Reposted from November 2009

 Thanksgiving Shopping Tips

Hosting a Thanksgiving dinner can be quite stressful. Make your Thanksgiving easier this year.  Start your grocery shopping early! Don’t wait until the week of Thanksgiving to buy what you need. Not only are you risking empty pantry shelves, but it is too expensive to buy at the last minute.  Not to mention stressful. Too many people wait until the last minute.

Browse your weekly grocery ads, they always have items on sale prior to the holidays. There are great sales starting around the end of October after Halloween for baking supplies and such.  Don’t worry about having to0 much, you will definitely use it later.

Stock up now. If you’re not one to make homemade stuffing, and stuffing mix is on sale when you are at the market for milk, pick it up. You are going to need it anyway. You can also get cranberries cheap way before the big day. Cranberries freeze well too.

Turkeys are usually on sale weeks before. I was at the grocery store the other day and made a purchase $99 or more. I received my choice of a Free Turkey or Turkey Breast. There’s my Thanksgiving Turkey. If you have an extra freezer like we do, spending $99 is pretty easy with a weekly shopping trip. On your next trip to the grocery store  you’ll receive another Free Turkey. Freeze it for another meal. Leftovers from Turkey dinners are great. There are lots of recipes you can make from a leftover turkey and you have your weekly meals already done.

Dinner Party Ideas

Plan your cooking day. This should  most likely be the week before. Decide what you have left to do and prep as much as you can. Mix up the stuffing for the turkey and put into bowl and store in fridge two days prior. Bread rolls can be made ahead. Cook up those fresh cranberries. They will be much better the next day anyway after setting.  Two days before, defrost all those baked goods you froze the weeks prior to now.  The day before, bake up those pies you froze. Doing as much as you can on this day will help you to have more time with friends and family.

And Finally Thanksgiving Day! Your turkey is in the oven. The morning of, set the table, organize serving dishes and setting out appetizers for your guests to enjoy while the meal is being prepared. Snacking is an important part to hosting a party. This is a must when entertaining. So set out the appetizer trays and mingle with your guests because you have planned for this day and you will now enjoy it too!

Here are some time saving strategies for busy moms getting dinner on the table FAST.

6 Tips For Getting Dinner On The Table Faster

Prep in the P.M.

• Marinating your meats and chopping your veggies the night before means dinner is on the table 20 minutes sooner the next evening.

Shop Smart

• Don’t have time to chop those veggies or wash those greens? Pick up pre-cut vegetables and salad mix from your produce department

Saute’ for Speed

• Look for thin cuts of chicken, fish and meat-Serve with roasted potatoes and a green salad for a fast, satisfying meal!

Stock your Pantry

• Always have a good supply of your basic pantry items like honey, ketchup, soy sauce, rice and chicken broth. It’s just amazing what you can whip up with just a few ingredients.

Freeze for Future Meals

• Put together a meal on Saturday or Sunday when you have a little more time. Prior to cooking step, Freeze, then thaw the night before you plan to serve.

Make more than one Meal

• If you’re making up one meatloaf or chicken, it’s just as easy to make two. just double your ingredients and bake both. Place the second one in the refrigerator for a couple of days or freeze for later.

Hello my friends. Today, I’m chatting with you from most populous city of Utah, Salt Lake City. It’s my very first trip here for NuSkin’s Summit Success Conference. I’m in my second month as a Qualifying Exec and attending the Conference to learn more about the business and to hear what others in the business are sharing about NuSkin. I will be away from my family for 4 days. While it’s heartbreaking to be away from my kids and hubby, I made things a little easier for the family, by planning ahead on a few meals while I’m gone.

Stocking the freezer with ready-made casseroles and soups. Two hungry kids and a hungry dad make for a very difficult day. By making a few comfort meals ahead of time, like hamburger casserole or a creamy chicken and rice casserole pie, I can make sure that everyone has at least a few hot, home-cooked meals while I am away.

I am staying at The Kimball which is located just 1/2 block from Temple Square, the most popular tourist destination in Salt Lake City. We are also surounded by elegant shops, restaurants and theaters. The Capital Theater is located just 3 1/2 blocks from here and is home of the Utah Opera Company and Ballet West, one of America’s celebrated ballet companies. Near by is Abravanel Hall, the home of the Utah Symphony Orchestra. Just looking out our window you can see the Temple and backdrop of snow on the mountains.

Hopefully, the girls and I will have time to do a little bit of site seeing before we  leave on Sunday, I’ve got my camera charged.

Get into your comfort zone this fall and winter season with some Fast Family Dinners. Enjoy delicious baked casseroles, baked until bubbly. Life is good for a busy mom who stays one step ahead of the game.

Broccoli, Cheddar and Ham Strata

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Calolea California Garlic Olive Oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 bag (1-pound) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

2 cups Italian Herb bread crumbs (I used Ritz crackers pulsed in food processor with Italian Seasoning and Oregano)

1/2 pound sliced deli ham, chopped

1/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped

6 large eggs

2 Tablespoons fresh dill or chives ( I had dill on hand)

1 Tablespoon honey mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish or your Deep Covered Baker with nonstick baking spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook another 5 minutes.

Place bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Stir in broccoli-onion mixture, ham and bacon.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, dill, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over bread crumbs mixture, stirring to mix ingredients. Transfer to your baking dish or baker, and top evenly with shredded cheese.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 8 servings

This week, with the few days I have before my trip to Salt Lake City, I’m going to try and get a few Thanksgiving recipes made ahead of time and frozen. At least that’s my goal. I think it’s time to talk with my husband again about cleaning up that second refrigerator and freezer we have so we can have extra room to store the extra meals I’m making.

But in the mean time, here is what my orginal menu plan is for the week:

Sunday: Hamburger Casserole, Easy Dinner Rolls

Monday: Broccoli, Ham, Turkey and Cheddar Strata 

Tuesday: Baked Potato Chowder

Wednesday: Harvest Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

 Thursday: Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole Pie

Friday: Pizza Night

Saturday: Deep Dish Shepherd’s Pie, Easy Dinner Rolls