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Posts Tagged ‘christmas dinner’

The holidays quickly come upon us each year. It seems that every year there is less time available for us to enjoy the celebratory activities of Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are so many holiday celebrations that we would like to participate in, or in a lot of cases we are required to by circumstance. Add in the stress of preparing the main meal and desserts for either one of or both of the holidays, and you the designated cook might find yourself wondering how you are going to do this. There are solutions to the potentially stressful event, and the key is just organizing and implementing them so you will enjoy the day’s festivities too.

Whether you’re cooking for Thanksgiving or Christmas make sure to take the Santa approach very early for the meal preparation ??” sit down and write out the different types of foods that you would like to include for the meal. At first your list might be long, but over time it will become shorter as items are checked off or rearranged. Expert chefs and those with extensive experience recommend starting as early as two months before the event. After all you start saving early in the year for Christmas gifts, and often begin your holiday shopping in July, so why take advantage of this time to begin to prepare for the holiday meal time.

There are many other ways in conjunction with a standard meal preparation list you can cut down on stress, and even the expense of the meal. For example, you can delegate to others within the family certain dishes such as those for the dessert bar. Desserts are always a part of the main event, and need as much attention to it. If you know of a special dessert that you think others will like, or a favorite of yours, ask them to contribute a special pie, cake or candy on the holiday. Make sure to include the standard and favorites, such as pumpkin pie, or a unique cake such as red velvet or butter nut delight. Take into account too those that might have special dessert requirements, such as diabetics or those allergic to certain ingredients such as nuts or eggs. Spend a few minutes researching on the internet and cook books for delicious replacements that will make their holiday yummy too. There are the other options of ordering from a bakery, but be sure to check out of the ingredients. Other options to the overly sweet dessert offerings are fresh fruit, such as cantaloupe, strawberries or fresh apples along with low fat and sugar free toppings like whip cream.

The meal wouldn’t be complete without a varied option of healthy and nutritious vegetables. They can be cooked in your traditional on the stove top or in the oven, but think of adding a tray of fresh cut vegetables to add color, and a healthy attitude to your table. Again, you may preorder from a local deli or mart, but if you plan right most raw vegetables can be cut and cleaned twenty four hours in advance. If you want to use fresh vegetables for your stove preparation of traditional fares, you can store for example, sweet potatoes after they are cleaned and skinned right in your refrigerator up to twenty four hours before cooking. Just pop into the oven after mashing and add a dash of brown sugar with marshmallows. Other necessities of a holiday feast like stuffing or dressing can be made up too ahead of time, even if your considering going traditional and stuffing the turkey and baking. Fantastic vegetable entr?©es can be presented in a multitude of ways.

Of course the center attraction for any holiday meal is the meat. Many families prefer the traditional for the Thanksgiving holiday of turkey. However, if you want to be creative or stick to cultural based foods there are options of for example, Italian spaghetti and some sweet wine and fresh garlic bread. In other areas of the country such as in the agrarian south, open season for turkey hunting can present a nice fat round turkey for your dinner table. It can then be cleaned by the lucky hunter and stored early to eat on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. Deciding on your meat should be thought out early in advance. There are options of special ordering from your local meat department, or buying a few weeks ahead and freezing. Quick fix meats can be bought on the hoof pre baked, and then just warmed in the oven for a juicy delight. Other types of meats such as baked hams or hens are good to fix ahead, and refrigerated and kept juicy with a brown or light colored chicken broth.

There are so many options to create your perfect and stress free holiday meal celebration, just remember to start early and delegate what you feel that you might not be able to handle. A good idea is to begin testing a few of your holiday creations if you feel you must fix them. That way you will never feel that your dinner is not what you want it to be, and you can set back and smile knowing you did your very best.

Having an old fashioned Christmas is an excellent way to celebrate the holidays. From bringing back favorite Christmas memories to creating new memories for the younger generation, an old-fashioned Christmas is a Christmas to be remembered and enjoyed by all.

1. Decorating

Of course, the first step to having an old fashioned Christmas is the decorating. Decorations set the mood for an old fashion Christmas and get all involved in the decorating into the Christmas spirit. What better place to start with the decorations than a good old fashioned Christmas tree?

To create an old fashioned Christmas tree, handcrafted ornaments must be created. The creation of these ornaments provides the perfect opportunity for another component of an old fashioned Christmas - family togetherness!

Take a day well before Christmas to sit down with the family to create homemade Christmas tree decorations. Play Christmas music and work together, enjoying each other’s company. Homemade decorations can include stringed popcorn or paper chains made of colorful gum and candy wrappers.

Of course, you can’t forget the homemade Christmas ornaments. An old fashion Christmas is a chance to get the creative juices flowing. Cut and color paper ornaments. Use glitter to add a little extra sparkle and fun. When making these ornaments, keep in mind the symbolic meaning of different Christmas objects. For instance, the pine tree represents eternity, while the pinecone symbolizes warmth. A teapot represents hospitality, a mainstay in an old fashion Christmas. Try to create your own Christmas symbols and make them special and meaningful to you and your family.

Hanging apples, chocolate, walnuts, and candy from the tree branches is another old fashion Christmas touch. Work together to hang these objects on the tree - and have a great time snacking on these tasty treats, too!

To further the feeling of an old fashion Christmas and to provide some authenticity, shop at nearby antique malls and flea markets. Look for wax or glass-blown ornaments. You might even have some old ornaments that have been passed down in your family. Make sure to include these ornaments on your tree. Antique tins can also be found at antique malls and flea markets. These can make great candy dishes and can be set beside the Christmas tree.

A nativity scene beneath the tree also adds to the warmth and serenity of an old fashion Christmas. Place tinsel or angel’s hair throughout the tree and top it with a star and, voila, you have an old fashion Christmas tree!

To complete the creation of an old fashion Christmas, be sure to add plenty of lights to the tree. Then, gather the entire family together and have a lighting party to celebrate the lighting of the Christmas tree.

2. Baking and Cooking

Next to the tradition of trimming the tree, baking and cooking is an integral part of an old fashion Christmas. No home celebrating an old fashion Christmas is complete without the pleasant scent of cookies, pies, ham, and hot cider filling the air!

Be sure to have the entire family participate in the Christmas baking and cooking. Decorating sugar cookies is a time-honored old fashion Christmas favorite. Let the children in the family help cut the shapes and place the candy and sugar sprinkles on the cookies.

Also, pass on the tradition of slicing the ham to the next generation. And, of course, gather together at the table to eat your old fashion Christmas dinner together.

3. Christmas Day

In addition to enjoying an old fashion Christmas dinner together, Christmas day can be filled with old fashion fun and memories.

If possible, find someone to play Santa Clause and bring presents to everyone in the family. While exchanging presents, be sure to take time to look at each gift and appreciate what has been given. Set the mood by playing old fashion Christmas music in the background. A variety of CDs are available both online and in stores.

Take some time out of the day to enjoy a sleigh ride or go sledding together. Or, create an old fashion Christmas scavenger hunt. Top it all off by warming up with a nice, hot mug of apple cider or hot cocoa.

Celebrating an old fashion Christmas together as a family is the perfect way to create treasured family memories that will last a lifetime.