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Default How to plan Thanksgiving with less stres


Defuse the Thanksgiving Stress Bomb
How planning ahead for Thanksgiving can help you stay on plan
Article By: Juliet Glass
From: Thanksgiving 101 book by Rick Rodgers.

What's Rodgers' secret? Plan ahead and get organized. "You can never
start planning your Thanksgiving too soon," advises Rodgers. Here are
his favorite organizational tools for ensuring a relaxing, delicious
and healthy celebration.

Make lists.

Once you've planned your guest list and menu, write down everything
you need to buy and do for Thanksgiving.

Rick Rodgers breaks shopping into three lists:

Way Ahead (two or three weeks out)
Anything that won't go bad: paper towels; candles; dry goods like
spices, flour and brown sugar; and beverages, including wine, liquor
and nonalcoholic drinks.

One Week Ahead
Includes produce that can keep, like potatoes, squash and onions as
well as dairy products.

One Day Ahead
"My goal for the Wednesday list is to be in the express lane of the
supermarket. This when I pick up my fresh turkey, seafood and
perishable produce like string beans, mushrooms and fresh herbs," says
Rodgers.

Don't forget to include chores.
Along with your shopping list, make a list of housekeeping tasks, such
as cleaning the bathroom, pressing linens, polishing silverware and
planning activities for kids, from crafts to easy kitchen chores like
peeling potatoes or decorating cookies.

Tackle your timetable.
Once you have your lists in order, work on your schedule. "You can
start a few weeks out. Figure out what you can make ahead and freeze,
what you can start a few days ahead and what needs to happen the
day-of," instructs Rodgers. Pie crusts, homemade breadcrumbs and
turkey stock, which adds loads of flavor with very few calories to
everything from mashed yams to the gravy, can be made ahead and
frozen.

The sugar and acid in cranberry sauce means it will keep for up to two
weeks in the refrigerator. "With some dishes you can sauté onions and
other vegetables a few days ahead and store in the refrigerator. You
save precious labor time, plus counter space and a cutting board,"
Rodgers points out. Just reheat on Thanksgiving Day and pick up the
recipe where you left off.

"Think beyond cooking to include other details like coffee so you
remember to put sugar in the sugar bowl and cream in the creamer ahead
of time," says Rodgers.

Inventory your table- and kitchenware.
"You should plan out your entire table, making sure you have real
plates and silverware for all of your guests. Study your menu and be
sure you have enough serving dishes—tag which dish you will use for
what—and utensils. Make sure you have the right cooking vessels and
that your carving set is sharp, and think about your centerpiece,"
says Rodgers. "Are you going to do a floral arrangement or something
with gourds, which can be done ahead?"

Post instructions.
Photocopy the recipes you are going to use so you aren't flipping
through books desperately trying to find recipes on Thanksgiving Day.
"I tape them at eye level to my kitchen cabinets so I can really see
them," says Rodgers.

Also hang up a copy of the your menu someplace visible so you don't
forget to serve things that you cleverly made ahead and squirreled
away in the back of the fridge.

Let friends and family help.
"Do yourself a favor," says Rodgers; "don't tell people what not to
do, tell them what to do. And only opt for potluck with people you
really trust. Tell them how much you need and give them recipes you
know are healthful."

Also, study your chore list and ask people to pitch in. Rodgers'
favorite thing is to "have a few friends over Wednesday to iron table
clothes, scrape wax out of candle holders and set the table."
Check out Rodgers' tips on picking a bird. To brine or not to brine?
Fresh vs. frozen?) and his exclusive Weigh****chers.com recipes for
the best-ever slimmed down roasted turkey and easy-to-make,
stress-free gravy, the secret star of the meal.


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.
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