Did you win the honor of hosting Thanksgiving this
year? Yahoooo! Well, we put together a planning guide
together that will guarantee no stress, no worries, just a multitude of holiday
spirit, laughter among family and a whole lot of delicious food.
2 WEEKS AHEAD
-Make your guest list of family and friends.
-Send your invitation and ask everyone what your guests plan
to bring.
-Decide on your table decorations: napkins, candles, and tablecloth. I like fall décor using pumpkins, berries and fall leaves.
-Finalize your menu.
-Hit the grocery store for all your non-perishable items.
-Decide if you will be serving a fresh or frozen
turkey. A couple turkey tips will help
make your decision. If you’re
buying a frozen turkey, get it now and keep it in the freezer. Buying a fresh bird? Put your order in now with your local butcher.
1 WEEK AHEAD
-Thaw the turkey.
Make sure there is room to thaw in the refrigerator. Make sure you put it in a large pan to
catch any juice that may escape as it thaws.
-Make sure you clear space in the refrigerator for all the
leftovers after the dinner.
3-5 DAYS AHEAD
-Shop for all your perishable items. You can save time when cooking if you
group all your items according to the recipe in the pantry and refrigerator.
-If you don’t have a bar set up a beverage area that is
central to the kitchen or dining room.
This area will house all the glasses, cocktail napkins, ice bucket,
bottle and wine openers and a recycling container.
-Set the table if you have a separate dining area.
2 DAYS AHEAD
-Make all your desserts. Remember, people typically like to sample a couple of
desserts so make sure you have enough for everyone.
-Get the family involved and clean the house and pick up the
yard.
1 DAY AHEAD
-Prepare all your side dishes that can be made 24 hours
ahead of time. This can be
cranberries or potato casseroles.
You can cut all the ingredients for salads (but don’t toss with
dressing) and your stuffing.
-Purchase all your last minute items like rolls, ice,
lettuce, etc.
-Decide how much time you will need to cook your
turkey. Roasting will take 12-15
minutes per pound at 325 degrees.
Plan to have the turkey done approximately one hour before dinner so it
can cool, which makes carving easier.
If you have a question about your bird, call the folks at Butterball
(800-288-8372).
-Set out all the serving dishes and utensils
THANKSGIVING DAY
MORNING:
-Make the stuffing.
-Cook the potatoes.
-Stuff the turkey and get it roasting.
-Make any vegetables you haven’t yet prepared.
-Whip the cream for all the delicious desserts.
AFTERNOON:
-Finish the gravy
-Reheat the potatoes that were cooked in the morning
-Transfer the turkey to the platter
-Serve, sit down and dig in!
THE DAY AFTER
Eat leftovers and take a nap!
The
most important thing is don't sweat it: The true secret to being a gracious
host or hostess (and keeping your own sanity) is to not let small problems ruin
the day. If one of your side dishes burns, simply toss it out and enjoy the
rest of the meal. If the turkey burns, order take-out. And don't forget to
laugh.
