Thinking about Thanksgiving - Part 2

Last week we started changing gears from candy and goblins to thinking about Thanksgiving.  We thought about what decorations could be carried over, started making our guest list, and looking at what we already had on hand.

This week we are going to delve into our to-do list a little further.

Thinking about Thanksgiving this Week:

• Are you going to cook, order, or have catered the main dish or entire meal?
• Place your Order
• Contact Caterer
• Measure Oven, Pan, Platter
• Preferred Cooking Method - Bake, Fry, Grill
• Invite Guests - During the RSVP, if a guest offers to bring a dish, accept the offer - it's one less item for you to handle (you reserve the right to make the same dish)
• Keep a running RSVP / Dish list
• Purchase, Rent, Borrow, Clean or Polish
• Dinner Plates, Dessert Plates, Glasses, Wine Glasses, Coffee Cups, Silverware, Napkins, Linens, Serving Dishes and Utensils
• Measure Table or configure Table Arrangements

This table is made up of 3 separate tables and seated 12

• Check your Pantry for items already on hand, what needs replenishing and specific items that need to be purchased
• Make a Grocery List of everything in the recipes including a total count - whether you have it on hand today or not
• Begin purchasing items you do not have (cranberry sauce, olives, sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin pie filling, marshmallows, green beans, turkey/ham/tofu turkey) along with your normal grocery shopping - this helps allocate the cost over a period of a few weeks rather than one major shopping excursion
• Start saving your stale bread for homemade stuffing

Your house is most likely looking pretty good since you've been spending more time inside decorating for Halloween and parties.  Take a breather in this area - besides who ever looks in the bedrooms or closets anyway?

The areas that will matter the most are: Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room or main rooms, Coat Closet, Guest Bathroom, and Guest Room.  Close the doors to the rest of the rooms and no one will be any wiser.  When you get a moment, visit these rooms in the chance that someone might want a tour of the house.

I have to laugh at the mention of the coat closet.  A couple weeks ago, DH and I had guests over and it was one of those surprise chilly nights down here in the south and a few people actually had light jackets.  Lo-and-behold, our coat closet was not ready!  We had to have our guests pile their coats on the bench in the foyer.  How embarrassing was that?  Rest assured, the coat closet was cleaned out the very next morning.

Good luck to you this week.  Please let us know how it's going.


P.S., What is your favorite side dish?

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