We are about two weeks away from Thanksgiving. If you’re anything like me, you are anxious to start getting ready . Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do right now that will make your life a little easier come Thanksgiving and the days leading up to it.
Hopefully these items listed below will help you to have a low-stress, enjoyable family meal.
Pick The Recipes you are going to cook. your recipes! Decide what you want to cook and begin a shopping list. This gives you plenty of time to track down those special family recipes, ask everyone else for their input with regard to dietary restrictions or other preferences, and figure out which dishes (platters, bowls, etc.) you’ll use to serve each recipe.
What Size Turkey Should I buy?
The Agriculture Department suggests one pound of turkey per person. We’ve previously suggested about 1½ pounds for each diner to allow for leftovers.
Purchase or order your turkey. Don’t be left scrounging around the grocery store for turkey the day before Thanksgiving. If you find a good deal on a Turkey you want, go ahead and buy and keep it in the freezer. Just be sure you give yourself enough for it to defrost. Otherwise, place an order for your turkey now so you get exactly what you want.
Buy all your shelf safe groceries. The grocery store aisles are ready and brimming with many of the ingredients we use for Thanksgiving. While you’re relaxed and thinking ahead, go ahead and grab your canned pumpkin, canned cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, marshmallows, and whatever else your family’s favorite dishes use. Fresh cranberries can be frozen or will store fine in the fridge for a few weeks, as well. Also, stock up on all your drink and paper goods supplies.
Make your pie crust. Pie Crusts freezes great. Make you a batch now to get it out of the way. Let it defrost at least overnight before you’re ready to use it. Want to stash a whole ready-to-bake pie in the freezer?
Order your meal if you don’t want to cook. If you’ve made the decision to outsource the cooking, whether it’s the whole meal or a few parts, you can probably place your orders now. The sooner you do so the better, as some sources may limit the number of orders. Deadlines vary, but generally, restaurants and bakeries require a longer lead time than grocery stores.
Mitzi Moody 