Tips I've Learned

When it comes to preparing a Thanksgiving Feast, the best advice I can give you is to not take on the challenge alone. Unless, of course, you’ll be alone.

Preparing a big meal for a large family get together or close friends you consider family can be a huge undertaking. Growing up we never had one person who was in charge of everything, we were all expected to bring something to the table potluck style. Of course, there wasn’t a randomness as you’d expect from a potluck, but rather one person was in charge of contacting everyone and informing them of their options of what they should bring. This eliminated too many duplicates, but also made it easier for the person bringing the dish to know what they were expected to bring rather than freaking out at the last minute trying to prepare a dish. So if you want Aunt Martha’s Green Bean Casserole, tell her to bring it rather than trying to make it yourself (and no, I don’t actually have an Aunt Martha. Well, I might. I don’t know. My family breeds like rabbits.)

The host should be responsible for the turkey. I’m not saying this out of malice for anyone else who might be inclined to bring the bird, but out of practicality. Then again, in my family, the host was responsible for one of the three turkeys. Anyways, transporting turkeys, with all those lovely juices and drippings, can be quite the messy ordeal. However, if you are the host and you prefer someone else to take on the turkey task, then by all means, delegate. Hell, you could probably delegate the entire meal out if you do it right which leaves you with just cleaning the house and setting the table. Hmmm…

Don’t overdo it. Seriously, why take extra time out of an already hectic day to make a ton of cute little appetizers to snack on before dinner (unless those happen to be deviled eggs, which sadly, I’m not making this year) when you’ve already got a ton more dishes to make? Get yourself a meat and cheese tray and a veggie tray and call it good. Save your energy for the side dishes. Personally I tend to take on more than I should, but only because I’m a control freak and want to make sure all of my bases are covered as well as have a backup plan in case anyone flakes out on their duties. Not that I’m expecting anyone to flake out (lies, all lies) but it does make sense to have a few things on hand in case your guests decide to bring guests, which I swear would never happen in my family (again, lies, all lies!)

Keep it simple. Don’t spend all day in the kitchen. Enjoy the company of your guests. And above all, remember to have fun. And yes, wine helps.