Easter Dinner Tips

Holiday entertaining is never easy, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. If you’re hosting your family’s Easter celebration this year and want it to be a joyous, instead of stressful occasion, read on for some tips on making things run smoothly to ensure everyone, including you, has a good time.

First, and foremost, the most successful celebrations are those that are planned in advance. Remember, everything will take longer than you think it will, and you don’t really want to be going to the grocery store at the last minute to find that they’re out of what you need do you? Do yourself a favor. Start planning now.

Be realistic. If you’ve never cooked a big family dinner before, enlist in help on the big day. Don’t plan on making a bunch of dishes that you’ve never made before or you’ll likely be disappointed. Instead, make things that you know you can do well and that you know will turn out, even if they’re not necessarily Easter themed. You’ll be better off.

When planning your menu, think about spring foods. Fresh vegetables, spring fruits, and light meals go better with the holiday than heavier winter dishes.

Will you have a lot of children at your celebration? To avoid meltdowns and chaos, plan for them. Have some activities (Easter egg hunts, coloring books, games, etc.) planned so that they don’t immediately get bored and throw a fit, stressing everyone out and ruining your holiday.

For easy decorating, keep things simple. Candles, plastic eggs and baskets of Easter candy are nice. If you want to go all out but don’t want to spend a fortune, check into discount stores and dollar stores for bargain pricing on Easter decorations.

Plan your guest list now, and don’t delay in letting everyone know you’re hosting.

Not sure you want to host? Look into Easter buffets in your area. Many restaurants host fabulous buffets that in the end don’t cost much more than hosting, and are a lot less hassle.

Are you hosting this year? What are you serving? Do you have tips to make the holidays easier?