Hosting a Stress Free Christmas Dinner: Part Three

Today, my grocery delivery came and taught me a lesson in planning vs. improvisation.  I had ordered delivery for today (4 days before Christmas) to give my turkey ample time to thaw.  When it arrived today, it was fresh not frozen. No big deal.  The compound butter was not cranberry sage flavoured, but rosemary and roasted garlic.  That will still be delicious under the turkey skin, so no problem.  Leaf lettuce was unavailable, so I will have to make a trip to the store at some point (Darn!).  I'm sure I will realise we need something else anyway. I'll probably try to go at midnight or so, since the stores are open 24 hours this week (Crazy).  Also, the sprouts I ordered turned out to be pea shoots.  The thing is though, what makes this stress free is the attitude you bring to it. Don't sweat the small stuff.  Make a few changes to your plan and make it work!

Here's what needs to be done on Christmas Eve.  There will be a party at my house that evening, but I am not responsible for the food that night.  So, I will be able to spend the day prepping for Christmas Dinner instead.  These tasks should take around 2 hours.

• Prepare the Turkey:  Peel 3 carrots, clean 3 stalks of celery, and half and peel 3 onions.  Place it all in the bottom of your roasting pan to create a roasting rack that will also give great flavour to your turkey and your gravy.  Next, get an orange and stud it with 15-20 cloves. Clean and dry a sprig each of rosemary, thyme and sage. Rinse and half another onion, and cut the top off of a whole bulb of garlic.  Fill a very small bowl with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Place your Turkey on a large plastic cutting board or piece of wax paper.  Pat it dry with paper towel.  Put a few good pinches of salt and pepper into the cavity, then shove in the orange, herbs, garlic and onion.  Next place a wooden spoon or your hand between the turkey skin and flesh and loosen it as much as you can without tearing it.  Use your hands to spread the compound butter all over the breasts and legs of the turkey, under the skin.  This is very messy but so worth it.  Lastly, sprinkle the outside of the turkey with plenty more salt and pepper, then put the lid on the roasting pan and pop the whole thing in the fridge/garage until the next morning. 

• Prepare the Vegetables:  Peel and rinse the potatoes, then cut them into somewhat uniform size (the size of a lime is a good goal), place them in a large pot and cover them with water. Next, peel the parsnips and carrots then cut them into finger size pieces.  Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, making sure they are not crowded or piled on top of one another.  Cover with plastic wrap. Clean the Brussels sprouts, then cut the bottoms off.  Cut them so that they are fairly uniform size, leaving tiny ones whole, medium ones in half, and larger ones in quarters or thirds. Place them in an airtight container.  Peel and deseed the squash then cut into 1/2 inch chunks.  Place in an airtight container. Put all of the prepared veggies into the fridge/garage until tomorrow.

• Set the table:  If you don't need the space or have young children who will mess it up, its a good idea to set the table and set out all of your serving platters etc the day before so that you don't have to worry about it on the big busy day.  Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your outlook on life) I do have curious toddlers, so I am simply going to lay out my tablecloths and press them if necessary, put out my china and silverware in piles that will be easy for someone else to sort and set out tomorrow, and choose all of my serving platters and spoons to set aside so they will be ready and available. 

• Make the Layered Salad:  This recipe is inspired by my mom's classic layered salad, as well as by a recipe for Retro Layered Salad from Jamie Oliver's cookbook Jamie's Comfort Food (2014).  Here's the link for my hybrid creation :  Amanda's Festive Layered Salad  The cheddar cheese and sprouts/shoots are to be added just before serving, so just make sure the cheese is grated and the sprouts are clean so you can finish the salad off in less than a minute tomorrow!

Hosting a Stress Free Christmas Dinner: Part Two

The best way to ensure you spend the day relaxing and enjoying family time on Christmas Day is to commit some time in the few days before Christmas to get most of the work done. 

Here is my plan for getting it all done without stress or kitchen chaos.  I have not included amounts as it will depend how many people you are serving. 

I suggest allocating a place in your home to place your turkey to thaw (if you're using a frozen one give it at least three days) and to put all of your other prepared food until you need it.  In winter, I use the work bench in my garage, as it is very near the same temperature as my fridge, and keeps my fridge clear for other stuff. 

Two days before Christmas:

Actually, all of these tasks could be completed up to 5 days before the big meal.  Once the bread is dry and hard (after a few days), just place it into bread bags and store until you need it. 

The following tasks should take you 60-90 minutes, unless you are making buns which will take about 4.5 hours in total, about 45 minutes of which is actual hands-on work.  Of course, purchasing buns from the grocery store is also perfectly acceptable!!

• Make the Buns: My mom thankfully offered to make the buns for Christmas dinner (and leftovers!) but if you want to make them, check out the recipe:  click here for the link to my mother's bun recipe

• Make the cranberry-cherry-orange sauce: In a medium saucepan, place roughly equal amounts of fresh cranberries and frozen cherries.  Add about 1/2 cup sugar and 4 tbsp. marmalade for each two cups of berries.  Pop in a cinnamon stick and add a splash of water and turn the heat on to medium. Bring to a simmer and allow the sugar to dissolve, then taste it and add more sugar to suit your tastes (be careful as it is HOT!) Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until it becomes slightly thick and coats the back of a spoon.  Taste one last time and adjust sweetness if necessary.  Refrigerate until needed.

• Make the honey balsamic reduction: I suggest using a whole bottle of balsamic vinegar for this, no matter how many people you are serving.   The reason is that this stuff is amazing drizzled over just about anything: omelets, pasta dishes, salads, even ice cream.  Pour the balsamic into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer gently until it is reduced by two thirds.  Add a few tablespoons of honey and continue simmering until it becomes syrupy and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool before pouring into a squeeze bottle.  Store until needed.  No need to refrigerate.

• Prepare the ingredients for the stuffing: Start by cutting the white bread into 1 inch pieces and placing them out on trays to dry.  Leave them somewhere out of the way until you need them on Christmas day.  They will become dry, hard and stale, which is exactly what you want.  Next, for each loaf of bread you are using, chop 2 medium onions and two celery stalks along with about a teaspoon each of fresh thyme, rosemary and sage.  If you have the turkey neck, gizzard and heart, brown them in a large frying pan with a little oil, then set aside.  In the same large frying pan, melt 1/2 cup of butter.  Add the vegetales and herbs along with 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 15 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the neck etc, and then add a splash of white wine and allow it to cook down for a few more minutes.  And yes, at this point you are essentially boiling your vegetables in butter.  It's only once a year my friends! Refrigerate the cooked down mixture with the neck etc. until Christmas morning when you will combine it with the stale bread, pack it into your slow cooker with a splash of chicken stock, and leave it be until dinner time!

• Roast and Chop the Walnuts: Place the whole nuts in a microwave safe dish.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Stir.  Continue microwaving at one minute increments, stirring each time, until the walnuts become fragrant.  Be very careful not to overcook or burn them.  If you think they are almost done, switch to 20-30 second increments.   Cool slightly, then chop roughly and store.

• Boil the Eggs:  These are for the layered salad.  Simply place as many eggs as you want (I'm doing one egg for every 3-4 people) into a small saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and set the timer for 6 minutes.  When the 6 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat, drain the eggs and cover with cool water.  Once cool, refrigerate until needed.

Hosting a Stress Free Christmas Dinner: Part One

The key to being stress free on Christmas Day even if you are cooking and hosting the meal is to plan and work ahead.  Now, admittedly I do not have a solution for the stress caused by the dynamic of a large gathering of family members.  I don't have that problem (wink) so I can only make suggestions for the workload, but I do think that reducing stress in one area helps make other stresses easier to deal with.

It is not too late for you to implement this plan, even if you are reading this post just three of four days before Christmas.  Here's what's on the menu:
Butter Basted Turkey with aromatics and maple-sage glaze; mashed potatoes; gravy; onion and sage stuffing; cranberry-cherry-orange sauce; Roast carrots and Parsnips with honey balsamic reduction and crispy sage leaves; sautéed Brussels sprouts and squash with lemon, walnuts and goat cheese; layered salad; homemade buns with butter; Saskatoon pie with ice cream.

First, Get the Groceries (3-7 days before the event)

I bought most of my groceries a full week before Christmas to avoid the zoo-like arena that the stores become in the days before Christmas.  My turkey and veggies and a few other things that needed to be fresh are being delivered 4 days before Christmas. 

As always, I can't stress enough the importance of buying the best ingredients you can afford.  I ordered my turkey from a nearby Hutterite colony.  Buying free-range or natural protocol poultry makes such a huge difference in the flavour and texture of the meat.  It is also important to seek out and purchase sustainably caught seafood and fish.  I also get most of my vegetables, cheeses and other ingredients locally as much as possible.  Obviously citrus fruits and many other ingredients are just not available locally in central Canada, but I have been pleasantly surprised with the range of local foods that are available.  Local ingredients are more fresh and delicious as well as being more sustainable food sources (ie better for the environment).

Currently I use a grocery delivery service called Local and Fresh (Regina Only) that has made partnerships with many local farmers and artisans to provide easy access to a wide variety of locally grown and crafted products.  Check out their link if you live in Regina : localandfresh.ca

Finally, here is the link to the grocery list: Link to Christmas Dinner Grocery List
I have not provided amounts, and will not likely do so in the recipes either, you will have to improvise based on the number of people you are serving.

You will also need a large roasting tin that can also be placed directly onto the burner of your stove, a large slow cooker, a potato ricer and a digital meat thermometer as well as many other commonly used kitchen items that I assume you already have (baking trays, pots and pans and serving dishes etc.)

Cheap and Easy Holiday Crafts

Here are three crafts simple enough for toddlers using materials you may already have around the house.  They are super fun and make minimal mess as there is no paint involved!

Here are the materials needed for each, the rest is obvious!

 

For the Santa:

paper plate, googly eyes, red construction paper cut in the shape of santa's hat, cotton balls, a red pompon for the nose, a brown marker to draw the mouth, white glue 

For the Snowman:

2 paper plates, googly eyes, blue construction paper cut in the shape of a hat (and scarf if you want), orange construction paper cut in the shape of a carrot nose, pompoms for buttons, pipe cleaners for twiggy arms, small circles for the mouth (we used the eyes that popped out of our gingerbread men but you could use a hole punch and some construction paper), a stapler and white glue 

For the Gingerbread Men:

foam gingerbread man shapes (or cut some from construction paper), Pom poms, glitter glue in squeeze tubes, border stickers or ribbon and glue 

Grocery Store Beauty Products: All Natural Toners

A few months ago I made a wonderful discovery.  I had been struggling for a few months to find an affordable toner at the drugstore that still made my skin feel great. My oily-combination skin really needs something soothing and balancing - not too drying, and with anti-aging benefits too.

I had tried Burts Bee's Radiance Toner with Royal Jelly and I really liked it, but I found it hard to find and it was more than $20 a bottle, so I began searching for something cheaper.  I tried a few common drugstore brands but I found it nearly impossible to find anything that was paraben and sulphate free, as well as being alcohol free.  Any toner that contained alcohol (pretty much all of them) left my skin dry and patchy in some places and extra oily in my t-zone because my skin was overcompensating for the drying quality of the alcohol.

Then I discovered Rose Water and Orange Blossom water.  I have to give credit to Youtuber Lisa Pullano as it was watching her videos that inspired me to try using these products as toners.  I have kept these two items in my pantry for years as ingredients I used occasionally in recipes (try stirring a bit of rosewater and honey into some yogurt and drizzling over roasted figs, YUM!).  These two products smell so amazing and are less than $5 a bottle at the grocery store!! (check the international items aisle).  The only ingredients are rose petals/oranges and water.

I noticed a difference in my skin immediately.  Using orange blossom water in the morning and rose water in the evening, the dry patches on my face disappeared and the oiliness of my t-zone decreased dramatically.  I have since even learned that flower waters (aka hydrosols) have anti-aging benefits such as being packed with anti-oxidants that make them anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial as well as antiseptic. They also contains small amounts of hydrating essential oils. They are said to help with acne and redness and to prevent and even reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  They are gentle enough to use even around the delicate eye area.  Best of all, they smell amazing.  I find the rose water very soothing which makes it perfect for before bed.  The orange blossom water is the perfect natural, subtle and exotic perfume.  It is even said that the scent can reduce stress and anxiety, which makes it a perfect start to the day.  Since I began using these products, I have received so many compliments to the beauty of my skin and I believe these are the products that have made the difference.

A few other things you can do with these products:

• put a few drops into cake batter or frosting to give a subtle aroma
• Pour a few teaspoons into your bath water for a soothing soak
• Put it into a spray bottle to use as a makeup setting spray or hydrating spray throughout the day
• Pour a few teaspoons into a pot of simmering water to create a natural air freshener

Perfect Holiday Baking: Tips and recipes

Here are my holiday recipes that I am making this year, along with tips to make them the best they can be.  I have collected links to all my favourite recipes from various websites, and have developed a new recipe myself!

As with all recipes, better ingredients make a superior product.  Wherever a recipe calls for chocolate (baking squares, chocolate chips or whatever) I always substitute 70% dark chocolate (the best quality for the best price that I have found is the huge 300g Presidents Choice brand bars sold at Superstore/Loblaws).  Whatever chocolate you choose to use, make sure to find something with the percentage of cocoa solids clearly labelled.  If it is nowhere to be found anywhere on the package, who knows what you are really getting. I find many popular brands of chocolate chips and baking squares to be overly sweet and very waxy in texture.  To get a beautiful deep chocolate flavour and smooth texture, I suggest a cocoa solids percentage of at least 50%.  Costco sells packages of chocolate chips that are 51% cocao solids.  It is also important to use pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder, and I always use butter in my recipes, never margarine.

The holidays are a time to indulge and you will see that these recipes do not call for whole wheat flour, healthy fats, or anything that is very good for you.  Eat them in moderation and enjoy!  I love to make big batches and then make little packages to give as gifts.  They make a perfect hostess gift for a holiday party or dinner, they are great for taking to work as a share-able treat, or dropping of with neighbours and friends.  Just grab some cute holiday tins at the dollar store and let the generosity of the season take over!

Here are links to the recipes!  Click on the recipe title to see the actual recipe.

Crunchy, Sweet and Salty Squares (aka crunch "bars")

This recipe from Kraft Canada is so easy, and you probably have the ingredients on hand already. This square starts with a humble soda cracker, but the result is so delicious you would never guess!  The recipe calls for walnuts as a topper, but I love to add crushed candy canes as well.  They are also great with pistachios, toasted coconut, or slivered almonds.  You can customize to suit your family's tastes or allergies!  Be sure to use salted crackers, as the sweet and salty combination is what makes these so special.

Peanut Butter Fudge

This recipe from Sorted Food is very quick and easy to make.  Watch the video to get great tips and tricks to make this turn out perfectly.  Since they are Brits, the recipe is in weight measurements. See the link for the video and instructions, and here are the North Americanized measurements as best I can approximate:
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp butter
200 mL milk
2.5 cups loosely packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups icing sugar

Ginger Marmalade Sandwich Cookies

I love these citrusy cookies from Rachael Ray, and the basic cookie dough can be made into so many different varieties of cookies (you can check some of them out in the link).  These are my favourites, and I use the Presidents Choice Black Label Seville Orange Marmalade from Superstore/Loblaws.  It really makes these cookies special.  Any high quality marmalade will do, but one with a nice bitter note will be best to contrast the sweetness of the cookie.

My Homemade Nanaimo Bars

Suneil grew up with Nanaimo Bars at Christmas time, so when he requested these this year I knew I needed to develop a recipe to suit my own tastes.  Since I was horrified by the ingredient list on the store-bought custard powder, I decided to experiment and come up with my own delectable filling.  This recipe is also inspired by a new friend of mine, who reminded me that the key to the success of a Nanaimo Bar is in the consistency of the filling: it should be soft enough to squeeze out the sides just a little when you bite into it.  You do not want it to gush out the sides as you eat it, nor do you want it to rest firmly in place without moving.  At room temperature, I think I have achieved that with this recipe.

New Series!: Garden and Farmer"s Market Recipes

Of late, my cooking inspiration has come from the bounty of fresh summer fruits and veggies that I have had on hand.  My garden is full of cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, leeks, swiss chard, cucumbers and herbs.  My sister's massive garden provides beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, turnips, summer squash, beans and peas: enough to feed four families! In addition to that, we are members of the local CSA (community supported agriculture) with The Green Ranch (thegreenranch.ca) from which we get weekly delivieries of fresh organic vegetables.  This abundance of fresh delicious produce has been inspiring us to eat such healthy meals.  It is easy to make vegetables taste fantastic when they are fresh from the dirt!

I have tired of my Frugal Friday series, and I have decided to begin this new series, inspired by seasonal produce that is available in Saskatchewan this time of year. If you don't have a garden at home, consider joining a CSA near you, or shop at your local farmer's market

A harvest from my sister's garden.  I sauteed these in butter with some chopped shallots, then sprinkled them with paremsan cheese.  

This week, the recipe is Roasted Root Vegetable Chips.  These are quick and tasty, and great for using up those smaller vegetables that are too much work to peel before using (golf ball size is perfect.  Don't use smaller vegetables for this or the chips will be tiny!)  To see the recipe, click on the title, or find the link above among all of my recipe links!

I chose to remove these from the oven before they were too crispy, and I drizzled them with greek yogurt to serve.