Christmas dinner is not only a time of great food, but also an opportunity to enjoy each others’ company – it only happens once a year, after all. Unfortunately most hosts and hostesses end up slaving away in the kitchen whilst the rest of the family and friends get to have all the fun. It’s not supposed to be like that, and there really isn’t any reason why it can’t be different this year. There are plenty of ways to make it easy and fun for yourself. Ever wonder how you can enjoy the events more this year? Here are the most important rules to remember when hosting a Christmas dinner.
Stick with what you know
You may love the dish, and you may love to serve it to your guests – surely they’ll be delighted – but if you haven’t prepared the meal before, better choose another dish. Stick with what you know; not just because it might go wrong, but more because you don’t want to be running around with too many things to do in too little time. It’s Christmas for you, too.
Plan ahead of time
Planning ahead of time is an important part of getting things done efficiently. Create your menu a week before and start the groceries. Put in your order of turkey as soon as possible, and reserve time to pick it up a day or two before Christmas Eve. Reserve time also for stuffing it on the morning of Christmas Eve.
Prepare in advance
The preparations include making sure you have all the pots and pans, decorations, and so on – but they also include preparing some dishes ahead of time. Stuffing, for example, can be frozen without loss of quality, and so can bread sauce and cranberry sauce. The only thing you should be doing when the time comes is placing the bird in the oven and putting the dishes together.
Delegate
Give your children tasks – Christmas is about doing things together, as a family.
Relax and have fun
Talk. Sing. Laugh. Dance. Play games together such as online Bingo. Enjoy yourself!
One last thing to mention – and depending on your guests, it could be an important thing. Make sure you call ahead and ask your loved ones if there are any ingredients or food items that they either can’t have (health reasons or allergies) or won’t have (are there any vegetarians or vegans on the guest list?). It may help you avoid some unwanted surprises. Also, if the guests are going to enjoy the sumptuous meal you’ve prepared, there’s nothing wrong with telling them they are responsible for the games and songs. So tell Uncle Fred to update his membership at this favourite Bingo site and aunt Carol to bring her favorite music CD. It’s party time, after all.