This Recipe Will Make Your Holiday Dinner Unforgettable

2 to-do lists that will keep you organized this week, make post-holiday returns easier, and more. December 17, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! If you’re looking for something to put your Christmas dinner over the top, look no further than Today’s Good Thing. I’m sharing a method that produces outrageously delicious prime rib your guests will still be talking about in January—even if you’ve never attempted to cook one before. Also in today’s newsletter, a new In The Loop to fill you in on something people are talking about. Find out how one woman’s Thanksgiving dessert mishap turned her into a bonafide internet celebrity, and taught everyone a valuable lesson about airing your grievances on Facebook. Jillee DAYS UNTIL 🎄 Christmas: 8 🎊 New Year's Day: 15 TODAY'S GOOD THING This Foolproof Prime Rib Will Make Any Meal Unforgettable [Photos of sliced prime rib.]( Sumptuous prime rib is perfect for a special holiday dinner, and you won't believe how simple it is to make. Because it’s not exactly an everyday option, the idea of cooking prime rib at home can be intimidating. But not only is it easier than you think, it’s also a great way to ensure your holiday dinner feels like an extra special occasion. I’ve used this foolproof method to make Christmas prime rib for years now, and if I can do it, anyone can. Here’s how to make it: Combine 4 teaspoons each of onion salt, seasoning/seasoned salt, and garlic powder, then sprinkle the seasoning mixture over your roast on all sides, patting to help it adhere to the meat. (It may not stick very well on the fat side, but that’s okay.) Set the seasoned roast on a roasting rack with the fat side facing up, then set the rack in a large roasting pan or onto a baking sheet. Finally, insert an oven-safe meat thermometer or remote temperature gauge into the middle of the roast. Cook the roast at 500°F for 5-6 minutes per pound. When that time is up, turn the oven off and leave the roast inside for 2 hours, and do not open the oven door during that time. This part of the process relies on your oven’s residual heat, which will rapidly escape if the door is opened even briefly. After 2 hours, open the door and check the temperature of the roast. If it's between 135-140°F (between medium-rare and medium), it's done and ready to take out and carve. If the temperature is below 135°F, turn the oven back on at 375°F and continue cooking until it comes to temperature, then let it rest it for 15 minutes before carving. But Wait, There’s More: In addition to the full recipe, get additional prime rib tips and tricks (like what to look for when shopping for a prime rib roast, how to adjust the cooking process for especially large or small roasts, and the recipe for Dave’s favorite creamy horseradish sauce) at the link below. [See The Full Recipe ➜]( Related • [How To Make My Time-Tested Holiday Menu From Start To Finish]( • [How To Make Amazing Pot Roast In A Fraction Of The Time]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Some bulk buys are a bargain, but others are a waste of money in the long run, so it’s worth it to learn which is which. [Read more ➜]( • You can use pizza dough as a base for all kinds of easy-to-make snacks and treats, including these 6 tasty foods. [Read more ➜]( • From playing your favorite tunes to converting measurements, check out 9 ways Alexa can help out in the kitchen. [Read more ➜]( WEEKEND CLEANING CHALLENGE Tidy Up Your To-Do List [A photo of Jillee making a to-do list.]( This particular cleaning task may be metaphorical in nature, but that doesn’t make it any less useful. After feeling all over the place this week, I could really use some time to sit down and get organized, and I figure you might feel the same way. That’s why my latest “cleaning challenge” is for us to clean up our to-do lists, so we can get the boring stuff out of the way and have more time to kick back and enjoy the holidays. To start, I recommend you make a master list. Write anything and everything on it you can think of that needs to get done, whether it's cooking, cleaning, gift wrapping, shopping, etc. Get it all down on your master list, and be sure to include tasks from any other to-do lists you’ve started recently. Next, make a daily list of tasks you're going to do today (or tomorrow, depending on when you're reading this). Choose 3-5 high-priority tasks from your master list to focus on today and commit to finishing all of them. Then either tonight or tomorrow morning, you can make a new daily list to focus on next. I find this 2-list system really useful, because the master list helps me avoid worrying that there’s something I’m forgetting, while the daily list keeps me focused on achievable tasks so I don’t get overwhelmed by how much I have to do. Give it a try for yourself—I’m sure it will do the same for you. SAVE MONEY Organize Your Returns To Make Your Life Easier Later [A photo of someone writing on a notepad with a stack of store receipts nearby.]( Make your post-holiday returns easier by making a plan now for where you’ll keep the items and their receipts. In order to be able to return unwanted items after the holidays, you need to keep track of both the items themselves and the receipts for those items. Both can easily get lost in the holiday shuffle, so it’s a good idea to decide now where you’re going to put those things so they don’t get lost. If you open presents on Christmas Day, set aside an empty box to house the items that get deemed as returns. Then if someone unwraps something they already own or don’t want, just tape the receipt to the item and put it in the box. After a day or two, revisit your returns box and make note of when each item needs to be returned by. (If the receipt doesn’t show the store’s return policy, you can always look it up online.) With the items and receipts together and deadlines written down, you’ll be much more likely to complete your returns and avoid wasting money. JILLEE'S PICK Hot Chocolate Boards [A photo of a charcuterie-inspired ]( “Charcuterie” is a French term used both for prepared meat products (like salami, sausage, pâté, etc.) and the shops that sell them. It isn’t a new concept by any stretch of the imagination, but the growing popularity of charcuterie boards in restaurants has brought it to back to the forefront of the food world. Charcuterie boards usually feature a variety of cured meats and/or cheeses, and may also include crackers, preserves, pickled vegetables, nuts, and other foods—sort of like high-end Lunchables. Sharing a charcuterie board with family or friends is a fun and tasty experience, and they’re only getting more popular. The concept of charcuterie boards have captured people’s imaginations in ways that go beyond the realm of meats and cheeses. In fact, I saw a creative and seasonal variation from Melanie of Simple Made Pretty ([@simplemadepretty]( on Instagram in the form of a “[hot chocolate board]( Melanie’s board featured a variety of hot chocolate toppings and add-ins, with multiple kinds of marshmallows, cookies, candy canes, sprinkles, etc. I think putting out a hot chocolate board like this would be great for a Christmas party or family gathering, especially if you’ll have a lot of hot chocolate enthusiasts in attendance! IN THE LOOP Sharon Versus Marie Callender’s [A screenshot of Sharon's original Facebook post about her burnt pie.]( You may have seen articles or memes in the past couple of weeks featuring burnt pumpkin pie or Marie Callender’s and wondered what they were referring to. I did too, but luckily I had the internet-savvy members of the OGT Team to fill me in on the story, and now I can pass it along to you. The story begins with a pie—a frozen Marie Callender’s pumpkin pie, to be exact. Around Thanksgiving, a woman named Sharon posted a photo of a clearly burnt pumpkin pie on the Marie Callender’s Facebook page. Her caption read, “Thanks Marie Calendar for ruining thanksgiving dessert.” Fans of the brand weren’t pleased with Sharon’s attempt to publicly blame Marie Callender’s for her blackened pie, and some started leaving comments on the post roasting both Sharon and her pie. (Ex: "Did you try to bake the pie and self-clean the oven at the same time?" "You do know the fire alarm isn't a timer right?") As the post started to get shared elsewhere online, the internet’s meme creators got to work. Sharon’s pie inspired dozens of memes, some comparing the temperature of Sharon’s oven to an exploding star or erupting volcano, others using “Thanks Marie Callender’s” as shorthand for blame-shifting. [According to Newsweek]( there have been other Marie Callender’s customers who have complained of burnt pies despite following the instructions on the box, so we may never know who is really to blame. But it made for a silly distraction, and it doubled as a cautionary tale about airing your grievances on Facebook! A FEW MORE THINGS... Don We Now Our Ugly Apparel: It’s National Ugly Sweater Day, which honors the once-ridiculed tradition of ugly Christmas sweaters. Now that ugly sweater parties are commonplace and seemingly every clothing store carries gaudy Christmas sweaters, “ugly” seems to be more of a term of endearment. Celebrate by wearing your tackiest, most garish holiday sweater with pride. What I’m Watching: Tonight we’re going to see [Spider-Man: No Way Home]( the newest theatrical release from Marvel. It seems like it’s been eons since we saw the previous installment in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man saga, though it was only 2 and a half years ago. I don’t know what I’m looking forward to more: the movie or the movie theater popcorn. (Good thing I don't have to choose!) What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. 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