So the holiday hussel and bussel are here. I love this time of year. While you won’t see me hitting the malls anytime soon (with two little boys, are you CRAZY), it gives me an excuse to bake, bake, and bake some more. Cookies, pies, hearty breakfasts and more get me motivated to stay in the kitchen all day.
Unfortunately, I have other life responsibilities that force me out of the kitchen. This makes my merry time small and it has to be managed well. So here are a few of my simple tricks to make kitchen time simple and delicious.
Make sure you have a well stocked freezer and pantry. This is simple if you have Zweber Farms meats. We have chicken and ground beef for sale right now. Our hens are now laying about 20 eggs a day. If you need eggs, we got them. Also, make sure to stock up on Organic Valley cheeses, milk, butter and egg nog. We have a stock of OV cheese and butter at the farm for sale. You can also let us know if you would like us to order something you cannot find in your local store. Organic Valley is also running a contest where you can win a gift basket of Simply Organic and Organic Valley items on their Facebook page.
Make a plan. I make a list of all the cookies and baked goodies I want to make during the season. I also make a note if I will need any of them for a special event. Make sure to have your family give input too. Until a few years ago I didn’t know Tim LOVED spritz cookies and was sad when I didn’t make them. Now they are on my list.
Organize your recipes. There are a lot of good holiday recipes out there, but unless you know them by heart or look them up, you will probably be missing one or two key ingredients. Check out the Organic Valley and Simple Organics holiday recipe website. Also check out the Midwest Dairy website for good dairy recipes.
Make it a family affair. Yes, working in the kitchen with a three year old and a two year old can get quite interesting, but that is the whole point of the season. Many of the goodies we make, we do not share (too many licked fingers). Talking about measuring, counting, and just plain old silliness is a great way to connect with my children and enjoy the holiday season.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. So what if something gets burnt or if you don’t have time to make everything on your list. This season is not about checking things off your list, it is about enjoying time with friends and family, making memories and remembering Christmas is about Jesus’ birthday, not consumerism. So slow down, do what you can and don’t sweat the small stuff.
All of us at Zweber Farms wish you the merriest of all seasons! We hope that we can help you make it a little brighter by providing you with delicious dairy and meat products.
Emily
Zweber Farms is a 4th generation family operated organic dairy. We are proud Organic Valley farmer members and sell our milk under that label. We also specialize in sustainably raised beef, pork and chicken and sell it directly to customers in Minnesota.Visit our website to learn more, www.zweberfarms.com
