By the time you read this there is a week…………or less to go before Thanksgiving. Relax!  You got this.  If you have been following along with our Countdown to Thanksgiving, you are likely feeling pretty good about your Thanksgiving day organization.  This week things really start to get exciting as we start shopping for some of the ingredients we will need.

 

Tips for Creating a Perfect Thanksgiving

Get as much shopping out of the way as you can.  That includes non-perishables like garlic, pecans, frozen corn, canned pumpkin, and chicken broth.  You can also purchase produce and dairy that won’t expire before the big day like heavy cream, butter, onions, celery, and sweet potatoes.  Juggling Tip:  Make sure that you are actually purchasing “extra” of each of these items.  There is nothing more frustrating than realizing that you used all of your extra butter for other meals.

Pick up your turkey – Make sure you have purchased the correct size of turkey.  General advice tells us about a pound per person is what you are striving for.  Juggling Tip:  If you find yourself short on turkey, don’t panic.  If you have lots of vegetable sides, your guests will likely not eat as much turkey.  They will have plenty of other things to eat.

Make a plan to complete the cooking.  Most meals you can fly by the seat of your pants.  Thanksgiving takes some planning.  Your goal is to serve a delicious meal with each piece of that meal fully cooked and at the proper temperature.  Take a few minutes and put pen to paper.  Have your list of dishes ready to go and organize when each will need to go into the oven or come out of the refrigerator.  You certainly should not be putting the turkey into the oven AFTER you have prepared everything else. That is a recipe for disaster.   Juggling Tip: Consider using a crock pot or two (or more) to keep food hot or to prepare your side dishes.  There is only so much room in your oven and on your stovetop.

Create a seating plan:  Quite simply…..you don’t have the time or energy for seating arguments while you are preparing your feast.  Plan out your seating ahead and stick to it.  Juggling Tip:  Create seating place cards.  They are a great organizational tool and create an extra special table for the big day.  Here are some fun DIY place cards you can make.  They are quick and easy to make.

One week to go and you are completely organized.  That’s got to feel good.  Maybe you even have time for some extra decorating or some special time with your family.  If you haven’t been following along with us don’t worry.  You still have time to pull together an incredible Thanksgiving feast.  Let’s just not procrastinate anymore, OK?  Next week is the big week and I’ll be back to share some final tips for you to pull off a Thanksgiving dinner that you can be proud to serve your family.  You are a master at juggling everything that comes your way.  You can do this!

What tips would you want a first time Thanksgiving cook to know? How many people do you cook for?  Tell me one of your favorite Thanksgiving stories………..is it something funny, full of joy, or maybe even a kitchen disaster?  Leave me a comment below.  I would love to hear from you.  Make sure you follow me on Instagram.  I’m Juggling_Real_Food and share you Thanksgiving pictures with #ThanksgivingJuggling.