A Beginner's Guide to Holiday Meals

With a little planning, every holiday meal can remain focused on enjoying time with friends and family.

Hosting a holiday meal for the first time was an incredibly intricate process that I most definitely underestimated. Planning, shopping, coordinating all kitchen activities and cooking, all on my own, was a considerable amount of work. I learned a lot from the whole process, having never taken on the task before. The biggest lesson was to plan and complete as many tasks ahead of time as possible (fun fact: if you wait until the day before a holiday, you might not find a turkey that is unfrozen, which may impact your timeline). Keep the menu simple and always accept offers of help from guests.

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