Set your menu (all foods, drinks and ingredients) and stick to it. If tradition dictates that guests bring a dish, be ready to give choices of extras you would like.

Do not be afraid to purchase ready made (or ready to bake) specialty breads, rolls or pies, cakes, desserts, hors d’oeuvres, snacks, gravies, dips, dressings and stuffing. Just be certain to order a week or two in advance and arrange set pick-up times.

Prepare a help list per family member so everyone has a written to do list, and you can recheck a master list.

Build your dinner around the following suggestions:

• One or two types of home cooked roast
• Stuffing and gravy
• Three hot vegetables (one of which is mashed potatoes)
• Breads and/or rolls
• Butter, appropriate condiments, sauces, sugar, salt and pepper
• One type of salad, two choices of bottled dressings
• Two different kinds of pies, or cakes
• Vegetable, cheese and/or hors d’oeuvres tray, dip, mustard
• Bagged snacks, nuts and dip
• Coffee, soft drinks, hard drinks (or make a punch), ice
• Wish list choices for guests to choose to bring

Now, spend your extra time with family and guests at your dinner and relax.

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You envision imparting words of wisdom to your child during this special time together; wisdom that will serve her well as she makes her way in the world. How wonderful. How precious.

Back on earth, you’ve finally set aside the time to bake a batch of brownies with your little bundle of joy.

“Okay honey, get the eggs out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter. No, the whole carton. Take out the whole carton. Put the egg back in the carton. Put it back. Pick up the whole carton. Both hands. Both hands!”

After hubby gets back from the store with another carton of eggs, you crack them into the bowl and then hand her the package of brownie mix.

“Okay, sweetheart, open the box and then tear open the bag carefully. Carefully. Here, let me do it. Okay fine, you do it, but do it carefully. If you do it like that it’s going to…here, let me do it. Just let me open it, you can pour it! Hand it to me. Hand it to me now.

Do you want to make brownies with mommy? So help me if you don’t hand that to me…what did I tell you? Now we can’t make brownies because the mix is all over the floor. Okay, calm down. Stop crying. I know you didn’t mean to. Go get daddy.

After hubby gets back from the store with another box of brownie mix, you and your little darling manage to get it mixed and into the oven.

Now is the time for that wisdom-imparting.

“Come here, sweetheart. It’s okay, they have to cook for a while.

Come here. Mommy wants to talk with you.

Don’t open the oven. If you keep opening the oven they won’t get done.

Fifteen more minutes. The timer will go off.

Yes, we’ll hear it. No, that wasn’t it.

Come here and talk to mommy.

Come here. Don’t open that. No, they’re not done.

Come here. I want to impart wisdom so come here now or nobody anywhere is getting any brownies ever again!”

Yes, there’s a moral to this story.

Don’t believe everything you see on television, and don’t try to plan when you will be handing down profound pearls of wisdom to your child. It will happen at the strangest and most magical times, and yes, your child will remember. And a few years down the road you’ll both be laughing about the brownies.

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I’d ask you if you were feeling guilty, but if you’re a parent that’s a ridiculous question.

Here’s the plan. First of all, no child should ever be allowed to see this.

Take the top off of your blender and toss in some berries and chopped banana. If you have time, throw in some chopped carrot. Top that with a half cup of high-quality plain yogurt, then scoop in some soy or whey protein powder and a spoonful of ground flax seed. Pour in about a half cup of pure orange or grape juice. Add a spoonful of honey. Blend these ingredients and then pour some into a glass.

When your child enters the kitchen you should be leaning against the counter, holding the smoothie in your hand. Sport a sheepish look as you say “I shouldn’t drink a shake for breakfast but I guess it won’t hurt just this once.” Take a big drink, smack your lips, and say “I’m so bad but this is so good!”

At this point, pretend like you’ve just now noticed the child who is staring at you. Hand her the box of Choco Lumps and say “eat your cereal, sweetheart, you don’t want to be late for school.”

Give in after some whining and cajoling and allow your child to have a “shake” for breakfast. Warn her that this will not become a habit. From this point on, pretend that you can’t stop drinking shakes in the morning. Allow her to guilt-trip you into letting her have them too since if you don’t have the willpower to resist them, how can you expect her to?

We can debate the question of whether or not you should ever deceive your child under any circumstances later. In the meantime, she’ll be healthier.

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To be fair, I didn’t count the shopping time needed for buying all the ingredients for the fabulously fast meal I was going to try cooking. I set the timer for 15 minutes right when I began preparing the meal. (Hey, I bought the magazine on the promise that they were going to make my life easier with these splendidly speedy meals. Darned right I’m going to time them.)

They don’t tell you that you need to be a ninja food-chopper using a knife that can split a hair in mid-air.

Since I wasn’t the former and didn’t own the latter, nine minutes had passed by the time I was done preparing the food for cooking. Since the entire dinner cooked conveniently in one pan for a practically effortless dinner experience (not my words), I scooped everything up and put it in the pan, then stirred as I cast furtive glances toward the timer.

When the timer went off I lifted the pan from the stove and poured everything into a large bowl, then ran the bowl to the dinner table and set it down, pumping my fist in the air and yelling “I did it! I rock!”

The two children and one husband who had been sitting patiently at the table leaned forward in unison and studied what I had just set down. Finally, someone was brave (or stupid) enough to ask “What is it?”

“It’s a 15-minute meal. It made my life easier”

“Is it cooked?”

“Yes it’s cooked! Try it.”

“You try it first.”

“I don’t have to try it first, I cooked it.”

“It doesn’t look cooked enough.”

“Then take some and put it in the microwave for a few minutes.”

“Then it won’t be a 15-minute meal. Not really.”

“It’ll still be one for me, because my 15 minutes are up and I’m done with it.”

“Can we order pizza?”

“Yes. But it had better get here in 30 minutes. I’ll set the timer.”

I’ve made successful 15-minutes meals. Honestly. Nobody is better than me at dropping hot dogs into boiling water, slapping mustard and ketchup on buns, transferring the cooked dogs to the buns, stacking them on a plate, ripping open a bag of chips and then placing everything on the dinner table.

Just call me Ninja Hot Dog Mom.

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Some of the recipes I mentioned (plus many more) you can find in my new e-book: Freezing It and Loving It; some are below so you can print them out.

Happy creating!  ~Sandra

Spinach Quiche

Put 10 oz thawed spinach into sprayed 10” pie dish.
Sprinkle 6 oz shredded cheddar cheese on top.

In a separate bowl mix together
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 ½ C milk
¾ C biscuit/baking mix
1 small diced onion
S&P to taste

Pour over spinach and cheese mixture.
Bake @ 400 F for 35-40 min.

Oven Baked Omelet

4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
3 slices of American cheese
¾ C milk
Dash pepper

Arrange cheese slices to cover bottom of sprayed, 8” pie dish.
Beat together eggs, milk, pepper with fork; add bacon.
Pour over cheese.
Bake for 30 min @ 350 F. Let stand few minutes before serving

Ham and Cheese Croissants

(Great for breakfast, lunch or snacks. Can be assembled night prior for breakfast.)

Lay 2 slices ham and 1 slice cheese on each sliced croissant.
Wrap in tin foil. Heat in oven.

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If you missed part one, you can catch it here!

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Sue and I discussed only the “tip of the iceberg” but the possibilities for these little delectables are endless! On the printable page below you’ll find a sampling of the recipes we talked about – from meatballs to fondues. And as I’ve said all along on Family Foodies, I personally like the end result without all the fuss, so my contributions are usually quite simple!

As mentioned on the show, many great web sites can also help your holiday appetizer planning, such as:

• Pillsbury.com
• NabiscoCrackers.com
• KraftFoods.com.

Grab the free printable Holiday Entertaining Recipe Sheet with all of the recipes mentioned on our show.

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The ideas we shared are simple and inexpensive, and can involve your kids too! Many can be made up in big batches so you have plenty to share (and some to keep at home too!) Homemade gifts are best, as far as we’re concerned, and with a little creativity and presentation you’ll be proud to give.

Homemade Hot Fudge
(Makes 4 Cups)

Melt 12 oz MILK chocolate chips (not semi sweet) with ½ lb butter (not margarine) in microwave or on stove.

Add 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and 14 oz light corn syrup (like Karo). Beat on medium speed with electric mixer 1-2 minutes.

Pour in glass jars. Decorate with pretty lid (cloth, ribbons, etc) and a label, which instructs to keep refrigerated, and to serve: heat in micro.

Hot Cocoa Mix

8 qts powdered milk
2 lbs chocolate drink powder
1 lb powdered sugar
16 oz non-dairy powdered creamer
You might add marshmallows and/or flavored chips (like chocolate, raspberry, cinnamon, mint) too, if desired
Mix all ingredients together, store in airtight container up to 6 months.
To share, pour into container with lid or baggies in mugs.
Label should read: Mix 1/3 C to one cup boiling water.