Thanksgiving with Ease

In the words of Mariah Carey (if you’ve seen her Instagram) “It’s Timeeeeeee!” . . . The Holiday season is officially upon us as we are literally one week away from Thanksgiving and about 5 weeks (36 days) away from Christmas —Yay!! I get so excited around this time of the year because I am a foodie, I love spending time with my family and I love to entertain which the holiday season highlights all that and more. As we all know, this holiday season is going to be a unique one for us all because we’ve been in this pandemic since the beginning of the year and it’s still going on —-actually getting worse, but the fact that we’ve gotten this far is a blessing in itself. Throughout this season it’s important that we continue to follow the CDC and the WHO’s guidelines for staying safe during this time of the year where many of us are use to traveling and/or being around our family in large numbers, but due to the rising cases the “normal” large gatherings have been reduced for the betterment of our health and the those around us.

Now to the meat and potatoes literally and figuratively lol. As I’ve already mentioned Thanksgiving is around the corner and we all know especially for those who live in the kitchen (like myself on this day) that it can get hectic so for those who can’t stand the heat you definitely don’t want to be in the kitchen on this day. Last year, I shared with you tips for Thanksgiving Day prep starting from a week out from the big day which you can find on this blog post below. This year though I want you to share with you more prep tips and also share with you my recipe for a traditional juicy bird that will be the star of your Thanksgiving meal (separate post).

Last year I highlighted this list of tips which goes into detail in the actual post which you can check out on your time

Thanksgiving Prep Tips

Create a menu/make a shopping list (order groceries online if you can and want to avoid the crowds due to covid)
Organize you groceries
Thaw out your turkey (24hrs per 5lbs)
Prep and store (pie crust and stuffing/dressing bread)
Brine your turkey
Chop/dice/cut/shred/slice your produce, herbs and cheese
Locate and arrange your cooking and serving dishes
Start preparing your desserts and cold sides
Reconfirm your guest list (may not be any guest due to covid restrictions)
Set up/Decorate your dinner area

In addition to that list but in no particular order (do what works best for you with your time)

Clean out your fridge – This goes without saying; it is important to clean out your fridge to disinfect and to make room for the new groceries going in.
Order your groceries/dinner online (optional) – There are so many options out there to help alleviate the stress that goes into this big occasion such as ordering your groceries online if that works for you and or if you don’t have the time and since this year our gatherings will be smaller, you can order your dinner from various local restaurants, grocery stores or sites that actually send you the ingredients and recipes to make your own holiday dinner such as Hello Fresh and Blue Apron (dinner in a box).
Make medium/light breakfast for the family the night before – This helps so much because even with prepping ahead for your holiday dinner you forget about breakfast the next day. So to avoid the family “growling bellies” the day of as they await the feast, prep a small to medium simple but filling breakfast for the fam that can be stored to warm up the morning of and hold them until dinner is served.
Assign helpers in the kitchen – As much as you can and want to do this alone the truth is you shouldn’t. It’s ok to ask for help because you will need it! Assign at least two helpers with to-do’s for that day with clear detail of how you want the dishes prepared and anything else done that you can’t get to.
Take mini breaks in between cooking the day of – Another important tip to apply because you will feel burnt out if you don’t is —-take a breather! Being on your feet all day is not a pleasant feeling at the end of the day so in-between cooking rest your feet even if for a moment.
Time your day – Being that time goes by so fast on holidays —-especially since you’re busy, try to map out your dishes cook times so you have an idea of when everything will be do and so things can flow as smooth as possible. In addition, you’ll have time to get yourself together after doing you thang in the kitchen. You want your dishes to look and taste their best and you should look and feel your best as well.