How to time yourself to prepare for Thanksgiving

It seems that most of the people are very stressed out with the financial times that we are living. Even when we are trying to budget ourselves the best we can, one thing that we cannot escape, and we do not want to escape is the traditional Thanksgiving Day. What a wonderful time for celebrating with family and friends! Most women that are "veterans" in preparing for Thanksgiving won't need any advise, but if you are into impressing your relatives with your first, or even your second Thanksgiving, it is important that you use the best timing that you can. The least thing that we need to be is stressed out because of the preparation for that day. As with everything, a little bit of planning comes in very handy. Your will to follow the plan is a plus to live those days ahead of the Holiday stress free.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. One month in advance write down who are the people that you will invite to your home. Remember that some people will have to make arrangements to travel, so it would be good if you have a good idea of the people that will be visiting over. Start calling to check if they will attend or they have other plans.

2. Three weeks in advance, plan your menu. How will the turkey be prepared? Which stuffing do you want? What about the appetizers? Which wine and other beverages? Is there a person that has a special need, like a diabetic that would need maybe something specific, like artificial sugar? Try to be as organized as you can with this step, because one of the biggest frustrations is when you start to cook and have to interrupt because a trip to the store is needed.

3. Find the recipes that you will follow, and write down the ingredients that are needed. Some people suggest that if you are not a gourmet cook, then, try not to impress with dishes that are too elaborated. This could spell disaster.

4. Two weeks before the dinner, you should prepare and freeze some of the things that can be kept safely frozen. Lots of people want to make everything from scratch, and if you are one of them, precooking some things, for example the crust of the pies and/or the stuffing of the turkey will be a blessing!

5. One week before, defrost the crust for the pies, thaw the turkey. Season the turkey according to your recipe, and then keep everything in the refrigerator. Depending on the weight of the turkey you will calculate how much time you will need. The information below is a good guide:
   
   Weight of Turkey Thawing time
   
   4 - 12 pounds 1 - 3 days
   12 - 16 pounds 3 - 4 days
   16 - 20 pounds 4 - 5 days
   20 - 24 pounds 5 - 6 days
   
   During this last week, organize your home and prepare the dinnerware, cutlery, glasses, think about entertaining for the kids, activities suitable for them, have someone tell them about the origin of the holiday, anecdotes about the tradition, ask one of your guests to prepare to say grace before the dinner, and other details that you want to take effect that day.

6. One day before Thanksgiving make the pie (Or the pumpkin flan that I suggest in one of my articles!)

7. Thanksgiving Day is here and you still have a few hours to see all your efforts crowned! Prepare the vegetables and any other dish like for example, candied sweet potatoes.
   The roasting time for a stuffed bird should be as follows:
   
   6 to 8 pounds 3 to 3-1/2 hours
   8 to 12 pounds 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours
   12 to 16 pounds 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours
   16 to 20 pounds 5-1/2 to 6 hours
   20 to 24 pounds 6 to 6-1/2 hours
   
   Based on the time for your dinner, time yourself to cook the bird thoroughly.
   
   If you stick to a plan, and do not let things for the very last few days before Thanksgiving you will be certain that you will enjoy with your guests the day, free of stress. It is a matter of being faithful to your organization. I hope these tips help you and I wish you a lot of success in your preparation!
   
   
   I hope these tips help you and I wish you a lot of success in your preparation! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYBODY!

Tips & Warnings

• Every person, based on his/her schedule should adjust the time accordingly. The timing of this article is just a suggestion that could work for many people. Work your plan according to your particular situation. Some people have other relatives that would be willing to go do the grocery shopping for them, clean the house, etc.