Welcome! This is Your Blog 

Making entertaining simple and stress free is probably one of my favorite subjects, and something we talk about from time to time at Silver Dollar City's Culinary & Craft School.  Moms get ready, I'm going to give you my top 10 tips to make holiday entertaining a breeze!

10. Prioritize! Keep lists going each week to keep you on target. 

9. Entertain after dark in the event you don't have time to dust. Or even better, set aside some money to have someone clean your house for you before your party.

8. Address holiday cards in front of the TV while watching a show with your children.

7. Plan the dish that you will serve each recipe in, prior to the day of the event. 

6. Keep plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables on hand.

5. Make a cranberry relish that can be canned and serve it instead of a cranberry salad.  (I just did this myself.)

4. Use the crock-pot for things you never thought possible - such as meatloaf, macaroni, warm strudels and cobblers.

3.  Run the dishwasher on the rinse cycle, empty, and then set the turkey inside after removing it from the oven.  This will keep it warm for a good hour or more.

2.  Purchase a roaster at Wal-Mart for $35 and finally free up your oven space for the casserole dishes.

1.  Make meals ahead of time and put them in the freezer or refrigerator for the holidays.  Here's a recipe for mashed potatoes that will hold for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes
By Sharon Short

5 pounds White Potatoes
8 ounces Sour Cream
8 ounce package Cream Cheese
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Butter

Peel potatoes; boil and mash.  Add sour cream and cream cheese.  Add seasoning salt to taste.  Place in a 9 x 13 pan, dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees until heated throughout.  These will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

My friend, Sharon Short, has been one of the most wonderful mentors to me!  After learning all the fundamentals of cooking from my mother, Betty, I left Northeast Missouri and moved to Platte County, Missouri.  It was here that I met Sharon.  As a Kindergarten teacher, she was one of the best, dedicated to her students, always going over and beyond as a teacher.  She is also very talented as a decorator and cook.  Sharon grew up on her father's Nebraska farm.  After losing her mother at a young age she became the cook for the family.  Preparing food for large groups was nothing new for Sharon; she grew up cooking for farm hands.  Through the years Sharon has shared her knowledge for food preparation with me.  I've learned, and I've grown from her friendship and experience.  Thank you Sharon!