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Hosting Thanksgiving at your home is kind of like a dream come true combined with your worst nightmare.  The dream includes the hugs and smiling faces of your loved ones as they enjoy the meal you have prepared for them.  The nightmare?  That’s the new recipes you have never tried before.  Trying to find the perfect timing of the meal.  Burning yourself on the oven rack.  Running out of places to stir. A totally inadequate amount of oven space. And the constant worrying ahead of time. Do I have the right tools to prepare the meal?

 

[bctt tweet=”My favorite kitchen tools for preparing a perfect Thanksgiving turkey.” username=”jugglngrealfood”]

I probably can’t take away all of the stress of the day, but making sure you have the right tools to prepare the meal is something I’m good at.  I’m here to help with a list of essentials for the day.  Amazon makes it easy to make sure you have what you need for the big day.  Amazon has me hooked with their guaranteed 2-day delivery using Amazon Prime.  Anyone else hooked out there? I’m going to start with preparing the turkey because that is what most people worry about the most.  I’ll be back soon to talk about the kitchen essentials you need for preparing perfect sides and tips on setting a perfect table.  Make sure to share this with your friends who are new to preparing holiday feasts. 

I want you to relax and enjoy the holiday with your family.  My Eagle Scout sons’ taught me that it is best to “Be Prepared”.  The best way to do that is to make sure you have all of the tools you need ahead of time.  You might even want to practice a little with them so you are familiar with how they work.  The goal is to make sure there are no surprises on Thanksgiving day.  And if there are surprises on Thanksgiving………….They will have nothing to do with your preparation of the meal.  

Make the Turkey

As always………..you can click on anything green for additional information or to order directly from Amazon.

Juggling Tips: Choose a pan to cook your turkey paying close attention to the size of your turkey.  If you have plenty of room in the oven, you can use a traditional roasting pan.  If you are planning on cooking lots of sides in the oven, you may want to look at an electronic roaster to free up some space in the oven.

Covered Oval Roaster (Use in the oven)

Nonstick Turkey Roaster with Rack (Use in the oven)

22 Quart Roaster Oven (No oven required)

 

Juggling Tip:  Use an electronic meat thermometer to determine when your turkey is done.  In order to keep your turkey moist baste periodically and rub the entire bird down with butter or oil.

Digital meat thermometer with probe

Nylon Baster

Silicone Brush

 

Juggling Tips:  Avoid burns!  You are going to be rushing around and trying to get things done in a hurry.  Wear extra long oven mitts to avoid burns.  Whether you decide to use a traditional or electronic carving knife, make sure that it is extra sharp.  Find a knife sharpener in your area to get your knives sharpened if necessary. 

Extra long silicone oven mitts (I like the orange for Thanksgiving, but there are other colors available) 

2 Piece Knife and Fork Carving Set

Electric Carving Knife

I really and truly hope that you have the best Thanksgiving ever.  Enjoy the time with your family and enjoy all that you are thankful for.  From all of us at Juggling Real Food and Real Life, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Let’s build this for a resource for others.  What would you add to this list?  I’ll keep updating this post as time goes on.  I would also like to hear about your Thanksgiving success and horror stories.  What works for you and what still gives you headaches.  Leave me a comment and let’s get the holiday conversation going. 

For more help planning a perfect Thanksgiving, check out our Countdown to Thanksgiving tips.