What are the two things you run out for at the last minute when preparing Christmas dinner? Seasonings and utensils. This article addresses the essentials you need to be sure you have on hand when cooking Christmas dinner.

No one wants to have to make a last minute substitution because they forgot something at the store. When you are making a list of the grocery items you need, don’t forget the utensils. Unless you have a large family, most people don’t use every pot, pan and spatula in their kitchen unless it is Christmas.

To save on storage space and money, look for items that are disposable. You don’t need to purchase a new 20-piece cookware set for an additional ham. That is why the list of food and the list of utensils go together. Here are a few examples of what you might need to buy:

• Roasting pans (turkey, ham)
• Side dish pans (square aluminum pans)
• Cake pans
• Serving utensils
• Cake pans (can be non-disposable – you may use them later)
• Trash bags (not a utensil or cookware but a necessary item for cleanup)
• Plasticware
• Thermometer (meat, candy)
• Mixing bowls

It seems like a long list but not really. Instead of using all of your baking pans and washing them repeatedly, it is easier to cook sides and meats in disposable aluminum pans. They hold up well when cooking and can be thrown away afterwards. If a family wants to take home leftovers, you can use the extra pans you have left. This gives them one container to store their “take home” treats and a way to warm them up also.

You may have enough silverware for a service for four or six, but 26 people are out of the question. At party supply stores, they sell Christmas plasticware that resembles real silverware. Your family won’t mind and your holiday table will still look elegant.

Anyone preparing food like meat needs a meat thermometer. Turkey takes a long time to cook and you want to be sure it is cooked throughout. A meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh will let you know when the turkey is done. Even with pop-up meters in the turkey, always check the internal temperature yourself.

A lot goes into making Christmas dinner special for family and friends. Avoid the last minute drive to the store or a sink full of dishes. Purchase what essentials you need beforehand.

The Well-Stocked Pantry for Christmas Cooking

The last thing any holiday cooks want to do is walk around the kitchen and find out that they are missing a vital item they need to finish a meal in fantastic fashion. Undoubtedly it has happened to you at least once. Be sure it doesn’t happen again with this pantry staple list for the holidays.

Each holiday, most of us prepare the same things. There are favorite family dishes that must be prepared or Aunt Minnie will have a fit. That goes for desserts as well. Since you know this in advance, let’s make sure that the kitchen cupboards are stocked with the items you use the most.

The pantry list includes items for the fridge, cupboard and the freezer. Let’s begin with the cupboard:

•    Flour (all purpose, cake)
•    Baking soda
•    Dry yeast (for breads)
•    Sugar (white, brown, confectioners’)
•    Chocolate (bricks, squares, morsels, cocoa powder)
•    Nuts (pecans, English walnuts, almonds)
•    Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper)
•    Baking powder
•    Honey, oil, vinegar
•    Broth
•    Dried fruits
•    Vegetables (sweet potatoes, white potatoes, onions, garlic)
•    Rice
•    Dried pasta

This is just a short list. Depending on your tastes, you’ll add or detract from it depending on your tastes. Now we move on to the fridge. Some items just need to stay in there to stay fresh. To know your refrigerated pantry staples, think of things that you are always sending someone to the store for.

•    Milk
•    Butter (not margarine)
•    Sour cream
•    Eggs
•    Lemon juice
•    Half and half

This list is shorter because you use these items more when you cook and bake around the holidays than any other time. The broth from the other list will end up in the fridge after you open it.

Don’t forget the freezer. Most of the freezer staples come into play with baking but they can pertain to cooking the meal if you make fruit relishes, cranberry sauce from scratch and other condiment additions to your holiday table.

•    Frozen fruit (berry mix, peaches)
•    Frozen vegetables (to make up for any shortfall with fresh veggie side dishes)
•    Fruit juices from concentrate

As you can see, there are a lot of staples that you’ll need when cooking and baking for the holidays. You don’t necessarily have to account for every family member who darkens your door. If your list includes at least these items you are well on your way to a well-stocked holiday pantry.

When it comes right down to it, some of the best gifts given at Christmas are given from the heart. What says that you took time and care more than a homemade food gift?

Now, if you want to make food gifts, there are a few tips you need to remember. For safety reasons and liability issues, food gifts not accepted at schools. You can give a gift to your child’s teacher but not to the students. Read more »

Prep the holiday meal quickly and save money

(ARA) – If the holiday meal is at your house this year, you could completely stress out over the menu and ingredients, spending hours and plenty of money in an attempt to feed everyone the perfect holiday meal. Or, you could plan ahead, save a few dollars here and there, and enjoy the holiday. Read more »

Sausage is a popular breakfast item because it’s tasty and can be used in a variety of different ways. Sausage is usually bought ground or in links and there are even quick cooking varieties in both patties and links. If you are looking for ideas for using sausage, you’ve come to the right place. Below are 10 different ways to use this popular breakfast food that are quick and easy for those on-the-go mornings. Read more »

By Barbara Myers

1.  Keep an ongoing grocery list.  Most people can start one about five minutes after returning from the grocery store.  Post it so everyone in the family can use it.

2.  Take a sheet of paper and make three columns.  First, list seven to 21 of your favorite quick and easy entrees.  You might include grilled pork chops, chicken pot pie and several crock pot dishes.  Keep a supply of beef, chicken and pork in the freezer.

3.  List the vegetables your family enjoys on a regular basis.  Frozen and canned varieties are the easiest to store.  Include potatoes as well.  Make sure you keep a good supply of each vegetable in your pantry/kitchen.

4.  List bread possibilities.  Refrigerated and frozen bread (dinner rolls and loaves) stay fresh for weeks.  Just check the expiration dates before buying.

5.  Before weekly grocery shopping, choose seven entrees for the week.  Check your freezer inventory.  Buy in bulk during sales to save money and time.

6.  Keep in stock the basics you use regularly:  broth, mushroom soup, rice, pasta sauce and jars of gravy.  You will always be able to whip up a quick meal.

7.  When your inventory is low on any item, add it to your grocery list.  Buy more than one at a time to avoid running out.

8.  Since your pantry/kitchen stays well-stocked, you can easily make a meal using your list.  Throw some chops on the grill, along with dinner rolls wrapped in foil, and warm a bag of frozen corn on the stove.  Bon appetit!

Free “50 Ways to Manage Your Time” tips booklet.  Visit:
I Need More Time

Copyright 2002-08 Barbara Myers

Gathering the last of the harvest in the fall months leaves windowsills, tables and baskets full of tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, peppers, beets, apples and sweet potatoes. These yummy foods sit waiting to be used up. You’re left with so much fresh, precious food and so little time. The neighbors get to share in the excess and you send it home with anyone who darkens your door. All your labor of the spring and long hot summer has finally paid off, in rich dividends.  Now, what do you do with everything you have left?

Read more »

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Is school really just around the corner? You know what that means – early morning scrambles, after-school tizzies and ragged nerves at dinnertime.

It’s still possible to have pleasant family mealtimes even after school has begun. Check out these back-to-school dinner tips for busy Moms:

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When we go camping each summer, we like to stop at a favorite local fruit stand and buy a 20-lb box of fresh peaches. After enjoying some delicious peach milkshakes and making some peach jam, I decided to freeze the extra peaches.

Peaches are very easy to freeze. If you have some extra peaches and need to do something with them in a hurry, you can prepare them for the freezer in no time.

Here is what you will need:

* Peaches
* Plastic freezer containers
* Fruit Fresh
* 2-qt measuring cup

There are a number of ways of freezing peaches, but the easiest way is to just pack them into freezer containers.

Four cups of peaches will fit into a 1-qt freezer container. One medium peach is approximately 1 cup.

Choose firm, ripe peaches that haven’t begun to spoil or turn brown.

Peel and pit the peaches and slice them into the large measuring cup until you have 4 cups. Slice just enough to pack into one freezer container at a time to prevent browning. To peel the peaches more easily, dip them into a bowl of boiling water for at least 30 seconds and then dip them into a bowl of ice water. The skins should slip right off.

After you have prepared the peaches, stir in 1 tablespoon of Fruit Fresh. Fruit Fresh is a powder that preserves the color of the peaches, keeping them from turning brown. You can find it with the canning supplies
at your local grocery store.

Next pack your freezer container and place the lid on top. Label the container with the contents and date. Peaches frozen by this method will last up to 6 months in the freezer.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking.