Over the past few weeks, I’ve been stocking the pantry with holiday staples and seasonal ingredients for celebrations from Thanksgiving through New Years. And for our perennial favorites, I pre-prep dry ingredients and create kits so that we can grab, mix, add and enjoy.
Holiday hosting is a marathon. If left to the last minute, it can become a sprint – not that we don’t have a few moments of that as we cross the finish line; it always happens that the best laid plans for timing and sides turn sideways, but that’s also part of the vibe.
The marathon metaphor might invoke panic or dread unless you choose your mindset, prepare ahead and focus on the here and now.
Mindset – This is one hundred percent a choice. That doesn’t mean “just be positive.” It means choose to host. Or not. Choose to welcome others. Or not. Choose the menu. Or not. You get the idea.
It also means accept that it can be joyful AND a lot of work. It can be meaningful to you AND not to everyone else in the same way. It can be chaos AND calm at the same time. It’s the idea that two things can be true
Prepare Ahead – There’s no right or wrong way to prepare. There is merit to learning as you go and there’s wisdom in tapping your orbit. You might carry on traditions from your family and childhood. You might embrace new ones from your friends or married family. And you might find inspiration and hacks from bloggers and Tiktokers not to mention all the great retailers who “show” us showstopping holidays with decor and food available for purchase – but here’s one thing I’ve learned; the Pinterest/media perfect images are not real – no sinks full of dirty dishes, not rolls of paper towels on the counter or spills on the floor.
So, as much as you (or I) might want to make everything fresh and from scratch, there are options. Back in 2012, my youngest and I were in Williams Sonoma. They were touting their baking pans along with a recipe for Everything Parker House Rolls. He thought the rolls looked delicious, so we took a copy of the recipe and gave them a dress rehearsal in mid-November and deemed them worthy of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and many, many other meals the year round.
Later on, Williams Sonoma would come out with a Parker House Roll mix – just add a few ingredints and presto (although in my mind, it doesn’t save time nor does it provide the hands-on love that makes these rolls a family tradition). To that end, I’ve fingured out how to measure the dry ingredients weeks ahead, place in a freezer container along with a stick of unsalted butter. Thanksgiving morning, remove, and continue with the recipe (add yeast and milk).
That’s just one example of many to divide and conquer a holiday meal. But while you’re at it, if you’ll host other holidays, this is the time to stage the home for buffets, dinner tables, beverage and dessert stations. Sure, it’s a bit of rearranging, but it means you’re ready to go!
Focus on the Here and Now – Thanksgiving isn’t one day of thanks but rather an act of gratitude and this allows us to focus on the here and now. It’s about the purpose of gathering, feasting, honoring and celebrating. The same is true for all the holidays – each has a purpose, a meaning. Don’t think of it as 1,000 things you have to do but rather choose a few and then add on if you feel like it.
Just like running a marathon, I imagine, it’s not one steady pace. Throughout, you’ll feel energy and you may also lag and have to rely on your mindset to keep going. Hopefully, you’ve got some fans along the way who will cheer for you as you get closer and closer to each designated finish line … and then, may you enjoy a second slice of pie … and perhaps a comforting beverage as you wash the dishes and contemplate the next leg of the race.
Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving!
Two Links Du Jour:
Everything Parker House Rolls from scratch – Williams Sonoma – inspired by a 19th-century baker at Boston’s famous Parker House Hotel
The Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston – Opened in 1855, it’s not only the origin of Parker House Rolls but the birthplace of the always-delicious Boston Cream Pie.
Two Minutes Du Jour 