Hosting a Calm, Cool Thanksgiving...

By Andrea Ways Newman

Hosting your first Thanksgiving or other holiday meal can be very daunting and stressful. The KEY to an enjoyable, calm day is LOTS of planning!!! Early planning is not taxing, it just takes some time. Better to spend time wisely two weeks early, than to be panicking for the 48 hours before your meal!

These are 7 important planning steps to do at least one week ahead of time!

1. Compile Menu- Type recipes into the computer. Having the whole menu on one or two pages makes doing the grocery list easier, keeps things from getting lost, and saves paper shuffling while cooking. If you need to double (or triple) a recipe, type it up with the altered measurements to avoid mistakes later. When choosing menu items and recipes, think about cooking methods and temperatures (most of us don*t have double ovens!) and what can be done ahead. The internet is great for turkey advice (1-1/2lbs per person!) and turkey cooking methods. If you want to do the whole meal yourself, at least let someone bring simple things, like appetizers and pumpkin pies!
2. Make 2 Grocery Lists - Saturday night is a great time to shop for the majority of things! Grab your perishables on Tuesday... don't forget drinks, ice, etc.
3. Plan Your Set-up - Buffet Table or Family Style? (either way... where will the bowls and platters go?) Bar area? Coffee/Dessert area? Cooler for beer/soda? Plan to keep most kitchen counters clear and available for cooking and clean-up.
4. 4. Take Inventory - Count dishes, glasses, flatware. Make a list of all the serving pieces you will need (include appetizers, butter dish(es), serving spoons, etc.) You may need to borrow things! A digital meat thermometer is a turkey's best friend!!!
5. Plan Decorations - This includes tablecloths/napkins, centerpiece(s), candles. Keep the centerpiece(s) small and simple. You*ll want to see each other and have room for gravy, butter, S&P, etc. Place cards and creative napkin rings are not necessary, but can be fun IF you do them early* maybe a good kid project!
6. Make a To-Do List - This is for things to do in the week ahead (borrow neighbors card table/chairs, buy votives, iron tablecloth, clean out fridge) This might include some menu prep work, such as making/ freezing pie crusts, making cranberry sauce, thawing turkey, etc.
7. Make a Serious Timeline - This is an hourly countdown of Wednesday and Thursday spend some time on this and you will not be stressed later! Really think about how long things will take. This is a schedule, not a list... Make it as detailed as you can (esp. Thursday)

Example: Wednesday am- Chop/ prep all veggies (green beans, dip veggies, stuffing ingr.), finish pies, toast nuts for salad, etc. Wednesday pm- empty dishwasher & trash, make ice, thaw whipped cream, etc. Thursday 9am- Assemble Stuffing, 9:45- Prep turkey, 10:30- Start gravy roux, 11am-

Make salad (preheat oven), 11:30- Turkey in oven, etc.

Work backwards from when you'd LIKE to eat. Make sure to include an hour of "resting" and carving time for turkey! Don't forget little things like "bring butter to room temp", "shower & get dressed" etc. You will think of things throughout the week that you'll want to add. Give yourself a realistic amount of time for things (you have kids, remember?). Finally, be sure to allow time for REST BREAKS and cleaning up as you go!

Tuesday: The turkey should be thawing! Clean (bathroom, dust, floors). Shop for last minute things. Set up the buffet area with all dishes (marked with notes "potatoes," "beans," etc). Toast/cube bread for stuffing.

Wednesday & Thursday: Follow your list and things will go smoothly!

Final tips of advice:
Remember salad forks = dessert forks (after salads are cleared, collect those forks in a glass of sudsy water for easy cleaning before dessert). Fill a large dishpan with soapy water, soak dinner plates until you can get to them. You've worked hard, let others clean up!!!

Final words of wisdom:

Try to relax and enjoy your holiday, too. Make sure to give thanks. And don't worry if things go wrong. These are your family and friends! They*ll love you even if your turkey is dry!