#5 Thanksgiving Preparation - Monday through Thursday

At the beginning of this week you should start thawing your turkey. Thaw it in a pan of cold water in the frig. I have also thawed a turkey in a large pan of water on my deck outside in the cold weather. If you normally brine your turkey, this is the time to start that process.

Here is a day by day suggestion for getting ready:
Monday
Count your blessings and Thank the Lord for providing them to you!
Straighten house
Laundry
Clean bathrooms
Change sheets

Cook ahead every dish that you can and store it in the frig or freezer. Mashed potatoes can be made ahead, most casseroles can also if you don’t add toppings until reheating right before serving. Potatoes can also be peeled and chopped and put in water to cover and allowed to sit in the frig for 3 days.

Bread can be made up until the first rise and then frozen. Remove from freezer approximately 6 hours before you will need to bake it. Allow it to defrost and rise, then bake. Or use your bread machine!

Cranberry Salad can be made today, sweet potato casseroles, etc.
Make pies
Begin brining turkeys
Make frozen desserts
Make breakfast foods for Thursday. This year I am planning on making coffee cake and fruit salad. Than later in the day I will offer crackers, fresh veggies and dip. This kind of food helps my family not be starved and in the kitchen all day but doesn’t fill them so much they don’t want to enjoy the TG meal. We usually don’t eat until late after noon.
Tuesday
Pray for the people you have invited to dinner. Ask the Lord to bless them through your hospitality.

Wash and dry all the table linens if you have not done so already. Store them rolled or folded until TG Day.

Go through all your pots and pans and note which ones you will use for which dish. I sometimes label the glass casserole dishes with a piece of masking tape with what will go in the dish written on it. This is especially helpful when you are rushed or have help in the kitchen.

Make sure you have all the dishes, glassware and utensils you need. If you are using plastic, make sure you go to shop for them before too close to TG. Other wise you may not find those cute Fall motif plates you wanted.

Cook any other dishes that can be made ahead and store. Bake pies and cakes today too.

Make stuffed eggs ingredients today. Assemble them Thursday.

Wednesday
As you pray today, as God to guide your hands and offer your work to Him as a sacrifice of praise.

Make cranberry sauce
Make mashed potatoes
Prepare vegetables to roast
Make Sweet potato casserole
Make corn casserole

Bake your turkey either today or tomorrow, early. There are several ideas about when to bake the turkey. Some like to bake the turkey on TG Day so that they can carve it right on the table out of the oven. Some like to bake the turkey so that they will have the juices from cooking to make dressing and then they carve the turkey and serve it on a platter.

I have done both and which method I use depends on how many people are standing around hungry! If I have a house full of people, I will cook the turkey on Wednesday. Then I will carve it and refrigerate it. I have also waited til Thursday morning and cooked it right before I cook the dressing because I like to use the broth and juices in the dressing.
Turkey is GOOD reheated. If you keep it covered well and in the frig, it will be delicious for dinner.

Get your kitchen cleaned up for tomorrow!

Thursday
Get up early
Spend time with the Lord and thank Him for my blessings and for allowing me to prepare this meal for my family!
Shower, dress comfortably but nicely
Straighten bathroom
Put first of turkeys in to roast by 7 a.m., second one by 11 a.m.
Lay out breakfast foods
Make yeast roll dough and allow to rise
Make 7 layer salad
Heat casseroles
Bake yeast rolls
Carve turkey

The girls help me a lot on TG. Here are a few of the things they are responsible for:
Setting table
Folding napkins
Making iced tea
Making coffee
Cutting pies
Making sure there are serving spoons in everything
Keeping the dishes and pans washed up and kitchen clean
Keeping the floor swept in the kitchen
Offer family a breakfast of purchased Danishes and juice OR a casserole prepared ahead of time.

I don’t like to mess up dishes and pans on Thanksgiving morning for breakfast. So many times I will bake a delicious coffee cake the week before and freeze it for TG morning. I also have the family use paper plates, cups and napkins. I place breakfast on the table and move along…….

The main idea is to do as little as possible cooking wise on TG Day. Have it all done before hand so that you just have to reheat. The only things that I make on TG Day are:

Green salads
Fruit Salad
Yeast breads
Dressing
Gravy
Bread in the bread machine
Assemble Stuffed Eggs

Everything else is done and just needs to be reheated in a slow oven. Set your oven temperature to about 250* F and place the foods to be reheated in the oven about 1 hour before the meal. Remember to cover them tightly. If the foods need a bit more moisture before heating you can add a few tablespoons of water to each casserole dish.

#4 Thanksgiving Preparation - More Gathering, Preparing

This is the week to buy your perishables. Go ahead and prepare all the vegetables by washing them and drying them before placing them in the frig. If you want to save even more time for yourself, go ahead and chop up veggies and put them in sealable containers in the frig. You will also begin cooking some dishes this week. You can give the house a once over this week and have the children clean up their rooms. Ask family members if they can tidy the yard.

Dishes that can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days:
Sweet potato - unbaked
Green bean - unbaked

Mashed potatoes

Plain vegetables

Yeast roll dough

Cranberry salad

#3 Thanksgiving Preparation - Gathering In

This week it is time to start getting your supplies gathered in. All dry goods can be purchased ahead of time and most perishable things will be fine refrigerated or frozen til TG week.

Make a list of grocery items you need for the meal and don’t forget to plan at least three post TG meals for your family. Easy things like soups, sandwiches, salads, leftovers will be a help to you in the days after the TG holiday.

You can get your turkey this week if you get a frozen one. However if you normally use a fresh turkey, you will want to order it as soon as you can in October.

If possible, it is handy to make a place in your pantry or cabinet for all your non-perishable TG items so they won’t get used in the day to day cooking before the holiday. Even a basket under a table can be used to hold all the canned and dry goods you will use on TG.

Sometimes it is helpful to begin holiday grocery shopping several weeks before the actual holiday. Just shop for a few items each week and add them to your TG stash.

When all your shopping is done you will be ready to start cooking next week!

#2 Thanksgiving Preparation - Getting Organized

Getting organized to cook a large meal is essential. Getting yourself and your kitchen ready to cook that big meal is time saving and stress reducing.. Getting your house clean to the point that it satisfies you and gives you room to cook and show hospitality is also important.

In the first installment of this series I recommended that you get your menu planned and your recipe together. Now that you have that done, you can look in your pantry and cabinets to see if you have what you need to prepare and serve those dishes.
Check through all your cooking pans and pots and make sure you have everything you need. Do you need to purchase something? Borrow something? It’s not a good thing to need a spring form pan at the last minute.

Wash your tablecloths, napkins and other linens. Fold them and put them away.

Look through your serving dishes too. Do you have everything needed to serve your meal? Do you have all the utensils and glassware you need? Serving spoons? Plates? Dessert plates?

Wash, dry and store all your flatware, china, glass or porcelain items that you will be using. If you are using paper this year, go ahead and buy it and have it on hand. Make sure you have enough drinking glasses, flatware and plates for all your guests.

Make sure your small appliances are working and are clean.

Now is the time to clean your house, deep clean the bathrooms and kitchen especially. Get your guest room ready and do all the heavy cleaning that you want to have done by TG.

If you are sending out invitations to your TG dinner, now is the time to send them.