How to Be Prepared For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is less than 100 days away and be prepared helps reduce the stress of all the preparations.

Are you going to cook the traditional turkey dinner?

Do you want to purchase a fresh or frozen turkey?

After you buy the turkey, how do you store it? There are numerous questions you may have. Thinking ahead and being prepared will keep everything running smoothly.

Following a few simple steps will reduce the holiday stresses and ensure a safe meal.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Step one - Start making your shopping list now. If having a traditional dinner, what will you need? What do you already have on hand?
   
   Are you making stuffing? What ingredients do you need? Bread crumbs, celery, broth, eggs, corn bread, spices, perhaps a stuffing mix.
   
   Here are some more ideas for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
   
   Stuffing
   Turkey
   Cranberries
   Mashed potatoes
   Green bean casserole
   Raw vegetables – carrot sticks, celery sticks, green peppers
   Gravy
   Dinner rolls
   Desert – pumpkin pie, cheesecake,

2. Step two – calculate how much turkey you will need per person. If you are buying a whole turkey you will need about ¾ to 1 pound person.

3. Step three - if you are buying a frozen turkey, you will need to thaw it out. A 12-16 pound turkey takes about 3 days to thaw out completely in the refrigerator.

4. Step four – double check your list. Do you have everything you need? If not make a trip to the store (preferably without the family. It will be less hectic if you leave them at home).

5. Step five – buy a meat thermometer. When the turkey is done the internal temperature will need to be at least 165 degrees. It is always better to be safe than sorry when cooking a turkey.

Tips & Warnings

• You will enjoy the holiday with a great deal less stress if you are prepared. Dried stuffing mix, canned cranberries, and about half the items on your list will keep without refrigeration and have a long shelf life. So buy your items early.

Resources

• more articles by Lu Young
• an amusing website
• Avoid Foodborne Illnesses Associated With Turkeys
• How to Make Brownies In A Jar