Christmas Dinner

Here are a few suggestions for some Christmas dinner tunes:

• A Charlie Brown Christmas, Vince Guaraldi Trio
• James Taylor at Christmas, James Taylor
• December, Chris Botti
• A Very Special Christmas, Various Artists (several volumes to choose from)
• Christmas with Dino, Dean Martin
• Let it Snow!, Michael Buble

• Read the recipes' directions thoroughly beforehand so you don't get surprised by anything mid-cooking.
• Maximize your time by making a list of what you need to do, in the order it needs to be done. 
• Wash, chop, and measure (i.e. dry spices, etc.) as much as you can the morning of your dinner to make preparation easier. 
• Aside from a salad to toss, or rolls to warm, shoot to have the cooking finished by the time guests arrive, so you're available to meet and greet. Though you might want to time it so the main dish is still baking for 30 minutes to an hour into your evening--gives you some mingling time before everyone takes a seat at the table.

Here are a few simple things you can do to add a little holiday atmosphere:

• Stuff in a bowl: floating candles, Christmas ball ornaments, red and green apples, or cranberries.
• Mistletoe: go ahead, just try to think about mistletoe and not smile--we dare you. Hang it near the entryway and tie a red bow just above the leaves.
• White lights: string some in a doorway or around a window or two--then cut most of the lights and let your Christmas bulbs cast a twinkling glow.
• Christmas wreath: yes, they typically hang on your door, but why not get creative? Place one on the table as a centerpiece, hang in a window, or use red bows to hang smaller wreaths off the backs of dining room chairs.
• Red Ribbon: tie around sets of silverware, napkins, door handles, etc. to add a little color.