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| Christmas Carnivals » Christmas Decorations » Christmas Cake Decorations |
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Christmas Cake Decorations |
With all the baking and cooking that comes with the holidays, the last thing you want to be worrying about is the theme for your Christmas cake decoration. Depending on how much you enjoy giving sweets, the number of hours required to prepare and clean your kitchen – let alone the actual time you have to spend with items in the oven – adds up fast. When there are presents to wrap and other parts of the meal to shop for, it is easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of your festive spirit. As the big day nears, here are a few things to keep in mind that will have you on an even keel:
Get Organized in Advance
To be plain, waiting until after Thanksgiving to begin making your plans for Christmas might mean you are creating unnecessary pressure. As office parties and family gatherings begin to crowd your already-tight shopping schedule, you will end up rushing around like a chicken with your head cut off. If possible, take some time to think through your plans for both holidays at the same time. Setting aside an hour or two to think through what you’ll be making and how many you will be doing it for will allow you to stock up on ingredients – items that can be frozen take up a little extra space, but it’s one less time you have to get in your car and wade through the crowds.
Set Aside Baking Times
Sure, you want to have some give-and-take to enjoy family and friends, but the best way to do that is create windows during which nothing but making and decorating cakes or cookies can happen. It might sound ridiculous, but treating the occasion as a non-negotiable appointment with your oven will cause you and your loved ones to respect it. This doesn’t mean you’ll be by yourself slaving away in the kitchen, anyone can join as long as they are willing to help out with the tasks at hand (which will take some pressure off you, obviously). It’s a great way to engage children in the edible gifts you will be passing out.
Know your Limits
It should go without saying, yet hundreds of thousands overextend themselves during the Christmas period every year. When you sit down to determine how many cakes you’ll be baking, spend a chunk of that time working through potential designs. Considering the hustle and bustle associated with the holiday season, focusing on simple layouts will probably work best – unless you’re an expert with plenty of time to set aside. If you are rushing through the creation of a five-layer masterpiece, the quality will ultimately suffer and nobody wants that to happen.
Enjoy Yourself
Ultimately, what you are doing is expressing your affection through food, so having fun must be part of the equation. As much as you might like to provide every person in your family with the ideal sweet treat, they will be much happier to see your joyful smile than a tired shell of the person you are. Working in the kitchen takes a lot of energy and getting worked up about the texture of your royal icing will keep you from ever wanting to share your confectionary genius again – a tragedy if there ever was one.
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