Thanksgiving is getting closer and closer. You probably feel excited to have all your loved ones around a table full of delicious meals. However, the idea of hosting such a traditional and important event in your family must feel overwhelming sometimes. To get you away from all the worries that come with a big dinner, we’ll offer you the essential tips & tricks for an organizing a successful one.
1. Inviting Your Guests
If you have a big family, you should start making phone calls with a month in advance. Make a list with your guests and give it some time to make sure that all the right persons are invited. You don’t want to leave anyone behind. Otherwise, the family discords will last for a year.
If you want to give the event a more elegant touch, you can send invitations via mail to your guests. You can buy cards at the store, order them to receive a special design or you can create beautiful invitations by yourself.
Do announce everyone that they should send you a reply with their answer. You don’t want to prepare too much food in case some of them will not be present. Having too few portions is also a possibility when your guests decide to bring some friends along. So, make sure you know exactly who will attend your Thanksgiving dinner. To avoid any delicate situation, you can have as a backup some delicious Costco cakes for any occasion. It never hurts to have a backup.
2. Menu
When you get to the menu part, it is easy to fantasize about divine dishes that will make everyone lick their fingers. However, some recipes belong better in five starts restaurants. It is better to stick with meals that you are familiar with. There is going to be hundreds of things to do when your guests arrive. Your own recipes are already leaving everyone mouth-watering, so why change them?
Some guests may come especially to try out your secret sauce once more. If you really want something different, you can always add a new or several ingredients. I have recently discovered the Indian spice curry which I use abundantly for my legumes and chicken.
In case your mind is completely made up for a whole alternative Thanksgiving day menu, there will be no one to stop you. However, to eliminate the worries that come with a new recipe, you can decide on the menu in advance and practice it several times before the big day. You will no longer feel nervous about the result, and you’ll have more time to enjoy the dinner with your family.
3. Turkey Cheat Sheet
A Thanksgiving dinner without a turkey will feel just like an ordinary one. Since cooking such a big meal might get out of control if you are not on the schedule, here’s a quick cheat sheet with everything you need for your ambitious mission.
Sunday, November 20th
Buy that turkey if you got your eyes on a frozen marvelous piece. The rule of thumb is to allow 24 hours for each 4 pounds of meat to defrost. So, make sure you remember for how much you bargained. Read with your kids some beautiful Thanksgiving books to enter into the spirit of this important celebration.
Monday, November 21st
Now it is a good time to do as many preparations in advance as possible. Otherwise, you will spend Thanksgiving with too many chores and too little wonderful family time. So, Monday is a good day to make your special cranberry sauce, pie dough, and toast nuts. You can also go shopping for ingredients for stuffing the turkey.
Tuesday, November 22nd
Even though it may seem too early, it is actually the perfect moment to set the Thanksgiving table. You will have time to sleep on it and make sure that you avoid placing the stern uncle George next to the rebellious cousin Geoffrey.
Do a little more shopping, but this time focus on snacks and drinks. You can quickly stock them in the pantry and forget about them until the big day.
Also, you can start prepping the ingredients you will use for Thanksgiving dinner. Measure out the cream, flour, and other products for pie fillings, roast and chop legumes for stuffing. Also, it is good to remember that Wednesday will be a crazy shopping day as not everyone will be as prudent as you. So, besides snacks and drinks, you can also stock on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Wednesday, November 23rd
The last day before Thanksgiving will find you busy with cooking. Everything that can be reheated or used later will be prepared on Wednesday. So, make sure your turkey is on the schedule with the defrosting. Then assemble the stuffing till it remains jus the baking part and refrigerate it. Prepare other quick recipes, such as steaming potatoes to smash them on Thanksgiving easily. You can even go ahead and bake the pies while preparing the pie fillings.
Thursday, November 24th
In the morning, you can start preparing the appetizers so you can quickly check them off your list. Then mid-morning, it is time to stuff the turkey and put it in the oven. When the turkey is done in the early afternoon, rest it in foil for at least 45 minutes before carving. Afterward, concentrate on finishing the gravy and vegetables.
And that’s it! Now you are ready to be a lovely host with little worries on your mind and have a blast with your loved ones. A successful Thanksgiving dinner also relies on your good mood. So, all these calculated measures will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and just enjoy your time like everyone else. Happy Thanksgiving!
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