Festive Coastal Christmas Entertaining!

Blue Crab Stoneware

cover setting a festive holiday table and some additional ideas for coastal Christmas entertaining. 

Source: HGTV - Create a Coastal-Chic Holiday Table

We’re sharing our tips for a relaxing Christmas in your house by the shore!

Gifts

 Decor

 Menus

1. Plan all meals for each day in advance.  Even snacks – everyone is always hungry on vacation.  List out each day and the complete menu for each meal.  This is important so that when you make your grocery list from your menu you don’t forget something and face multiple trips to the store.
2. Create a notebook to take with you.  Include your gift list, your
   
   packing list for gifts and clothing and your menus. Include the recipes you need for each meal (place them in date order – makes it so easy to find) and your shopping lists.  This is your command central and the true secret to stress-free holidays whether at home or traveling!
3. Consider any specialty cooking tools or food items you need to prepare your menus.  Rentals often have limited cookware and there won’t be your spice cupboard or pantry.  If it is special, take it with you.  Don’t rely on the rental to have a bundt cake pan or the grocery store to have that specialty item.
4. Create detailed grocery lists and add them to your notebook.  Look at each day’s menu and list out the ingredients you need to prepare all the meals.  It is extremely helpful to create this list twice.  The first time, we just jot it all down and note quantities.  Then we go back and put it in order – fresh produce, canned goods, breads, dairy, meats and frozen foods.  As we put in order we double check quantities.  This may seem like it takes a lot of time but it saves so much time in the busy grocery store once you’re there and avoids the risk of forgetting something and making multiple trips to the store.  Be sure to collect your coupons for your groceries and place them in your notebook – you’ll appreciate that when you’re checking out with a week’s worth of groceries!
5. Spices – we pack them and take them.  It doesn’t make sense to buy them at the grocery store.  A small cardboard box or plastic container will hold lots of them.  Look at your recipes and menus and make a list. 
6. Take your first night’s meal, snacks and drinks and breakfast for the first morning.  We’ve learned the hard way that sometimes you get a late start, run into traffic nightmares or get lost and you’re exhausted and starving upon arrival.  We prepare a casserole and freeze it for these first meals (recipes follow).  They travel well in the cooler and we don’t have to face the grocery store until after breakfast the first morning.  Don’t forget to include a bottle of wine or adult beverages to enjoy night 1!
7.  Take the time to jot down on your recipes what was good,
   
   what you would change and what didn’t work.  You’ll appreciate it the next time.
8. Have beach bucket – will travel!  We keep one packed and ready to go all the time.  It is full of those items that you will need and tend to be pricey at the beach.  It is a lifesaver and makes life a little easier there.  We have a plastic container and this is what it includes:

Recipes