As you know, I’ve been talking a lot about cooking for the holidays.  We tend to take our feasting seriously as we celebrate our traditional holiday seasons.  Cooking up a storm can take a toll on the chef of the house.  There is a great deal of planning and preparation which often leaves us too weary to give ourselves a much needed break.  That’s too bad because we need to enjoy the holidays as much as the people we are feeding.

How about cooking up a little something for yourself this week?  As you go through your recipes for your holiday meals, why not sneak a recipe or two in for some personal indulgences?  I’ve got a few favorites that I’d like to share right here:

Milk Lotion

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup dried chamomile (can use pure chamomile tea)
• 4 Tablespoons honey
• 6 to 8 teaspoons wheat germ

Pour milk into double boiler over low heat.  Add chamomile, cover, and allow to simmer slowly over low heat for 2 hours.  Pour through a strainer to remove any remaining dried chamomile.  Add wheat germ and honey to liquid, and mix well.  Use as a soothing, moisturizing, lotion over dry skin. Lotion stays fresh in the refrigerator for one week.  It feels good when it’s cool, too.

Oatmeal Body Scrub

• 2 Tablespoons rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons aloe vera  (substitute honey if you can’t get aloe vera)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Put rolled oats in blender and blend into a very fine powder. Place oats in small mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Once mixed, add aloe vera and stir into a paste being sure there are no lumps. Dampen the skin you will be applying paste to and massage paste onto skin. Rinse with warm water.  Feels especially good on dry legs, knees, and elbows.  This scrub does not keep well so only make what you’ll be using. Double the recipe to use over more of your body.

There are many little potions and lotions that you can create in your own kitchen.  Click here to find even more delightful luxuries.  Then, take a little time out of your cooking and whip up a batch of pampering potions just for you!  Enjoy your day!

A few months ago I started sorting my recipes.  Not only was I sorting them, but I began to put them into old photo albums that I found at the thrift stores.  You can read the thought process I used to create this system of tidying up recipes by clicking right here.

This was going quite well, although I must admit it is a work in progress.  There is no way I can sit down at one time and organize all my recipes.  It was, and is, a massive project.

Then the holidays started sneaking up on me and I began, once again, to dig through both my organized and my loose recipes.  That’s when I realized that my project of tidying up my recipes was a bit flawed in some ways.  Although I designed a page in the photo albums for my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, I realized I should have started an entire picture album for holiday recipes.

So, this is my project for today and probably tomorrow, and maybe even next week, too.  I’ll be creating one picture album for just those recipes that I will be cooking over the coming holidays.

There are two reasons to do this:  1) The recipes are all in one place, where I know I can get them every year; and 2) When it’s time to pass on my family recipes, I can do so by handing over a whole book.

Don’t forget to ask for the recipes for dishes that are traditionally brought to your dinner by members of your family.  Most folks will be likely to share their recipe when they know it will appear in your “Holiday Cookbook.”

Now is the perfect time to get your own personal Holiday Cookbook together since you’re already piling up your recipes.  A quick trip to your family dollar store or thrift store should get you at least one or two of those sticky pages style of photo album, or even some of the plastic sleeve style.  Either way, you’ll find a few of the old style photo albums to your liking at reasonable prices now since the craze for photo albums is scrapbooking with acid free paper.

This time next year, I will not have to dig in my box of recipes or page through my recipe books in search of those holiday dishes.  Instead, I will reach for my very own personal Holiday Cookbook and be all ready to get cooking!  Hope you get your recipes organized and enjoy a pleasant holiday cooking season!

p.s.  Once the holidays are past, you’ll probably get the urge to get things ready for Spring.  With just a few Spring Cleaning Tips For Mom you’ll be all set to tackle the winter dust and dirt when Spring fever takes hold!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I seem to be focused on cooking.  I’m gathering my favorite recipes and looking for some new ones that could become family favorites.  One of the challenges for many families, especially this year, is creating a feast on a limited budget.  Even though turkey prices are usually reasonable, like most families, I’m looking at a variety of side dishes to round out the table and fill up our tummies.

Last week I talked about making dishes that are more creative for your guests who are vegetarian.  If you’d like to read about serving beautiful meatless main dishes, click here.

The same theory applies to the side dishes served with a turkey as the centerpiece of your meal.  Just because you’re looking for frugal dishes to make doesn’t mean those dishes have to be sparse looking or tasting.

What are some of the classic side dishes you enjoy at Thanksgiving time?  If the famous Green Bean Casserole is on your menu, you’re in luck.  There are many variations to this dish that will spruce it up a bit, making it more of a centerpiece in the meal.  Add extra crunch with water chestnuts or almonds.  Spice it up a little more with a dash of soy sauce.  You could stretch this classic dish out a little further by adding flavored croutons to give it more of a casserole appearance and texture and less of a green bean side dish.  Think of your Green Bean Casserole as more than a side dish – think of it as a guest of honor on your table.

Don’t forget to make extra stuffing when you stuff the bird.  A bit of extra stuffing cooked in a casserole dish adds a lot more mileage to your feast.  Kids especially will love filling up on this inexpensive side dish.  Pass some more gravy and you’ve got another full plate, and full tummy!

And, what about those mashed potatoes?  They’re yummy with just a bit of gravy, true, but you could turn them into a glorious creamy casserole instead.  By whipping in some sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, half-and-half, some chives, or whatever else you can think of.  Your once plain ol’ mashed potatoes are now ready for their close-up!  These potatoes take center stage on any holiday table when topped off with a little butter and a sprinkle of paprika.

Serving dinner rolls to help stretch your food budget is smart, but putting cranberry muffins or pumpkin muffins on your table is even better.  I know many people who will pass up a regular dinner roll but will help themselves to a couple flavorful muffins when they are passed around the table.  Muffins are easy and inexpensive to make and will stretch your food budget without anyone noticing – or caring!

Pumpkin pie is a classic, but you really can’t stretch it very far.  If your dinner guests are dessert fanatics, try a pumpkin cake in addition to your pumpkin pie.  You can serve quite a few people with one cake, stretching that food budget even further.

When you plan your Thanksgiving or other holiday meal, keep in mind that you can stretch your budget by serving side dishes that are economical, but more importantly, that are a feast for the eye and the tummy!  If your guests can’t resist helping themselves to more of your side dishes, you will accomplish what you set out to do – serve a glorious and plentiful meal at an affordable cost.  And that’s something to be thankful for!

p.s.  If you are looking for a recipe for a perfectly roasted turkey click here.

p.p.s.  You may want to review a whole list of recipes to find even more side dishes to stretch your holiday food budget.  Just click here for some tasty holiday recipes that could become your new family favorites.