Mock me if you will, but I use Excel to plan the timing for our holiday dinners. Monday was our Canadian Thanksgiving, so it was the perfect occasion to dig the planner out again.
You know that it’s a delicate juggling act, trying to get everything cooked and on the table at the same time. Then, halfway through dinner you realize that the dinner rolls are still in the oven. Oops!
To prevent the senseless loss of dinner rolls, and help things go smoothly, I use my Excel Holiday Dinner Planner.
Yes, it takes a few minutes to set up, by entering all the dinner items, and the preparation steps, but it’s time well invested!
If you’re like me, and don’t vary the holiday menu too much, you can reuse the worksheet, for every holiday.
Calculate the Start Time
Once the sheet is set up, you simply select the time that you want to serve dinner, and the Excel dinner planner calculates the preparation start time.
Follow the List
With the planner, you’ll have a complete list of dinner items, with preparation start and end times. Follow the list, and you won’t be likely to forget those dinner rolls in the oven.
You can find more instructions, and download links, on the Excel Holiday Dinner Planner page on the Contextures website.
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You forgot the step about sending me an invitation. Yum!
OCD can be treated.