With our countdown to Thanksgiving being just a week away, we have officially entered the holiday season! If you’re hosting family and friends for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or any holiday parties, you might be feeling some stress to get everything ready in time.
Don’t fret, locavores, we put together some tips to make your holiday season more simple, less stressful, and more enjoyable for everyone involved.
1. Plan ahead
Put together a simple menu, and make a note of all the ingredients you need. Then, you can dedicate one day to gathering supplies, instead of trying to get things sporadically.
2. Prepare early
As you’re writing out your recipes and ingredients, make a note of anything that can be done early. Could you make a side dish now, and freeze it until Thanksgiving? Could you freeze the dough for Christmas cookies, then pull it out the week before to make and give as gifts? Anything that can be done earlier is a great action step to ease your load!
3. Share the love
Just because you’re hosting for the holidays doesn’t mean you have to do all of the work as well. Ask friends and family to contribute by bringing a side, baked goods, or beverages.
4. Simplify house cleaning
This site has great tips for cleaning your home in 2 hours. Once you have things clean, spending 15-20 minutes each day picking things up and wiping down the kitchen will help keep things low stress and looking nice for guests.
5. Enjoy
Remember the holidays are about celebration, time with family, and making memories. Take a chance to enjoy the gathering, rather than worrying about getting everything done.
While it is the season for cooking, baking, hosting, and celebrating, the holidays are also an excellent opportunity to showcase all the Llano Estacado has to offer.
Our foodshed is expanding to include offerings that can be enjoyed year round. Locations like The Farmers Pantry and Revolutions Farms market make it possible to find locally grown and made produce, milk, cheese, meats, and other items even in the cooler months.
Our region is also home to many local artisans and makers: from florists to artists to jam makers; you can find many local options for putting the finishing touches on your holiday gatherings and gifts for guests or hosts.
We love the idea of finding ways to incorporate all the Llano Estacado has to offer for your holiday meals and parties. To make it even easier, we’ve put together a guide to planning a local holiday. Here you will find
• A place to track your dishes and ingredients
• A checklist for everything you’ll need
• A budget tracker
• Lists of local producers to use in your holiday planning
To download your free holiday planner, just click the image below!
Happy Holiday planning, locavores!
