The holiday dinner is almost ready. Soft music plays in the background ... candles flicker on the table ... silverware gleams on the placemats ... crystal glasses sparkle.... heavenly smells of fresh baked pies and roasted turkey drift in from the kitchen ... adults chat ... the kids are playing together (though they do send a scout now and then to check on the progress of dinner).... and you, the relaxed and cheerful hostess, are sipping a glass of wine and stirring the gravy while making small talk with your mother-in-law.

No, it’s not a dream! Well, ok, maybe it is a bit of a fantasy, but with these secrets you may be able to remove some of the harried chaos from your holiday dinner party.

Let’s get started.

Our first secrets start days before the dinner:

1. Be sure the turkey has time to thaw. That frozen turkey may need days, not hours, to thaw. In general, you need about 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 5 lbs of frozen turkey. (So a ten pound turkey needs to be put in the refrigerator 48 hours ahead of the time it is needed to start cooking.)

A faster, but less safe and reliable method for thawing the turkey is to submerge the still wrapped turkey in cold water. Change the water every 30- 60 minutes; be sure the turkey stays submerged and the water cold. A 10 lb turkey will thaw in about 5 hours with the cold water method. If the thawing is done early with this method, then store in the refrigerator until it is time to put it in the oven.

2. Sharpen your knives - you will be amazed at how much faster and easier it is to chop and slice foods with a sharp blade. Oddly, it is also often safer, since a dull blade is much more likely to catch, or need too so much pressure to cut smoothly that you overcompensate and possibly send the blade sliding off toward your lovely fingers.

3. Get your serving dishes out and ready. Better yet, try to select cooking dishes that the food can be served from. Pyrex and Corning both make beautiful dishes that can go from oven to serving table. Either way, be sure you have plenty of clean serving dishes. If having enough serving dishes is an issue, then consider serving buffet style and letting your guests serve themselves from the nicely arranged pans on the oven or counter. Either way, figure it out in advance.

4. Get the special dishes and plates down from the shelves and wash and polish them the day before dinner. Get out the china and good dishes, load them in the dishwasher and run them through the rinse cycle (no soap) to get them serving clean. I guarantee that if you wait to do this until just before dinner is ready that not only will you find the dishes layered in fine dust, but if your catty sister-in-law is helping to get them from the shelves, then at least one of the crystal glasses will have a dead bug in it. Best discover this in private and wash away all evidence!

5. Read every line of every recipe you intend to use and then actually look in the refrigerator or on the shelf to be sure that you not only have the ingredient, but that you have enough for your recipes. An egg carton with only one egg or an empty butter container can spell disaster on the morning of your dinner. And your dear husband may need to be promised more than a backrub to be convinced to run all over town looking for an open store for your last minute ingredients. You’ll be tired after all that cooking and entertaining. Leave your options open. Check your ingredients in advance.

6. Be sure you have power. If you use rechargeable appliances, such as a hand mixer, or electric knife, check now to be sure it is plugged in and charging.

You’ve made it to the big day. Now here are some secrets for the dinner preparation:

7. Wear an apron while you cook. Who needs to have to change clothes at the last minute? No matter how careful you are, there is some kind of law that the more attractive you look in a blouse, the more attractive it will be to splatters and spills.

8. Read those recipes again and take careful note of cooking times. Plan accordingly. It can be a big shock to discover at the last minute that those special rolls need 40 minutes of baking time instead of 10.

9. Be alert to cooking steps where you can easily have someone help you. Plan ahead! That way you are ready with a smile and directions when someone asks you if you need any help. Rehearse if you need to. “Why yes, darling, you can put those plates on the table.” And use this opportunity to rehearse for step #14 below.

10. Have the dishwasher, draining/drying rack emptied and ready to load dishes in before you start to cook.

11. Immediately rinse pots, pans and cooking bowls in the sink as you cook and finish with them. If needed, fill them with soapy water to soak while you finish cooking, even if you plan to wash them in the dishwasher. This bit of soaking will make a world of difference in the clean up time.

12. Wash a pan or two (or load them in the dishwasher) whenever you have a moment while you are cooking. If you have rinsed and/or soaked them, this will be a breeze. If the cooking is too involved, this would be a great job for your wonderful man. Remind him that he did not have to run to the store to get eggs.

After dinner...

13. Fill a sink or a dishpan with hot soapy water and drop the dirty utensils and tableware into it and let them soak while you rinse and scrape plates, even if you plan to wash them in the dishwasher. It will make the difference between utensils that basically rinse clean and those that need extra scrubbing.

14. Accept all offers to help with the cleanup! And if there are no offers, well you have already rehearsed. Smile pleasantly and ask! “Could you carry that dish into the kitchen and put a piece of plastic wrap over it? Thank you so much!” This can actually be much easier than mumbling and playing martyr in the kitchen. And the clean-up conversation is usually more relaxed, too, and can make the whole process more enjoyable.

Now that you’ve finished dinner and the clean up, pour yourself a nice glass of wine (or iced tea) and join the rest of your guests. You deserve it; you’ve just hosted a wonderful holiday dinner.

Now about all those promises you made to your wonderful husband ....

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Submitted by Simple Life . www.simplelifecorp.com
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