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A Plan for Thanksgiving - Four
Organizational Tips for the Cook
By Karen Porter,
Editor
EasyHomeOrganizing.com
THANKSGIVING DAY TIP 1: Don't wait until
Thanksgiving day to start cooking your Thanksgiving meal. Start ahead of time.
You can make side dishes and gravies and freeze them. You can make pie crusts
early. You can dice onions and peel and slice potatoes and refrigerate them. You
can make and store some food items a week ahead of time. Other food items are
better left to just hours ahead of the final meal preparation. But you don't
have to wait until the last minute and make everything simultaneously. That type
of disorganization in the kitchen could be stressful, especially if you're not
an old pro at making Thanksgiving dinner (and you have a load of guests on the
way).
THANKSGIVING DAY TIP 2: Defrost the turkey
on time. There is nothing more stressful than knowing family or other guests are
expecting the prime attraction for Thanksgiving day only to realize it's still
frozen hard as a rock. Plan ahead. A frozen turkey can take as long as three
days to defrost. Read the cooking directions on your frozen turkey. And make
room in your refrigerator to defrost it for the suggested time span.
THANKSGIVING DAY TIP 3: Make sure you have
the right cookware before Thanksgiving day. Don't assume. Visually check your
kitchen cabinets for these items. It might have slipped your mind that you
loaned your best roasting pan to a friend three months ago (who has yet to
return it). Also realize that if you're cooking a turkey big enough to feed
twice as many people this year as last year, you might need a bigger pan than
you own. Don't wait until you're ready to prepare the turkey to find this out.
Shop early for appropriate size cookware. Also stock up on any serving trays or
cooking utensils that you'll need to prepare and serve the turkey and side
dishes. The right tools make any job easier and less stressful, including that
of cooking.
THANKSGIVING DAY TIP 4: Shop for some food
storage containers before Thanksgiving day. You can count on eating Thanksgiving
leftovers for a few days. The latest popular food storage containers are plastic
with snap lock lids and can go from fridge to microwave and back. Pyrex glass
storage containers are always good too and glass stains less. But both types can
go in the dishwasher.
Your ultimate goal is to enjoy Thanksgiving day from start to finish. Creating a
little plan for Thanksgiving before the big day can go a long way toward making
this happen.
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