December 23, 2011

Christmas Eve Eve

2 daysIf you’re planning for your Christmas Eve or Christmas day dinner and have pie or bread on the menu, locate your recipes and break out the flour because today is a great day for baking.

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to finish the task of baking so that tomorrow can be saved for the busyness that accompanies the day before Christmas. Do whatever can be done today. For a little extra fun, camp out under your Christmas tree tonight in your sleeping bags. Savor the tree and its beautiful decorations and soak up the chance to create new Christmas traditions for your family.

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December 21, 2011

Commence Christmas Dinner Prep

4 daysChristmas dinner, whether enjoyed on Christmas Eve or on Christmas day, is a time to gather together as family and friends to put aside all of the distractions of the holidays and concentrate on what is truly important. Good food happens to be an excellent way to do just that.

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to begin preparations of the side dishes in order to save time on the day of the dinner. Chop all of the vegetables that you will need. Prepare your cranberry salad today and allow it to properly set up. Assemble that favorite casserole and then refrigerate it until it is time to start cooking dinner.

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December 8, 2011

Get Your Ingredients

17 daysGoing to the grocery store without a list, especially for an important holiday meal, is always a bad idea. But, going early before things start to run out is a very good one.

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to create your grocery list from the recipes of the dishes you plan to prepare for your Christmas meal. Be sure to include every ingredient that you will need. You don’t want to be stuck without the yams for your sweet potato pie!

 

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December 7, 2011

The Goose is Getting Fat

18 daysA special Christmas meal is a great way to enjoy the blessings of the season together with family and friends. I personally prepare my family’s big Christmas meal on Christmas Eve. Part of this tradition comes from experiencing a Christmas meal while living in Poland. They ate at the sighting of the first star. There was a lot of candlelight and a lot of food. The other reason for choosing Christmas Eve is because I felt I was missing out on my children’s Christmas fun because I was stuck in the kitchen all day after presents were opened. I prepare a Christmas breakfast casserole or baked French toast on Christmas Eve while I am preparing all of the other dishes and put it in the oven when we get up on Christmas morning. Then when presents are all opened, we sit down for a delicious breakfast. The rest of the day, we enjoy the leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner.

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to plan out details of Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas breakfast, and/or a Christmas day meal. Create a menu or use ListPlanIt’s Christmas Menu Planner*. Don’t forget to include a main dish, side dishes, bread or rolls, drinks, and of course – a dessert (or two)!

* Available as a download in the 100 Days to Christmas 2011 eBook.  Members to ListPlanIt.com can print or download a Christmas Menu Planner in Holidays & Occasions.

When is your big holiday meal? Do you have a special brunch? Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and let us know.

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November 23, 2011

Easy as Pie

32 daysPie, glorious pie. I love a Thanksgiving meal, but I dream of the pie that follows. Have you decided what type of pie(s) to make for Thanksgiving?

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to bake your pie(s). You will have plenty to do for tomorrow, so get the pies done today. I make both a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie each with my own butter crust. Don’t forget real whipped cream! (But this should be made tomorrow.)

Come on. Make my mouth water. What pies show up to your family’s Thanksgiving meal? Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and let us know.

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November 22, 2011

Make Ahead Prep

33 daysThanksgiving will be a day filled with family and laughter. It will be a day to create memories. Don’t spend more time than you have to in the kitchen that day. Get a head start today.

Countdown to ChristmasToday’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to decide what can be cooked or prepared today and get it done. Need vegetables cut for the stuffing? Do all of your chopping today. Can you prepare and refrigerate the casserole today so that it is ready to go in the oven on Thursday? Does the cranberry sauce need time to set up? Go beyond opening a can of cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving. Native Americans introduced the Pilgrims to the taste and benefits of cranberries long ago. My Aunt Vicki has always made Cranberry Salad for my extended family’s get-together and though I tried hard to find a unique recipe for our family’s traditional meal, nothing was as good to me as Aunt Vicki’s.

What on your Thanksgiving menu can you make ahead of time? Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and tell us about it.

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November 21, 2011

Kickin’ It, Pilgrim Style

34 daysThis week will be all about getting ready for the Thanksgiving meal. Each day will be an opportunity to prepare for the feast that lies ahead. Start early, take it slow, and enjoy the season! Thanksgiving memories tend to be centered around a table. It is easy to imagine family, lots of food, and lots of laughter. The table is usually as much a part of the equation as the turkey! It is a good idea to plan ahead in order to make it as warm and inviting as your fondest memories.

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to take out your best table linens and check them for stains or wrinkles. Give them a good ironing, if possible. Begin to think about your table settings. Do you have enough plates, glasses, and silverware for your crowd? If not, borrow from a friend or relative for the big day. And last but not least, plan to have some type of centerpiece. It could be as simple as candles, a bowl of fruit, or your handmade Thankful Tree. A personal touch adds so much to a holiday table.

See ListPlanIt’s Thanksgiving Board on Pinterest.

Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and tell us about your favorite Thanksgiving table touches.

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November 6, 2011

Make It a Soup Sunday

49 daysDid you “fall back” yet? Do you have clocks in your home that still need an adjustment? If so, adjust those now while you are still thinking of it. You cannot beat a hearty, healthy meal in November where all you have to do is throw all of the ingredients together into one pot (or a slow cooker). Soups and stews also make great football fare. Make Soup Sunday a part of your fall and winter meal planning!

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to consider new soups to serve your family or even start a new tradition of Soup Sunday! Send out invitations to friends and family and let them know that if they like soup, they are welcome to drop in on your Soup Sunday (with some advanced warning, of course). I know many families that prepare a big pot of soup the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas when they tend to have a lot of company. It’s easy to feed a lot of people with soup. Just add some type of bread and maybe even a salad for a delicious meal!

What soups do you love? Tell us over at the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page.

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November 3, 2011

Your Thanksgiving Grocery List

52 daysNow that you have your Thanksgiving menu planned, you can begin to inventory your pantry to discover exactly what you already have and what ingredients still need to be purchased.

Countdown to ChristmasToday’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to sit down with your menu planner and begin to create a thorough Thanksgiving Grocery List*, ingredient by ingredient, to figure out exactly what you have and what needs to be bought from the store. You don’t want to find yourself on Thanksgiving morning with no sage when your recipe clearly calls for sage! Collect this week’s grocery ad circulars to scout out the best deals.

* Available as a download in the 100 Days to Christmas 2011 eBook.  Members to ListPlanIt.com can print or download a blank Holiday Party Planner in Holidays & Occasions as a worksheet for your Thanksgiving grocery list.

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November 2, 2011

Thanksgiving Menu Planning

53 daysNow that you have rounded up your recipes for your family’s Thanksgiving meal, it is time to start putting together your Thanksgiving menu. It is necessary to consider what you will be making or what you will be asking others to make.

Countdown to ChristmasThe Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to create a Thanksgiving Menu Planner* by listing the types of foods that you would like to include in your Thanksgiving meal: appetizers, main course, side dishes, bread, salads, and most importantly, desserts! Maybe you already have a favorite sweet potato recipe or maybe you want to find one that would work for your family. Start planning now for a meaningful family dinner they won’t forget!

List of Dishes to Consider for Your Thanksgiving Menu

What’s on your Thanksgiving menu? Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and let us hear it.

grocery list notepadPlanning a menu and grocery list can save you lots of money and time, not only through the holidays but also throughout the year.  This week, ListPlanIt.com is away 5 Magnetic Grocery List Notepads.  Simply hang it on your refrigerator and be ready with a completed meal planner and grocery list within minutes.

You have several ways to enter to win:

1) leave a comment here and tell us why you would like a magnetic grocery list notepad,

2) tell your friends & followers about 100 Days to Christmas on Twitter (it’s easy to do with our share buttons below) and leave a comment here linking to your Twitter handle (be sure to follow @100Days on Twitter, too),

3) subscribe to 100 Days to Christmas‘ RSS feed using a reader or by email (and get our daily posts delivered straight to your inbox) and leave a comment here,

4) blog about 100 Days to Christmas, then leave a comment here linking to your post.

5) follow our page on Facebook and tell our entire community that you are going to participate in this week’s giveaway by leaving the following message on our Facebook wall, “I’m entering to win a magnetic grocery list notepad from ListPlanIt.com at 100 Days to Christmas!”

One of each of these per day please. You have until Friday, November 4 at 6 pm EST to enter.

100 days to christmas

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