Easy Tips for Hosting the Perfect Holiday Meal

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Planning on hosting a meal this holiday season? Before you start to feel too stressed out, remember the holidays are supposed to be fun and enjoyable, a time for family and friends. So if you are starting to feel anxiety about hosting the perfect event, take a deep breath and take a look at these tips to help make this meal enjoyable for everyone, including yourself.

Do as Much as You Can Before the Day of the Meal or Party

Like with a lot of things in life, procrastination typically only makes things worse. If you are going to be the one doing most of the cooking the day of the meal, then you should make sure you have everything else in order before the day arrives. If you want to tidy up a bit, set the table, do some decorating, buy a couple of gifts for your gifts, whatever it may be, make sure you do it before the big day, so you can focus on preparing the meal.

Doing as much as you can before the meal should include asking for help. If you have kids, family members, or friends around, chances are they would be happy to help you. Most people understand how stressful playing a host can be so they are probably more than willing to give you a hand.

Ask yourself if any part of the meal can be prepared the day before. You can chop vegetables, measure out spices and seasonings or bake items that can be reheated. All of this will save you time and energy later on.

If it helps you to stay organized, create a plan for what needs to be done before the day comes. You can start by preparing recipe ideas, getting a grocery list together, preparing any serving utensils such as plastic plates glasses, and cutlery, or anything else you might need to execute the dishes you plan to make.

Don’t Go Crazy Preparing Food

If you plan on hosting a lot of people, this is probably not the best time to go crazy preparing the food. If you have been thinking about trying a new recipe, or an elaborate appetizer, maybe this is not the best opportunity. Instead, stick with something you have made before, this way you can be sure that it doesn’t take more time than you planned, does not require ingredients that you do not have on hand, and most importantly, you can be sure that it tastes great and everyone will enjoy it.

You should also consider buying premade items from your local grocery store or market. If you are already planning on spending the whole day in the kitchen, preparing 3 or 4 items for everyone to eat, there is no shame in picking up a few more sides from the local market that are ready to eat.

You might even consider asking a guest or two to help out by bringing a side, an appetizer, or a dessert. This will take a lot of pressure off of you and give you less to worry about when the day comes.

Use Disposable Dishes

It may sound tacky or informal, but you can certainly find paper or plastic items that are stylish and nice. Using disposable dishes and cutlery will save you a ton of time and energy when it is time to clean up. Get creative and look for disposable items that go well with your other decorations. Your guests will never even notice and will not feel any pressure to help with the dishes at the end of the night.

So before you start laying awake at night, stressing overcooking and hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas meals in your home, remember, there are plenty of things you can do to make throwing a party as stress-free as possible so that you can sit back and enjoy your time with the people you love the most.