Christmas menu planning

Every year we have the same menu for Christmas Day. We don't always have Christmas on the same day, but we have the same menu. Last year I got organised for this year.

I bought a small plastic sleeve photo album.


I printed out everything I need to get Christmas Day meals on the table:

• Menu

• Recipes - for everything, including the cut up vegetables for the dips

• Shopping list - one for each shop with like shops grouped on one page, so I can send different people in different directions

• List of dishes required for serving

 

• Cut up tags to put in each dish – this way I don't suddenly realise I need particular dish after it's got food in it

• Timetable for preparing the food

The idea behind the photo album is that it's small enough to take to the shops; I change information if I need to (I may one day find a better recipe for crepes or potato salad. I doubt it, but anything's possible); I can use a whiteboard marker to cross things off, then start again next year.

I printed everything on photo paper, because it's nice and sturdy. If I hand hubby a shopping list, I want to know I'm going to get it back in a decent state.