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.
