I cannot believe it’s coming up on Easter already. I feel like we just got through the holidays, because in my neck of the woods, we have had lots and lots and lots of snow! As a matter of fact, we are still expecting more snow tonight! I cry Uncle. With a little over a week left until Easter, I cannot imagine all the snow melting away. Hopefully, the Easter Bunny has white eggs because any colorful egg surely will be found easily!
Every year, there are a few Holidays that I host for my family: Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These are the big three in my family. I luck out for Christmas as I only provide the space. My sister does ALL of the cooking and schleps it to my house. But I do the cooking for Easter and Thanksgiving and this usually equates to 13 – 15 people. So, on top of working a FT job, making sure the house is extra clean, shopping for the big day, and prepping for the Easter dinner, I really need some shortcuts to help keep balance. This is where my prep sheets come in handy.
I have lists going back three years and they are my life saver. Just wait until I show all the ones I have for Thanksgiving! The process of writing everything down in a very particular way started many years ago. It was a way for me to be able to visualize all I needed to do, purchase, prep and time. Over the years, it has now become a plug and play system. I know which recipes I can rotate and which ones I need to keep making every year. You know those family favorites!
Easter Prep Sheet
Below are the subheadings I use:
- Guests
- I always include a total number of people
- This takes away from me having to remember one more thing and I wont have to keep counting
- Extras
- This is some of the items I need to do or to remember
- This may include something to buy or clean or even remembering someone’s allergies or special requests
- Appetizers
- Salad
- Main Meal
- Side Dishes
- Desserts
- Drinks
I also remember to include any dishes that someone is slated to bring. For example, my Dad is always in charge of bringing the salad because he makes a phenomenal salad- this is an art. Thus, once the plan is set, I make the shopping list according to the plan. I sit down with any recipes I may have and get to writing. I break each section up into a different color as shown in the picture above. Colorful Signo pens help me keep the different parts of my plan separated and allow me to focus on the various sections. Plus, they are very colorful!
This is what I do every year and it saves me a ton of time and worry. I know which dishes are the tried and true. The ones that I would NEVER remove off the menu for fear of a family revolt. And I also know the ones that can be changed out and revamped.
To help you get on track, I am including a free printable (based off of the way I like to plan) to help you get your Easter planning started. Remember to keep these filed year after year, this will help streamline your Easter planning.
Get your free printable here:
