Having a successful BIG family dinner is like a colonoscopy, it is all about the PREP :)
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| Family Recipe book gift for Racheal this year! |
Planning a Big Family Dinner
first of all make the menu**
then get out the recipe book
make the grocery list**
buy the groceries
NEXT is the important part
The day before cooking:
PRE-measure all dry ingredients, place in Ziploc bags - just
like when they cook on TV, everything is already measured out, just dump it in!
PRE-measure margarine and label
CHOP all nuts, onions, celery, etc.
Get out all the pans, measuring spoons, measuring cups,
ingredients (except perishable) you will need for each dish. Put all cans, Ziploc bags, spoons, recipe cards, notes, etc. into the pan/bowl you will be using, line them up on the counter like this:
don't waste time Christmas morning, have everything ready even the cutting board/knife, the day before, PRE-grease the Bundt pan for Monkey Bread:
Christmas Ham - the night before - remove from store
wrapping, place in foil in roasting pan, in refrigerator, with note of time and
temp - then set your phone reminder alarm for 5:00 a.m. to get up and put the
ham in the oven, then go back to bed.
After the BIG meal make notes of what was good/bad/needs
change/need to make more or less of.
**SAVE your menus, grocery lists, notes somewhere you will
be able to find them next year. I told Melissa I had saved them on my computer
and they would be there until it crashed again, she said put them in the CLOUD!
