Hosting during the holidays can be very demanding. Caroline Rochon knows something about it. The trainer and coach in success is a professional organizer. She regularly meets exhausted clients after Christmas.
This specialist believes that after a year of recess imposed by the pandemic, we must bet on the happiness of being together again for the Holidays.
“It’s an opportunity to revisit some of our traditions and some of our rituals,” says Mr.me Rochon. You have to let go of what you used to do. ”
PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, ARCHIVES THE PRESS
Hélène Laurendeau, nutritionist
Nutritionist Hélène Laurendeau agrees with this. The food communicator recalls that her mother was always afraid of running out of food. She baked 22 pies for 22 people. Demanding and excessive work, she recalls.
All of the experts interviewed agree that the key to a stress-free holiday season can be summed up in one word: planning.
According to Caroline Rochon, taking 15 minutes to organize your menu, write down your grocery list and create a to-do list saves yourself four hours of drudgery. Who has never had to go to the grocery store at the last minute because of an oversight?
Plan to save
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Planning well also saves money.
Planning your holiday season saves time, but it also saves money. And with food prices rising, it will cost even more to receive this year.
By establishing your menu in advance, you can buy as many ingredients as possible at a reduced price.
“Butter is extremely expensive,” notes Hélène Laurendeau. It’s worth buying it at a discount and freezing it. The same goes for the pork that we put in the stew or the meat for the pies. ”
Another tip to reduce the bill: cook the dessert yourself.
What is a dessert? Sugar, flour, butter and eggs. There is a way to get by with a much lower bill than a pastry dessert.
Hélène Laurendeau, nutritionist
But you still have to have time to cook the last service. To achieve this, the former owner of Les Touilleurs in Montreal, François Longpré, suggests choosing a main course that is cooked in advance. Whether it’s a veal blanquette, a beef bourguignon or a pork knuckle, the recipe will be better once reheated.
The nutrition teacher and great cook Christina Blais, for her part, advises to opt for “sure values”, that is, recipes that we know and that the whole family loves. “Now is not the time to choose a new recipe, because we might screw up,” she says. Otherwise, you have to do it in advance to train. ”
The ultimate idea to save time and money is to delegate the preparation of several dishes, or to organize a potluck. But one ” potluck intelligent ”, specifies François Longpré. According to him, it is essential to give clear guidelines on the theme of the menu and even to suggest to each guest the recipe to bring.
To offer a respite to the hosts, the author of the blog Living with less, Vicky Paré, proposes to prepare a punch. Guests can enjoy a cocktail as an aperitif without having to “shake” each glass.
Other tips to apply
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Setting the table in advance to avoid stress, a good idea!
Christina Blais, François Longpré and Hélène Laurendeau are part of Signé Gourmand. The company brings together several chefs and kitchen specialists. The trio presents us in bulk a few simple tips to save time when receiving:
- Set the table in advance.
- Wash and cut your vegetables the day before.
- Put the condiments in a cooler to make space in the fridge.
- Take out the serving bowls and identify a recipe for each.
- Determine who serves the table at the end of the meal.