Santa Claus only has one Christmas checklist every year and that’s the one with the “bad” and the “good”. But for us, we have to juggle buying decorations, gifts for friends and family, all the items our kitchen needs in preparation of a giant Christmas fest, and yet maintain our sanity.
The date is drawing close (we are now less than three weeks away), the pressure adds on. Really, who has the time to be excited at the prospect of celebrating it just yet?
With that in mind, we at Lipstiq have prepared a handy little checklist just for you, to help you prepare right and prepare well in advance:
1. Split your grocery list in two
We all already know that it’s good to draw up a grocery shopping list if you already have an idea of what ingredients you will need. But split the list in two. This is because the “dry” ingredients can be bought well in advance and they will stay in good enough quality up until Christmas day. Whereas items like cream, milk, butter, cheese, and vegetables should all be bought at the same time.
2. Be a well-equipped cook
The cooking part is going to be the most difficult part of the day. So you might want to double check on your kitchen equipment. For example, if you’re planning to bake a turkey then ensure that you have a proper, deep enough baking tray. You don’t want to be rummaging around for a substitute that might not even work!
3. Book early
We don’t have to tell you how rare it is to find a good place that sells good roast turkey or ham. Unless if you’re going to make a tasty and juicy giant bird all on your own, then start sourcing for places that take pre-orders for Christmas turkeys. Try Mr. Ho’s in Bangsar Shopping Centre or any of the Victoria’s Station restaurants.
4. Prep the cutlery
So you’ve got your guest list drawn up nice and pretty. What else is missing? How about utensils? You wouldn’t want to leave one or two unlucky guests without a knife or a fork during dinner, or having to rummage through your kitchen cabinet for an extra (and most likely mismatched) plate. Play it safe and stock up on dinner utensils and cutlery.
5. Keep it sweet and simple
We know, we know, you want splashes of the seasonal red, green, and gold everywhere you look. But in terms of a dinner table setting, you might want to keep it super simple. Instead of throwing flowers and baubles everywhere, try dotting your dinner table with a few tea light candles and dinnerware in Christmas colours. Don’t drown out the food and don’t make it uncomfortable for your guests to reach for a piece of pie.
