I want to enjoy the holidays with my family, not spend them in the kitchen removed from the fun while slaving over a feast, I’ll be too tired to enjoy.
Okay so that’s my excuse. Truth be told – I am a terrible cook. But, that doesn’t mean I can never host a holiday feast at my house. For Christmas dinner, my favorite is a whole meal boxed and ready for pickup at the Calgary Westin hotel. It takes all the pressure out of the holidays and means there’s no need for anyone to spend the day preparing and cooking a meal.
Now that I’ve locked myself into a pattern with the Westin, it’s so easy; they just send me an email with their menu in November (they have packages for different sizes of meal featuring traditional holiday favorites, with options to add a la carte items like Brussels Sprouts with Wild Boar Bacon that help you make the meal your own), I click to order and don’t think about it again until the day I pick it up. Sound good to you?
Here’s a few of my rental tips to making an over-the-top meal with the least amount of stress:
1. Find a great place near you that provides a whole meal prepared and ready for pick-up. Start your research early so you have plenty of time to make a decision. Hotels or high-end grocery stores are a great bet.
2. Since you’re not used to having 10+ people for dinner, tables and chairs are in need. Rent these from party supply stores. Make sure the chairs are comfortable or your guests will be leaving before dessert.
3. Who has time to decorate the house? You can rent table cloths, dishes, cutlery, napkins, centerpieces a whole Martha Stewart inspired holiday from catering companies. And while you are ordering away, see how much they are to bring the dinner too!
4. House cleaning services for before and after the event. This will take a lot of stress off you, so don’t try to be a hero and just rent a cleaner….at least before the event.
5. Rent a chef. This isn’t easy on holidays, I have tried numerous times. But, if you are lucky enough to find someone, book them immediately, they will be the best rental ever!
Voila – the perfect, stress free holiday experience!