As the big day approaches, a little advance planning can save us from headaches and stress. Use these three simple steps to organize and prepare for your upcoming celebration.

Get ready… Set out all your recipes, on the counter, in plastic sleeves, so you can refer to them as you cook. I keep a Holiday 3 Ring Binder just for this purpose. All my recipes are organized and catalogued for my Holiday Cooking, so that every year I have my recipes “at the ready” when it comes time to “gear up” My Holiday Kitchen.

Get set… Before starting a recipe, set out all the utensils and ingredients you will need.Read through the

Go… but cook what you know. Stick with recipes you’ve made before and are comfortable with. Now is not the time to experiment with that Beef Wellington or Baked Alaska you’ve always wanted to try. You will only frustrate yourself if it doesn’t turn out the way you had hoped.

Visit www.rushhourcook.com/holiday.htm for a full holiday meal plan with shopping list and www.changeyourlifechallenge.com for a free weekly newsletter with sanity-saving solutions.

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