Tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving
Wouldn’t it be nice, this year, to have a Thanksgiving dinner without losing any hair or breaking out into hives? Now you can. Follow these tips and you will have yourself a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner, for which the whole family will be grateful.
Arm yourself with a plan (not a pan…seriously, put that thing down):
Plan ahead what you want to eat, what time you want to be eating, and with whom you want to be eating. Lists are your new best friend. Make a list of guests. Make a list of allergies for those guests. Then, make a grocery list. Make an inventory list of your kitchen tools. Do this at least two weeks ahead. Bet you would have forgotten that you broke the spatula a month ago, eh?
Beat the crowd:
Grocery stores get packed, your adrenaline goes into power-drive as you reach for that last can of cranberries before the other mom gets it, and you knock over canned pumpkin displays, every-one stares. Not this year. This year, you will shop ahead, by at least one week. Try to get to the store early morning—you’ll be tired and cranky that day, perhaps. But when you are sitting down to the perfect meal, you’ll be thankful—that’s what this is all about anyway, right?
Quick-fixes:
Don’t be ashamed to buy some store-bought items. Buy pre-made pumpkin pie and add your flare. This is a great time saver, and guests are huge fans.
Start early:
Desserts, breads—many, many side dishes can be made the day before. So free up some time, and some counter space to get that turkey just right.
Turkey?
Yes, turkey. This is a major point of stress for the holiday, but don’t repress the memory of this delicious bird. Remember to defrost it. In the fridge overnight is best.
Child management:
Oh, they are so sweet and you are grateful to share this time with them…but they can, at times, get in the way. Give children specific tasks; they love to be involved in what you are doing. Let them stir the gravy, set the table, cut the dinner rolls.
Take it easy:
Your guests aren’t coming to watch you sweat—or even to criticize your meal, believe it or not. No one wants there host or hostess to be constantly running around; they want your time, your love, your affection. So pour yourself a glass of wine, relax, enjoy, and be grateful.
