Tips on simplifying the season

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Tips on simplifying the season

 

From the Nov. 23, 2003 editions of the Milwaukee Journal SentinelSimplify the seasonWith kitchen, food preparation in order, your life will follow neatlyBy KAREN HERZOGkherzogLast Updated: Nov. 22, 2003It's the weekend before Thanksgiving. Take a deep breath, get organized andthe holiday season will be a breeze instead of a blizzard.You're still ahead of the holiday jet stream.Most of us don't get through Thanksgiving dinner without thoughts ofHanukkah, Christmas, New Year's or Kwanzaa preparations looming larger thanthe bird on the table.In the kitchen realm alone, there's cookie baking as well as holidayentertaining and family gatherings to ponder.It's enough to give anyone indigestion before even one bite of stuffing.By being organized, you can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and be ready to facethe rest of the holidays once the last dishes are washed.It's no secret that the secret to a well-orchestrated holiday dinner is tomake things ahead, whenever possible, and map out everything that needs tobe done on paper.Santa makes a list and checks it twice. You should, too. Timing is crucialwhen there's so much to be done.Start by moving to the front of the cabinets any holiday serving pieces,plus specialty cooking equipment you'll need for the big meals ahead. Thenyou won't be digging at the last minute and risking breakage when you'retime-flustered.Plan your table settings, serving dishes and table centerpieces.Clean out the refrigerator and freezer not just for Thanksgiving, but forcookies and holiday dips and appetizers that will need to fit in thereeventually.Don't forget to wipe down the shelves when they're empty. Stick a fresh boxof baking soda in the fridge to kill odors. And if you've put off changingthe burned-out light bulb, do that now.While you're pulling Thanksgiving recipes from your recipe files, grabrecipes for other upcoming holidays at the same time.Paper-clip each holiday's recipes together, or organize them each in theirown folder, so they're all in one place.Start to jot down menu ideas for the various events you will be hosting: aholiday open house, friends' cookie exchange, Christmas morning brunch, NewYear's Eve cocktail fete, Kwanzaa dinner, kids' Hanukkah party.On the computer or in the back of your address book, start a master guestlist of names, addresses and phone numbers of people you're likely to inviteto holiday events. This pool of potential guests will make it easier whenit's time to prepare invitations.If your recipe file hasn't been thinned out in a while, toss the recipesthat take up space but that you realistically know you will never make. Thiswill make room for new favorites.Then, as you're making phone calls to confirm what Thanksgiving dinnerguests are contributing to the meal, ask them to also bring their recipesfor the dish they're preparing. If it's destined to be a holiday favorite,then you'll have the recipe on hand for the next occasion.When you're ready to start preparing any holiday meal, carefully readthrough recipes to determine the ingredients and equipment you will need sothat you don't have to make more than one trip to the store.For Thanksgiving, stuffing can be prepared a day ahead, covered tightly andrefrigerated so it's ready for the bird by the next morning. Potatoes,cranberry sauce, pies, dips and spreads can be made and refrigerated.Set the table and organize serving dishes and beverages the night before.Don't wait until after Thanksgiving to think about the next holiday flurry -cookie baking.If you plan to make several different kinds, organize those recipes by whenthey need to be made, and by which ones are easily made at the same time.Some cookies keep longer than others. Put those recipes on top of your stackand plan to make them first.If there's a family cookie recipe that you've been meaning to get from AuntEthel, ask her to bring it along to Thanksgiving dinner so you'll have itwhen you start making your baking ingredient shopping list.Plan to check out post-Thanksgiving sales and look for fun cookie cuttersand baking pans. If you've never tried silicone bakeware, the Silpat bakingmats are a godsend for cookies that tend to stick or that easily burn on thebottom. Buy one now, or look for silicone-coated parchment paper.If you're really in the mood to organize, check out the Grand Plan fororganized holidays at www.organizedhome.com. This will put you in shape notonly for this year's holidays, but next year's holidays, as well.The 16-week Grand Plan by Katie Leckey suggests ways to clean and organizean entire home for the holiday season. She deep-cleans the whole kitchen,not just the fridge and recipe files.Start by emptying kitchen closets and pantries and using trash bags andboxes to sort and redistribute items, she suggests.If you haven't used something in a few months, donate it and "kill theclutter!" Look for expired food items, and make sure open boxes haven't beeninvaded by bugs.Those foreboding kitchen cabinets don't escape her radar, either.Tackle them one by one, she suggests, starting above counters, on one sideof the room, and working in one direction. When the tops are done, tacklethe cabinets below the counter. Save the under-sink area for last.Don't forget to wipe down empty shelves before putting things back.If the thought of doing half of this organizing wears you out, pick andchoose whatever tasks seem realistic.Put those tasks on a list, and ponder them over a cup of hot tea or hotcocoa, with your favorite music in the background.Enjoy the season.Nobody is perfect - not even Martha Stewart.