DAY THREE: Turkey, and Cornbread, and Fruitcake, Oh My! Psalm 145:7, "They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousn

         
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DAY THREE: Turkey, and Cornbread, and Fruitcake, Oh My!

Psalm 145:7, "They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." (NIV)

From Glynnis …

Almost every homemaker has a holiday meal nightmare story. Some of mine include not thawing the turkey, remembering to thaw the turkey but not putting it in soon enough, and cooking it till it was leathery. This might explain why I prefer to host theme meals, like a Mexican fiesta or Hawaiian buffet.

And then there was the year I spent hours making a trifle, carefully layering cake, pudding, fruit and whipped cream, only to break the top of the tall trifle bowl removing it from the refrigerator. I just wanted to cry as I saw the broken glass in the whipped cream and knew it wasn’t safe to serve.

Seems in my early years of hosting holiday gatherings, something was always going wrong. Actually, things still go wrong! There's nothing like the happy chaos of family to assure that things won’t go as planned.

The difference is I’ve learned a few tricks over the years that have saved my sanity many a time. Plus, by planning ahead, even when things go wrong, I don’t ruin the day with my attitude and can set the tone for a much more gracious and loving experience.

Instead of shying away from entertaining this holiday season, here are some tips that will increase your confidence and hopefully start you on the path to happy and holy holiday meals.

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1. Start clearing your pantry, freezer and fridge, in order to make room for the extra food that gets made around the holidays. Create menus to finish off the ½ jar of chutney in the fridge or the 5 bags of frozen peas in the freezer. Donate non-perishable food from your pantry to bless others.

2. Create your menus now. Need ideas?
    • Create your menus when you are hungry. When you’re full, nothing sounds good.
    • Check out cookbooks from the library complete with photos.
    • Spend time on food websites like www.foodnetwork.com.
    • Pick a theme. Maybe Colonial America or a New Orleans feast.
    • Get together with other guests and brainstorm the menu – then assign food items.
    • Consider a variety of food items in case you host a vegetarian or someone with food         allergies.
    • Keep most of your items simple, with only one or two challenging dishes.

3. Consider the accessories needed.
    • Plan now if you want to keep it casual or more formal. We’ve never met anyone who
       cared if they ate on plastic rather than fine china. It’s the fellowship they care more about.
    • Borrow plates, glasses, tablecloths or other items if necessary.
    • Borrow or purchase serving equipment, like warmers or chafing dishes.
    • Ask to borrow tables and extra chairs if necessary.
    • Visit a thrift store for items you might need before buying new.

4. From your menu, create a shopping list. Do this now so you can watch for items on sale and use coupons. This spreads out the expense and eliminates frustration when things get sold-out last minute.

5. As you are shopping, pick up extra food items to donate. This is a great time to get items on sale, and share with others in need.

6. Make a countdown calendar or master schedule. This might be weeks, days or even hours. But the more time you spend thinking through your tasks and deadlines, the smoother the actual event will be. Have most of the work done beforehand so you can enjoy your guests. Make as much ahead of time as possible and freeze.

7. Tips for the event
    • If you serve a buffet, consider putting small signs in front of each item with the name of the dish, and key ingredients if anyone has food sensitivities.
    • Create a drink station with similar signs.
    • Use place cards to change up seating arrangements. If you are crafty, consider making these yourself. One year I made cookies, and wrote people’s names on them.
    • Place discussion prompts on the table.
    • If you want to give thanks before the meal, let people know so they don’t embarrass themselves by starting.
    • Play soft background music.
    • Ask the Lord for a Scripture verse for each of your guests. Incorporate this into your place settings.
    • Consider asking a teenager for help in the kitchen so you can be with your guests. Write out exactly what you expect him or her to do.


Finally, as the special dates approach, take time to be with the Lord. In the middle of the mess, stop and soak in the Lord’s presence. He’s always with you, and will help you keep perspective.

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Flip through a library cookbook or click around on a few food websites to bookmark 2-3 new dishes you’d like to try at some point this holiday season.

Don’t forget to add the ingredients needed to your grocery list.

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