How to Survive Cooking Your First Thanksgiving Dinner

Are you cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner? Are you nervous? Are you apprehensive? I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner over 36 years ago and I know how you feel. I was nervous and I was apprehensive. I was a newly wed and now when I think back, I had no idea of what I was doing. I’m here to tell you not to worry and I’ll give you a few pointers so that your first Thanksgiving Dinner will turn out perfect…well as close to perfect as you can get…so let’s get started!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Paper and pen

1. Let’s begin with planning for your dinner. I’m going to assume that you are going to have the traditional turkey and the side dishes that you prefer. I’m also going to assume that there are some dishes that have become family traditions. Be sure to include those special dishes because your family will be looking forward to them. So, if you don’t have the recipes make sure that you get them and if need be clarify any questions you have about the preparation of those old family favorites.
2. After you have your menu prepared the next step is to make out your grocery list. Try purchasing the non-perishables in the weeks before Thanksgiving; that way it spreads out the expense so that it doesn’t hit you all at once. And, if your budget is limited then ask for your guests to bring a dish; they would probably be flattered. Remember, they have all had to survive cooking their first Thanksgiving dinner too!
3. Now, the next thing that you have to prepare for is making sure that you have enough place settings of silverware, dishes, and glassware. I know that sounds pretty elementary but I want to cover everything. (You might not have enough place settings especially if you have a large family.) There’s nothing wrong with mixing your everyday dishes with your good dishes in fact it is kind of a fun Bohemian look!
4. The roasting pan is very important – make sure that yours will hold that bird! Then, make sure that it will fit in your oven. Now, consider the other dishes that you have to prepare. Do they need to go into the oven too? Plan ahead, if you don’t have room in the oven and you can’t make it ahead of time then you just might have to change your menu.
5. When you purchase your turkey if it is frozen make sure that you read the instructions on thawing so that you know how long it will take to thaw. The one final thing you need to prepare before the day is figure out your timetable. I always make a quick list of the things I am cooking and how long they will take to cook. Then, I figure out when I will have to start cooking everything; that way everything will be ready at the same time.
6. You’ve prepared for the day and it has arrived, Thanksgiving Day and you are cooking your first Thanksgiving Day dinner! Relax, enjoy, your food will be delicious and your guests will enjoy themselves! You will always remember cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner and in later years you will look back and smile…

Tips & Warnings

• I can’t help but remember cooking my first Thanksgiving Day dinner. Our bird hadn’t thawed completely. My husband stood at the sink with that huge bird running cold water in it, through it, and on it to thaw it out. It was finally thawed and when he went to lift it out of the sink it landed right on the floor. I can still hear our laughter! One other thing happened that day too. No Thanksgiving dinner was complete without the traditional Jello mold. You guessed it; I had never made a Jello mold in my life. When I went to take it out of the mold and put it on the serving plate it slid right across the counter. No, it didn’t land on the floor! But, that’s another thing that I will never forget. Maybe that’s what cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner is all about…creating memories and having fun!