The Plan
Everything starts with a plan. The more you can spread these chores out over the days and weeks ahead of Thanksgiving, the more relaxed you will be. Gather your cookbooks, traditional recipes, guest list, and pencil and paper. Sit down in a quiet spot and:
- Plan and write down the menu. Think about including some crockpot or pressure cooker recipes, some cooked on the stovetop, and some oven recipes too, so activity isn't concentrated around just one appliance.
- Plan a theme for your Thanksgiving dinner table so you can start thinking about the plates, decorations, and serving pieces you want to use. This can be as simple as a cheery primary colored table, or more elaborate, using heriloom china and crystal, flowers, vegetables, and decorations from your yard and garden. I like to use my deep gold tablecloth along with my grandmother's amber Depression glass and gold-tinted goblets so the dining room glows. I also like my mother-in-law's silver luster china with a silver tablecloth and mercury glass candlesticks.
- Read over each recipe to make sure it's complete, with good instructions, and make your grocery list from the recipe card. You may need to order some items ahead.
- Plan a cleaning schedule, and assign duties to family members other than yourself! Clean a few days ahead of time, then assign a task to each family member (Rachel vacuums, Michael dusts) to keep on top of so the house stays clean.
- Write down the days you plan to shop, listing the stores you need to visit for various items.
- Write out a cooking schedule and timetable. Indicate the dishes you can make ahead, those that can be frozen, those that cook in the crockpot or the microwave, and those that must be cooked at the last minute.
Now go into your kitchen and dining room and gather all your serving dishes and cooking utensils. Think about which ones you will use for the menu and table theme you have selected. I like to stick a post-it note on each serving piece and cooking utensil, pot and pan with the name of the recipe that will be cooked in it and served on it. Check off the recipes on your menu list as you work. If there are any recipes that don't have an assigned cooking or serving dish, think about borrowing or buying some to fill in the gaps.
Get everybody in the family involved in the preparation. Cooking is a great way to get kids interested in science, math and physics, not to mention history and tradition. Children also will be more enthusiastic about Thanksgiving if they have a part to play. Just pick the task(s) best suited to their age and ability.
Now go to the next page for more hints and tips!
