by Barbara Stockton

Created on: December 16, 2008   Last Updated: January 07, 2010

It was always tradition to have turkey with all the fixing at a big sit down dinner with all the family present to celebrate the glories of the holiday season. Although I loved making the big meals and watching my family enjoy the feast, I always felt like I spent more time cooking and cleaning the kitchen then visiting with my children and there families. There never seemed to be any time for visiting because by the time the meal was prepared it was time to eat, then when the meal was finished it was time for everyone to pack the kids up and head home before the traffic became heavy. The one thing I always sure of was that at the end of the day I was exhausted and felt let down because I hadn't had any time to visit with my children or grandchildren. To make the let down even worse I had a sink full of dishes and a counter full of pots to be washed.

Even after my mother passed away and we no longer had the family home, we still tried to all get together for the Christmas holidays. This year I moved into a small 2 bedroom apartment that I share with my son and now his girl friend and her son. Because of the limited space we have puzzled over what to do for Christmas dinner. After pondering how to cook a large meal in a small oven and where we would set a table to accommodate approximately 22 people.

After some long deliberation on the situation we decided on having a buffet because it allows for people to eat when and what they choose, allowing them to be able to mingle and enjoy the company of others without a large table interfering with the conversation. A buffet also allows you to use crock pots to make a variety of foods without slaving over a hot stove all day. I mean if you think about it isn't spending time with your family the most important thing about the holiday. Spending time with family and catching up on whats happening in their lives should be the top priority not the big meal.

As we began deciding on what to include in the buffet we have been adding items from the traditional meal along with the finger foods and items like Swedish meatballs, crab rolls and items that are easy to eat while mingling with others. The best reason for doing a buffet is that the choices of foods is limitless and can range from ethnic, to Chinese, to Italian, to American cuisine. And with the buffets there is always something for everyone's taste, you are sure that no one will go away hungry.

To put on a successful buffet first think about the people who will be your

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