Christmas Planning And Tips
Christmas is just around the corner and this is the perfect time to start all the planning. You need not stress out while running around the house and planning for the festivities; rather you can make it all really simple. Here are a few tips on how you can do the planning from the initial weeks of December till the very end and make sure that everything is perfectly done.
First week of December:
Get your tree: Yes you read that right. This is actually the best time to get the tree if you want it to remain fresh and beautiful till Christmas. This will also apply to garlands and other stuff related to greenery.
Decorate: Begin early and you will not regret it. This is perhaps the perfect way to set the mood. In fact, this way you will also know what items you really need and would have to shop for just to avoid the last minute rush. You can get pretty good Christmas decoration items from the online brand at much cheaper prices.
Get your menu ready: Finalize your menu and accordingly plan to buy groceries. This isn’t a one day process and thus will require good planning so that you are at ease. If turkey or ham is in your list, then place the order; so that you don’t miss it.
Second week
Coming second week and you would better be on the safer side by sending out all the Christmas greetings. Also, you would not want to miss out on any party staples or alcohol so make sure that you have a decent stock by now.
Third week
Go on a cleaning spree and toss out all the useless items in your house. Christmas is actually a great way to make sure that you have organized your home pretty well, cleaned your walls, floors and rooms.
Final week
Get all the fresh stuff like flowers, food ingredients and all that is required to mark your celebrations. Cook food and finish all the chores that you had left for the last minute. Since you have had a hectic month, you can finally afford to chill and enjoy the festivities to the core.
Now comes the toughest part. Most of the ladies actually fret when it comes to the Christmas dinner. It certainly is not a child’s play, but there is absolutely nothing to panic either. Believe me; setting the table won’t be as tough if you have done all the pre-planning perfectly. Here are a few simple tips just to make your task simpler:
Turkey: Firstly, while buying a turkey make sure that you go for a Norfolk bronze or a Black turkey. If you want your turkey to be rich in flavor, then you should opt for the latter one. When it comes to cooking the turkey, you will realize that the legs will take longer as compared to the breast. So you can simply add the stuffing between the skin and the breast so as to bring the cooking time of the legs and the breast to the same level.
Stuffing: Make sure that you do not put the stuffing entirely in the bird. Instead, you can be a little creative and prepare cabbage dumplings by wrapping the cabbage leaves around the stuffing and steaming them. You can also prepare tiny balls of stuffing which are left when you have completely stuffed the bird and serve them alongside the turkey.
Gravy: The best thing about gravy is that you can easily prepare it well in advance. You can keep it frozen and reheat on the day when you actually require it. This way you will save plenty of time.
Pudding: You can try something different this time and opt for chocolate steam pudding rather than the traditional chocolate pudding. Trust me, it’s as simple as it can get and with a little help from Google, you will be through!
Cranberry sauce: Well you can do a tiny experiment here and add brandy and orange to the sauce. I am sure you will love the taste.
These tidbits will definitely help you to enjoy your Christmas festivities. So don’t panic and take adequate rest so that you are all geared up for the festive mood. Involve your kids and hubby in the preparation and this will make your task a tad simpler. Do not stress out and get a good night’s sleep on the Christmas Eve so that you are at your best.