If you are having extra family over for Thanksgiving dinner there
is a lot to worry about, such as having all the food ready in
time, where to have everyone sit, and if you will have enough food
for everyone. This checklist can help you make sure that you don’t
forget something. Print this out and plan a perfect feast this
Thanksgiving!
Three Weeks Before:
Plan your
menu and write down a list of everyone you would like to have
there or that is planning on coming.
Make sure
you have all the cooking items you need. Check for:
o Roasting pan (make sure the turkey will fit in it and that it
all will fit in the oven)
o Gravy boat
o Bread basket
o Enough serving spoons, dishes, and bowls for all the side dishes
Two Weeks Before:
Cook items
that can be frozen.
Put mixes
together. For example, if you are going to do fruit pies you can
cut, peel and make the filling and put it in the freezer.
A Week Before:
Inventory
your utensils and dishes. If you don’t have enough that matches
find some cheap complimentary colored dishes and create a fun
look. Do you have:
o Dinner Plates
o Dessert Plates
o Clean Napkins
o Enough spoons, knives, and forks for everyone
o Water glasses
o Wine glasses
o Enough tablecloths for your tables
Save up
those containers. Save used cottage cheese, yogurt, butter and
sour cream containers. They work perfectly for storing leftovers
to send home with family members and you won’t care if you never
get them back.
Clean the
house.
Make a list
of all the dishes you will be serving. Then go through and make
sure you have all the ingredients. If you don’t have something
write it down on a shopping list. Keep the shopping list in a
visible place like on the fridge with a magnet so that if you
think of something else you need you know exactly where the list
is and can write it down.
Figure out
how many chairs and tables you have. If you need more you can ask
family or friends that are nearby to bring some extra.
Decide if
you are going to do a centerpiece and gather the items needed for
it.
A Day Before:
Bake
desserts and other dishes that need to be refrigerated, or that
are okay being reheated.
If you
froze anything take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge
to thaw.
Prepare
yourself mentally for the cooking the next day. If you need to,
write yourself a timetable of the order things need to be done in.
Thanksgiving Day:
Make sure
everyone eats breakfast. People tend to get cranky and mishaps
occur more often if everyone is working on an empty stomach.
Enlist
younger members of the family to set the table and help with other
tasks like arranging vegetable platters. Tell them jobs that they
will have when guests start coming. For example one can be the
greeter and open the door, another can take people’s coats and so
on.
If dinner
is not quite ready when everyone has arrived go around the table
and have everyone tell one thing they are thankful for.
