Make cookie decorating super simple by using sandwich bags for frosting.
Put a scoopful or two of frosting in a sandwich bag, press the frosting down to one corner, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Snip off just the tip of the frosting corner, twist the bag above the frosting, and squeeze the frosting out gently. This is great for kids, who usually just want to apply big polka-dots of frosting anyway, or for writing words. If you want to use decorative tips, use sturdier freezer bags and tips/couplers available at any craft store.
Anchor your Christmas tree using fishing line.
Worried that your Christmas tree might fall over? I know a couple of families who have lost a whole tree full of beautiful ornaments when the cat or a curious child pulled their trees over. My wise dad, a father of 6, always discreetly anchored our Christmas trees by twisting a fishing line around the top of the tree and tying each end of the line to tiny hooks installed on the window frames on either side of the tree.
Easily differentiate “Santa” presents from family presents.
To help prevent any confusion on Christmas morning, have separate wrapping paper supplies. Gifts from Santa are wrapped only in paper featuring Santa and are labeled with Santa tags, while family gifts are “Santa-free”.
Make and freeze large batches of frosting before the holidays.
Frosting is incredibly easy and quick to make and freezes well. Use a mixer to combine one stick of unsalted softened butter or a half cup (or half a Crisco stick) of shortening with one cup of confectioners' sugar. Add 3 more cups of confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, and 4-5 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, alternating sugar and milk. Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or ¾ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon almond extract, if you prefer). Within a couple of minutes you’ll have about 3 cups of smooth, delicious homemade frosting. Double or triple the recipe if you’ll be making lots of frosted holiday cookies or if you have birthdays coming up. Frosting can be frozen for 2-3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge, stir it, and it’s ready to go.
A double batch of frosting (7 cups total) takes seven minutes, start to finish, and costs about $2.00.
Simmer lemon juice and cinnamon to quickly eliminate odors.
Guests arriving in an hour and your house still smells like last night's burgers with grilled onions? Or perhaps you love holiday scents but prefer not to use candles due to the smoke, stains or worries about children? Simmer a few cups of water, a half cup of lemon juice, a few generous shakes of cinnamon, and a dash of cloves and nutmeg on the stove, and your house will smell warm and sweet within a half hour.
Use a screw and hammer to open a bottle of wine.
If you forgot your corkscrew or discover at the last moment that it’s broken, you can use a screw, screwdriver and hammer to open a bottle of wine. Use the screwdriver to gently drive the screw into the cork, about 2/3 of the way in (but don’t go through the bottom of the cork). Wrap the neck and top of the bottle in a towel, hook the hammer claw under the screw head, and gently rock the hammer to pull the cork out.
Use empty wrapping paper rolls to store strings of Christmas lights.
Wrapping Christmas lights around empty wrapping paper rolls helps to avoid tangled and damaged lights. When it’s time to string the tree with lights, simply walk around the tree, unrolling the lights as needed.
Speed up holiday card preparation with address labels.
Use an iOS or Android app to pull names and addresses from your Contacts and create and print labels. myCardLists is a highly-rated iPhone/iPad app. Don’t have an AIRPRINT-enabled printer? Most apps can email a PDF file, which you can print from your PC.
Host a wrapping party to make the wrapping chore fun!
One Macaroni Kid publisher hosts an annual wrapping party. Guests bring up to 20 gifts, a roll of paper and tape, and a potluck dish. It’s a great excuse to get together, and guests love to see all the gift ideas! Turn it into a charity event by hiring some crafty teenagers to wrap for a few hours, asking guests to donate $1 per gift, and donating the proceeds to charity.
Store wrapping paper neatly by using an empty wine or craft beer box.
Divided boxes made for tall craft beer bottles or wine make perfect holders for rolls of wrapping paper.
Prepare butternut or any winter squash quickly and easily.
Butternut squash is delicious, but so difficult to prepare. Peeling that tough skin takes ages, and chopping it takes a cleaver and lots of arm strength. Use this quick method to make butternut squash fuss-free! Carefully puncture the squash deeply in several places using a sharp knife. In particular, be sure to puncture all the way into the center to allow steam to escape. Lay a paper towel in the microwave (the squash will leak), place the whole, unpeeled squash on top, and microwave on full power for 10 minutes, turning it a few times during cooking. Check for doneness (it should feel tender and pierce easily all over) and microwave for a few more minutes, if needed. Let sit for several minutes, then cut in half, scoop out and discard the seeds, and scoop out the soft flesh, ready to serve or incorporate inyo your favorite recipe.
The secret to preparing a large holiday meal AND enjoying the holiday? Plan a detailed cooking schedule and stick to it (use alarm clocks and phone reminders, if needed!).
Write down your entire menu – not a fancy one for guests, but a working one for you. Be sure to include drinks, wine, appetizers, coffee, all those details you might forget. Mark everything that guests are bringing with a star, so you know to look only at the unstarred items. Note the preparation, cooking and resting time, temperature and method (oven? stove?) next to each item. Serving dinner at 5 PM? Your 18-pound turkey will take a half hour to prep, four hours to roast, and a half hour to rest, so note on your schedule that it’s time to pull out the turkey pan and pre-heat the oven at noon. As you fill in all the details for every dish you’re making, a clear schedule will emerge, and you will know exactly what needs to be prepared the night before. On the Big Day, follow your schedule to the minute, moving items into and out of the oven and onto the stove when needed, and adjusting the temperature as required. Everything will be ready right on schedule, and you’ll have plenty of time to chat and enjoy a glass of wine with guests. Bonus tip: Label all your serving containers with the dish it’s intended for and stack them on a nearby counter, ready to fill as each item is prepared.
We hope these tips help to make your holidays easy, fun, and fuss-free!
