Thanksgiving dinners can be a lot of work! They require a lot of planning in advance and at least a couple of trips to the grocery store, so following a couple of easy steps can reduce the stress of one of the biggest eating days of the year.
So, hit the flip to peep a couple of useful steps before you turn up for Thanksgiving…
As soon as you decide to host a dinner, make up a guest list. Don’t invite more people than you can afford to feed. No need to keep up with the Jones’ if you expect everyone to have a plate. Invite people via phone calls, so you can get an instant yes or no. No texts.
Do your shopping one week before. If you wait until the last couple of days, all the decent-sized turkeys will be gone and you’ll have to settle for a small one or fool your guests with a giant chicken. Because you don’t want Uncle Ronny fighting with somebody over the big piece of chicken.
A couple days before Thanksgiving, clean out your entire fridge and freezer, you’re going to need the room. Also, take the turkey out of the freezer and move it into the refrigerator, so it can properly defrost. Nobody wants to suck on turkey pops.
One day before, prepare all your side dishes and pies. Unless you have more than one oven, you might not have the room to bake any thing with the turkey at the same time. Now this will give you time to enjoy the game and get slizzard with your family instead of tied up in the kitchen.
Take a breather, the hard parts are done. On Thanksgiving day, prepare the rest of the food (especially the turkey) about five hours before you plan to eat, set the table and serve the meal. And enjoy the day, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and spend time with loved ones.
