Archive for the ‘Holiday Cooking’ Category
Choosing a Theme for your Holiday Cooking
For some families there is constant competition from one year to the next to top the efforts of the hostess for the last season’s holiday festivities and cooking. If you are looking for a great way to do just that when it is your turn to do the holiday cooking for the family how about breaking with tradition and creating your own theme for the holiday? I know it may seem a little rebellious and some may not like it but others may find it ingenious.
You can make your holiday cooking fit any theme or situation you like. You can create the perfect picnic complete witch a checked table clothe, seating on the ground, and baskets filled with goodies for everyone to dig in when ready. The idea is to do something a little bit (okay I admit it a lot) different from what others have done in the past and give them ideas to build upon for the next holiday cooking theme. If you decide to go with the picnic theme be sure to bring wine, cheese, and plenty of finger foods that travel well. If the weather permits (and it may depending on where in the country you live) you can actually make a picnic event of your turn doing the holiday cooking.
You can set your food up and display your cooking efforts like an all you can eat buffet if that’s what you like, though I hope your cooking is much better than most of those I’ve tried. The point is to make the theme something that is new and a little bit different but also that isn’t really related to the holiday but allows the family to enjoy the benefits of the holiday, which includes the pleasure of each other’s company.
Halloween Cooking Ideas
Whether you are cooking for a feast of adults for Halloween or looking for some great kid approved recipes there are plenty of resources online for some excellent spooky recipes for All Hallows Eve. There are some basic rules that will help the meal preparation and presentation go a little more smoothly if you’ll follow them. Hopefully that advice below will help you get through your spook fest and enjoy a great dinner too.
Most people who have a huge Halloween party will find that they will be interrupted throughout the evening with trick or treaters seeking the perfect treat. While we want to enjoy the ghosts, goblins, kings, and princesses gracing our stoop we also do not want to burn the food we are working hard to prepare. For this reason we need to select foods that require little attention during the preparation process rather than foods that are quite time consuming and attention demanding.
Crock pots are a blessing to have around on a night like Halloween. You can begin the food cooking well before the little goblins begin their appointed rounds and have the dishes you’ve prepared kept warm while you’re waiting for guests to arrive or doling out treats at your front door, whatever the necessity of the moment may be. You can even cook normal favorites in the crock pot or cook them on the stove and use the crock pot to keep them warm.
Some excellent spooky crock pot ideas include spaghetti brains. Prepare the sauce and the noodles ahead of time separately. Mix the sauce in the noodles and keep them warming together in the crock pot. Meatball eyes are another crock pot favorite. Stuff the meatballs with one stuffed olive eyeball and place in spaghetti sauce. Bat wings (which are actually chicken wings) with your favorite sauce are also excellent in the crock pot. Sloppy Joes can also be prepared and stored in the crock pot then served open faced over buns with small triangle cheese slices for eye and a pickle for eyeballs and a large triangle of cheese for the mouth.
Excellent Menu for a Great Fourth Outdoors
The Fourth of July is America’s Independence Day. It is a special day in the minds and hearts of patriotic citizens of this country and there are many ways we celebrate that patriotism. If you are looking for a little something extra to add to your Independence Day menu try some of the ideas below. Remember that the red, white, and blue of the American flag can be excellent color additions to your fabulous fourth menu and make it definitely firework worthy.
It is fairly safe to say that for most of the country the weather on the fourth of July is going to be a little bit on the warm side. While there are exceptions to every rule this is the general rule of thumb. For this reason you should prepare your menu according to that and avoid foods that are going to melt quickly or will not look as appealing in warm weather. You should also take proper precautions for storage and keeping things from spoiling by leaving them out in the elements too long. Store as much of the food as possible until it is time to serve.
This may somewhat limit your offerings but opens the door to other offerings. Rather than have chilled pies for dessert choose cake that can be stored at room temperature. There are sure to be a few chilled recipes or dishes that are best served and/or stored chilled. Be sure to have plenty of cold gel packs or ice on hand and plenty of ice chests and other appropriate containers, especially if you are going to be camping or cooking out away from home, on hand to take care of at least the amount of food you are contributing that needs cold storage.
If you are going to be camping out or enjoying the great outdoors on the fourth consider foods that can be prepared with a Dutch oven. There are many great recipes and these foods can pretty well cook for the prescribed length of time and served immediately if you plan properly. These ovens are quite useful and can prepare everything from cakes and muffins to stews, chili, and roast beef with vegetables. In other words, a Dutch oven opens doors that may not be widely available to the average camper on a cookout.