Ahhh The Holidays ~ How to Not Just Get Through Them, How To Enjoy Them

The holidays are upon us.  They are a time of gratitude, joy and gatherings with the ones we love.  As we all know, the holidays can also be very stressful - shopping, cleaning, cooking, wrapping, decorating and more cleaning.  Throw in baking for school parties, basketball games and the office party - SOS!!! Our lives and schedules are already jam packed.  We don't just put more food on our plates during the holidays we put more stress on them.

I am cooking the family meal this Thanksgiving and I am not the least bit stressed about it.  I can't wait to spend a day with my family when we have no where else to be.  I want my family to enjoy a wonderful, traditional Thanksgiving feast but more importantly, I want to enjoy my family.  I've learned the only way to accomplish this is by picking and choosing my battles when it comes to preparing the holiday meal.  Delegating doesn't hurt either!

I've only made a full Thanksgiving feast from scratch once - and once was enough.  Whoever coined the phrase "easy as pie" surely meant easy as eating pie, not making it. The first time I made my own pie crust was also my last.  My frustration led to yelling, a feeling of inadequacy and ultimately, no pie for dessert.  I am still thankful my kids were too young to remember my holiday meltdown.  I only want my children to remember the holiday traditions of food, family, laughter and gratitude.  I didn't want them to associate the holidays with stress, perfection or frustration. After all, they learn what the live. This is how we manage to spend less time fussing and more time enjoying Thanksgiving.

First, we remember to give back.  Every year when the kids were younger, I would take them grocery shopping for the food pantry.  I asked them to imagine that we were poor and couldn't afford groceries and needed to get food at a food pantry, not a store.  Then, I let them select items they thought no one should do without: cereal, hot chocolate, soup, pasta and coffee.  They'd always remind me "Mom, you would have to have your coffee!"  So true. We would then bring our bags of groceries to a food drive. A local radio station has an annual, 4 day food drive so we "stuff the bus" with Star93.3!  My kids are now in college and they still give back by choice.  They'll work at a soup kitchen, the local food pantry or donate food.  I am so proud of them for being empathetic and charitable.

When it comes to dinner, I stick with what works and provides us with the least amount of work.  I want to get as much done as possible before our guests arrive. I buy a turkey that has a pop-up timer and I use a stuffing mix.  I like Pepperidge Farm stuffing.  There are recipes and preparation options listed on the package.  Choose the recipe and method that works for you: stove top, microwave, casserole or stuffing the bird. We prefer traditional stuffing with celery and onions.  Because I fear food-borne illnesses, I make a casserole.  I prep it in the morning and pop it in the oven 30 minutes before meal time.

Mashed potatoes are a breeze.  I peel and cube the potatoes and put them in a pot of water the night before.  I turn on the pot of potatoes in the morning.  Once they're ready, I put them in a crock pot on low, stirring occasionally.  They stay moist and warm until dinner time.

When it comes to gravy I cheat.  I buy jars of prepared gravy - Heinz home style.  I use equal amounts of beef and turkey gravy and add a cup of the drippings from our turkey to make it taste home made.  My kids never enjoyed the green bean casserole so I keep it simple.  I offer 2 steamed vegetables with butter sauce, usually corn and broccoli.  I use fresh broccoli.  I have it prepped and in a pot of water on the stove top ready to go the night before.  I only make frozen corn.  Biscuits are made by Pillsbury, put on a cookie sheet and baked just before dinner.  They taste as good as home made.  Cranberry sauce comes in a can and that's good enough for us. When it comes to making pies there is no easier way to do it but to use Pillsbury Pie Crusts.  They taste as good as home made and now, thanks to Pillsbury, making pie IS as easy as pie!

We never forget to delegate.  Our dinner guests often ask "what can I bring?"  I let them choose an appetizer and a bottle of their favorite wine to share (or strategically place in our wine rack).  Matt's fantastic about letting me be in charge and always asks "okay, what do you need me to do next?"  We work as a team - shopping, cooking and cleaning.  I love that about our marriage and I love that he doesn't let me do all of the work.  We're always sure to make time for an occasional hug, kiss and grope break. 

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for my loving partner and friend - my husband, Matt. I am thankful for our 3 amazing children.  I am thankful to have a home and family to cook for and I am thankful we both have jobs.  I am thankful for our troops and the sacrifices they and their families' make so that we are free to enjoy every day.  I will savour every moment of this holiday season because I can - well maybe not the cleaning part. I'll get through that by hiding the clutter in a closet or two.

Please post a comment of your favorite family tradition and any shortcuts that allow you more time to enjoy the day.  May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving and thank you for reading.

<3 Happy Skinny Mrs