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Prepare for success by getting your ducks in a row from early December. Here are some of the tasks you can tick off the Christmas to-do list before the 25th arrives.
Santa shouldn’t be the only one writing a list this Christmas. The first step to planning for a stress-free Christmas is to make lists of everything you need to attend to from decoration to dinner plans. As you move through the list, you can soak up the satisfaction of ticking off tasks in the lead up to the big day.
Spread the cost and save time with Christmas food shopping by adding a few extra items to your trolley everytime you hit the supermarket in December. This could be dry foods like nuts and crackers, or preserves including jams and chutneys. You may also want to start clearing some pantry space for your growing stockpile!
Crunch the numbers on how many people you’ll be catering for and plan a menu that you’ll be comfortable cooking. Don’t forget to ask if anyone has any special dietary needs early so you can make accommodations to suit. This is also the time to double check order cut off dates for the dinner table superstars like ham, turkey, and seafoods.
When you know how many people will be joining you for Christmas dinner, start planning out your table. Step one is to make sure there’ll be enough space for everyone, plus the dinner spread. Then, you can start picking out decor to add to bring the festive spirit to life. If you’re short on the essentials, now’s also the time to source extra cutlery, glasses, and dinnerware from a friend, store, or hire company.
To save yourself digging for bowls and platters on the day, label your serving dishes with sticky notes beforehand so you know which foods are being served with what. When it’s time to plate up, you’ll know exactly what goes where. You can also get thinking about how you’ll lay out and decorate your platter presentations - don’t forget, Driscoll’s finest berries make for eye-pleasing garnishes!
The more the merrier, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Give each helper a task and a fancy title to make the job a little more jolly - think table dresser or dessert queen. You could even step things up a notch by adding prizes for the best performance! If you plan on having a bar manager role, then set up their space with glasses, beverages, ice, and some Driscoll’s raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries to give the full effect of a professional bar setup.
Take the pressure off on Christmas morning by setting the table the day before. Pop some Christmas music on the radio and take your time to enjoy the process, rather than stressing about it as guests begin to arrive.
Set some ice and salt aside to chill your beverages quickly when you need them. When it’s time to chill, immerse the bottles in a bucket with ice, water, and a few tablespoons of salt to help the water temperature drop quickly.
If you’ve got lots of mouths to feed and your oven is full to the brim, warm the plates in a sink full of hot water, or run them through a quick cycle in the dishwasher.
Stock up on disposable tin foil containers so your guests can take some leftovers home easily with no fuss. If you use your favourite containers, you’ll likely spend most of January trying to get them back!
Christmas only comes once each year, and no matter how stressful the preparation gets, remember that the most important thing is to enjoy your time with loved ones! When all is said and done, take some time to sit back, relax, and soak up the festive fun with homemade sweet treats, snacks, and cheese board accompaniments like fresh berries from Driscoll’s.
