Just thought my first post for the new year or last post for the old year should be a helpful one. I don't know about anyone else but I love to have people over and I love to cook for everyone. It does not have to be a crazy stressful time if you are prepared. I will share my preparedness plan with you that can be applied to just about any get together.
Two weeks before the event I sat down and wrote out our menu including items I knew I would be asking guests to bring. This way nothing gets left out and I can see on paper that it is covered. The week before the event I write on my calendar what I need to do each day according to the menu laid out. I also make certain I have easy meals for that week because I know I will be busy.
Menu items I needed to make: Ham, Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, corn, apple pie, pumpkin pie, fudge, cupcakes, ganache filled chocolates and cookie cups and sugar cookies.
Monday: Take out and clean all extra serving dishes, make pie crusts 1- single and 1 - double (wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate) Do bigger cleaning today and just keep up on all week. Supper is chicken and biscuits this day.
Tuesday: Take ham out to thaw, get out and clean all table linens along with figuring out which tables will be needed and where (folding tables downstairs for the kids, or another one upstairs for food to be placed upon) Bake cupcakes, cool and place in a cake box or any box and cover with plastic wrap. Bake sugar cookies. Supper is tater tot casserole
Wednesday: Take Turkey out to thaw, make fudges (chocolate mint, butterscotch and peanut butter), Supper is leftover buffet. Get ham prepared so only have to put it into the oven in the morning. (I used the Reynolds cooking bags with honey or agave nectar and 1 can pineapple chunks with juices) Doing this the night before also allows the ham to marinate a bit.
Thursday: Last minute cleaning (big cleaning day was earlier in the week and now just have to do a wipe down). Bake ham, slice and put in crock pot with juices. Eating some of the ham this day because there is plenty. Get Turkey all ready to go again with a Reynolds cooking bag sprinkle turkey gravy mix over turkey then a small can of chicken broth and leave in fridge over night. frost and decorate cupcakes. Can frost cookies here but they really do not need to be frosted most people will appreciate something a bit less sweet.
Friday: Put turkey in right away in the morning, make chocolate ganache, fill cookie cups and white chocolate cups in the morning. assemble pies and refrigerate until turkey is done then bake. make gravy after turkey is done and leave in sauce pan so be easily heated up, peel potatoes, cut up put in pot of water with a bit of cream of tarter, cut celery for stuffing. carve turkey and put in other larger crock pot with juices. Plate desserts (fudge, cookies, candies etc... ) then place in fridge. Supper was pizza and salad.
Saturday; (Christmas day) start making stuffing at noon, get potatoes going for mashed potatoes, heat up gravy,heat up frozen corn and make punch at 1:00 (this was just grapefruit soda and pineapple juice with scoops of raspberry sherbet , heat up meats right away in the morning, fill cookie and candy cups. guests arrived about 1:00 ish and we were eating by 2:00 ish.
A little planning goes a long way, I was actually able to sit down and enjoy my food this year. Hope this helps if you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments section I will be attempting to add much more this year in frugal tips to save both time and money.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tears of Transition
For the first time I actually feel like I want to cry about the whole job situation and the trial we are going through. I have said all along that God has it handled. Does that mean then that I am wavering in my faith that the Lord has it handled? No it just means that I am transitioning from merely believing to completely surrendering.
There comes a point where you can either throw up your hands and say I quit or lift your arms to heaven and say I surrender. Not the false sense of surrender where in your heart there is a twinge of well I surrender as long as God gives me what I want but real surrender where you surrender even when he gives you what you don't want. I can not say I am fully where he wants me to be but oh Praise the Lord I am also not any where near where I used to be. I pray that no matter what trial is out there for us we will be so surrendered that the face of Christ is seen not ours.
Love and Prayers,
Kim
There comes a point where you can either throw up your hands and say I quit or lift your arms to heaven and say I surrender. Not the false sense of surrender where in your heart there is a twinge of well I surrender as long as God gives me what I want but real surrender where you surrender even when he gives you what you don't want. I can not say I am fully where he wants me to be but oh Praise the Lord I am also not any where near where I used to be. I pray that no matter what trial is out there for us we will be so surrendered that the face of Christ is seen not ours.
Love and Prayers,
Kim
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Too much binging not enough purging
First and foremost please do not misunderstand my title, I mean no disrespect and am not attempting to be flippant in any way about what is a very serious issue with eating disorders. I speak only of my personal experience and not anyone else.
I had a bit of a wake up call you could say. I have been way too busy with the wrong focus and the wrong direction. I fell back into my old binge type habits with eating and had been focusing on the weight loss aspect when I should have been focusing on purging the sin.
I seem to have had these issues for a very long time. I never seemed to get better just kept transferring my addictions, from alcohol to drugs to cigarettes to food. I keep looking horizontal as if some knight in shining armour is about to arrive on the scene instead of looking vertical so to speak and realizing the dragon has already lost.
I can not stress enough how critical it is that you SHARE, SHARE, SHARE your feelings and heart do not stuff it you do not have enough room. I know this because I have so many times reverted back to eating the way I feel or literally eating my thoughts, feelings and cares good and bad. My sin that I need to purge is the bitterness that keeps attempting to take root in my heart when I do not address things with God first, to examine my heart and then if needed another person in my life.
God is there to bear your burdens and yes you are to come as you are not as you think you should be. You do not go to the shower already clean, dressed and ready do you? No you come filthy, tired and not presentable to anyone. That is how the Lord wants you just as you are. Admit you messed up and sinned against God first and foremost and then accept his forgiveness and be cleansed.
More later
Love and Prayers,
Kim
I had a bit of a wake up call you could say. I have been way too busy with the wrong focus and the wrong direction. I fell back into my old binge type habits with eating and had been focusing on the weight loss aspect when I should have been focusing on purging the sin.
I seem to have had these issues for a very long time. I never seemed to get better just kept transferring my addictions, from alcohol to drugs to cigarettes to food. I keep looking horizontal as if some knight in shining armour is about to arrive on the scene instead of looking vertical so to speak and realizing the dragon has already lost.
I can not stress enough how critical it is that you SHARE, SHARE, SHARE your feelings and heart do not stuff it you do not have enough room. I know this because I have so many times reverted back to eating the way I feel or literally eating my thoughts, feelings and cares good and bad. My sin that I need to purge is the bitterness that keeps attempting to take root in my heart when I do not address things with God first, to examine my heart and then if needed another person in my life.
God is there to bear your burdens and yes you are to come as you are not as you think you should be. You do not go to the shower already clean, dressed and ready do you? No you come filthy, tired and not presentable to anyone. That is how the Lord wants you just as you are. Admit you messed up and sinned against God first and foremost and then accept his forgiveness and be cleansed.
More later
Love and Prayers,
Kim
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