Everyone has seen those television shows where they start out that some horrible thing is happening, and then instead of going forward in time, the show goes back a couple of days to show what happened to get to that point. Well, that’s what I’m going to talk about here, only I’m going to have a smile on my face and a glass of wine in my hand!
If you have not already done so, I suggest you download my Guide to a Stress-Free Thanksgiving. Print it out and put it on the refrigerator.
Sunday
The first thing to do on Sunday is clean out the refrigerator. Now is the time to get rid of any science experiments and consolidate half-used jars and bottles of various things. You are going to need it to be neat and organized so finding things you need to cook will not be difficult. You will probably also have leftovers and trying to find a place to put them is a pain when you have to rearrange things. If you do it on Sunday, you won’t have to worry about it on Thursday.
You probably already know how many people you are going to be serving, but to be sure, plan enough for an extra portion should an unexpected guest arrive, someone is extra hungry, or God forbid, you drop a meal on the floor. You probably also know what time you are going to be serving your feast. If you have not already done so, now is the time to call, email, or text your guests with that information.
Make a plan of when you are going to do things. This becomes a whole heck of a lot easier if you have an AI in your house. Plan your day out on Tuesday or Wednesday night, write it down, or tell your AI to remind you. We have an Amazon Echo that I already programmed. If you don’t have an AI like Alexa or Google Home, you can always write your schedule on a piece of paper and stick that on the fridge door. It won’t be verbally reminding you to do things but at least you will have easy access to it. But, if you go to Amazon now, you can order an Amazon Alexa now and have it by Wednesday night.
Monday
Sit down Monday night and make your plan. Make sure that you put some breaks in there for yourself. Allow yourself time to have coffee or your choice of morning beverage. Set aside a little time to do last-minute cleaning. Set aside time to have a bath or shower and get dressed. Finally, set yourself about half an hour before guests arrive to breathe and have a well-deserved beverage of your choice.
As far as food is concerned, if your turkey is frozen, it should go into the refrigerator Monday night. See, aren’t you glad you got rid of those science experiments? If you can make anything that will sit for two days, make it Tuesday night. Wednesday night, set the table including serving dishes you will be using.
Thursday
Thursday morning, if you are going to make cranberry sauce, make it early so it has time to chill and thicken. Prep vegetables and put them in bags so they will be ready to go. If you are going to make stock, take the neck and put it on with the ends of vegetables you had from prepping vegetables. If you need to bake, do it in the morning. Once you have finished this bit, have a break. Then prep your bird to be ready to put in the oven. Once the bird is in the oven, clean up your kitchen – you don’t want a sink of dirty dishes when your guests arrive. Now, you can clean yourself up, sit down, and put your feet up with a glass of wine before your guests arrive. See, you’re still sane! Isn’t that wonderful? Happy Thanksgiving!
