Five Holiday Hosting Tips

 

At this point in my life, I've hosted holiday gatherings for close to 40 years. When my son was little, I would have my family over for a Christmas Eve party each year. Once the girls were born, it turned into hosting my family on Christmas Eve and my husband's family on Christmas Day. Nowadays, I share holiday hosting duties with my sister-in-law. 

Here are five tips I've learned to make holiday hosting easier.

Plan Early

Whether writing invitations, trying new recipes, or figuring out how many chairs you need, make a plan at least three months in advance. This gives you time to deal with the unexpected or failed food attempts. 

Inventory Your Pantry Ahead of Time

How many times have you been partway through a recipe and discovered you are out of a key ingredient? Thanks to the Internet and that beautiful modern invention, the cell phone, you might learn of a substitute, but some ingredients can't easily be switched out. A month before the big day, grab non-perishables. 

Shop Sales

Speaking of non-perishables, ingredients like flours, sugars, and spices are often on sale each holiday. Grab an extra package if you have room. Buy paper products, disposable serving dishes, and decorations for next year's gathering at the end of the season. 

Make Food Ahead

Not everything needs to be fresh out of the oven. You can make appetizers, desserts, and sides ahead of time so that you can spend less time in the kitchen on the day of your event and more time with guests. 

Photo credit: Freepik

Clean Dishes As You Go

This is a daily practice in my kitchen. Cooking is hard work. The minute I sit down to dinner with my guests, I no longer feel like navigating a mountain of dirty dishes. So, most of the pots, pans, and prep dishes are cleaned up as I go. During holiday celebrations, I clear the table between courses and put the dishes in the dishwasher, so there is less to clean up once we are finished. It makes a HUGE difference. 

Favorite Kitchen Appliances That Help Me Prep for the Holidays

 

One of my favorite things to do around the holidays is entertain our family and friends. Spending time in the kitchen is fun. When the kids were younger and more of the family lived close by, we had cookie bakes and an annual Christmas Eve party. Nowadays, I host Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on everyone's schedules. 

Here are some of the kitchen appliances I use to help me prepare to entertain family and friends.

Cuisinart 7-Cup Food Processor

When we moved into our new home in December 1999, I quickly learned that working a full-time job required me to be more efficient in the kitchen. My Cuisinart food processor helps me slice, chop, mince, etc. Even though my 25-year-old unit was still operational, I bought a new version of my original last year. Not as heavy and slightly more compact, I like how they redesigned how the cover attaches, and the handy holder for the extra blades is a lot safer than loose blades sitting in a drawer. 

KitchenAid White Cordless Hand Mixer

This was a Christmas gift to replace a corded hand mixer from another manufacturer that I didn't like. Honestly, I never thought of buying a cordless hand mixer, but I love this one. It's lightweight, easy to clean, and has multiple speeds. The charge lasts a long time. 

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

My stand mixer is at least 20 years old. Received as a gift, I've used this mixer so many times that I've lost count. Mixing cookie dough is a lot easier in this mixer than using the hand mixer. Though it is heavy, I'll bring it out during the holidays when I have multiple cookie batches to make. It also comes with other attachments, but I don't use those as often.

KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender

Often known as an immersion blender, this variable speed hand blender will blend, puree, and crush. This makes the best butternut squash. I bought it last year and use it at least once a week. 

Sunbeam Hot Shot

This is now considered a vintage product, but I bought a new one before they stopped manufacturing the Sunbeam Hot Shot. This 16 oz. capacity unit heats up water faster than if you used a microwave or the stovetop. I'm a huge tea drinker, but I never like to use the coffeemaker for tea because of the after taste. In addition, when I need hot water to dissolve gelatin or bouillon cubes, this does the trick quickly. I've had a Hot Shot since before we moved into our house 25 years ago. The one challenge is that the plastic hinges holding the cover on can wear out, but these units were affordable to replace. 

I guess I never realized what a KitchenAid fan I was until I put together this list. What are some kitchen appliances that help you out during the holidays?