Holiday tips for the holiday entertaining 2014 part 1

Here are my tips for the holidays for 2014

 Please keep in mind I am a big lover of Thanksgiving. It is by far my favorite holiday.

 Tip #1 Plan a head:   First, I develop a menu. My family is used to me celebrating a different culture thru food on a yearly basis. During the year,  I pick 2 cultures I am most interested in learning about and then I attempt recipes to practice a few dishes to see if I can come up with recipes I like or to figure out my sides. Thanksgiving Day with a house full of hungry tummies is not the day to play guessing games.  My Thanksgiving dinners are large and involved. Over the years, we have had some mishaps like overdone/underdone meat, and dishes we forgot to put out.  One thanksgiving the whole stove died.  My ham was browned beautifully on the outside but the inside was not done. I had to slice it up and risk the meat drying out. It didn't, and that year I have to say it was just luck over skill. I thought we were going to have to grill everything, but my husband and brother fixed the stove.  Talk about stressed! We ate a bit late that year but all in all it was a great thanksgiving.

 Long story short, stuff happens, plan ahead and know what you’re cooking.

Tip#2 Dealing with family and friends. For some, dealing with family can be stressful. Again, planning ahead helps. Don’t be afraid to have thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant or try renting a place and add friends.  Inviting guess who are not a part of the family can assist in keeping those badly behaved relatives in check.   Keep your guest busy with cookie decorating for the kids and something for those who aren't watching the game. This will keep people busy giving them less of a chance to wear on your nerves. Plan for the guess to have something to do.   Games and karaoke are fun and something the older folks can do with the younger crowd. You have not lived till you get grandma rapping!  IF family is just too stressful, maybe have dinner with your work family or a romantic dinner for 2. Remember the object is to enjoy the holiday. My family, is a bit different, we love to laugh so it really doesn't take much for us to have a good time together.

Tip#3 watch the alcohol. I find drinking to be relaxing and fun with people I enjoy and like.  My rule of thumb is if I don’t like you, I’m not drinking with you. By removing the alcohol or at least limiting it to after dinner when everyone is full and hopefully content, you limit uncle Drink’em and Auntie Sauced  from starting arguments and making a mess of the holidays. If at all possible, make punch. You can lessen the amount of alcohol and lessen the effects too.

Tip#4 Have a backup plan. If you’re going to grandmas’ but you like left overs. Buy a turkey breast so you’ll have your own left overs.  Ok, so you’re not a great cook. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend or family member for help.  Don’t be afraid to ask the person who is doing the cooking for the holiday if they would mind cooking an extra meat or dish and showing you how. You have to provide the meat. If you wash the dishes, I’ll cook an extra dish. Maybe, you don’t like turkey, why not have steak and lobster, vegetable lasagna, something you do like, like pizza. 

 Tip#5 Grab a clean jar and place a note on the front saying every curse word is payable by .25 cents, arguing is a dollar a minute, and note football game trash talk permitted or not.  This outlines the rules of the house.  Having a  10 year old be in charge of collecting money from offenders puts the offender on the offensive, they now have to explain to a pre-teen why they broke the rules or why they don’t want to follow the house rules. Make your guest responsible for their behavior.  I would advise everyone in advance of the rules if you have a favorite uncle who has a potty mouth have him or her stick a $20.00 in the jar and after a while you will notice the group is encouraging people to watch their language. Oh, this money can go to band uniforms or for vacation. and let people know that too.  Make sure you have rules for behavior outlined. The worst thing that could happen, is that a relative won’t come back to bother you next year.

Tip#6 planning the potluck event, don’t be an afraid to ask for help with cooking. Call, text and email family and friends with a potluck sign up list.  Calling is the best way to get a commitment. And don’t be afraid to send reminder. Let people know if they don’t cook or don’t want to cook, money is fine. For money give clear dates as to when you will need the money.  Ask the question: are you going to join us for the holidays? And can you bring that yummy corn dish you made at work? Yes, shameful compliments about the food you are asking for almost always gets you that dish for your holiday event. Shameful compliments work on me even if I know I am being worked. One of my female friends makes the best bread. We ask Tara to make bread for holidays and birthdays because it is just that good. If fact one year we ate Tara’s bread as our dessert at thanksgiving. And I would do it again, and again and again….  

OK, now that I am out of tummy dream land. Send out a menu. Remember to send people thank you cards for you by bringing the dish. A simple thank goes a long way.  And don’t make a big deal out of those who don’t come. The holidays can be stressful and if the dish isn't going to be made right, I’ll take not at all every time.  I buy “just in case vegetables.” I can make steamed carrots, broccoli or make pasta, I make barbecued meat balls easily by.

Tip#6a.- What to do with the person who doesn't cook or you don’t want them to cook well because… give them another job. Ask them to help you with organizing the potluck, setup or clean up. If you are using the good China you may need dishwashers. If you are using the paper plates someone to gather and take out the trash. If you are using the good China you may need dishwashers. If you are using the paper plates someone needs to gather and take out the trash. If you are using the good China you may need dishwashers. If you are using the paper plates someone to gather and take out the trash.

 Tip#6b. -Make signs for the food to tell people what the food is, example, if there is nuts, sugar free, gluten free or pork.  Don’t forget the number #1 and # 2 signs: No food without hand washing, and no fingers in the food Please!