Holiday Foods-Keep it Simple - Save Your Sanity!

Associated Content.com's "Planning Your Christmas Holiday Baking" by Shannon Herren had some very good tips and tricks for holiday cooking organizational strategies. As the survivor of many a holiday function, I could appreciate her words of wisdom regarding making and reviewing a list of foods to be offered. She commented, "...be discriminating in your choices," and I heartily agree! If you find yourself living in the kitchen, slaving over a hot stove, losing ice cubes across the kitchen floor, and missing out on most of the conversation and fun going on in the other room, then you are missing one of the best parts of the holidays!

It is true, as Shannon points out, that you need to make a list of the foods you will be cooking, and a master list of the ingredients you will need. Okay, this is where it really pays to search recipes on the Internet, from cookbooks in your cupboard, your neighbor's cupboard, your mother-in-law's stash of family recipes, or the local library. Look for foods which can be made either entirely or partially ahead of time. Consider which offerings can be purchased and brought to the function. Can someone else be asked to bring a relish tray? That would free up much needed space in your refrigerator if you don't have to make and store that. How about rolls and butter? Can someone else bring those? 

If you are able to locate enough recipes with make-ahead features, you can have a refrigerator of ready-to-bake items the day of your party. Take a look at desserts which can be stored in the freezer. For instance, one popular winter dessert consists of ice cream "snowballs." Balls which you make of vanilla ice cream are covered in coconut, and frozen. If you want to be especially fancy and festive, you can pipe dark green "holly leaves" and red "berries" out of frosting on the top of each snowball. Stick a red, green or white birthday candle through the ice cream snow ball around the holly and berries. Light each candle as it is served to your guest.