{31 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas} Day 16~ Christmas Dinner Tips

For years, my Holiday celebrations seemed to have taken place mostly in the kitchen. Setting the table, cooking the dinner, & cleaning up took hours away from relaxing and enjoying my family. A few years ago I decided to figure out a way to have a wonderful Christmas dinner without spending all day in the kitchen. These are the ideas I came up with. 

Plan The Dinner

It may seem a bit early to plan Christmas dinner in October, and I actually don't plan it now, but this is a good idea for Thanksgiving dinner as well. In our home, holiday dinners have always been special. I bear the mark of an Italian heritage. In recent years I have been working hard to improve my health. I had to get to a place where I separated the holiday memories from the food. Now I strive to plan a menu that fits within my dietary needs and yet is still delicious for everyone. We always have turkey for Thanksgiving so by Christmas we are ready for something else like ham or a beef roast. Once I have chosen the main I think through the sides. I like to try a few new dishes each year but always make some old standbys as well. I am sure you can guess....now I make another list on the computer including recipes, if needed. This also helps me in the next month or so while I am grocery shopping to watch for sales. 

Plan The Table Settings

This is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. I love planning the table settings. To me it puts my emphasis on something other than food. Several years ago, at an after Christmas sale, I found silver chargers for next to nothing. Most years I use them and build my 

table settings from there. I have gotten most of my ideas from either a magazine or the Internet. By thinking ahead, if I don't have an item that would be just perfect, I can search yard sales or second hand shops to save some money and still have the "perfect" table. I make a note of the serving pieces I want to use so I am not running around at the last minute trying to find something. This year, because we do not have a cat,(I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe-enough said) I am planning on setting the table the day before so I can enjoy it longer. 

Cooking Ahead

The cooking day before

This may not work for some people but I started this a few years ago for Thanksgiving and it totally made the holiday more enjoyable for me. I purposely  to make side dishes that could be made the day before and heated up or baked on the day of. I put the food in the serving dishes and refrigerated them overnight. If it was a dish that would be heated in the microwave I made sure it was microwave safe. Chrystal is not microwave safe. If it was a casserole would be baked, I used a "pretty" casserole dish. The only thing I had to do was put the turkey in the oven and let it roast slowly all morning. The best thing was all of the pots and pans were washed the day before. I ran my dishwasher and emptied it before we ate so that all I had to do was load it after the meal was finished. I spent a lot less time in the kitchen and was able to be more involved with my family. 

Dessert Buffet