
Eating holiday meals is something I look forward to with each passing season and Thanksgiving is like to Super Bowl of food celebrations! If you're like me, I so enjoy the planning of having people over, sharing good times, and creating lasting memories with the treasured people in my life. I want the meal to be amazing, for the kiddos to be entertained, to have all my cooking and baking done, and great music to set the tone. Then, I get to enjoy the gathering too. With these 7 simple tips, you'll be organized for a stress free TURKEY DAY and make it look effortless. Let's get started!
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1. Make a Pre-Plan:
Write out a guest list and decide how many people you will be providing for. This is also good opportunity to decide where you and your guests will dine.
Start planning the menu, look up recipes on Pinterest, make a shopping list.
Think about the things your guests may need outside of food. Are you having overnight guests? Are the rooms stocked with hand soap, towels, tissue, extra blankets, etc.
New to roasting turkey? Take sometime to familiarize yourself with turkey techniques like: defrosting time, how long to roast it, brine or no brine, and how big it needs to be to feed everyone.
Turkey Day Tip: If you're hosting a smaller gathering, you may consider a turkey breast, turkey tenderloins verses a whole, large bird.
2. Make what you can ahead of time:
Starting early will make you much more at ease on the big day! Think about items that can be made days in advance, like pies. These are pretty pie dishes and come in lots of colors.
Toasting bread cubes or baking cornbread for stuffing recipes will save you time and oven space on Thanksgiving. You can bake, cool, crumble/cube, and store these stuffing ingredients in the freezer well in advance. Huge time saver!
Wash and chop your produce for your menu and have them ready when you assemble your recipes.
3. Presenting the Star of the Show: The Turkey
Go though your pre-plan to decide the date to begin defrosting. We want to ensure your bird has had time to get ready for his debut.
If your brining, make sure you have a vessel that will accommodate the size of your bird , PLUS the brining liquid volume. Coolers are a great option too! You can keep your turkey at a food safe temperature and nice and cold, without taking up valuable fridge space.
Cooking method can really affect your timing on the day of Thanksgiving. Whether you roast, deep fry, or smoke your bird, and calculate the timing through service, to ensure it's perfectly done at meal time. Top tech tools might include a wireless digital meat thermometer that syncs with your phone to take the guess work out of turkey testing.
Turkey Day Tip: Rinse and dry your turkey the morning of Thanksgiving. Then give him a good rub down with your seasonings ahead of time, even if you aren't baking it right away. That way it will be waiting when you're ready.
4. Organize cooking supplies and serving pieces:
It's important to refer to your menu pre-plan on this one. The last thing we want is to be washing pots, that we need for the next thing we're going to prepare, on the day of Thanksgiving. Pre-plan how you'll prepare your menu items and in what order.
Are you planning to serve buffet style or family style? Take a look at your serving pieces to make sure you have room for everything and that the furniture is protected for placing oven warmed serving dishes upon.
Will your guest dine on fancy dishes or is this a casual Thanksgiving event? Either way, you can set the table well in advance to save time on the day of the big meal.
Turkey Day Tip: Will you have a beverage station? I've been to gatherings where the host had cold drinks and wine as you enter the space for quick self service.
5. Clean and tidy your space:
You will need to check your refrigerated space options for prepped items and leftovers. Make sure you've planned refrigerator and freezer real estate carefully so that everyone has a spot.
This is a great time to check in with your rarely used dining spaces. At my house, we seldom use our formal dining room, except for large family gatherings. If this is you too, give everything a good wipe down for dust, replace burnt out bulbs in the fixtures, and make sure you have plenty of seating options.
6. Set the Mood:
The sights, sounds, and smells of Thanksgiving are just as important as the taste meal. Think about deliciously scented fall candles to set the autumn tone when your guests arrive. Another option, if you don't want a live flame, is a diffuser. There are reed and atomizer varieties that create that cozy fall feeling. Simply add your favorite essential oils and soon the whole house feel like autumn! Flameless candles are a synch too!
Putting together a playlist is something you can do ahead of time too. Any music that sets the tone you're hoping for will work. If you have a musical family member, you could delegate this chore too. In the past, I've used collections of classic country, or soft instrumentals, holiday classics, lively jazz. It really depends on the tone you want to set. For the clearest sound, and extras we use the Amazon Alexa powered Echo Show liven our entertainment space.
Light the fireplace if it's chilly where you are. A crackling fire can lend so much to a space that you are hoping to create a cozy atmosphere. If you have a wood burning fireplace, plan to have extra seasoned firewood delivered. Maybe you want to take the party outdoors. We are planning to try festive color changing fire packets this season. You add them to your outdoor fire for a magical, color-filled display!
Turkey Day Tip: If you have kiddos, don't forget to prepare a busy station for them. They could have their own space, indoors or out, with music, games, craft projects, and activities. One year, I had the kids help with pre planning with table decor and they made placemats for each guest. They were so proud!
7. Let People HELP!
Everyone who asks to bring something, clearly wants to help. Take them up on it! You will be extra thankful on the day of your feast.
Use this opportunity to let a friend or family member shine. Let's say Aunt Bea makes a dessert your family loves. Ask her to make it. Or maybe your best friend knows a lot about wine pairing, have them choose the wine list. Sharing the experience of planning and executing is a fun way to collab with your loved ones.
Maybe you have new neighbor that's alone for the holiday, and you've invited them to join, but they don't cook, they could pick up extra ice. Everyone can contribute and it will save you from having to do it all.
Final Thoughts:
Hosting Thanksgiving should be enjoyable, fun filled, and memorable. I'm confident that if you start now and follow the tips, you have a stress free turkey day. Here's to a wonderful Thanksgiving and blessings for you and your family. You've got this!
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