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.
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.
