The holiday season is just around the corner, and before one realizes it, ones home will be full of family members celebrating Thanksgiving. Before celebrating the holiday, there are a lot of preparations that can be done ahead of time that will save you time, save you money, and prevent stress. By not waiting until the last minute also allows time to purchase necessary or additional equipment if needed.
Start Stocking that Pantry
Stocking the pantry is one of the easiest things one can do to start planning for Thanksgiving. Start planning what dishes one plans on making for Thanksgiving, and start watching the sales at ones favorite grocery store. Not only will the shopping be done, but one can save a lot of money too. Stock up on canned or frozen vegetables, cans of chicken broth, bullion cubes or powder, ingredients for casseroles, drinks, and make sure to get a turkey bag.
Prepare the Kitchen
Prepping the kitchen should start a few days before Thanksgiving, but first and foremost, make sure ones turkey will not be frozen come Thanksgiving morning! Preparing ones kitchen will be the most time consuming part of preparing for a stress-free Thanksgiving. Since the kitchen and dinning room will be the central location for this holiday, make sure to thoroughly clean everything. Buff the cupboard doors, clean out the refrigerator, and wash and prepare the China and serving dishes. The night before Thanksgiving, it helps to wash the floors and clean-up any messes or clutter, wash and unload any dishes from the dishwasher, and set out any necessary dishes or foods one will be cooking with first thing in the morning. Starting with a clean slate in the morning, and cleaning any messes while cooking will help to aid a stress-free morning.
Kitchen Must-haves
To successfully host a Thanksgiving dinner, there are a lot of items one must have.
- Roaster pan, or large pan
- Serving dishes and utensils
- Plates, cups, and cutlery
- Napkins
- Pot holders for hot dishes
- Whisks, spatulas, hand mixer
- Plenty of pots and pans
- Baking dishes
- Knives
- Baster
- Kitchen timer
Whether one deciders to use fine China or use disposable plates, making sure one has the above mentioned items, and by planning and prepping ahead of time, one can save time and energy on Thanksgiving Day. Here’s to a happy and stress-free Thanksgiving this year. Good luck!
