Food: Stress Free Holiday Cooking

Food Shopping
Articles
Seafood Articles

Cheeses
Chocolates, & Candy
Coffee & Tea
Desserts
Fruit
Gift Baskets
International Foods
Meats
Nuts
Seafood
Specialty Foods
Complete List
Home

Article List
Directory
Resources

Articles/Resources:
Beans
Breakfast
Budget
Cheese
Chinese
Comfort Foods
Dessert
Diet
Eating Habits
Everything Food
Fast Food
Food Gifts
Food History
Food Shopping
Food Traditions
Foods and Events
Foods and Holidays
Foods and Places
French
Fruits
Gift Baskets
Healthy Foods
Italian
Lunch
Mexican
Recipes
Restaurants
Treats
Vegetables

Archives:
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006

Have New Articles E-Mailed To You!

Stress Free Holiday Cooking
Friday, October 27, 2006

By Brandi M. Seals

The holiday season can be quite stressful, especially when you are in charge of making the holiday meal. You must coordinate things so that everything gets done at the same time and that can be hard to do. With a little preplanning your holiday meal can be close to stress free.

Make a List
The start to a stress free holiday begins with a list. Write down what you plan to make and all the ingredients you will need. Go through the pantry and check off all the things you already have.

Clean Up
While you are in the pantry clear out any out of date items or foods that are simply not being consumed. Do the same with the fridge. You will need that extra space on the big day. Do not leave it for the last minute as it may be very stressful when you cannot fit Aunt Betty's pumpkin pie in the fridge.

Shop for Groceries
Go shopping for all your needed ingredients during the week of the holiday. You may want to make a couple of trips. Inevitably you will forget something. I do not know how it happens, but it happens every year. Do the first trip at the beginning of the week and get anything that is canned or frozen, etc. Save the fresh ingredients for the next trip. Get all the items you forgot on the first trip when you go on the second.

I advise the two trips because stores can quickly sell out of stables like turkey, pumpkin, and cranberry sauce. By going in advance, you give yourself time to find these items in case they are sold out at your usual store.

Defrost the Turkey
Remember to put the turkey in the fridge to unthaw before the big day. These things take awhile so you really do not want to forget it. You will need to allot one day of unthawing for every 5 pounds of bird. Never let the turkey unthaw on the counter. It may work faster but it is not safe.

Do Prep Work in Advance
The easiest way to avoid holiday stress is to get to work early. Do what you can in advance so that on the big day, you only have a few things to worry about.

Your menu will dictate what can be done in advance. As a general rule thought, all pies can be made in advance. So can the veggie platter. Cut up the produce the day before the big event and prepare the dip too. Keep the veggies in plastic storage bags so they stay as fresh as possible.

Look through the items you plan to make and get done what you can. Do not work on anything more than two days in advance unless it can be frozen. If things are made too far in advance they may not taste as fresh so really save it for a day or two before the holiday.

Cooking on the Holiday
Start by putting on anything that takes a long time to cook. To all of you out there making turkey or ham that is probably the first thing you want to put on. Most everything else can wait until closer to the event.

Straighten Up
While the bird is cooking and before people start arriving, take a look around. Do any last minute straightening up or decorating. If you will be eating at a formal table, set the table now.

Last Minute Cooking
Anything that takes less then an hour to cook is considered last minute cooking. Mashed potatoes, corn, and most of the dinner fits in this category. It is the last thing you want to get started on, but you will want to plan for it in advance. Know how much room you have in your oven and on the stove top. You may need to stagger cooking things and then heat them all up at the end. As long as you plan for it, it should not cause any problems. You will also want to know what serving dishes you will be using. There is nothing worse than searching for something to serve the potatoes in while they are getting colder and colder.

10:07 AM Comments:
Post a Comment

<< Home