Top 5 Easter Celebration Planning Tips with HoneyBaked Ham

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Growing up, I always loved Easter–the food, the baskets, the family time and games. Now that I have my own family, we are working on starting our own traditions to celebrate. While family may not be close enough to visit us, we celebrate on our own and even plan to have some friends and their families over. 

Planning for celebrations like this can be pretty stressful and it shouldn’t be. I want to share my top 5 planning tips with you to help your Easter events go as smoothly as possible.

1. Form a Plan

When you are hosting any event, it is important to plan ahead. With Easter coming early this year (April 5), now is the time to start your preparations.

Ask yourself questions and write down the answers: What date will guests be coming over? What time of day will you have everyone over? Will I be serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, or brunch? How many guests will be attending? Will any kids or infants be attending?

Now it’s time to plan the meal. Will you serve turkey or ham, maybe both? What will you have for side dishes? Dessert? Make a menu (and a grocery list) so you don’t forget anything.

2. Fix a Quick Meal

Cooking can be such a hassle and you don’t want it taking up your whole day. Plan for a meal that is quick and easy to fix.

HoneyBaked Ham is a great option for your meals. You purchase everything pre-cooked (and pre-sliced) then just heat everything or let it get to room temperature. Their products can be stored for up to 10 days in your refrigerator so you can buy ahead to save the headache of last-minute shopping.

We decided to get the HoneyBaked Mini Ham and Smoked Turkey Breast with a side of Sweet Potato Casserole. We all had to sneak some early, of course, and it was so easy to prepare and it tasted amazing. Seriously amazing. Now, I can cook, but not like that. Add some Resurrection Rolls, a vegetable, and some sparkling juice and you’re all set!

3. Festoon Your Home

Decorations are always a perfect touch for pulling an event together. Whether you are decking out the whole house or just adding a centerpiece to the table, get a picture in your head of how you want everything to look. I kept it simple with just a centerpiece.

My husband made a cross out of wood and I added a ribbon to it on which I wrote “He is Risen.” We put it on top of a purple tablecloth then covered the base with a beige scarf. I added a few silk flowers for an extra touch along with a candle.

Great color schemes include purple and gold, bright yellows and greens with pink accents, and white with blue and light yellow accents. Add some flowers, a cross, painted eggs, bunnies, or a lion and a lamb!

4. Find Time to Fellowship

With all the preparations and cooking and wanting everything to be just so, it is easy to get overwhelmed and forget that you are a host. As a host, to a large crowd or just your immediate family, it is important to spend time talking and having memorable time. In fact, it is far more important to spend time with your family and friends than it is to have the perfect meal and perfect decorations and cleanest house in the world.

Take a breath. You’ve planned ahead, your guests have arrived, and now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the company. This is one reason why HoneyBaked is so awesome. When I try to cook for guests, things always take longer than expected, then make a huge mess I have to clean. I end up focusing more on that than those I am trying to serve. There was very little prep time with HoneyBaked.

Don’t forget to have some fun. I had my son help me bake Resurrection Rolls so you could enlist your family to help with that. Set out an egg decorating station for everyone to enjoy and even play some board games!

5. Focus on the True Meaning

Easter is the time we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. This holiday is not meant for us to be so focused on getting to this place in time, having the best meal, having to shop for others and wanting things for ourselves. It is to remind us of what Christ did on the cross.

The true meaning of Easter is why we decided that we should have a giant cross as the centerpiece of the table, because that is the center of Easter. We also used the Resurrection Rolls to teach our boys and will read in the Bible of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. 

Sure, we will still dye eggs, give our kids Easter baskets, have a big meal, and decorate; but don’t let yourself get overwhelmed; it’s not that important. Relax. Enjoy your family. Focus on the true purpose of Easter. Read Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:6-7, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 10:9.

Quick Reference:

• Form a Plan
• Fix a Quick Meal
• Festoon Your Home
• Find Time to Fellowship
• Focus on the True Meaning

About HoneyBaked

HoneyBaked has been around since 1957 serving up some mouthwatering products including their Bone-In Ham, Smoked or Roasted Turkey, Cheesecake, Casseroles, and more. Their deliciously-glazed hams and turkeys are also gluten-free! Product selection and prices vary by location. 

Their food is fully-cooked so all you have to do is heat and serve. The meats are pre-sliced so, if you are like me, it saves you a big hassle and sloppy, uneven pieces. Hams come in a few different sizes to fit the number of people being served–half ham (approx. 7-10lbs, serves 12-20), quarter ham/mini ham (approx. 3.5-5.5lbs, serves 6-8), and ham slices (available by the pound.) The turkey is about 2.5-3lbs and serves 8-10.

Find a HoneyBaked location near you.

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-Very important question: Ham or turkey? Or both?