Tuesday, December 30, 2014

preparation


Having a successful BIG family dinner is like a colonoscopy, it is all about the PREP  :)

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!


spring