Holiday Menu Planning on a Budget
The Christmas Season is upon us, and with it comes some of my favorite things. I love the lights, looking through all our ornaments and talking about which of my kids made them, my nativity set, the music and movies, and the food. I absolutely love all the baking and cooking that comes with this time of year. However, it can also be stressful when planning meals and sweet treats and how to work the added expense into the budget. I have a few helpful tips to keep the stress out of the kitchen and the joy in your season.
Sweet treats make sweet gifts.
Making Christmas candy and cookies has long been one of my favorite traditions, and it was started by my mom. We spend the day making several different things to snack on and some to share. When my kids help with the fun, some of our recipes have been made for five generations in my family! Some of our family favorites are snowman poop (Oreo balls), reindeer poop (peanut butter balls), shortbread cookies, dipped pretzels, peanut butter fudge, and peanut clusters. While some of these may take several ingredients, the only one that I recommend getting the brand name of is the Oreos. Everything else, like the peanut butter, almond bark, peanuts, and pretzels using store brands, is just as tasty.
Most of these require being dipped in almond bark, so we sometimes mix half white chocolate and half milk chocolate almond bark to balance the flavor. First, we mix the snowman poop and reindeer poop ingredients and rolled into balls, and then we stick them in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour so they are firm enough to dip. Since the snowman poop is just dipped in white chocolate, we melt it first and use that same white chocolate for some of the pretzels. We then combine the remaining white chocolate with some melted milk chocolate and dip the reindeer poop, more pretzels, and then peanut clusters. Peanut clusters are a delicious way to use any remaining melted chocolate, and I like to use salted peanuts for that yummy salty/sweet combo. Adding sprinkles is a fantastic way to dress up the pretzels or tops of the snowman poop. We like to package these up in cute little Christmas boxes from the dollar store, and they’re a perfect treat for neighbors and teachers. I also want to stick one in the mailbox for our mailman.
Get creative with your menu.
My family doesn’t always have a traditional Christmas dinner since Thanksgiving was just a short month ago, we have a more casual meal. We’ve done soups and salads, pasta dishes, BBQ, and my personal favorite, breakfast. My mother-in-law had a breakfast buffet last Christmas Eve with pancakes, waffles, fruit, biscuits and gravy, and omelets. Most of the ingredients for breakfast are pantry staples, which can be a cost saver. Buying the bacon and sausage during the store sale and then kept in the freezer can make breakfast a budget-friendly option for Christmas. The kids and our meat and potato-loving farmers all enjoy it. The stress of preparing a large, traditional dinner is replaced with more time spent with family making memories.
Prep before you hit the kitchen.
No matter what you choose to make for your Christmas dinner or sweet treats, there are some easy ways to make it less stressful and not break the bank.
- Plan a menu early and make a list of the ingredients.
- Shop the sale ads at your local grocery store.
- Make ahead what you can to save time.
Most of the candy I mentioned can be made a couple of weeks before Christmas and kept in the refrigerator or freezer. This helps if you have limited time closer to the actual holiday.
While there’s nothing wrong with a traditional meal and picture-perfect treats, remember that making memories and spending time together is more important than the stress of breaking your budget. For more tips on holiday budgeting, check out this article.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Webb is a Registered Nurse turned high school English teacher who loves to encourage other women to embrace the path they’ve been called to. She enjoys spending time with her family, chasing her kids to sporting events, being outdoors, and anything creative. She lives on a farm in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and dogs.
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