Holiday Cooking Tips for Better Outcomes
The holidays are an extremely hectic and chaotic time
for the vast majority of the population. We run from one place to
another with more "to do" lists than we think we will
ever manage to complete. One thing is certain and that is that throughout
all the running around and festivities that are going on it is quite
likely that you are going to either lose your mind because you are
obsessively over organized or you are going to forget one dinner,
event, or gift during the season that is going to prove to be important
enough for a mad dash out into the cold, harsh, cruel world of reality.
Depressing though the thought may be the following tips can help
you avoid potential break down as a result of the constant insanity
of the holidays.
First of all, you absolutely must adopt the KISS policy. Keep
it simple silly. The meals you plan for your contributions to
holiday cooking in your own home and for various events and pot
lucks that take place this time of year should be simple to prepare,
take little time, and cost as little money as possible.
Do things in bulk. Rather than trying to squeeze in a few minutes
hear and there mark out large chunks of your calendar and dedicate
those times to tasks such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, and
wrapping and stick to that one thing during its allotted time
slot rather than trying to cook, wrap, clean, and shop at the
same time. This saves confusion and lessens the opportunity of
something getting boiled, burned, splattered, ruined, or forgotten.
Plan ahead and shop ahead. This saves valuable time and money
because you aren't impulse buying at the last minute. Whether
you are shopping for food items for meal preparation and cooking
or the perfect gifts for friends or family putting things off
often tends to result in spending more money than intended and
getting less value for that money.
Make sure you have enough room inside your fridge for the foods
you need for preparation and storing the foods that need to be
chilled once they've been prepared. Space is a must and if you
do not have enough space in your refrigerator you need to be making
other plans for food that needs to be kept cold in the interim.
Plan a quick and easy back up in case something goes wrong with
one of the more complicated dishes or casseroles. A last minute
substitution that is quick and easy is a much better option than
not having enough to go around. You never know what's going to
go wrong when dealing with the holidays and it is best to be prepared
when something does.
Make sure the turkey or ham is properly thawed and that you've
allotted the necessary time for cooking. In fact an extra hour
is often the best way to go as you never know what kind of differences
there will ultimately be in cooking time for your main course.
Clean as you go. This little tip will save so much time, trouble,
and pulled hair that you will never really know how wonderfully
valuable this nugget of advice really is. Dishes are simpler to
clean when still warm and before food has time to dry and set
in.
These tips do not guarantee a perfect holiday cooking experience
but they are an excellent way to guarantee less stress in the
mix.
Author: Mind Farms
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