Cooking for the Holidays

Fourth of July just passed and I thought it would be a good idea to talk about holiday meals.  We kept it easy this Fourth of July by just doing hamburgers and hot dogs, but if you are hosting the party for the holidays you might want to impress the guest by making something homemade.  This always pleases the guests and makes you a great party host.  But it can be very stressful for you.  The holidays alone can be stressful, but making a homemade meal for a crowd can definitely make you crazy.
 

First off, when hosting a party I do not recommend trying a new recipe.  When you try a new recipe for the first time you might run in to some problems including not liking the ending result.  For this reason I suggest making a meal you have already made before and you feel comfortable making. 

The next step is to sit down and decide on the menu for the party.  Are you just making the main course? Or will you be making appetizers, sides, and desserts?  Remember, do not over do it.  If you plan on going all out I recommend making things that can be made a few days ahead or getting some people to help you with all the cooking. 

Once you figure out what you will be making determine how many people you will be serving and make a list of all the ingredients you will need and how much you will need.   

Now make a plan on when each part of the meal is going to be made.  Determine how long each meal takes and decide when you should start each part of the meal so everything finishes around the same time. 

The most important part of cooking for the holidays is to not over do it.  If you plan to cook too much you will stress yourself out and ruin the holidays for yourself.  Plan a simple meal and make sure you plan everything out ahead of time and you should be good for the holidays.