Tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Plan, plan and plan some more. If you want your day to be successful you must plan out every thing. Start planning well ahead of time. Three to four weeks before is a great time to sit down and get your strategy together. Make lists for everything food, guests, activities and so on. These lists will come in handy when it’s time to start doing the work.

Don’t let the menu get the best of you. Think about all the food you would like to have for the big feast. Write it all down and then look at it again. Mark off things that you don’t really need. Before you know it you’ll have the perfect Thanksgiving Day menu.

Make foods ahead if you can. Many items can be made a week or so ahead of time. Freeze things so that all you have to do is just pop it in the oven before serving it.

Have other family members help you with the cooking. If you have someone in the family that is great at baking pies ask them to help out. They will enjoy making some of the food and adding to your stress free day.

Some prefer not to cook at all. Head to your local grocery store and purchase your Thanksgiving meal. Many people would rather do this so they can spend quality time with their family and friends.

Remember to invite your guests early. Call or send out invitations at least 2 weeks ahead of time so every one has a chance to plan for their day also. Be prepared to add a few or lose a few. Not all family members get along with each other so some may refuse your offer. Other family members may have a friend who has nowhere to go and would like to bring them along. Prepare for these types of things.

Clean your whole house about a week ahead of time. This is a great time to do your fall cleaning. You will have enough time to knock it all out before the big day and you will feel comfortable knowing that your home is clean for all your guests.

Be sure you have enough chairs. An extra table or two for small children is a good idea also. This way you don’t have to worry about every one being too crowded.

Be sure you have plenty of things for all your guests to do to stay occupied. Children especially need games and toys to keep them busy. Older children may like to watch TV or play video games. Be sure to have a place set up for all the children to enjoy their day.

Remember to start thawing your turkey about 4 days ahead of time. You can also do all that vegetable chopping the day before. Remember there will be a lot of leftovers and everyone should have the choice of taking some home. Have plastic baggies and containers available for that.

Remember that this is a time to spend with family and friends not slaving in a kitchen. It doesn’t have to be perfect just fun and enjoyable. Relax and have a great day. You deserve it.

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