Whether it’s entertaining friends and family for a special meal or hosting overnight guests you’ll be smart to start planning now for the holiday season. There is much that can be done in the weeks ahead to save some time during the busy days of the Christmas season. As well, purchasing some of the key grocery ingredients for your favourite meals and entertaining now will help to spread the cost over a longer period of time.
Decide on a couple of easy but economical meals that you might serve over the holidays and purchase the supplies now, choosing something that you can freeze. Here’s an easy casserole dish that serves up nicely.
5 cups cooked rice
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 four-ounce cans chopped green chillies
1 onion chopped
Spray a large skillet with no-stick cooking spray and sauté the onion for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Transfer to 2-quart casserole dish and freeze. On cooking day, remove from freezer, defrost, and cook in 350 oven for 40 minutes until cooked through. Makes six servings. Serve this economical side dish with ham steaks, a salad, and canned corn and you have a great nutritious meal.
Keeping an assortment of ready-made turkey or beef burgers that grill up quickly under the broiler in your kitchen stove can provide an easy-to-make lunch. And frozen meat balls can make it simple to pull together a nice meal in a minimum amount of time too as you can put them straight from the freezer to your crockpot, add a jar of prepared sauce from the grocery store shelf, and let cook for three hours until thawed and heated through. Then all you have to do is add pasta or potatoes, a vegetable, and you are ready to serve your family or your guests.
Here’s a fun recipe for beans that also freezes nicely.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 16-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 19-oz cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
In large skillet, sauté onion and green pepper together until cooked. Add remaining ingredients, as well as salt and pepper if desired. Cool to room temperature and freeze in large casserole dish or smaller portions. On serving day, defrost and reheat in saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Add a whole wheat bun and a side salad and you have a delightful lunch.
Look around the house in November for cleaning chores that you’ve been putting off, such as tidying closets and cupboards. It’s good to get them done up now, as they are surely to be something you’ll want done before you have house guests. Check under the bathroom vanity to ensure that cupboard is neat too as well as your linen closet. Make sure your guest bedroom is ready with fresh linens and a Christmassy bouquet of artificial flowers or a pretty centrepiece.
Getting your gift buying completed early is a must. You don’t want to spoil your appreciation of the season by having to stand in long line-ups at cashier check-outs, buying presents when the stores are mad with last-minute shoppers and the stock of items has been picked over. Make a list now and start purchasing a few gifts every week.
With a little preparation and pre-planning you can be ready to enjoy this holiday season like never before. Start today to get organized for the most relaxed and meaningful Christmas ever.
