Just a week and a half to go before turkey day! As you’re in full-on preparation mode, here
is a checklist to help ensure you’re covering all your bases.
1) Finalize your guest list.
Hopefully by now you know who will be joining you around your
table. This contributes to your seating
plan, your menu, and your supply and food quantities. Extend invitations as
needed.
2) Establish your menu.
Is this going to be a banquet meal put on by one, or is the list of
dishes going to be divvied up? Ensure
everyone involved knows their specific roles.
3) Work on your grocery list. List your dishes and their needed ingredients
and quantities to make your organized master grocery list. Decide when you’ll do your shopping,
accounting for your cold, frozen, and pantry storage space.
4) Make your turkey plan.
When you know how many you’ll be serving, you can find the right ratio
to choose the weight of your turkey.
When do you plan to buy it? Do
you need to place an order with your grocery store’s meat department to ensure
you’ll have what you want? Will your
turkey be spending days in the freezer prior to thawing for days in the fridge,
or heading straight to the refrigerator?
These are all questions to consider if you’re in charge of the main
dish.
5) Stock up on takeaway containers. Whether you’ll be filling your own fridge
with all the delicious leftovers or sending some out the door with your guests,
have an appropriate supply of plastic containers or even paper boxes, clear
bins, or Chinese takeout containers from a party supply store.
6) Prep your guest space.
If family will be staying with you, work ahead of time to make their
stay comfortable. Plan a sleeping
arrangement, organize sheets and extra blankets and pillows, and perhaps gather
the air mattress and make sure it’s in working order. Check your stock of guest towels, and supply
the guest bathroom with fresh toiletries.
7) If you’re a Black Friday shopper, you can also get ahead
of the cart-wheeling game by planning out your early morning shopping
plan. Check circulars and favorite store
websites to map out a route that gets you the best deals at the best times.
Don’t put off until tomorrow (or next week!) what you can do
today. Spreading out the holiday to-do
lists gives you more time to get the jobs done right the first time with less
stress and little rush.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 16th.
