Hosting a #Thanksgiving feast takes lots of time and energy. If you want to enjoy the #holiday with less #stress, focus on simple recipes that don’t take a lot of fuss in the kitchen. If you’re having a small gathering, you can do a whole spread on two sheet pans, Food Network says, or pick from a range of streamlined recipes that will be big winners at your potluck or dinner without requiring a ton of prep work or time in a hot kitchen. Try an air fryer turkey breast or apple crisp, for example, instead of the traditional roast turkey and pumpkin pie for easy takes on the classics that will still please a crowd. #EasiestThanksgiving
Tag: cooking
Do a Pre-Holiday Decluttering
It may be hard to believe, but the #holidays are right around the corner! Two weeks from now, you’ll be enjoying a #Thanksgiving feast; then, it’s on to the big shopping and gift grabs of the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa season.
Do yourself a favor, and #declutter ahead of those holiday events. Whether you’re going to be hosting or not, #streamlining your home and weeding out your extra #stuff will help you get ready for seasonal #celebrations with less stress.
Start with the #kitchen. You may be baking cookies, contributing a side dish to the potluck or hosting a family feast. Go through your cabinets and drawers, and pull out anything that’s broken, cracked or chipped. #Trash and #recycle these items immediately.
If you find anything you haven’t used in more than a year or is ever-so-slightly less than perfect but still could be of use to someone, set it aside in a box or bag and #schedule a #free #donation #pickup with ClothingDonations.org.
Before you know it, your kitchen will be streamlined and ready to churn out that green-bean casserole or roast turkey with no fuss. Why? Because you’ll be able to find the cooking tools, serving dishes and dinnerware you need quickly because you’ve eliminated the #clutter!
Next, do the same thing as you get any #holiday #décor items out of #storage. Are some of your table linens worn and stained? Are those strings of twinkly lights half-lit? Clean and fix them if you can, and #trash them if you can’t. And again, you can #donate anything that no longer makes the cut.
“I love a good declutter before the holiday season,” professional organizer Carly Adams told Real Simple. “The best time to #declutter and #tidy the spaces you’ll be using to #host guests is before the social expectations of the holidays are here.”
Prepare your home for the holidays now! With a quick #decluttering, you’ll be able to everything you really need faster, reduce the stress surrounding holiday gatherings and have a happier holiday season. #HolidayDeclutttering
Begin Your Holiday Baking Now
#Holiday stress will really start to #snowball after Thanksgiving. Why not get some of your baking out of the way now? There are plenty of #recipes you can make ahead of time and pull out of the freezer to enjoy at a later date, Parade says. Homemade cookies and confections such as peppermint bark, peanut brittle, sugar cookies, gingerbread, fudge and (everyone’s favorite) peanut butter blossoms can be baked weeks in advance. Freeze them and thaw them out a few hours before giving them as a gift in a festive tin or plating them for the holiday feast. You’ll have more time to relax and enjoy the celebration! #HolidayTips
Start Planning Your Holiday Feast Now
Food prices are up across the board, but you can still feed your family and friends a great #holiday dinner for not a lot of money. Pork and poultry make for inexpensive main dishes, and bulk-purchased root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and onions can contribute to filling and crowd-pleasing sides. For an easy and plentiful main, serve a hearty seasonal soup and finger foods; or go for a more traditional sit-down meal. Plan ahead — and stick to the plan — to keep food costs in check. Stuck for inspiration? Delish offers 65 classic recipes to get you started. #HolidayTips
Plan Ahead to Keep Food Costs in Check
Plan ahead to make your #holiday #feast thrifty but memorable, says Good Cheap Eats. Knowing what you’ll cook ahead of time allows you to shop the grocery-store specials for the best prices on ingredients. And while people often expect turkey and ham on Thanksgiving, the December holidays more often rely on family traditions that emphasize hearty favorites such as tamales, stews or lasagna. Or you can think outside of the box for your feast, serving all finger foods, hot sandwiches or anything else your friends and family enjoy. Make things ahead if you really want to relax and enjoy the company. #HolidayTips