Recipe Box, Kitchen Tips for Holiday Ease!
When my calendar says November, my thoughts immediately go to holiday menus and planning
Today I want to share some tips that might make your holidays easier or better!
If you are cooking more things than you have room for in your oven, here is a handy way to get everything done and hot at the same time:
Make a schedule, figure out what can be cooked first and with what {same temperature} and make a master plan, figuring out what time to start cooking to have everything done when you need it
As the dishes come out of the oven, wrap them tightly with foil, then towels, and stack them on top of each other or next to each other. You can also put the hot dishes in a cooler or laundry basket, wrapped in towels, to keep warm for transporting
see more details and photos here
Cookie Cutters aren’t just for cookies!
Make holiday cheese straws for appetizers or an amuse bouche like these
Everything Turkey, Pilgrim hat, and Cheese Pumpkin here
Dress up an easy pie with a “turkey pilgrim”
Make your own gift tags
and don’t forget the handy star!
Parmesan Stars for party nibbles
Puff Pastry Chicken Under the Stars
Biscuit Stars to serve grilled meats Last Last Minute Party Food
Let’s talk pasta
Everyone loves pasta dishes, and they are a great go to dish for the busy months ahead. Assemble them in the morning or on the night before and they’ll be ready to pop into the oven after a busy day
For a pasta dinner that comes together in minutes flat, simply soak the pasta sealed in a gallon-size plastic bag of water overnight. Then, your pasta will cook in boiling water in just one minute!
You must salt the water before cooking your pasta or else it will be dull. Add a generous dose of kosher salt to the water before you add the pasta
Don’t rinse pasta, rinsing washes off the starch making it too slippery for the sauce to cling too. Drain your pasta, but save 1/2 cup of the cooking water in case you need it later to thin your sauce
For creamier pasta casseroles, undercook by 2 minutes, drain but do not rinse. toss hot pasta with 8 oz cream cheese per 12 oz pasta, and mix until cheese has melted. Proceed with your casserole and enjoy a creamier, moister dish
Beware of using ziplocks, food can still go stale, because believe it or not plastic bags are not completely air tight. Store food and snacks in rubbermaid type containers, jars, or tins for freshness if you want to insure quality for more than several days
Freezer ziplocks will keep food longer than the thinner ones, and off brands obviously are less ideal. Wrap frozen food in freezer paper first and then put in a freezer bag
Also, chips and snacks keep well in original bags that are closed tightly with a large clip.
Freezer paper makes handy wrapping paper too
Leave it white or paint it!
See details here
It’s also great for a table runner or cloth for the littles
Sharpen dull scissors by layering 5 pieces of foil and cutting through it several times, now wrap away!
Sunday Monday Sale on Society 6!
30% Off!
New acrylic trays and boxes
And a Wednesday Surprise sale!
If you have any favorite tips for making holidays easier, please share in the comment section below, we all need as much help as we can get!
Be Thankful and Stay Jolly!
🦃 🎄 🦃
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Meal Plan Monday Dishing it & Digging it, Between Naps on the Porch,
Merry Monday Make it Pretty Monday Celebrate and Decorate,
Delicious Dishes Recipe Party Oh My Heartsie Girl Full Plate Thursday
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Great tips, Jenna!
Thanks Rita!
so so so many fabulous ideas and recipes! you are amazing jenna! and I adore your society6 shop too!!!
thank you Jodi 🙂
Awesome kitchen tips! I want to try the cream cheese in the pasta the next time I make a pasta dish.
I am always impressed by your gorgeous holiday decorations and I l love the kid’s tables. Super cute!
You have the best tips Jenna. I love the paper table runners with the kids names.
Jenna, such wonderful tips for this busy time of year. I ran out without breakfast, so your wonderful food is making my stomach growl. Happy Sunday🧡🍁🧡
Thanks Jenna for all your tips. I love the kid’s tables…so cool.
I always forget that scissor sharpening technique. Wish it would work with knives. I need to find a local sharpener.
Your table is adorable — I love the little mini chop-boards with the pastry on them and your cards. VERY cute. And GREAT idea about wrapping the warm dishes in foil. BRAVO!
So many great ideas and tips!! Thanks, Jenna!
I lovedd reading all your timely tips, Jenna! Thanks for sharing with us.
thanks Kitty!
I love all your fun tips,especially your creative uses of the freezer paper Jenna! Thinking of the holidays around the corner already makes me weary 🙂
ha ha, no kidding!
So many terrific ideas right when we need them. I agree about wrapping food in towels. I’ve used that trick when we travel to friends homes…I wrap them then put them in a cooler. If I’m trying to keep something cold but don’t want to have ice melt and get things wet, I fill empty plastic bottles with water and freeze then add them to a cooler with food stored in plastic containers.
That’s a great tip Karen! I was amazed at how hot everything stayed!
Tonight at Merry Monday, I will be featuring your post in my 9 Ideas for a Stress Free Holiday Season! Hope to see you at the party!
Oh thank you Jenny! I will be there!