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Think Family, not Feasting

Focus on the Preparation not the "Event"

Participation
Make the preparation a part of the party: especially with extended family, it's a chance to own a part of the meal, to have generations talk to each other, to teach small ones real skills, to share traditions and connect. It also takes a lot of the stress oof preparation off the hosts.

Play
Make some playful competition part of the event. For example, one reader told us about their annual sweet potato cook off- whereby competing invented recipes are produced by different "teams". You could try Iron Chef, family style- if you have the workspace available- give some teenagers ingredients and see what they come up with. Or assign a Creative Potluck, if people are bringing things- "You are assigned to vegetables and dips. The only rule is nothing standard! No strips of celery and carrots with a dill dip. Go for it!"

No bystanders
Ask people where they can contribute, what they are drawn to- table decorations? clean up? music? How can you make the preparation of the celebration a time to call out an summon each person's creative juice? If you're the take charge type, and hostessing, create assignments: If the guys always do the meat, put them on dessert. If the kids stay out of the kitchen and hover over the cookies all day, put them on some meaningful contributory task. The point is to get people involved, in whatever way possible. NO bystanders and onlookers.

Slow Down the Meal
Serve courses instead of smorgasbord style- not in a giant jumble- and time them so that there's space betweem each course. Space to play games, share stories about the year. It gives people a chance to digest, to eat the right amount, and prolongs the enjoyment of the meal.

Involve Everyone
Even the smallest children and most football watching uncles get a job- no checking out.

"Tradition!"
Do you remember the scene from Fiddler on the Roof, the Tradition song? Where they ask why certain things are done, and the simple explanation is tradition? Instead of being on autopilot, examine what traditions are working, and what new traditions might be created. Be really curios about other people's experience of the holidays- where it's working and where it's not.

Reduce Food Waste and Garbage
Our holidays are known for lots and lots of eating. But in the United States, 28 billion pounds of edible food is wasted each year - that's more than 100 pounds per person. If every American throws away just one uneaten tablespoon of mashed potatoes, 16 million pounds of waste is added to our landfills. You're working against a culture that reveres the Rockwell Thanksgiving table image- abundance everywhere. In addition to simply eatling slower and controlling portions, what can you do?

Curate your dishes
If you're the one in charge of cooking, you probably see it every year: there's that one dish, or two or four, that we keep making but never get eaten (in our house, that's parsnips and carrots. Or maybe the creamed onions. and we could definitely make less of the Wild Rice Stuffing). Although its hard, maybe go for fewer dishes of higher quality, and leave those symbolic but unpopular dishes on the sidelines.

Cook Fresh
What would a holiday meal be without canned cranberry jelly, canned pumpkin and cool whip? Seriously, in every possible instance, eliminate packaged in favor of fresh. It's not only more healthy, it generally means fewer food miles, lower packaging waste, lower storage costs.

Instead of buying beverages in plastic bottles, buy glass, which is easily recyclable.
Be mindful about packaging. As much as possible, buy bread, meat, vegetables and fruits that aren't packaged in plastic.
Control your use of aluminum foil and wash and save for reuse the foil you do use.
Look for less waste packaging in dry goods and frozen foods

Alternative Holiday Meals
You can create a meal together that is focused on local and seasonal foods (eg, why are you cooking a traditional New England Christmas, if you live in California- where Lemons are ripening in December and fresh greens are ready for picking?). Local meals reduce food waste and garbage. Consider opting for an ethnic version- the traditional Mexican Christmas includes Tamales, Posoles, and Mole sauce, and maybe Chile Rellenos. They also make a boiled fruit drink- Ponche- it's a non-alcoholic combination of apple, pear, puineapple, sugar cane, nanche (yellow cherry) and a lot of Cinnamon. The point is to rethink what will create celebration and make it meaningful for you, not something that's automatic.

Reduce Energy and Water Use During Your Celebration

Many of these tips apply year round, but become especially important when you have more movement, more people or you just get busier- it helps to thinka ahead and recommit to a no waste experience.

Trim your miles per person: Ride Share. Buy Offsets. Stop running around to the mall. Walk. Take the train or the bus.
Lower the Thermostat: the heat's going to rise anyway!
Have your Disposal System, and your explanations, ready! Plan ahead for recycling and composting, and straight up trash- tell guests and make signs for people new to the concept of no waste.

Want some more practical tips? Check out 42 Ways to Trim Your Holiday Waistline from UseLessStuff.com

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