Shop for Christmas Dinner

Careful planning is necessary for preparing a successful Christmas meal for your family. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Steps

 * 1) Create a menu giving consideration to the tastes and preferences of all your guests. You may need to consider food requirements for medical reasons like lactose intolerance, diabetic diets, low-fat dietary needs, and vegetarian diners.[[Image:Shop for Christmas Dinner Step 1.jpg|center]]
 * 2) Check the recipes for the dishes you choose for your meal, and list the ingredients so you can get the things you need for preparing them.[[Image:Shop for Christmas Dinner Step 2.jpg|center]]
 * 3) Buy canned, frozen, and other items that can be stored for an extended period when you find them during regular shopping trips, so that you have an opportunity to shop for bargains and to keep you from being overloaded on the main shopping trip for the meal.[[Image:Shop for Christmas Dinner Step 3.jpg|center]]
 * 4) Look at the other things you will need to prepare the meal. Do you have mixing bowls, a blender, suitable and large enough pots and pans?  Also, keep in mind that you will have a limited amount of space in your kitchen, on your stove top, and in your oven, so you may have to prepare or spread out the food preparation.[[Image:Shop for Christmas Dinner Step 4.jpg|center]]
 * 5) Enlist the help of any other households who will join you for the meal, including parents, siblings, and in-laws who may be able to prepare a dessert or salad in their own kitchen to bring over.[[Image:Shop for Christmas Dinner Step 5.jpg|center]]
 * 6) Pick up items that need to be fresh on the evening before you are going to prepare the meal, presumably, Christmas Eve. This does not include large meat items like turkeys or roasts which, if frozen, will take a few days to thaw safely.[[Image:Shop for Christmas Dinner Step 6.jpg|center]]

Tips

 * Watch for sales and coupons if you are watching the budget.

Warnings

 * Do not forget special dietary needs of diners.

Related wikiHows

 * Have a Vegetarian Christmas