Tips For A Stress Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving means different things to different people.  In America, it is a day we set aside to give thanks for all the things that are important to us. Most families enjoy an excellent dinner with an afternoon of football watching and yelling at the television screen. Some families do things together such as playing board games, touch football, or any number of other games that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Other traditions are to gather the ladies together to plan the shopping strategy for the day after Thanksgiving sales.  A worthy cause if ever there was one!

But the traditions that go along with Thanksgiving and giving thanks does not solve the dilemma that many face each time Thanksgiving is celebrated.  That is the dilemma of what to prepare for the big meal. There are plenty of options available and as part hostess, part chef extraordinaire it is entirely up to you what the menu will be.  The best piece of advice that can be given is the less food you have to prepare on Thanksgiving day is the less food that has the opportunity for something to go wrong in the preparation process.

Here are a few great menu ideas, tips, and tricks that should help make your Thanksgiving Dinner preparations go a little more smoothly.  Whether this is the first time you are in charge of preparing Thanksgiving Dinner or not, these tips will help to alleviate some of the stress of being responsible for feeding your friends and family on this special holiday.

First, you should plan ahead and make sure you have all the ingredients you need along with any special menu items that may be required well ahead of time but in a manner that allows for maximum freshness. If you must wait until the day before to get some of your shopping done, then do so as early in the day as possible. Otherwise make a point of getting all the non-perishable ingredients that are necessary a week or so ahead of time. This will keep you from having to stand in long lines at the grocery store.  Also if you are going to order a smoked turkey, a honey baked ham or something along those lines, do so far enough in advance that you have no doubt that your order will be filled on time.

Second, if you can afford to have some of the food prepared by a caterer and it doesn’t hurt your sense of pride do so, having a few items catered will leave your day much less stressed.  It will reduce the risk of something going wrong more than if you are cramming everything into one morning and doing it all yourself.  Bread from the bakery, a smoked ham or turkey, and certain favorite side dishes that are complicated and time consuming as well as some pies are a great buy and save a lot of time that would be better spent enjoying the day.

Third, recruit help. There is absolutely nothing wrong with grabbing a passing child or adult and asking for a little help with the chopping, washing, or mixing that must take place in order for the dinner to go off without a hitch. Most people don’t mind helping but they are afraid to offer for fear of seeming to imply that you aren’t doing well enough on your own. For this reason there is no harm in recruiting help, especially among friends and family.

Finally, keep the animals outside or locked away from the festivities and, more importantly, the food. Animals are great friends to have but most of your guests do not appreciate them in the kitchen or at the table. The last thing you want is for someone to find an animal hair in their food.  You also do not want Fluffy or Fido to run off with the food you’ve worked hard to prepare (or purchased, whichever the case may be). It is best to remove them from a situation that might prove tempting.

These tips and ideas will help your Thanksgiving dinner go more smoothly.  The most important thing about your Thanksgiving dinner is to not be so stressed from the preparation that you do not have the energy or peace of mind to enjoy it.  Any shortcuts that do not affect the taste of the food are worth doing.   This year,  you might be able to give thanks for a stress-free holiday.