Tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving

Awesome, you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year!

 

Everyone’s looking forward to spending time with each other and, more importantly, what they’re going to eat. But the holidays are already so stressful – figuring out what to buy grandma for Christmas, what to wear to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then New Years – we thought you could use a little help hosting this Thanksgiving!

 

 1. Plan your menu early

 

Plan all of your courses ahead of time, get your dinner recipes together and start planning your drink menu. Think about who your guests are and what flavors they like, what allergies they might have, who’s vegan, who’s lactose intolerant, who doesn’t eat meat (you get the picture). If your favorite recipe website doesn’t meet your specifications, try a new one – you might find a new source for more parties to come!

Dinner Planning

• Guest list (seating chart?)
• Favorite flavors
• Allergy/dietary restrictions
• Find delicious recipes

2. Start buying groceries ahead of time

Don’t rush on long lines and stress out over scarce groceries at the store the week of Thanksgiving. Start at the beginning of the month by buying nonperishable groceries. While you’re at it, head over to the liquor store and pick up some quality wines and ingredients for cocktails. Avoid the grocery store completely by getting your ingredients delivered from Postmates, Peapod, Plated, Jet, etc.

Grocery List: Part 1

• Salad fixings
• Appetizers: crudites
• Chicken broth for soup
• Nuts for dessert
• Honey for dessert
• Sugar for dessert and coffee
• Olive oil
• Dried herbs and spices
• Wine
• Liquor
• Coffee

Make sure you have these essentials too!

• Aluminum foil
• Napkins
• Tupperware for leftovers

Grocery List: Part 2

• Vegetables for sides
• Fruits for dessert
• Fresh herbs
• Fresh bread
• Turkey (or any other meat/protein)
• Ice cubes for drinks
• Milk for dessert and coffee
• Eggs and butter for dessert
  

3. Cook and prep before the big night

Take a look at your recipes and see what dishes you can make a night or two beforehand. If that’s not possible, start prepping your ingredients – chop carrots, celery and onions, measure out liquids and dry ingredients, etc. Just make sure you label everything by recipe! Now all you have to do when you start making dinner is mix and cook.

Prep To-Do List

• Chop carrots
• Chop celery
• Chop onions
• Measure liquids
• Measure dry ingredients
• Put everything in tupperwares to stay organized
• Bake dessert (if possible!)

4. Keep the kitchen clean and avoid chaos

Thanksgiving always leads to a crowded kitchen – from people helping with cleanup to going in and out of the refrigerator for drinks. Try to keep traffic in the kitchen to a minimum by setting up a mini bar with a cooler, clean glasses, an ice bucket, anything your guests will possibly need from the fridge.

Bar Cart Checklist

• Make sure there are enough glasses
• Napkins
• Wine charms
• Ice
• Limes
• Salt
• Liquor
• Wine
• Mixers

 

 

 

5. Enjoy the afterparty

So Thanksgiving is finally here, you made it through an intense dinner prep, all of your hungry guests are fed and satisfied, it’s time for coffee and desserts! Fill your coffee pot with grounds and water beforehand so that all you have to do is press start. Then get to work on cleaning the dishes – sort of. The end of the night should be spent with your family and loved ones, not dirty dishes! Don’t be afraid to let your dirty dishes sit in the sink for a little while before your guests leave. All you have to do to avoid a cleaning catastrophe is let your dishes sit in warm, soapy water.

 

Day Of: To-Do List

• All the dishes, glasses and silverware are washed
• The dishwasher is empty BEFORE the night starts
• Put coffee and water in the coffee pot
• Set the table

 

 

 

We’re thankful for a hassle free Thanksgiving dinner!