If you are like most people, you don’t always plan ahead for your Christmas dinner; this can be one of the biggest mistakes you can make. You can start planning your Christmas dinner during the time you are planning your Thanksgiving meal by purchasing items such as sugar, flour, prepared pie crusts, chocolate chips, etc.
Here are a few organization ideas that will help you be ready in plenty of time so you can enjoy the holiday this year:
• Remember to purchase any nonperishable items early.
• Prepare your list of people you wish to invite and decide if you would like Aunt Sally to bring her famous green bean casserole. If so, this would be the time to ask anyone to help with preparing your Christmas dinner.
• Plan your meal at the beginning of December. Decorate the exterior and interior of your home the first week of December. The weekend of Thanksgiving is not too soon!
• Get your dinnerware ready. If you use special Christmas China and accessories these will need to be cleaned, polished, etc.
• Check around your home; you may need to do some deep cleaning.
• Order your ham or turkey. If you are planning on cooking your own, you may want to special order a fresh one from your butcher.
• A week before Christmas, get out the Christmas guest towels and any other decorations that you have forgotten.
• Remember Grandpa cannot have any sugar. Be sure to have sugar substitutes on hand.
• Empty the coat closet to have room for guests’ coats.
• Plan seating arrangements and table servings.
Cranberry Sauce

2 pounds cranberries
2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 cups granulated sugar
Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
2 cups orange marmalade

Wash and drain cranberries well. Place in shallow baking dish and cover with chopped walnuts, sugar, juice, and grated rind of lemons and orange marmalade. Cover tightly and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool before serving. Makes 2 quarts.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.
Baked Pineapple

1(20 ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks
3 tablespoons white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
5 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
25 buttery round crackers, crumbled

Drain pineapple, reserving 3 tablespoons of juice. Combine pineapple, reserved juice, sugar, butter or margarine, flour, and cheese. Mix well. Spoon mixture into a buttered 1 ½ quart baking dish; top with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.