It is nearly November as I am writing this and I know many of you are already thinking ahead to hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. Although there are some things that absolutely must be done near or on the day, there are many other things that can be done ahead of time to help you enjoy a less-stressed Thanksgiving.
Now would be a good time to shop for any specialty tools you might need. There may be things you needed last year you didn’t have that you could purchase now. Or maybe you want to upgrade some current tools to help ease the cooking process.
It is not too early to plan your menu so you can create a shopping list. You can also order your turkey now. Allow one to one and one half pounds of turkey per person for seconds and leftovers. Remember, if you order a fresh turkey you need to pick it up only 1-2 days before you are going to use it.
It is a good time to clean out your freezer and begin making and freezing some items. You can pour your cold pumpkin pie filling into a chilled unbaked pie shell and freeze it. Bake it unthawed at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then at 325 degrees to finish it. You can also make and freeze homemade stock for your gravy. Rolls freeze well either baked or unbaked. Fresh cranberries can be frozen up to a year.
You can take inventory of tableware, tablecloths and napkins in case you need to pick up anything extra. Fluffing the tablecloth in the dryer or ironing it now and laying it out on an unused guest bed will save time as the holiday gathering draws near. Planning your centerpiece/decorations and making sure you have everything needed will ease your stress level.
Shopping for non-perishable items can be done now. You could also make sure you have containers and/or bags ready for leftovers for guests.
Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Hopefully we can all enjoy a low stress holiday!
