Planning Ahead – Less Than One Week Till Thanksgiving!

I found some great tips from http://respectthebird.com/ to make Thanksgiving more enjoyable and less stressful for everyone.

 

Seven days to go until Thanksgiving! Are you ready? Made your list? Invited everyone? Keep the day easy with these tips to help organize the meal.

The Week of the Big Feast:

• Clear out the refrigerator to make room for groceries and prepared dishes to come
• Plan how much time you’ll need to thaw the turkey: allow 24 hours in the refrigerator for every five pounds of turkey (a 15-pound turkey will take 72 hours or three full days to thaw)
• Prepare pastry for pies and refrigerate or freeze in plastic wrap
• Prepare sauces, jellies, and dressings
• Assemble dishes in advance, then freeze or refrigerate; this will be a huge timesaver and stress reliever on Thanksgiving Day. Remember to consider thawing time, as well as the space available for freezing and refrigerating
• Make cakes and pies
• Determine the cooking times for each dish. Will the oven be available when needed? Remember to keep cool dishes cool and hot dishes hot
• Make a schedule - know what things need to go into the oven, how long they take and when you need to take them out. If you make some things ahead, like the casseroles, they can be reheated while some things cool before dinner.