Need help preparing for the feast? Here are a few tips to make this special day easier for the hostess.
1. Don't cook a whole turkey. There is ALWAYS too much bird, too many side dishes, and too many leftovers. Cook a turkey breast and drumstick in a slow cooker instead. Or why not cook a ham? Easy clean up, and NO chance of food poisoning from improperly cooked turkey stuffing.
2. Make it a pot luck. Most guests ask what they can bring. TAKE THEM UP ON THEIR OFFERS and suggest easy things: Rolls, cranberry sauce, veggie platter, a pie, whipped cream, and apple cider are easy contributions for guests to make, plus it takes pressure off you to remember those things on the big day. Also, if you have guests who are always "fashionably late," you won't have a ruined meal because of the missing mashed potatoes and gravy. You prepare the key staples, guests bring the extras.
3. Keep the dog outside. OUTSIDE, in a kennel, and tied up. It's only for a few hours.
4. Do not forget to give your ADHD son his meds the morning of the big day. Only mothers of ADHD kids fully grasp the significance and necessity of this reminder.
5. A folding table covered with a tablecloth is a perfectly fine way to accommodate guests. Do not buy an extra oak dining set just for this occasion. It will become clutter the day after. But a folding table is a necessary asset to any hostess. The table folds flat and slides into a closet or up against a garage wall or under a bed for storage. I have a long one that I can lift and set up myself, and I use it while sewing, scrapbooking, and for setting up a gingerbread men decorating station for my Christmas party each year.
6. Beware of unnecessary upgrading. I have fallen victim to this malady in the past, many times right before a large gathering: I prepare the house and take a final look around and start thinking, "It's not fancy enough, not festive enough, not impressive enough for the guests I've invited." So off I run to purchase another flower arrangement, or a new doormat, or seasonal hand towels for the powder room, or fancier dinner napkins. STOP. The desire to impress others can rob you of money, time, and peace of mind. Don't complicate the issue; complexity clutters your home, mind, and credit card with unnecessary spending.
7. Improvise. Much clutter arises from people making purchases for a one-time event, with the idea that they will use it for the next holiday. If you want 12 matching plates for your holiday dinner, and buy a set of turkey plates, they will look great and be used for exactly ONE meal this year, and take up lots of space the rest of the year. Why not use the white plates you already have and ask your kids to make turkey place cards instead? Or, rather than buy that tiered pie stand, why not CLEAR THE TABLE OF TURKEY AND THE REST OF THE DINNER FIRST, then set the pies right on the table? How often do you serve three pies at one time? Probably as often as you use turkey plates: for one meal a year. Improvisation stops clutter in its tracks.
8. You are not Martha Stewart. You do not have a staff of 12 to help you create the perfect Thanksgiving photo shoot. You do not have to wax the light fixture before your guests arrive or gold plate the bathroom fixtures. Focus on keeping the kitchen safely clean, food hot or cold as necessary, and loving your guests with warmth and thankfulness for their presence in your life.
