Enjoying Christmas – Menu Planning

This week, it is time to finalise the Christmas menu or menus. That depends on how many Christmas functions you have to hold or attend.

Designing the Menu

Designing the menu provides you the opportunity to actually give someone an item or items to bring along when they ask “What can I bring?” When people offer, they are genuine about helping and it is important to allow them to feel that they are contributing to the day.

I do this all the time. We have dinner parties with friends a number of times a year and we all bring something which makes it so much easier for the person who is holding the event. Someone brings entrée, another one brings salad’s, someone else a fruit platter and someone else chocolates. Easy to prepare, and we all really enjoy the night.

So take time now to think about your menu. If you are going to cook it all that is fine, so start writing out your shopping list. There are many items that you can start buying now so that the grocery bill is not massive come Christmas. Items like drinks, napkins, nuts, dried fruit, chocolates, bon bons. Then have your week before Christmas shopping list ready. It is another task done and ready. Pressure off come the time just before Christmas.

Christmas Day Plan

You can even write out your time plan for Christmas day now. For example, Christmas Eve cut carrots, corn, beans, get out plates, saucepans, set the table.

Christmas Eve Day

Complete grocery shopping

Prepare salads

Set table

Defrost meat

Christmas Morning

10.00 am – turkey on

10.15 am - prepare fruit platter

12 noon – family arrive

12.30 pm – entrée served

1:00 pm – gift giving

1.30 pm – main course

2.15 pm – sweets

This is just a rough guideline but knowing this and being ready help to keep your head clear and allow you to feel more relaxed. Who knows, you may even have time for conversations and to enjoy the day.

After Christmas Menus

Something else that may be worth thinking about is your menu the week after Christmas. You may have left overs so now is the time to look for recipes that involve 101 ways with turkey and ham.

Many families head away for holidays this time of year so it may be worthwhile actually thinking about what other food is needed for the first week of holidays. Some simple easy to make meals where you can have the ingredients ready or even pre prepare and freeze the food so that you also get to have a holiday.

I know for some of you this type of planning comes naturally; for others, it may be a foreign concept. However, give it a go. Remember our goal is to take big tasks and “chunk” them down into little steps.