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As I have grown older the task of preparing holiday dinners were becoming a task I was think of passing on to my sons, (yes they all cook better than their wives!)

I have always made a holiday menu and shopping list.  A few years ago as I was making my lists (hubby tell people my lists have lists) I noticed that many of the recipes had like ingredients. 

I usually start a couple days before the holiday, I am old, so I am slow and it takes me longer to get everything ready.  But it doesn't matter if you are old or not, you should enjoy the dinner and not be so tired you can't lift the fork to your mouth! You worked hard to prepare all the food you should enjoy it also.

Read over your menu, what recipes use some of the same ingredients? How much?

Appetizers
Salads
Dressing
Vegetables

As I said I am getting older, I put both of my chopping boards on the table, gather my ingredients, onions, celery, garlic, radishes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green pepper, what ever you will need to dice, chop or slice.   Wash them all in the sink and place in a large bowl. Then gather up a collection of zip lock bags and or the disposable/reusable type bowls, measuring cup and your favorite knife or knives.  Set your self down and prepare to spend some time dicing, chopping and slicing.  Look at your recipes, know how much you will need for each one.  If a recipe calls for a cup on onion and a cup of celery, I put both of those in the same bag, or any like item for the same recipe. Once the chopping is finished, place everything back in the refrigerator and wash any dishes you have used (I hate doing dishes, but this does save time). A new trick I learned last year, put the ingredients in their bags in the bowl you intend to use for dinner, if you get lucky and someone comes early and offers to help, they can mix up the ingredients just by dumping them into the bowl. I also try to make any dressings that will go on these recipes and keep them in the refrigerator until needed.

My eight year old grand daughter loves to help, so I put the toaster on the table and while I was chopping she toasted all the bread for our Stuffed Stuffing, crumbled the cornbread and tore the toasted bread into small pieces.  This was left out overnight to allow the bread to dry.  I finish the stuffing on the holiday morning.

The day before our dinner, we do the peeling, sweet potatoes, apples, white potatoes and fruit.  We need apples for pies and salad, sweet potatoes for pies and candied potatoes, fruit for fruit salad and potatoes for mashed potatoes.  Most of the time I am lucky and my husband will peel all the apples and white potatoes.  Soak the apples in lemon water as you peel them (keeps them from turning brown). Soak the potatoes in water, just be sure to completely cover all the potatoes. After all the peeling is finished I make and bake my pies.  I gave up making pie crust many years ago, I now use the pre made crust, also speeds up the process, just be sure to roll them thin.

While the pies are baking, get out the can opener and start opening the ones your are going to need for your recipes. Scalloped Corn an Iowa favorite, I always prepare this a day ahead. Same with baked beans, candied sweet potatoes (if using canned), and fruit for fruit salad if using fruit cocktail (drain).  Anything that is to go in the oven, I prepare right in the dishes they will be baked in, cover and refrigerate.  I do the same with the fruit salad, but I don't add the whipped cream until morning.  While getting these cans out of the cupboard I also get any other cans that will need to be opened in the morning for dinner.  Stack them close to the can opener, maybe a fairy will come along and open them for you!!

Just before you go to bed, either mix up a batch of rolls or use the frozen ones.  I put the frozen rolls in the baking pans and put them in the refrigerator to thaw over night.  They will be ready to set out to raise in the morning. I also figure out just how long my bird is going need to cook, use our Turkey Cooking Chart to determine how long you will need to cook your turkey. You should know your oven or roaster well enough to figure that out, if it cooks hot or cold, but if you don't read Your Oven.  The use of the chart tells me just how long I have to have the dinner on the table.  I have a large electric roaster that I use for the turkey.  This also gives me extra oven space for all the foot that will be cooked that day. This is one of the best investments I have ever made.

Holiday morning, I like to get up early, have at least 2 cups of coffee and go over my lists to be sure I have everything ready to finish off the holiday meal.   I know how long I have to prepare and cook the rest of the meal from my planning of the night before.

First thing take the rolls from the refrigerator so they will raise. Set them close to the stove so they will be warm and rise quickly.  Finish off your stuffing and fill the bird.  Any left over stuffing can be put in a baking dish and used if needed for dinner, if not I have a great recipe for tomorrows dinner. Put together anything that is to go in the oven, cover with foil and put it in the oven unless your bird is in the way.  If this is the case, check the longest cooking time of all your recipes and at some point the bird is going to have to come out of the oven and your baked dishes and rolls put in.  That is why the electric roaster is so handy, my oven is free to use anytime.  I also put my white potatoes in their cooking pot and set on the stove.

Assure yourself that you have everything ready to go for dinner.  I now gather what I plan to use for appetizers and make myself comfortable at the table and start being creative with my appetizer trays.  I used to make far more than we ever ate and had a lot of leftovers, so now I limit myself to no more than 3 one of these being a veggie tray if I am not serving a green salad. I make usually make Chili Cheese dip and Chris's Crab dip.  I purchased a very small crock pot a while back and is perfect for the cheese dip.  All of this takes no more than an hour, because I chopped, diced and sliced the day before!

With all this extra time, its time to be nice to me.  A hot bath to relax me and I am ready to welcome my visitors.

Copyright 2004 by Judy White. Judy is an author of many Native American and Genealogy websites on the web.

If you Want Breakfast in Bed, Sleep in the Kitchen!!