Cooking for holidays made easy :)

A few months ago I started cooking for this family, as their health coach&personal chef...I was overwhelmed by the work! I would make a menu of amazing meals and then I'd get there with all the groceries and my hands would start trembling because they didn't know where to start from. My mind would look at the clock and stress over each moment that went by, thinking how will i ever get it all done??? 

One day I sat down and thought…ok when I teach a yoga class I make a plan and the plan is divided up into sections: warm up, sun salutations, standing, seated, arm balances, backbends, inversions, finishing. So I tried to apply that to cooking, and this is what came out…

Ps...I swear it makes the whole experience totally different! Instead of dragging my cooking time, I look forward to it, its become my personal space for creativity and meditation!

Making a plan a few days before and getting it done makes things a lot easier, stress free&smoother :)

Here we go:

1) Make a plan:

• make a draft of your menu
• list ingredients needed per plate

2) Make a list:

• Shopping list with all ingredients&quantities 

3) Make space:

• clear out your fridge
• Organize fridge in sections for each plate
• Divide up the ingredients in separate bowls for each different plate

4) Make it a family adventure:

• Reach out for support: what could you use some help with?
• How can you get everyone involved?
• set up station (examples): a cleaning station, a cutting station, a cooking station, an embellishing station, a cleaning up station

5) Make priorities:

• Jot down all your plates in order of preparation time
• Start with long cooking time foods, (example): oven baked stuff doesn't need your attention, while that is cooking you can do the rest!

• Begin with most complicated or plates that need resting time, and leave easiest to the end (this may seem obvious but I tend to forget!)

THINK OF COOKING PROCESS AS A WHOLE AND BREAK DOWN INTO STEPS

6) Make art on the plate:

-Get creative!

Remember that nothing is perfect, its the love and mindfulness that you put into the process that counts!

Get dirty…use your hands…put some music on and have the whole family prepare.

Be thankful together, because thats what counts…dance!