Thanksgiving is an amazing time of the year. Thanksgiving dinner is perfect for spending time with family, and enjoying some amazing food. What’s better than that? But, it can be stressful thinking about all of the work that needs to be done. How can you start preparing for Thanksgiving dinner now?
Now, I personally have never cooked Thanksgiving dinner. I have helped, but not done all of it. For those of you who have prepared Thanksgiving dinner, I have some helpful tips for you! I found a blog by Sage Singleton, titled, “7 Rules for a Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner”. These tips can ensure you a fun, easy, and stress-free Thanksgiving, just how it should be.
1. Make A List
This tip might be helpful depending on the person. If making lists stresses you out, find something else that will ease you but still help you to keep track what needs to be done. If you’re like me, you love lists. Making a list, especially for Thanksgiving can help you in many ways. Your Thanksgiving list can consist of who is attending, what needs to be bought, what needs to be made, who is making what, etc.
Sage emphasizes the importance of making a list when going to the grocery store. This can reduce the amount of times you go to the store, and the amount of things your forget when at the store.
2. Find Ways to Save With Coupons
Groceries are expensive. Especially when Thanksgiving comes around and you have a lot of guests. Look in a local newspaper, or research in advance some grocery stores near you to see what sales they have. The more food for less money, the better!
3. Don’t Go Overboard
This Thanksgiving dinner, does not have to the greatest dinner anyone has ever seen or tasted. No matter what you make, or how much effort you put into it, your guests will love it. Don’t drain yourself over something that can be stress-free and simple.
Sage explained a way to not overdo yourself is to, “find out the must-have menu items from your guests. You might discover that no one is interested in yams or dinner rolls, so you won’t have to waste your money on them. Keep it simple with one kind of meat, a few sides and dessert.”
4. Research Substitutes
I was honestly really confused when I read this, but it totally makes sense. Thanksgiving dinner is once a year, (maybe multiple times a year if you eat with different parts of your family) don’t buy something that is going to be expensive, that you will only use once. By that time, money is being wasted. Find something that is a little more common for your family, that you can use throughout the whole year.
5. Hold Back on The Sweets
Sage suggests on doing this, because not all of the sweets are going to be eaten. Sage suggests to vote on a couple sweets to make, and stick to those. “The best part of Thanksgiving is indulging in your favorite treats that you may only eat once a year.”
6. Don’t do it by yourself
Thanksgiving dinner is hard. There is a lot of food that needs to be made, maybe a house to clean, and maybe rowdy kids that need to be taken care of. Let people help. They want to help in anyway they can. Don’t do it by yourself. Usually for me, if I end up doing something big all by myself, I end up not enjoying it as much because I get so frustrated and irritated. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and happy, enjoy it.
7. Plan your recipes
Now that you have made some lists, (this would be a good list too) voted on things to eat, found substitutes and coupons, start planning now on what you are going to make.
Hopefully this post has been able to help you and give you some ideas on how you can start planning for Thanksgiving dinner now.
Happy Thanksgiving!