So here are a few:
Do as much prep ahead of time as possible...duh, I know...but here are some examples.
1) Do any deep cleaning several days ahead, people won't be looking at baseboards or behind furniture anyway..
2) Clean oven! That burnt food on the bottom of your oven will affect the flavor of whatever you are baking
3) Bake turkey the day before the meal, carve and pour juices over, then seal tightly and reheat on Thanksgiving at 325 for 45 minutes or an hour, but test after 1/2 hour...you don't want it to dry out!
4) Peel and slice potatoes the day before and put in pan of water in fridge.
5) Make cranberry sauce the day before-fresh is best and very easy! Recipe below..
6) Pies can be baked the day before as well, or even the week before and frozen
and 7) Take the phone off the hook after lunch and rest for an hour before everyone comes over! I highly recommend this - it helps revive me and can enjoy the evening so much better if I am rested and NOT stressed!
Last, but not least...if everything is not perfect, don't worry - your guests will enjoy the meal and their evening together if they sense that you are, too. Remember: There is no perfection this side of eternity - but there can be a lot of fun if you maintain a sense of humor!
That's all I can think of for now...here's your fresh cranberry sauce recipe:
Cranberry Sauce
12 oz fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
pinch of cinnamon
In a medium saucepan, dissolve sugar in orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 min). Remove from heat, sprinkle on cinnamon & place in a bowl. It will thicken as it cools. Enjoy!
Quote of the day: Smile! It's contagious!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Brilliant idea to clean the oven...just cooked the turkey last evening, and turned on the cleaning cycle just now. Supposed to be 60 today, so a good day to clear the air. Had not thought about smells transferring...when I do the pies Wednesday, all should be well. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
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