Holiday Goodies??

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Saquilla

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May 15, 2010
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Hi everyone,

In looking ahead at the Holiday Grand Plan, I've noticed that there are a lot of holiday goodies being made (just about a batch a week from week three).

That's a lot of holiday goodies!!

I'm wondering what everyone generally does for this? Apart from food gifts and cookies or snacks, which for me can be done over a couple of weekends in early December, what do you make so far ahead??

I'm thinking that I'll be skipping this weekly task along with freezing a meal a week. I have no space in my little freezer to store so much!! LOL!!
 

MrsSoup

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Oct 13, 2007
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Sarah- I'm not doing these two items either. I don't have room for everyday stuff in my freezer as it is. LOL

I think alot of people go ahead and make their cookie dough and freeze it so all they have to do is pull it out when they are ready to start baking.
 

Lana

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Oct 13, 2007
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That is one part I also don't do. We always do the baked goods and candies the week-end before Christmas and then deliver the trays on that Sunday or Monday. One day from sun up to sun down we do one big mess. (sometimes like from 7 a.m. to midnight and then the next day we dip all that needs it, in chocolate or whatever and then make up the trays.) This year I am thinking of moving it to like the second week-end in December besides 3rd. But I work that week-end and not the 18th. Still thinking.

As for meals in the freezer, I just have never did that. But more power to those who do. Saves time when you are in a hurry.
 
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sallyj08

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I don't freeze ahead meals either. We usually just stick something in the crockpot first thing in the morning. Or we throw something on the grill (chicken breast, pork chop, steak) and eat it with a salad. Soup and sandwich night also works well for us. Every night is busy for us (the kids always have something going on around dinner time), so this is how we have adapted.

I don't bake much for the holidays, so I skip the make ahead and freeze part. It's just the four of us for Christmas so I make a batch or two of family favorites a couple of days before Christmas Eve. We also have a decorate your own cupcake night on Christmas Eve.
 

AuntJamelle

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I don't know that I will actually do as many batches of cookie dough for the freezer as the HGP calls for, but I do want to start earlier than normal this year.

It really does help me to just pull out the preshaped cookie dough and just bake it as needed! :)

Freezer meals are iffy - struggle with finding healthy options. We do have plenty of freezer space so that is a blessing - just have to make the choices on what to freeze!

If nothing else, as it gets a bit closer to the holidays I'll be stocking the freezer with cooked, shredded chicken - rotisserie chicken if I get a good deal. Maybe some browned turkey sausage, all ready to throw in a strata or morning omlette. Maybe even some precooked bacon - I've been thinking of trying the oven method for cooking bacon mentioned on this site in a different thread...

Things like that are what are spinning around in my brain this year! :)
 

HouseElf

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I do double up a recipe once a week and put in the freezer. I have 4 males to feed - and a big freezer ;)

Right now the 'holiday goodies' I am working on is hot pepper jelly. Something I will give as gifts, and for serving with cream cheese and crackers during the holidays.

I will also be making batches of dough and breads soon.

I bake gluten free, so preparing cookies in advance helps. It can be time consuming and a little frustrating if I am in a rush - so it helps to spread it out now.
 

ChristmasPir8

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I have started making some meals to freeze as we have an extra freezer but not according to the plan, It's something I was wanting to do any way. I do it more according to what I can. As for the baking I think I am giving mini bread loafs this year and have not started making any eary for that. For one reason I don't have the pan yet that makes mini loafs and I am leery of freezing to early that it won't taste right by Christmas. I am home during the day so I can take a few days and make a big mess baking batches of bread closer to the dates I want to give it. Ohh... just had an idea.... I usually make something every christmas to give to the ladies in my family on our big family Christmas day. While I am never sure how much they appreciate some of them this year they may all be getting bread. I was going to make (attempting for the 2nd year) spider ornaments w/ the poem of it's origon. I just can't make them right. So bread and if I can whip them out knit dishcloth.
 

Kim Loves Snow

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I'm doing a bit of freeze ahead things like spaghetti sauce. Not sure if it will make it until December though! I think when the weather gets cooler I'll do some big batches of different soup and I'll freeze some of that as well.

As for goodies, I will make chocolate chip cookie dough in November and freeze that. I don't like it in the freezer much longer than that. The rest of the stuff I'll just make in December as I need it.
 

Ahorsesoul

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I do not entertain during the Holidays except for family so I do not freeze cookie dough or baked goodies. I'll take this time as a trial for new recipes.

I've already checked on baking supplies that I may need. Remember to check the expiration date on your Baking Soda and Baking Powder. And how much extracts you have in the bottles. I've started a batch of Kahlua but I think I'll need another few batches this year.

I do have a ton of frozen blueberries for jelly. Going to be gifts for my dh office. So I'll be looking for a recipe. Something a little different than just plain blueberry jelly. Once that is made it will clear out space in the freezer. I'll also fill some plastic bottles with water to drop in the freezer to fill up the empty space to save energy until I buy a turkey and prime rib. I'll be looking for sales on the prime rib.

I do make double meals when I cook. I do this year around so it's a habit, not something new.

Cleaning up the entry area is on my list. I have a Christmas cactus to hide in the closet for the next two months.
 

luludou

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I'm trying to EMPTY the freezer before getting it full again. I freeze lots of things (spaghetti sauce, pre-cooked bacon, cooked ground me & onions, cooked & sliced italian sausages, etc...).

For sweets I plan to do 4 or 5 things only & I do freeze them ahead of time (fudge, sucre à la crème, thumbprint cookies and 2 more to be determined). I'll probably do those at the beginning of november.
 

Colleen in PA

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I make a few doughs to freeze ahead, but I usually just have a huge baking marathon around the second weekend of December. I didn't get to it last year, though, so I'm thinking I may try to freeze more ahead of time. I would love to have a Cookie exchange party, but so far my neighbors and friends aren't biting (no pun intended!)
 

Winged One

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I don't necessarily do them either. Some weeks I might (like mixing the dried fruit and liquids to make mince meat next week), or making a log roll of cookie dough to just slice off when I want to cook a few. But that is usually making a double batch when I want some anyway. I don't make a lot of HM goodies for Christmas - I have some jams already made this summer, and i hope to make chutnies soon, but otherwise, we'll see if I have time towards Christmas.

As for the meals, I tend to make a double batch of a dinner on Sunday afternoon, every week almost year round. I have one for dinner on Monday, and freeze the second batch. I rotate these to use later in the weeks, for a night when work is bananas. Towards Christmas, I try to have a few spares in the freezer to pull out in the morning to defrost and reheat that evening.

At the moment, I am also trying to empty the freezer. So I am not yet at the refulling stage. It can be handy to have some spares, but I don't tend to make special effiorts to do it, just try to not use up what I have put away for a few weeks.
 

hollybow

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I´m also trying to clear out the freezer... extra space round the holiday may come in handy..
but as many of you I don´t freeze dough in advance..
 

snickerdoodle

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I don't make specific freezer meals either. When I make chili or spaghetti sauce I usually make extra and freeze it though. I also made a turkey about a week ago (made the house smell so good!) and over half is in the freezer. It probably won't last until Dec. I am going to start on my cookie dough this weekend, probably Chocolate chip. I just form it into "buttons" and freeze it. So easy to bake when I'm ready.
 

angelpugs

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been baking some goodies as we also have them at thanksgiving i do sugar cookies,butter cookies,spice cookies and breads like cranberry,pumpkin and an apple bread along with some pies.some cookie dough i'll freeze and use in about two weeks as i bake for other people as well.:thanksgiving::happyturkeyday:
 

MinnieCo

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I'm making breads this year, instead of cookies. Something I decided on way earlier in the year. So I started early this month making pumpkin bread for everyone. I think I made 6 big loaves and 25 mini loaves. I basically left the basic ingredients on the cabinet and when I had time open during the evening, I'd pop a patch of bread in. 5 at a time. It worked really well and people look forward to my pumpkin bread. I'm doing the same thing in December with Lemon Poppy Seed bread. I think people will love that recipe just as much. For me, making the breads instead of cookies over and over again just works better. Especially this year. I'm trying to keep things as minimal as possible this year.
 

sierra_mtns

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Instead of making the goodies to go in the freezer (we currently have limited space also), I've been making mixes that will store in the cupboard and be handy for quick meals. All purpose baking mix, cornmeal all purpose mix, cookie mix, brownie mix, hot cocoa mix, soup mixes, brown gravy mix, etc.

So each week I make a mix and then half the battle is done when I need to make cookies or brownies, or bake something.
 

Ahorsesoul

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Excellent idea sierra_mtns.
 

Saquilla

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YAY! My thread made a comeback! :)

Well... this year I thought I'd try making cookies ahead and freezing them. It lasted one week and it was sugar cookies with a little ground clove through them. Unfortunately they were delicious, so they never ended up getting frozen LOL!

I will definately be making them again closer to Christmas though. Most likely for the "card writing party" I'm having in November with my mum and sister :)
 

AuntJamelle

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I have swung into a "feeding the freezer" frenzy over the last two days and it looks to continue through this week! lol :)

On Saturday I made a batch of Pioneer Woman Stuffed Mushrooms:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/stuffed-mushrooms-baby/

Got a great deal on mushrooms at Meijer last week - $1 per 8 oz box with some other specials thrown in the mix so they were really a little less than that. So when life gives me cheap mushrooms - and we are approaching the holidays - I make PW Stuffed Mushrooms for the freezer!!!

I plan on making a second batch either tonight or maybe tomorrow.

I've also been working on freezer meals/meal components. A boat load of pre-cooked, shredded chicken, several cups of Chicken Broth, 2 Sesame Chicken Meals, a trial batch of Chicken Parmesan Burgers (new recipe) and a dbl batch of Black & White Pepperjack Chicken Chili. Yum!

Tonight I'll be making Green Chile Chicken Casseroles - 2 to freeze and one for our dinner!

I also have ingredients in the house to get some twice baked potatoes in the freezer. Both the "regular" kind and a sweet potato version that uses Ricotta Cheese and Parmesan - dbl yum!

And somewhere in all of this fun I have several bags of apples to use up via canning and other recipes.

I'm going to be living in the kitchen for a while - when I'm not at work or doing laundry or taking care of DS that is. Yipe!

Somethings gotta give in all this! I'm betting its HGP Kitchen Week - lol