July 4th – Let’s Get Ready Now!

Dear Friends,

July 4^th is just two weeks away and for many of us, it’s a time when our homes are filled with family and friends! We will have sixteen family members and friends gathering with us in the mountains this year. We’ve rented a house on the same street as our home so that unlike last year, everyone will have a bed. Nephew Jack won’t be sleeping on the porch this summer!

Even though we could attend the many club functions offered at this time of year, we prefer to enjoy dinners at home. To make this effortless, my planning and prep began a few weeks ago. If you haven’t started, it’s not too late! In this newsletter, I’m offering a glimpse of my list. While my list will evolve as we add tee times and other information, this will give you an idea of my process. I keep my list in the Notes function on my phone. I can easily add and edit and once it’s complete, I will email the list to my guests to provide everything they need to know. Once everyone arrives, I post the list on the frig along with a friendly reminder that the speed limit in the club is 20MPH. ????

Many of the recipes can be prepped or prepared in advance. The sausage mix for the Sausage and Egg Casserole is made and in the freezer. I even made a batch of the egg casserole and baked it in muffin cups for our grab-and-go golfers and hikers. Brownies and Blueberry Muffins are also in the freezer. Chocolate Sauce, done. Rub and sauce for Lawdashions Pork Tenderloin, done.

For recipes that we (yes, that means others will be helping!) will make closer to our festivities, I’ve planned in advance when we will prepare each recipe. I will also make my grocery list in Notes. This too will be effortless as I simply copy and paste the ingredients needed into Notes from the EE Recipes online. For those of you who have the guide, you too can do this! If you have a guide and don’t have an online login, please email me so we can set that up for you.

Take a look at the list below and start making your list too. We’ve provided a PDF below that will help you get started. Of course, you can always just use Notes on your phone. In your EE guide and online, you also have a generic Shopping List that you can print. See Charts in Sources & Resources. Step Nine in Effortless Entertaining, “Make Your Work and Work Your Plan.” With good planning and prep, we can all enjoy our family and friends!

Wishing you an effortless and happy 4^th of July!