
dates, stuffing mix, etc... If you don’t know how to make gravy, buy it.
If you are not a baker, ask someone to bring desserts or buy them at the
bakery.
Get the table ready: Set the table the night the before. Get your
serving dishes ready too. Write down your menu items on small pieces of
paper and place each piece of paper in the serving dish you plan to use
for that food. If you are serving buffet style, set out the serving
dishes as you want them for the meal. This organization allows guests
who volunteer to help get dinner on the table to be most helpful.
About The Author
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby ( www.FreshBaby.com ). They are the creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit and Good Clean Fun Placemats, available at many fine specialty stores and national chains including Target and Whole Foods Markets.
Used With Permission
