Use H-O-L-L-Y to Beat Christmas Cooking Stress
by:
Kristin Johnson
What does holly, that untidy
traditional greenery you just have to festoon your house with every
year, have to do with not tearing your hair out before it's even
Thanksgiving? Plenty. You can use H-O-L-L-Y to help you get organized.
1. H: Help
How many times have you tried to
do the perfect turkey all by yourself just so your mother-in-law would
be impressed? Here's a reality check: (a) If your mother-in-law is any
kind of a real woman, she remembers that her mother-in-law put the
exact same pressure on her, and (b) if she's the kind of person who
complains because the cranberries come from a can, she's the kind of
person who complains anyway and would be unhappy if she couldn't try to
make you look like an incompetent nitwit, and how a woman like that
could raise your wonderful husband is beyond everyone.
If that husband is such a great
guy, get him in the kitchen. Sit down and plan what the two of you
really want---he might not want a six-course dinner, which is fine,
because you don't either. Get the kids involved. By now some of them
are at that stage where they want to show off what they can do "all by
myself," and you know that even though you hate your daughter's taste
in music, she did make killer stuffing last Thanksgiving. And your son
makes a great omelet for Christmas morning. Then there's your sister
who loves to chat, so put her to work while you listen to her endless
monologue.
Electronic help is great
too---use a PDA or the family computer to keep a list of recipes and
ingredients. There are many great, sometimes free, computer programs
available.
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2. O: Oh-No
Let's face it. You'll make
mistakes. The sugar cookies will burn. You can always "eat" your
mistakes and try again---just don't try a new recipe for the first time
Christmas Day. In fact, plan for your mistakes. That's right. Most of
us spend so much time agonizing over avoiding mistakes we forget that
they are going to happen anyway, and not necessarily at our hands. So
your best girlfriend Susan brought over deviled ham instead of double
chocolate cake...there's a reason we have bakeries, right? Just
cheerfully accept the mistake and move on. People can get over a
slightly too well-done roast, but they will be downright uncomfortable
if you spend the entire dinner moaning about it.
3. L: Love
You know Christmas is the season
of love, and you can have as much fun with take-out pizza as you can
with an elegant dinner if the company is right. One sure way to
recapture love is to bake cookies together. There's nothing like the
sight of kids rolling dough and decorating their works of art.
4. L: Let It Be
Sorry for the Paul McCartney
overtones, but once you have your plan in place, stick to it---that
doesn't mean you can't compromise slightly. Agonizing over turkey
versus tofu causes you to lose your appetite, and is as harmful to your
cooking as disorganization. Sticking to a decision and keeping your
plan, no matter what everyone else thinks, gives you peace of mind.
5. Y: You
Remember that there will be
stress around the holidays, but that your mind can choose not to give
in. You can choose to refuse another beer because "I'm frazzled" or
avoid inviting people you really can't stand just because your mind
thinks you have an obligation to be popular and kill yourself feeding
25 people. You can throw snowballs, or, if you live in California, go
throw some water on the wildfires...just take your mind off your
cooking. You'll rediscover just why it is you're cooking and what you
love about Christmas.
So that's your H-O-L-L-Y for a
happy holiday. And when all else fails, there's chocolate.
