Here at HandStands we’ll be cheering on our favorite chef, Todd Leonard, competes this Saturday for the Western Region Chef of the Year.

For the record, he probably won’t be boning his chicken with a Keuken ceramic knife since: a) the knives aren’t recommended for boning chicken and b) he still prefers his mega-dollar professional knives over the Keuken, especially with a high-pressure contest on the line. But he does endorse the ceramic knives as a great alternative to spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for professional knives.

“I asked myself if I would recommended this for my mother, and decided that yes, I definitely would.”

In addition to endorsing Keuken knives and cooking world-class meals, Chef Todd is a most definite cutie-pie (rosy cheeks and all).

If you don’t struggle with holiday weight gain, you’re in the minority—and possibly secretly hated by many. That’s a problem I’m not qualified to address. For the rest of us, it’s a safe guess to say that the past month has been a daily struggle of choosing which of the many delicacies presented to us should be indulged in, and which we should pass up.
Unfortunately, this week is possibly the hardest of all: many of those Christmas goodies are still sitting around taunting us; we still have New Year’s festivities to look forward to; and our grand resolutions of healthy eating won’t begin for another week. Why not live it up? We’ve got an entire week before our self-enforced deprivation begins!
Well, for one thing, the more weight we pile on, the harder it will be to take it off. And face it, we’ve got enough of a challenge as it is. Following are some tips to keep you from tipping the scale even more this week.

1. Remember that aging food doesn’t lose calories the way it loses nutrients and flavor. It would be nice if that stale old sweet roll or dried out brownie sitting on the counter was lacking in calories as much as it is in taste, but it doesn’t work that way. Ask yourself before picking up that once-delicious goody if it’s still worth the full impact of calories. Chances are it will be easier to walk away.

2. Select special days for splurging. We’ve been conditioned to believe that feeling deprived will ruin our holidays. And to a large measure that could be true. But you don’t have to splurge non-stop in order to feel Christmas cheer. Select a few days—in this case possibly just New Year’s Eve—as your holiday. Treat the rest of the days like any other, with the exception of maybe one goodie per day.

3. Cut back on regular foods in order to indulge on the luscious ones. In a perfect world, we’d just eat a diet of healthy foods. But living in the real world, we know that’s not going to happen, especially during the holidays. So if you know you’re going to eat a piece of cheese cake with dinner, trade it for half a sandwich at lunch, or half your entrée at dinner. Sure, nutrition-wise we’re better off with a full healthy sandwich and no cheesecake, but in the end your body doesn’t care where the calories come from. So cut back overall if you know you’re doing to indulge in low-nutrient high-fat foods.

4. Watch the grazing. Do you find it hard to resist that plate of fudge, the box or chocolate or candy dish? Join the club. It’s those extra little bites that can send a regular diet over the edge. Pick a snack that you consider a treat, but will keep your mouth filled with some healthy: pistachio nuts, cashews, a vegetable platter with a cheese ball or dip are healthy diversions from the goodies surrounding us.

5. Finally, don’t plan a big-grand once-in-a-lifetime diet for the New Year.The suspense will only make it easier to come up with excuses to indulge this week. And it has been proven time and again that the most successful diets are common sense changes of healthy eating combined with exercise that you can stick with for the long-term—even next year’s holiday season.

Enjoy the season without weight gain or dieting.

There’s nothing like an advent calendar—joyfully updated by young children—to add stress to the parents of those little tots. The calendar at my house has the number 3 on it. Yikes. As in just 3 days to Christmas! And there are sooo many things that haven’t been done: card in the mail? Nope. Gifts for the neighbors? Uh uh. Gift for the boss? Nada.

So what’s a person to do when the holiday is almost here and you’re not prepared?
First and very foremost—relax. Christmas will come whether you have every bit of mistletoe in its place or not, and the only thing that will truly ruin it is if the Grinch moves into your house.

I know this because he was there this morning. In the form of me. And it was not pretty. I was making that list, checking it twice, and it was much too long. There was just too much to do in three days time and I was not going to make it. So when my little one approached me with two cheap snow globes in his hand and a broad grin on his face, I told him to throw them away. “I’m done decorating and those are just cheap and ugly.”

Ho, Ho, Ho.

Yep, that little smile disappeared in an instant. “My teacher gave me this one,” he said, deflated. And that’s when it hit me. I am not Santa. Or even Santa’s helper. I am Grinch, green and true. And that’s also when I started to put together this list.

Which leads to tip number two: Prioritize. There are some things that just have to get done, but lots of it will pass without the world collapsing. Figure out which is which. The boss probably should get a gift if you want a job next year, but it can be as simple as a note of gratitude. If cards haven’t been mailed, send an email with a promise to do better next year; or make it a New Year’s greeting. Send out a text to the neighbors and tell them much you appreciate them. They’ll remember that even more than a plate of cookies. It’s amazing how many things can get crossed off your list, or at least made simpler, when you prioritize and use a little creativity.

Tip number three: Take a look at the budget. It probably won’t be pretty, and that ‘ol Grinch may flare up for a minute or two, but the last few days before Christmas are when budgets are truly blown. If you’ve been good with your credit cards, don’t mess up now. If you have dug into your credit, keep the hole as shallow as possible. It may be hard to pass up those big last-minute deals, but your bank account will thank you next month.
Tip number four: Do some service. Whether it’s making a donation, visiting someone lonely, or even spending an extra few minutes with your children; doing something good for someone else is the best way to remember the purpose of the season and bring a smile to your face.

Tip number five is akin to tip number one, but it can’t be said enough: RELAX! Follow these directions carefully: Build a fire (or flip on the gas switch next to the fireplace); light a scented candle or put some mulling spices into a pot of apple cider; make yourself a warm drink; sit down; put your feet up; inhale as deeply as you can; and then exhale, long and slow, and send any Grinch thoughts away with that breath.

Preparing your Thanksgiving dinner takes a lot of planning. It can be stressful, to say the least! How can you make your dinner successful, especially when you have a large group? By laying out a planning strategy that works, of course. Let’s look at some ideas and tips for planning your holiday meal:

10 Days Before Thanksgiving:

About 10 days prior to Thanksgiving, or at least one week, get your list together of folks who are invited and contact anyone you haven’t spoken to as yet. This will give you plenty of time to prepare for the amount of food and seating. Be sure to jot down next to your guest list names any special food needs or dishes that anyone is bringing to the meal.

Now that you have your guest list you can figure out the size of the turkey. You’ll want about one to one and a half pounds of turkey for each person; more if you want leftover turkey. You may want to buy a fresh turkey, so check with your market now for availability. Or, you may want a frozen turkey, a smoked turkey, or even a deep fried turkey. Now is the time to make that decision.

Deciding upon your final menu should be completed at least a week before the big day. Consider the number of people you will be entertaining and if you have children on your guest list, try to plan a couple of special dishes or treats especially for them.

Week of Thanksgiving:

The week of Thanksgiving is the time to stock up on necessary items from the grocery store. You can make certain items in advance such as bread or rolls, and freeze them until Thanksgiving morning. Also make sure you have supplies such a napkins, cups, etc.

The Countdown To Thanksgiving Day:

Two or three days before Thanksgiving is the time to get some items prepared so they are ready and waiting for you on Thanksgiving day.

Foods that can be prepared in advance are things like cranberry relish. You can also clean and dice the vegetables you need for your stuffing, like onions and celery. If you are preparing a vegetable tray for an appetizer, wash and trim those vegetables as well. Store everything in tightly sealed plastic zip lock bags or containers. Some side dishes may be prepared the night before Thanksgiving. Some folks prepare their stuffing and store it overnight so it is ready to go in the morning. It’s also time to make your pies and cakes. If you have frozen rolls or side dishes that need to thaw, get them out the night before.

Make sure you have everything on your shopping list in your kitchen at least 2-3 days before Thanksgiving morning.

Get out your games, decorations, and special serving pieces for Thanksgiving. If you have kids, be sure to involve them in the game planning at the very least. If they are old enough, be sure they are included in decorating the house and table. Now is the time to get out your special table linens and wash and iron them if necessary.

Thawing your frozen turkey correctly is very important. Three days before Thanksgiving morning should be sufficient when you thaw your turkey in the refrigerator. Be sure to following the thawing instructions on the bird itself.

Thanksgiving Morning Is Here:

Thanksgiving morning is here. You have prepared as many dishes as you could ahead of time. Start arranging the cooking time for those dishes, beginning with the turkey. Stuff your bird, place it in your roasting pan, and figure out the timing using a cooking table found on the packaging. Prepare the side dishes and desserts that you were not able to prepare ahead of time – peel potatoes, cut sweet potatoes, etc.

Now, set the table, sit back, and relax for a few minutes before the guests arrive. Congratulations! You have successfully planned and carried out your Thanksgiving dinner! Less stress and more time to enjoy your Thanksgiving celebration.

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