[FILE PHOTO] Christmas
Like most people, you will spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing all of that delicious goodness that we love to indulge in during the festivities.
Here are some tips to help you plan for the holiday so that it can be very merry.
CLEAR OUT THE OLD
Get rid of the clutter in the kitchen, from the countertops to the store. Go through your pantry and cabinets for all the food you have and check the expiring dates.
Quite often these food items expire before we get to use them so it is important to skip assumptions on what you have and make sure you make notes on what you need to stock up on for the holidays.
TIME TO MENU PLAN
I have had a Christmas that crept up on me and because I did not prepare for the day I ended up making so many last minute decisions on what to cook.
What was more stressful was the shopping late and finding out most of the ingredients I required were sold out or not in season, it was a very stressful day with time wasted.
Get together a menu list for Christmas, perhaps some family favorites and be sure to keep it as simple as you can manage.
Yes, the whole family enjoys moin-moin, BBQ chicken, goat meat pepper soup, smokey asun, ewa agoyin, chicken salad, coconut fried rice, and grilled fish but can you handle making all of this? Christmas is not fun when you’re burnt out and cooking all day with little time to spend with your family.
Tips for Menu Planning:
• Make a list of favorite dishes
• Make a list of the ingredients that will be required
• Practice preparing these dishes before the day to ensure you can get it right
GET OUT THE CROCKERY
Christmas time is one for celebration and the perfect moment to bring out your special, fancy crockery, tableware, cutleries, pots, serving bowls, and dishes.
Do you have enough dishes, serving platters and silverware? Go through each item and make sure they are not chipped, cracked or broken, check for what needs replacing. It is not usual to find that some of the dishes) are unusable because they are chipped.
One tip I’ve learned over the years is to keep most of my crockery white. Because white will always match no matter the design, especially when it comes to plates and serving dishes.
Also, the food will always look delicious served in white dishes, I reserve the colors for one-off items like a big serving dish or bowl.
If you really want to keep things simple especially if you will be having a lot of guests, then you should consider the option of disposable plates, cups, and cutlery; definitely saves time on cleanup after the day is over.
STOCK UP ON NECESSITIES
You will need to have a full pantry and stock up the freezer for the holiday season because things get more expensive towards the Christmas day and most items are usually sold out.
It helps to make sure your cooking gas cylinder is filled and you have extras (one of the worst things that can happen on Christmas morning is to have an empty cylinder) have extra garbage bags, dish soaps, batteries, aluminum foils, toothpicks, paper towels, plastic bags, napkins, matches, sponges, takeaway packs and plates for the leftovers and more.
Non-perishable cooking items like spices canned tomatoes, sweet corn, cooking oils always come in handy when you have excess. Don’t forget to stock up on drinks-beers, wines, spirits, juices, soda, this is definitely the season.
CHECK YOUR APPLIANCES
Is your microwave working properly? Does it need a thorough wipe down? Have you checked your oven lately? Use it and make sure it is working as expected, inspect the thermostat and if you can clean it using the factory settings or scrub manually.
Christmas day is not the time for surprises that arise from a faulty appliance so ensure blenders, food processors, refrigerators, freezers are working effectively.
BRING IN SOME CHEER
Kitchens are usually overlooked when it comes to decorating for Christmas; plan to decorate your kitchen to bring in some cheer. A garland here, some lights there and you’re ready for a Merry Christmas.
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