Meal planning at Christmas

Meal planning at Christmas can make the whole season so much easier! Take some time today to meal plan every day up until Christmas as well as Christmas dinner. (I promise, you will thank me later.) Spend time in the kitchen today taking stock of what you have, what you need, and what meals you will make your family each night for dinner.

Be sure to look at your calendar for any nights you have plans. If you need to take a dish to an event, mark that on the meal plan, so you know how to prep and shop.

If you have dinner at another home or event, revel in a night off! Either way, it goes on the meal plan. Make life easier by utilizing LOOP (Leftovers On Purpose) meals and frozen meals whether they are yours or store bought. Once you are all planned out, make a list of ingredients you need to buy as well as perishable items you need to buy at the last minute.

Make your life easier, dinner prep ideas

Another great dinner prep idea to make your life even easier is to have a frozen meal swap with friends. You can implement this one of two ways. The first way, invite friends to your home. Everyone brings ingredients to make a meal of their choice that is freezer friendly (enough to share with however many friends are joining in on the fun). Then you all help with the cooking, family portions are placed into gallon zip-lock bags ready to freeze, and everyone goes home with a variety of meals to freeze and enjoy throughout the month.

Another way is for everyone to make something at home (enough to share family portions with anyone participating), freeze them, and swap them with friends. This way, you might have made a huge batch of soup, but you might end up with soup, enchiladas, lasagna, and a chicken casserole.

Assignment: Spend some time in the kitchen

1. Create your meal plan for the rest of the month.
2. Plan your baking list so you know what you need to bake and when you’re going to do it.
3. Plan out your Christmas dinner.
4. Make a shopping list of all necessary ingredients. Divide list into non-perishables and perishables.
5. Shop for non-perishables and the next few days’ meals.
6. Make a list of things you will need to buy at the last minute.

Plan on making at least two LOOP meals a week.

For More Details: Get Yourself Organized For Christmas – Page 102

Supplies:

1) Calendar
2) Meal plan
3) Paper for lists

Share Your Thoughts:

How did you feel about planning out all the meals? Did this make shopping easier? Any great LOOP recipes to share?

Avoiding Overwhelm:

Be brave and realize that most people need help. Try trading chores – you pick up my stuff at Costco and I’ll look for a scarf for your Aunt Trudy when I go to the mall.