Happy Thanksgivukkah!

As I get ready to head out for the combined Thanksgiving and Hanukkah Holiday I want to wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday filled with great food, family and friends.

Again, Happy Thanksgivukkah and...

Cheers!

Making time for the Holidays

The holidays are fast approaching and if you're like me you're wondering where the months between June and October went.  And as if it wasn't enough we have about six less days to get ready for Christmas!  Rather than stress about how I'm going to get everything done before Thanksgiving and Christmas I compartmentalize my life and schedule.

The very first thing I do is open up my schedule to see what free time I have. Now if you're a working mom, entrepreneur or someone who is running in a thousand directions this can make your heart flutter and your head ach.  Rather than freak out I say to myself on this day at this time I'm going to do "x" and on this afternoon from this time to that time I'm going to do "y".  By creating at strategy and writing it down it will help you manage your holiday schedule a bit easier.

By doing this you can then determine how much you can actually fit into your life without driving yourself crazy.  The past few years (and this) I've had to say no.  No I'm not putting up all the decorations.  No, I'm not cooking all the sides for the holiday dinner and no, I'm not going to make 10 different batches of holiday cookies, I'm going to make 5.  Once you've set the boundaries, then you begin to make life easier for yourself.

Once I know what I am going to do, I set out and make a list.  Do this on your computer, tablet, smart phone, daily planner, whatever works for you!  Just do it, make a list.  This will keep you organized!  For example I've made a list of all the holiday cookies I'm making.  Last year I made 10 different types of cookies.  I just simply don't have the time to do that, so rather than stress, I wrote down all the cookies I made last year and then narrowed down to my top 5. I chose what was quick, inexpensive and what could be made ahead of time and either frozen or refrigerated.  The key was having a plan.

Now that I had a plan I was able to schedule when I was going to make the cookies.  This can be applied to Thanksgiving dinner.  I live in NYC and like most New Yorkers my kitchen is small, I don't have a lot of oven, stove or refrigerator space.  So by scheduling out what I am going to make and when It allows me to not feel overwhelmed and it allows me to make everything (as much as possible) ahead of time.  Leaving me to enjoy the actual day with family friends rather than be in the kitchen.  Remember, you want to be a guest at your own party.

I hope these little tips help make planning your holiday party easier and less stressful.  Until next  - Cheers!

A Thanksgiving / Thanksgivukkah Planning Tip

I grew up with a fairly large extended family and that meant a lot of different side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner.  My mother always stressed out on Thanksgiving morning on what side dish should be made or served in what container.  Now that I'm entertaining during the holidays I simplified that issue.

I lay out all my bowls, platters casserole dishes and whatever else I know I might need and then I label each one with a sticky note noting what that dish is for.  Not only does this help me remember what to put in that dish, but it also guides anyone who may be helping me prep in the kitchen.

Until next time, happy entertaining and cheers!

All about pumpkins

It's that time of year when pumpkins are everywhere.  I know when most of you think of pumpkins you think about carving them for Halloween or making pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Well, I just found an article on Buzzfeed that amazed me with all of the different cocktails, meals and desserts you can make with pumpkin.  Of course, I have to share it.  Take a look at this link for some great recipes.  

101 Pumpkin recipes

Do you have any favorite pumpkin recipes to share?  I would love to hear about all of your tasty treats!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Hope these photos inspire you for your Thanksgiving entertaining!

Cheers!

Shawn