Time Saving Tips for the Preparation of Holiday Meals
Guest post by Kar Strout:
The holidays around our house are a madhouse. It’s the only time of the year that my youngest kids are home from boarding school in New Hampshire and my oldest is home from law school in Boston – and it’s a major tactical effort to schedule holiday meals and events. However, every year I manage to pull it off by using a few time cutting methods.
Here are a few of my favorite time saving tips for holiday meals:
Plan Ahead
This may seem like obvious advice but I know from personal experience that it is easy to let things slide and leave preparations to the last minute. An easy way to avoid this is to start buying your ingredients gradually weeks in advance. This will allow you to buy everything you need without having to stress out as the holidays get closer. It will also give you the chance to buy items on sale or at a discount price.
Make a List
Making a list is another basic but essential piece of advice. Creating a list can help reduce the amount of time spent at the grocery store and can aide you in staying within budget. It can also save you multiple trips to the store and this time saved can be used in preparing the actual meal.
Freeze Holiday Favorites
If there are freezable dishes you know people will be expecting this year, try cooking dishes a week or two beforehand and then freezing them. This takes some of the pressure off the big day and allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family and friends. Just remember to allow enough time to defrost the dishes on the actual day you serve them.
Get Family Members to Help!
Preparing holiday meals can be a daunting task, especially when it’s just you doing all the work. So why not get your family members in on the action? You can make it fun by serving holiday themed drinks such as eggnog while you prepare the food or you can put on some festive music to get everyone into the holiday spirit.
Follow these simple time saving tips and you will have more time to experience what the holidays are really about – spending time with your family and loved ones. Merry Christmas!
