It's that time of year, the leaves are falling
and there's a little chill in the air as summer
takes its last breath. Just around the corner,
we'll gain an hour of sleep. Good thing too,
we'll need that sleep to prepare for the
onslaught of holiday guests we have coming over
for Thanksgiving this year! To help you get
through this Thanksgiving holiday, here are some
essential tips for making sure things go
smoothly and to make your holiday just a little
less frantic.
The Setting
It's so easy to decorate for Thanksgiving.
You can make a gorgeous centerpiece using items
from around your house. Use a basket filled with
gourds, fallen leaves, Indian corn, pinecones,
corn husks, squash and mini pumpkins. You can
also use these things to decorate your home. A
few well placed mini pumpkins do wonders to set
the mood for Thanksgiving.
The Table
Make sure you have clearly marked placecards
for each person, so they know where to sit.
Also, be sure to leave enough room on the table
for all your serving dishes. It's a good idea to
have extra chairs handy for any surprise guests
who show up.
Meal Preparation Tips
Preparing a complete Thanksgiving meal can be
quite a task, but with proper preparation ahead
of time, you should be able to pull it off
without a hitch. First, write down your menu and
make a shopping list. Just in case, buy a little
more of each item, so you won't be stuck with
having too little of something on Thanksgiving
day and all the stores are closed. Do your
shopping a couple days ahead of time to beat the
inevitable last minute rush of Thanksgiving Eve.
Make sure you have plenty of room in your
kitchen and refrigerator and freezer to hold all
the food you'll buy. You'll want to begin
preparation of your dishes on Thanksgiving Eve
unless you want to get up very early. Make sure
you pay special attention to what needs to be
done to the turkey. Hopefully, it's not frozen,
but if it is, you can put it in the kitchen sink
with lukewarm water and just keep changing the
water every hour or so to hasten the thawing.
For other dishes, prepare as much as you can
ahead of time. You can usually make many side
dishes and desserts completely ahead of time.
Backup Meal Plans
Your turkey will probably turn out ok, or at
least edible, but if it doesn't, make sure to
have an alternate available. Some good choices
would be a ham, pot roast, a salmon or other
fish.
Choices
It's a good idea to call each of your guests
well ahead of time to make sure you won't be
getting any surprises, like your brother's 15
year old has just turned vegetarian and won't be
able to eat the turkey. Make sure to have plenty
of something that a vegetarian would not have a
problem with. I've found vegetarians are often
happy with some really tasty side dishes like
mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and a salad.
Though, a Tofurky would be a good choice to have
if there are multiple vegetarians coming over.
Don't forget others with special food
requirements, such as allergies, diabetics, low
sodium diets etc.
Outsourcing
Outsourcing isn't just for tech companies! To
make your day easier, consider outsourcing a
portion of the meal. Have a guest or two bring
over a side dish or appetizer. Or consider
buying the dessert. A few pumpkin pies from your
local bakery topped with whipped cream would
work just fine and I bet no one would know the
difference!
Entertainment
After the meal, some guests may go home,
while most others will opt to stay for a while.
Football and basketball games will be plentiful
on TV, but what about those not into watching
sports? Have some board games on hand as well as
party games that involve many players.
Conversation
One of the main points of the holiday season
is to bring family and friends together to catch
up and enjoy each other's company. Make it easy
to have conversations in your home. Make sure
you have some quiet areas and plenty of seating
to make conversation easy.
The Kids
If you're going to be having multiple kids at
your gathering, you need to be prepared for
their needs. Make sure the kids have a separate
table or are seated next to adults that will
supervise them. After the meal, have games and
activities especially for them, or have family
games that can involve children.
Prepare For Emergencies
No, not a natural disaster or even a medical
emergency, it's not nearly as bad as those but
it certainly has the potential to ruin your
holiday. I'm talking about the dreaded toilet
back up. The last thing you want is to be stuck
cleaning up that kind of mess when you're
supposed to be preparing food. Make sure you
have a plunger and some Drano or Liquid Plumber
on hand in the bathroom that the guests will
use. When and if it happens, you'll be very glad
you prepared for it. Trust me! Follow these tips
and you should be one step closer to a safer,
happier Thanksgiving holiday.
