Tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving



That's right it's that time of the year again, Thanksgiving, a time to give thanks and enjoy family and friends.  For many (myself included), it can be a time of great stress and anxiety.  It doesn't have to be and it won't be if you follow these tips.

1 Month before Thanksgiving - Figure out your menu.  Consider everything from appetizers to drinks to desserts. If you're trying something new, you may want to test those recipes out to ensure they make the cut.

1 - 2 Weeks Before Thanksgiving - Review all the recipes that made the cut.  Inspect your pantry.  Make sure you have enough thyme, poultry seasoning, nut meg . . . There's nothing worse than getting into a dish and realizing you don't have enough of something. Get a note pad and write down all of your ingredients and keep in mind quantities.  For example, if you're making a carrot cake with cream cheese icing and a cheesecake and maybe some cream cheese mashed potatoes, you need to make sure you have enough cream cheese.  Write down the quantities of the item you need for each recipe and keep adding to it until you're done with your list.  Now that you have your list go shopping.

Saturday Before Thanksgiving - Take your turkey out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refridgerator.  It can take 3 - 4 days to thaw depending on the size of the bird so take it out early.  Once it thaws, don't forget to remove the neck and giblets from inside the bird.

Sunday Before Thanksgiving - Make a simple dinner like spaghetti so you can start your prep work.  You can dice your onions, bell peppers, celery for your dressing.  Shred the cheese for your baked macaroni and cheese.

Monday Before Thanksgiving - Make your cornbread for your dressing and leave it out so it can get stale. Make one cake.

Tuesday Before Thanksgiving - Bake your sweet potatoes for pies in the morning before work.  Let them cool all day. You can finish your pies that evening.  Check to see if your turkey is thawed.  If you plan to use a brine, take it out and put it in a cooler covered in water to expedite the thawing process.  That night, it should be ready to brine.

Wednesday Before Thanksgiving - Make a simple meal like tacos or better yet, order pizza.  Begin the prep of your greens.  I buy the pre-picked and cut ones but I still like to go through and remove the tough stems.  I saute my onions and garlic and greens, then let them cool to finish cooking tomorrow.  Prep your rolls.  I like to get my rolls going and let them rise overnight in the fridge.  Peel and dice your potatoes for mashed potatoes and your butternut squash for candied butternut squash.  Put the turkey on that night before bed, I cook mine low and slow.

Thanksgiving Day - Make and bake the dressing. Make and bake the macaroni and cheese.  Put your turkey tails in a pot with onions, a hot pepper and your greens and cook until done.  Make your mashed potatoes and candied butternut squash.  Reheat the turkey and finish up the rolls.

I hope these tips make your Thanksgiving a little easier.

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