The Elf Blog

Holiday Health

The days are shorter and colder and damper, yet the pace of life is getting faster.  It can make it very difficult to stay in good shape for the holidays.  You aren't likely to enjoy the holidays if you are ill. 

So make taking care of yourself part of your holiday routine:

• Try your very best to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.  If you are well-rested, it's easier to fight off germs; plus, you''ll be more productive when you are awake.
• Make sure at least one meal a day is healthy.  It's easy to succumb to fast food when things get hectic.  If you have to go that route, try the healthier options, like a roasted chicken and a premade salad from the grocery store.  Just as fast as burgers, but with actual nutritional content.
• Get some exercise that isn't running around a mall or doing laundry.  You can take a walk on your lunch hour or just use the stairs instead of the elevator.  Whatever you can do to keep yourself moving will be a help.
• Schedule in some quiet time at least once a week.  Your brain and your body need time to recharge.

Christmas Countdown -- 7 Weeks!

Christmas Eve is only seven weeks away and Thanksgiving is only three weeks away!  That means it's time to kick the preparations into high gear.

Here are this week's tasks:

• Begin developing your task schedule for the holiday season.  Put it right on your master calendar.  Write in dates for baking, decorating, writing cards, shopping, cooking, wrapping, crafting, etc.  Keep in mind that some tasks may need to be spread over several days.  For example, some doughs need time to rise, crafts need time to dry, etc.
• Identify areas in your house for various holiday activities: wrapping, gift storage, baking supplies, Thanksgiving staging, card writing.  If possible, keep these areas set until the task is completed.  If everything you need to work on cards is easily at hand, you can take 5 or 10 minutes to write a few notes, address some cards, etc. 
• If you have any presents that must ship overseas, you needs to buy them this week so they can ship before November 15th.

If you are hosting Thanksgiving, here are your tasks:

• Finalize your menu.
• Begin staging the dinner, getting china, serving pieces, table linens, etc. ready and gathered in a single accessible place.
• Create a detailed schedule for your preparation.  Place everything as early in the schedule as possible to reduce stress.  You can shop for non-perishables as early as this weekend.  You can polish silver and iron table linens now.  You can set the table the Monday before Thanksgiving.  Only leave to Thanksgiving morning those things that cannot be done in advance.  The best thing you can bring to the table is yourself, relaxed.
• If you like fresh turkeys, order yours now for pickup during Thanksgiving week.  If you use a frozen turkey, you can buy it when you'd like.  Also get a large plastic bucket and make room in the fridge so you can brine it.

From here on out, we'll be working hard to prepare.  Remember the goal: To look up on Christmas Eve and realize that everything is prepared and you have nothing to do except enjoy.

Christmas Countdown -- 8 Weeks

Thanksgiving is 4 weeks away.  Christmas Eve is 8 weeks away.  (Well, that takes care of scaring you all for Halloween!)

In the last weeks, we've done master scheduling, made lists, and played catch-up.  This week, we focus on taking stock:

• Take stock of your hostess items -- serving platters, fancy table linens, good china and silver, etc.  Does the silver need to be polished?  Do the linens need to be laundered or ironed or replaced?
• Take stock of your cooking and baking supplies.  Do you have enough cookie sheets?  Storage tins?  What cooking and baking basics do you have on hand:  broth, flour, nuts, sugar, vanila, almond extract, spices, baking powder, colored sugars, etc.?
• Take stock of your Christmas cards.  If you bought them in the after-Christmas sales last year, find them.  Make sure you have enough. Also, check your stock of address labels.  Holiday stamps are available at the post office, so you can pick them up at your convenience.
• Take stock of your wrapping supplies: paper, boxes, tissue, tape, ribbons, bows, and gift tags.
• Take stock of your decorations so you'll know if anything needs to be repaired or replaced.

By the end of the week, you should know where you stand so you'll be ready to move forward.  That's the goal.

Thanksgiving Planning

Thanksgiving is 8 weeks from today!  While it's too early to whip up the green bean casserole and pumpkin pie, there are some things you can do:

• Decide where you will celebrate.  If necessary, make travel plans to get there.
• If you will be hosting, decide on the guest list and issue invitations.
• Double-check your stock of china, table linens, and serving dishes.  See if anything needs to be cleaned or replaced.  (You may be able to find some good deals at Columbus Day sales.)
• Pull out that recipe file you tucked away last year: the one of side dishes, appetizers, desserts, and ways to use leftovers.  Decide which ones you'd like to try this year. 
• If you will be hosting overnight guests, I recommend deciding on some breakfast and easy dinner options.  If you'll be shopping on Black Friday, you don't want to do major cooking when you get home.  You'll want something you can toss in a slow cooker in the pre-dawn hours or something that comes together very fast.
• Take a look at the rooms you use when entertaining -- guest room, guest bath, dining room, formal living room.  Start decluttering now.  It's not unusual to go months without entertaining in these rooms (especially during the summer when you are more likely to entertain outside) so they can become a repository for all manner of things.  You don't want to be stuffing the turkey with one hand and clearing clutter with the other.  Tidying up now will allow for a more leisurely holiday.

T Minus 10

Thanksgiving is only ten weeks away.  Within the next two weeks, it's important that you do the following:

• Finalize any travel plans, buying tickets and making hotel reservations if necessary.
• Request time off from work if you'll need it for travel or preparations.
• Of you are hosting, make your master schedule for cleaning, shopping, table-setting, and cooking.
• If you'll have overnight guests, decide on the sleeping accomodations and begin de-cluttering the guest room.
• Go through your recipe folders to come up with a basic menu -- for the holiday itself and for the surrounding days.  If necessary, test any new recipes you plan to try.
• Begin making space in cabinets, fridge, and freezer.

Thanksgiving Countdown

Thanksgiving is 12 weeks away.  Yes, that means it's too early to start cooking. But it's not too early to start planning.

If you will be traveing for the holiday, make your ticket and hotel reservations now to ensure the broadest possible choices.

If you are hosting, now is an excellent time to start looking through those recipes you've been saving to see which ones you might like to try. 

It's also a good idea to take an inventory of "hosting things" like table linens and candles and glassware and serverware to make sure you have what you need and that what you have is in good repair. 

Finally, over the next few weeks, make a concerted effort to use the things in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. You'll want to have the room available, plus, using what you already have will help you save money for holiday purcahses!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  I am most grateful that anyone reads my ramblings.

Enjoy your time with family and friends.  Get out of the kitchen and enjoy people.  That's the point.

But don't throw out the turkey carcass!  It will make lovely stock for soup.

My Thanksgiving Schedule

I've spent so much time talking about planning.  I thought I'd share my Thansgiving schedule with you all.

I will be hosting dinner on Thursday.  Right now, at least 5 people will be there.  Dinner is scheduled for 5 p.m.

The menu is roasted turkey breast, gravy, fresh cranberry ginger relish, herbed bread stuffing, mashed Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potato puree, brussel sprouts with bacon, green beans amandine, pumpkin pie with freshly whipped cream and toasted pecans, apple pie with ice cream and caramel sauce, mulled apple cider.

Here's my schedule:

Weekend:  Grocery shop. Plan what serving dishes will hold which foods.

Monday: Make cranberry relish and gravy.  Microwave sweet potatoes.  Toast pecans and almonds. Trim green beans.

Tuesday:  Tidy public rooms. Dry bread for stuffing.

Wednesday: Bake pies.  Set turkey breast to brine. Set table.

Thursday morning:  Watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Cheer VERY loudly when Santa arrives.  Look through ad papers to decide if I'll shop on Black Friday.

Thursday early afternoon:  Put turkey in to roast.  Mix up stuffing. Put apple cider and spices in slow cooker. Peel potatoes. Put out serving dishes. Whip cream.

Thursday late afternoon:  Make mashed potatoes.  Puree sweet potatoes.  Take turkey out to rest. Bake stuffing.

Right before dinner:  Reheat gravy.  Steam green beans.  Saute toasted almonds in butter and pour over green beans.  Make brussel sprouts.  Mash potatoes.

Since I don't have a dining room, I will put the food on the kitchen table buffet style.  People will fill their plates and come to the table in the living room to eat.

If you don't have a place to eat, drop me a message and come on over.

Take Your Turkey Out Day!

If you are hosting Thanksgiving and cooking a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer now (yes, stop reading right this minute and take it out -- I'll wait.)

Defrost it in your refrigerator.  I recommend placing it in a shallow pan to catch any liquid. 

Even a large turkey should be defrosted by Wednesday morning, in plenty of time to brine it before slipping it in the oven on Thursday.

Holiday Stress

With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, holiday stress is on the horizon. The key to controlling holiday stress is understanding its source.

Do you leave everything until the last minute?  Then use the Thanksgiving and Christmas countdowns to prepare a little each week.

Do you overschedule yourself?  If so, you'll need to exercise more discipline with your calendar.  You don't have to go everywhere and do everything.  Prioritize the activities and events that mean the most. 

Do you try to do everything yourself?  Ask for help or use shortcuts, such as prepared party foods or gift wrap services.

Do you hold yourself to an unrealistic standard?  Remember, all the holiday scenes you see on tv are created by teams of experts who have multiple takes to get it right.  Make you and your loved ones happy.  that's all that counts.