Whether you’re a newlywed planning your first big holiday feast or a party planning pro looking to spice things up at your holiday table, every home cook can use a little help during the holidays. At Ocean Spray, we’re holiday specialists. After all, cranberries have had a starring role on tables for hundreds of years.
Here are some tips to help get you through the biggest meal of the year!
Stress Free Preparation
Good parties take some planning, but they don’t need to be complicated. Be realistic with your time and energy, plan your approach, keep your sense of humor and most of all, have fun. After all, you should enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else.
- Keep organized with checklists and post a holiday calendar countdown on your fridge to remind you to stay on top of all your party planning to dos. This will ensure you don’t forget the little things, like polishing the good silver and washing the nice linens ahead of time or creating playlists of your favorite holiday songs for the evening.
- Make a timetable. Include time to shop, prepare foods, set the table and decorate.
It’s OK Not to Make Everything from Scratch
Don’t do all the cooking. A dash through the supermarket can be really helpful. Order a pre-cooked turkey from your local grocer or restaurant. Grab a bagged salad, fresh bread and dessert from the bakery. There’s even jarred turkey gravy. Once everything is served on your own dishes, it will all look and taste great, even if it’s not homemade—and without all the stress.
- If guests offer to bring something, let them. A contribution of bread or rolls, a side dish or a favorite dessert is one less thing you have to worry about.
If You Do Like to Make Everything from Scratch, Start Early
- If you do the cooking yourself, plan to do as much as possible ahead of time, to avoid that last minute rush.
- Enlist the kids to wash vegetables, roll out pie dough and set the table. Or keep them busy with craft ideas that can make great decorations for the holiday table.
Engage Your Guests
- Have someone come a bit early to help with decorations, organize foods and pass appetizers. Don’t forget to enlist help from the kids. Older kids can help with simple decorations, clear away clutter or pass appetizers.
- Assign people to bring foods; appetizers are fun and easy to bring along. So are desserts.
- Have a “job jar” or list of ways others can help. Guests can pick a simple way to help out, from setting the table to pouring drinks.
Bring on the cranberries!
We may be a bit biased, but this is our favorite part of the holidays. Here is an easy appetizer idea that you can prepare in advance and will hold off your guests until the main event. That extra twenty minutes you save by thinking ahead will allow you to take a powernap or quick bubble bath before the guests arrive. Trust us, it will make the difference between looking frantic and feeling fabulous.
MOLDED CRANBERRY FRUIT SALAD
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, reserving juice
1/2 cup Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 3-ounce package raspberry-flavored gelatin
1 16-ounce can Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
1/2 cup chopped celery
Directions:
Combine reserved pineapple juice, cranberry juice cocktail and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Break up cranberry sauce with a fork. Stir into gelatin mixture.
Refrigerate until mixture begins to set. Stir in pineapple and celery. Pour into a 4-cup mold. Chill until firm. Makes 8 servings.
Per Serving: Calories 148, Fat Cal. 0, Protein 1gram, Carb. 37grams, Fat 0grams, Chol. 0mg, Sodium 65mg
Cindy Taccini is an Ocean Spray Test Kitchen Manager. For tips, recipe ideas, suggested menus, shopping lists, planning calendars and more, go to www.oceanspray.com/planit.
Steve Cooper is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Hitched. You can follow him on Twitter at @hitchedmedia.
