Last minute Thanksgiving tips...

I've had back to back stress dreams these past two nights.  As a daughter, a wife, and now a mother, my subconscious has plenty of material to pick from for these nightmares.  Ugh.  Hopefully, the stress dreams will end on Thursday (because I won't be so much sleeping as passing out from all the food and drink).

Anyway, here are some of the calming last minute things I do the night before/morning of  Thanksgiving to feel like I've got everything under control, and to help relieve the pressure of the big day:

The night before

1.  Lay out your serving dishes (including the silverware you're using to serve with) and label what is going in each.  It might sound a tad OCD, but trust me, it's super helpful to a) make sure you have a place for everything, and b) let your kitchen assistants to know where things should go instead of them asking you while you're trying to make the gravy or carve the turkey.

2.  Set the table.  Put it all out there - don't just stop at the napkins and utensils, put out the plates, water and wine glasses, candles, flowers, salt and pepper shakers, wine coasters, etc.  If you're having candles, put the matches nearby, so that you can direct a guest to light the candles before you all sit down.

3.  Fill up your water pitcher and put it in the fridge to chill.   It is so annoying to have everything on the table ready to go and then realize that the water glasses are empty...as you spend the next five minutes waiting for your water dispenser to fill the gaping maw of your pitcher.  In the same spirit....

4.  Bag ice out of your ice dispenser and store it in Ziploc bags, so that you have extra on hand for your guests.  If you don't have an ice dispenser, consider picking up a bag of ice to have on hand.

5.  Prepare the bar.  Whether or not you plan to serve alcohol, it's still a good idea to assemble glasses and any liquids that don't need to be refrigerated somewhere other than the kitchen. Set an ice bucket up on a side table, if you don't have a bar, and line up some glasses alongside it. Display whatever drinks you're planning on serving.  Lay out some cocktail napkins and slice any garnishes the night before and stick them in the fridge.

6.  Plate any hor d'oeuvres that can stay out.  If you're serving crackers, chips, etc assemble them on their serving trays and cover them in plastic wrap.  Spoon any dips into serving bowls and put in the fridge.  Arrange cheese plates and layout the little serving knives so that in the morning you can plop the cheese right where it needs to be.  If you're serving nuts, put them out.  Be sure to have cocktail napkins laid out already or next to the serving trays.

The day of Thanksgiving

1.  Eat a good breakfast! This might seem counter intuitive because you'll be gobbling down a veritable feast later in the day, but there's a bit of road to travel before you sit down to lunch.  It's easy to forget that you'll be doing a fair amount of cooking, last minute cleaning and organizing, and getting yourself and your family presentable for guests.  Don't do it on an empty stomach or you'll be in a less-than-thankful mood when your guests arrive.  Be sure to eat something filling to get through the morning.  Make it easy on yourself and have a bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit, or some scrambled eggs and an English muffin. 

2.  Don't wait to primp.  I used to make the cardinal mistake of waiting till the last minute to shower and dress, figuring that way I would be fresh for my guests.  Well, I might have been freshly made up and dressed, but often I was running down the stairs from primping to open the front door to the first guest - and feeling frazzled.  Shower early, primp, and invest in a good apron.  That way you can be perfumed, serene, and in control when that first guest rings the doorbell one minute early.

3.  Enjoy the pomp and circumstance - turn on the Macy's Day Parade coverage! For me Thanksgiving morning is not complete without the sounds of Matt Lauer covering the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the background.  The good cheer and wholesome fun of the parade puts a smile on anyone's face, and reminds you that this is a holiday to celebrate, not a time of reckoning in the kitchen.

4.  Pump out the jam.  Stick your iPod or smart phone in your sound dock and turn on your party music.  Do this well before your guests are set to arrive.  It'll gear you up for the party, and it provides a nice welcome for your guests.

And last, but certainly not least...

5.  Take a moment with your family before the party starts. My parents always used to pour their Old Fashioneds into their silver tumblers and toast each other, my brother and me and wish us a Happy Thanksgiving.  Kisses were exchanged and we savored a brief moment of quiet and love as a family before the doorbell started ringing and the merry cacophony of the party began.

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving, my dears.  May you have a wonderful, filling and fabulous day with your loved ones.

xoxo,
MF