Between St. Patrick's Day, Purim, Easter, and Passover, lots of folks celebrate holidays in March and April. As such, there's a lot of entertaining happening, and now is the time to start thinking about those celebrations -- especially if you are hosting (see below)!
Not celebrating with family?
Have kids in college or parents/ kids who don't live nearby? Make them happy and show you are thinking of them by sending them holiday-specific treats or care packages.
If you want to cook or bake some goodies, or compile a bunch of store-bought treats, just ship them. My flourless chocolate cake recipe can be made into two-bite minis and ship really well simply by baking them in mini-muffin tins (butter the tin before adding the batter). Then freeze until ready to ship. They'll be just fine when they are delivered.
If you are baking cookies, a great way to minimize breakage is to use pringles containers.
Just make sure you wrap your care packages well and send enough for others in the house/ dorm.
If you are pulling together your own Easter Basket, click here for some filling ideas for kids 8+.
Don't have time, or just don't want to make your own goodies? No Problem; there are companies out there who specialize in holiday-specific gift boxes! One example I like is Just Because Sweets -- they personalize, have yummy treats, and are women-owned. If you use the code DISHES (as in, Donnarama Dishes), you'll receive 5% off your first order. [Want more 5% off deals? Use different email addresses when ordering]. Click on images below to get more information on these three holiday boxes.
If you're hosting:
Figure out your guest list, plan your menu and make your shopping list -- it's NEVER too soon to do this!
Get your space ready for your food and guests.
Start eating or cooking your way through what's in your fridge and freezer so you have space for things you buy and make ahead. Don't hesitate to prep and bake things in advance and freeze them; like:
Cookies, biscuits, breads -- many freeze very well. OR, prep them now and bake them later...
Proteins & sides -- Corned beef and brisket can be cooked ahead and reheated; lots of ingredients can be diced and frozen in advance for sauces, sides, and stews (I like to pre-weigh and dice salmon for a salmon gefilte fish I make, as well as chop and freeze onions which are the bases for so many of my holiday dishes).
Make sure the table is ready to be used (that is, clear off whatever lives on it when you don't have people over) and if people are staying over, figure out who goes where -- if you can't host everyone, give folks plenty of time to find someplace else to stay.
While it may be too soon to set the table, now's the time to figure out how you want your table to look/ what you'll be setting it with. If you need more plates or napkins, for example, now's the time to know that and get them. (That's what I'm doing this weekend).
If you make a list of serving vessels and utensils now, you'll thank yourself later. I know I can't be the only person who, without pre-planning, runs around trying to figure out what bowl to serve the peas in at the last minute!
Stock up on holiday-specific items which don't have expiration dates
If you're celebrating Easter, it's not too early to buy the Peeps and chocolate eggs.
For Passover, start stocking up on all things matzo. You do not want to be making something only to realize you can't find any more matzo meal! Also, marshmallow treats like these freeze very well.
If you're going to have appetizers (or a meal) with paper napkins, buy them now. Ditto for paper plates. Here are some ideas: