Be prepared for unexpected holiday guests, have some extra snacks!

Well, it’s official, we are again in the holiday season.  Lights are up and expectations are high to be jolly, happy or oozing with extra good cheer – it’s enough to make you crazy.  As  a  Mom, you feel like the happiness of everyone around you is dependent on what you do!  But give yourself a break – if you are not happy, neither will anyone else be.

There are now three days before we leave to visit my mother for the holidays.  I’m a little stressed.  So I will do what I always do – make lists.  If I can take a big task and break it down into little ones, I feel much more successful and things will get done. I will make Christmas lists, and hit the internet.  I will make shopping lists and store them on my phone.   I will make packing lists, so that I can keep things in one suitcase – and I will put them all on the calendar so that as I get closer to THE DAY, the list will shrink instead of grow and I will feel better not worse.

But more importantly, I need to realize it is not my job to make everyone happy.  True, it’s easier now that the children are grown and I can realize that much of the struggle we had during those teenage years was as much my problem as theirs.  They were trying to show me they were responsible for themselves, and I had to learn to let them be responsible. 

This year my family is beginning to scatter around the U.S. as we become part of other people’s families and celebrations.  They each have a desire and responsibility to contribute to everyone’s happiness – and they want to.  The joy of making others happy is now the gift they have to share -  that and a few recipes from home. Let me know how you and your family share the holidays.

Still there is that central role you have to play – so make it easy for yourself, at least on the food front.

5 Steps to Making Holiday Cooking Easier

1.  Put out a plate of fresh, ready to eat fruit for the day.  Let them help themselves.  In many European countries it’s a tradition that they put out a plate of food for the 12 Days of Christmas – one for each day.  It includes dried fruit (like apricots), cheese, nuts, fresh fruit (like clementines and grapes) and some wrapped candy. 

2.  Prepared food is good food.  –  Make a pot of soup – only twice what you would normally prepare – freeze half for the day so that you’re ready for guests coming at odd hours or those running late. If you don’t have the extra time now, a roast chicken from the grocery store is a great, warm dinner.

3.  Keep It Simple – As much as I love to cook, I am always humbled by the fact that the family seems to love easy comfort food as much if not more than things I slave over.  We had a week full of delicious dishes – but my son, Scott was happiest with the easy mac he made for himself. It was inexpensive and easy, and reminded him of being a kid again.

4.  Let People Help!!  -  I’m always guilty of this one.  I invite people over, they say “what can I bring?” and I say “Just Yourself!”  What was I thinking?   I am learning to say, “Thank you, yes” and everyone feels better.

5.  Keep some “extras” on hand! – The one thing I have trained the family to do, is put something on the grocery list when they use up the last one.  Particularly around the holidays, there should be some no thought food around.  For a late night meal, I take a can of tomato soup, add a can of minced clams and a little milk and I have a wholesome meal.  When people drop by, I have some mini-bagels,  frozen pigs in a blanket, TSG Cheeseballs or a jar of Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jelly over cream cheese – and everyone is happy!

If you are relaxed and happy, so will be those around you.  Give up control and enjoy the holidays.

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